he was someone else. The one she was truly meant to be with.
And he wanted it to be him. Wanted to believe he had a chance, the same way he’d believed, for just a moment, that maybe there really was a way to bring Arthur back. If he could win the games, he could save his friend and earn his freedom at the same time.
He hadn’t wanted to think about being free of Rhiannon, but at every turn he was constantly reminded how incredible it could be between him and Briana. After she’d put her faith in him, trusted that he wouldn’t hurt her in the catacombs, he could imagine fighting everyone, even Rhiannon herself, for a chance to be with Briana.
And she’d already chosen another.
The wraith snarled in frustrated denial, leaving the man and monster in perfect agreement.
He knew he should be happy for her. She deserved someone who could protect her, laugh with her, love her. And that would never be him. That didn’t stop him from wanting to be the same selfish bastard he’d been centuries ago, wanting one more night as though it wouldn’t matter.
But it would.
Rolling away from her before he could talk himself into pretending he hadn’t heard her, that she wasn’t burning up with a fever he’d caused, he sat up. He hadn’t fed from a gargoyle long enough to know how their bodies handled the venom beyond going to stone.
“Stop.”
“You can’t leave.” She grabbed his wrist.
“You need to rest.”
“Not without you.” The raw emotion in her voice stopped him from standing.
“Briana,” he began, too tired to fall back on old arguments to convince either of them why he needed to leave.
“I’ll sleep if you stay.” She tugged, and as stupid as it was, he let himself lay back down next to her.
Her eyes were already closing, her breathing evening out after she curled into him. He’d stay just another minute, make sure she was sound asleep and then he’d finish this competition, one way or another.
Briana stretched and turned into the warmth next to her. The cat pressed against her mind, purring softly. Content.
She opened her eyes, stretching again, unable to remember the last time she’d slept so well. Noticing Lucan sleeping next to her, she then recognized the room, but couldn’t remember how they’d gotten back. They’d been in the catacombs, then on the battlefield, and then…
The lines between Lucan’s eyes creased, but he didn’t stir.
He’d fed from her.
The memory of it drenched her mind in images and emotions that swirled beneath her skin, warming her from the inside out. She’d never felt anything like it, the pleasure bone-deep, marking her heart.
She was in love with him—and he still didn’t know.
Careful not to disturb him, she slipped from the bed and dressed quietly. She needed space, room to think, to breathe without feeling like the pain in her chest would crack her wide open.
Downstairs, she passed the Fae sitting near the door, his head bowed. Meditating again?
Starving, she fed her rumbling stomach, her hunger seemingly endless. Because she’d offered her blood to Lucan? Once she’d stuffed herself with cheese, meat and fruit, she walked outside.
She had no idea how long she’d been out of it, which she liked even less than knowing it was the second time the games had put her out of commission to heal.
Through the trees she spotted Nessa and the enchantress. She mentally tightened her hold on the cat, anticipating a reaction toward Seva like the last time in the training room.
Her feline half didn’t so much as raise a hackle at the enchantress doing yoga next to the pool. Her earlier possessiveness of Lucan seemed to have abated. Another side effect of what happened in the catacombs?
“I still don’t get how you guys can make people want each other,” Nessa said from the edge of the pool where she sat with her legs in the water.
Seva moved into another pose. “We can’t.”
Nessa noticed Briana walking toward them, but kept her conversation with the enchantress going. “Sorry, but I’ve got the wolf bites to prove it.”
The enchantress arched a brow. “Our magic can only heighten an attraction that already exists. The deeper the connection, the more effective the magic.”
Nessa scoffed. “So you’re telling me that even though one of your skanky sisters hit Pendragon’s with the stuff, the only people that really got it on…” she trailed off, gesturing for the enchantress to fill in the blanks.
“Already had a connection in place.”
“Not a fucking chance.” Nessa stood, snatching up a towel behind her.
Something—a spark of hope—kept Briana from denying the possibility as quickly as Nessa.
The enchantress straightened. “Rhiannon herself tried to make a deal with me once to make a human fall in love with her. If my sisters or I can’t even accommodate a goddess willing to pay the highest price, do you think we’d waste time doing it for free at a third-rate immortal bar?”
Ignoring the dig at Pendragon’s, Briana kept a fierce hold on the excitement building in her stomach and pressed for more information. “So you’re saying that the magic that was used can’t make someone want you who didn’t already.”
“Exactly.”
Either the enchantress was lying to her, or Lucan had.
But why?
He’d been so quick to point out that he hadn’t wanted her enough all those years ago either. But he hadn’t been free then, not while being pledged to Gwen. And since then he’d repeatedly mentioned being bound to serve Rhiannon.
Was that why he’d lied? Because he wasn’t free to be with her? She turned away from the others, scared to consider the possibility. How many times could she let herself believe that things were different only to have reality slap her in the face?
“Briana?” Nessa called out.
“I’ll be back in a while.” She hurried back inside, climbing the steps two at a time only to freeze outside her bedroom door. What if she was wrong? What if the enchantress was just trying to rile them up?
The cat prowled beneath her skin, forcing her to face the possibility that she’d stayed in the competition to free the wrong person. If Lucan really wanted to be with her, and if he won…he could be free of Rhiannon.
Every protective instinct cried out for her to go back downstairs, but she didn’t move. What if she’d been so determined to stay to save herself from the madness of the Forgotten she’d let Lucan convince her of a lie?
Lucan was still asleep when she closed the door behind her. Halfway to the bed, she hesitated. If she was wrong and he told her all over again how much he didn’t want to be with her…
Torn between her mind and her heart, she paused next to the bed already knowing which part of her would win.
“Lucan.” Her voice refused to rise beyond a whisper. She brushed the hair away from his forehead.
He grabbed her by the throat, his fingers clamping down until she couldn’t breathe.
She clawed at the hand holding her, kicking out as he opened his eyes. Lucan’s forest green eyes stared back at her.
Twisting hard, she fought to break the hold. He rose from the bed, and she felt her feet leave the ground as he held her away from him. She shook her head. Lucan wouldn’t hurt her, couldn’t hurt her.
Her lips moved soundlessly, and she thrashed, needing to get free, to breathe.
Black pooled into Lucan’s eyes and his hand fell away from her, and she hit the ground.
Her teeth snapped together from the impact, air rushing into her lungs so hard she coughed uncontrollably, her claws scraping the floor.
Movement from the corner of her eye sent her scrambling backward. She slammed into the wardrobe, her
