Page 76 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“By the time you all arrived,” Kingsley continued, voice cracking, “we’d killed King Khaos. After he slaughtered my brother.” He cleared his throat. “Thadius’ mate was never found. We assumed she was dead. But she turned up here—five thousand miles from home—six years later. Brutalized. Strung up on Reyna’s gates as a reminder of what happens to their enemies.”

“Jesus Christ,” August whispered, paling as he ran a hand down his jaw.

“They’d been friends,” Rosaleigh murmured, “Thadius’ mate and Bellaton’s queen. We thought she was lost…but now...”

“I have to assume my niece died with her. Reyna said there was no sign of the baby. I believed her. I had to.”

An heiress. Gone. A child stolen before she could rise to claim the bloodline that was wiped from the Earth.

“An entire Hierarchy,” Kingsley said, “one that stood for neutrality—for refuge—obliterated. And no one came.”

“We’ve stayed here ever since,” Rosaleigh said softly. “Thirty years. Hidden. Healing.”

“Not anymore,” I breathed.

Kingsley looked up, eyes sharp.

“There’s no hiding this time,” I continued, knees drawn to my chest by the hearth. “Tonight proved that.”

“No,” he agreed. “There’s not.”

His gaze flicked to the little healer—the woman from my vision. The one who would’ve died if we hadn’t intervened.

“I don’t trust him,” August said, still turning the black business card between his fingers. “But Kade is not his father. You don’t have to speak to him. But shouldn’t we at least hear what he has to say?”

“The blood of the betrayer flows in his veins,” Kingsley snapped. “And you think his words are worth hearing?”

My stomach twisted. Brown eyes. Another life. Another betrayal.

“Our blood doesn’t define us,” I said quietly. Before he could object, I added, “But I don’t expect us to ally with a Hierarchy capable of that, either.”

“So what, then?” August asked. “Let that kind of power fall to Adrastos? He used headless corpses to snap necks tonight, Alvara.”

“I’m saying we wait. We don’t answer his call. We watch where he stands when battle comes. Because sweet words and promises mean nothing when blood is spilling.”

Kingsley held my gaze, testing me. Then finally nodded. “I can live with that,” he said. “But when shit hits the fan, unless he’s standing between you and a blade, I’ll be the one to put mine in his spine.”

August

As Rosaleigh silently opened the door, I reached out and tapped Kingsley’s shoulder. When his eyes met mine, I asked simply, “A word?”

He gave a curt nod, then leaned to press a kiss to his mate’s crown. She nodded once—throat working—and turned to head inside. Alvara’s emeralds lingered on my face, sharp with unspoken worry. I offered what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

All is well. I’ll be right in. The promise passed mind-to-mind, and the reluctant dip of her chin told me she accepted it—though not without skepticism.

Kingsley led the way down the steps and into the snow, hands sliding into his pockets, breath curling in the air. He didn’t speak. Maybe giving me the floor. Maybe choosing his words.

I sidled up beside him, eyes drifting to the moon hanging bright and solemn above us. I let the silence breathe for a moment—cold air in my lungs, pulse still settling.

Then I said, quiet but firm, “I didn’t want to undermine you in front of your pack or your mate. But I need you to understand—I’ll excuse your poor manners exactly once. That woman back there? She might be Grayshell’s Second. She might be Aren’s Angel of Death. But first and foremost, she is my mate.”

Kingsley didn’t flinch. He kept his gaze fixed on the woods.

“Her tolerance for your misdirected anger is infinitely better than mine,” I continued. “I get it—we stumbled into a raw wound. But I won’t justify disrespect. Not toward her. Not from anyone. You pull a stunt like that again, and you will not appreciate the outcome.”

His head turned, jaw tight.

“Are you threatening me, Commander Porter?”