My hand dropped to my stomach before I could stop it. The bond went dead silent for one heartbeat, then roared back to life so hard my knees almost buckled. "A child. Already??!!"
The thought hit like a fist to the ribs; mine, theirs, ours. Not a bargaining chip. Not something she got to claim.
Darius, Kane, and Rylan stepped up beside me at the same moment, wolves rising close to the surface. I felt the shift in them like a storm rolling in: Darius's ice-blue eyes going flat and murderous, Kane's scarred fingers twitching toward the knives at his ribs, Rylan's grin sharpening into something that promised blood. The air around us thickened with the scent of pine and fury.
The witch stayed still. She tapped her staff once against the stone, and the sound echoed like bone cracking. "Surprised, girl? The bond doesn't waste time. That heat you felt the first night planted it deep inside of you. It is a very strong seed from three cursed kings."
