"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

Circling, circling, closing inтАжeventually they were going to take him down, but he was going to hurt them in the process.

And he did.

But he was also right: After what seemed like hours of defense, he ended up on his back, and that was when the beating really happened. Lying on the asphalt, he covered his head and his nut sac as best he could, the blows raining down on him, black robes flying like the wings of crows as he was struck again and again.

After a little while, he felt no pain.

He was going to die here at the side of the roadтАФ

тАЬStop! WeтАЩre not supposed to kill him!тАЭ

His brotherтАЩs voice cut through it all, sinking in in a way that the pummeling no longer didтАФ

Qhuinn woke up with a shout, throwing his arms over his face, his thighs thrusting up to protect that groin of hisтАФ

No fists or clubs were coming at him.

And he was not at the side of the road.

Willing on some lights, he looked around the bedroom that heтАЩd been staying in since heтАЩd been kicked out of his familyтАЩs home. It didnтАЩt suit him in the slightest, the silk wallpaper and the antiques something his mother would have picked outтАФand yet at the moment, the sight of all that old crap someone else had chosen, bought, hung, and kept after made him calm down.

Even as the memory lingered.

God, the sound of his brotherтАЩs voice.

His own brother had been part of the Honor Guard that had been sent for him. Then again, that sent a more powerful message to the glymera about how seriously the family was taking thingsтАФand it wasnтАЩt as if the guy hadnтАЩt been trained. HeтАЩd been taught the martial arts, although naturally heтАЩd never been allowed to fight. Hell, heтАЩd barely been permitted to spar.

Too valuable to the bloodline. If he got hurt? The one who was going to walk in DaddioтАЩs footsteps and eventually become a leahdyre of the Council could be compromised.

Small risk of a catastrophic injury to the family.

Qhuinn, on the other hand? Before heтАЩd been disavowed, heтАЩd been put into the training program, maybe in hopes that heтАЩd sustain a mortal injury in the field and have the good grace to die honorably for everyone.

Stop! WeтАЩre not supposed to kill him!

That had been the last time heтАЩd heard his brotherтАЩs voice. Shortly after Qhuinn had been thrown out of the house, the Lessening Society had gone on a raid and slaughtered them all, Father, Mother, sisterтАФand Luchas.

All gone. And even though a part of him had hated them for all theyтАЩd done to him, he wouldnтАЩt wish that kind of death on anyone.

Qhuinn rubbed his face.

Shower time. That was all he knew.

Getting up on his feet, he stretched until his back cracked, and checked his phone. A group text to everyone announced there was a meeting in WrathтАЩs studyтАФand a quick glance at the clock told him he was out of time.

Which was not a bad thing. As he flipped into high gear and hustled into the bath, it was a relief to focus on real stuff instead of the bullshit past.

Nothing he could do about the latter except curse it. And shit knew heтАЩd done enough of that for twelve lifetimes.