Page 28

“Do you know who she is?”

His head snaps back, a sharp jolt sending waves of agony through him. The fire of anger ignites behind his eyes, a searing, visible heat.

He hates doing anything his father demands, and is usually more than happy to rebel, so I’m not sure why he’s toeing the line now.

“No. He’s not telling me on purpose. He thinks I’ll manipulate her into refusing to be my Prize,” he snaps.

“Which you would.”

“I would. And I fucking hate that he knows that about me,” he growls, taking another long swig of whiskey.

“Why don’t you just refuse? It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve declined a request your father made.”

His eyes narrow into dark slits, as the emerald flecks within them seem to absorb all light. The ice in the tumbler clinks softly as his grip tightens, his knuckles turning a stark white against his tanned skin as his fingers clench around the smooth glass.

“He said that if I don’t take the Prize he chooses, then next year, he will put Lu forward as a Prize.”

Now the murderous expression on his face makes perfect sense. Lucky is his seventeen-year-old sister, and one of the few people on this planet that Bram would kill to protect. She’s starting Shadowmere University next year, and while it’s uncommon for a first-year to become a Prize, it’s not unheard of. Once a girl registers at Shadowmere, she can become a Prize.

For as long as I’ve known him, his main goal has been for Lu to live as normal a life as possible, away from the world we’re part of. He didn’t even want her to enrol at Shadowmere.

“I thought she wasn’t going to be part of the Order. She was going to go to university away from here,” I state, remembering the conversation we had not too long ago.

His face twists in disgust. “It would appear my father has rescinded his deal with me, and now that I’m a third-year Crow, he knows I have no way out. I thought he was planning on arranging her Betrothal, and if I’m being honest, that was the best-case scenario for me, because it gives me time to get her out of the contract. But if she agrees to be a Prize, I’ll have no way of stopping that, and I won’t be here to protect her either.”

Shit, now I know why he’s so angry.

“So you have to accept the Prize your father chose. I guess that’s no big deal. Once she’s yours, you can do whatever the hell you want with her. You can fuck her once and ignore her for the rest of the year.”

He fills his lungs with a deep, drawn-out breath, then lets it out. “I know that, but I’m worried this is just the start. If I give in to him now, what else is he going to ask of me in the future? No matter how hard I try, I’m always going to be under his fucking thumb.”

Now I can fucking relate to that.

Being raised in the shadow of a powerful man who gets everything he wants is something I’m more than familiar with. What’s ironic is that a lot of junior Crows think being a Legacy member is an immense honour, that our name precedes us, but they don’t know what it’s like to live in another person’s shadow. It’s nearly impossible to become your own person—though me and Bram are still desperately trying.

Before I can reply, Bram’s whole demeanour shifts, and a bright, mischievous smile lights up his face. I follow the direction of where he’s staring, wondering what has captured his attention, and as soon as my eyes land on her, I let out a string of curse words.

Harper Westmore has just walked into Vulture’s, looking like every man’s fucking wet dream. She’s wearing a short black dress that stops mid-thigh, showing off her long creamy legs, which look even longer thanks to the black stilettos.

The silky material seems to just flow down her body like a waterfall, clinging to every gorgeous curve just enough to show them off. The neckline swoops lower than I’m used to seeing on Harper, emphasising her ample cleavage—and I can’t help but wonder how the hell she’s been hiding them!

Her long strawberry-blonde hair hangs down her back in gentle curls, with a few pieces pulled back away from her face. She’s wearing more makeup than she normally does, and the dark glitter around her eyes only makes her gorgeous blue shade pop. And don’t even get me started on the bright red colour that’s plumping up her lips incredibly seductively.

I don’t recognise the version of Harper that’s standing on the other side of the club. She’s normally shy and reserved, and her appearance typically matches that part of her persona. Usually, she does everything she can to blend into the background, to go unnoticed, but that’s not the case here.

In fact, there are far more eyes on her than I’m comfortable with, and the sudden urge to start gouging out eyeballs makes me squeeze my fists in fury.

I’m a mess of emotions, as both jealousy and rage ripple through my veins, heating me up and making me practically vibrate. I want to look away, but I can’t.

Bram’s loud laugh drags my gaze away from watching Harper make her way over to the bar, with her best friend Wren by her side. When I meet his amused expression, my eyes narrow, but he just continues to laugh.

“Tonight just got real interesting,” he chuckles.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say through gritted teeth, regretting my response immediately. I should have kept my mouth shut, but now I’ve given him the opportunity to tell me his thoughts, and no good can come from that.

“You’ve had a face like a slapped arse since we walked in, and bored doesn’t even begin to cover your expression. Yet one look at Red over there and your eyes light up like fucking illuminations. You’re into her,” he states confidently, and I quickly shake my head.

“No, I’m fucking not. She turned me down when I asked her to be my Prize, remember?”