CHAPTER 91: THE BROTHER’S BLOOD

Thorne

Blood trickled down from my nose, warm and wet. I could taste the metallic tang on my upper lip, but I didn’t feel pain—just a blinding, seething rage that ignited every nerve in my body. My hands curled into fists at my sides as I glared at Kiel.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snarled, my voice low, deadly.

He stood there, chest heaving, his own face flushed with fury. "What’s wrong with me?" he snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you, Thorne?! You’re a monster!"

I took a step closer. "You better watch yourself."

"I’m ashamed to call you my brother," Kiel spat. "I mean it. You’ve lost your damn mind."

I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward until we were nearly nose to nose. "You think I’m in the mood to listen to your sob story?" I growled. "The only reason I haven’t put your head through that wall is because we’re in public. One of us has to pretend to have some goddamn restraint."

"You said you wanted to use her for sex," Kiel shouted. "You said it like it was nothing. Like she was nothing. That’s not just wrong—it’s disgusting. And you expect me to stand by and do nothing?"

My jaw clenched. "Come with me," I growled, shoving him hard. He stumbled backward, nearly colliding with Beta Archer, who immediately fell into step behind us with that usual look of uncomfortable diplomacy written all over his face.

"Kiel. Move." I didn’t give him a choice. I stalked through the corridor, forcing him ahead, until we reached the hallway just beyond the meeting chamber. The second the doors closed behind us, I whirled on him.

Archer tried to interject. "Guys, this is getting out of—"

"Does it look like we’re throwing punches?" I snapped, eyes flashing toward him. "Mind your business, unless you want to make it yours."

He wisely shut up.

I turned back to Kiel. "You want to talk about right and wrong? Has anyone ever smashed your skull in for what you’ve done to Josie? For everything you put her through?"

Kiel’s jaw locked, and for a second, I thought he was going to launch at me again.

"It’s not the same," he shot back, voice tight. "I didn’t go around parading my intentions like a damn creep. I didn’t reduce her to a goddamn conquest."

"You think I was serious?" I barked. "You think I’d really use her like that? You’ve lost your sense, Kiel. You’ve lost all perspective."

"You’re not Varen," he hissed. "You don’t understand her. You don’t even care to try."

My patience cracked. I shoved him again—hard this time, hard enough to send him stumbling into the wall. "Don’t tell me who I am and what I understand. You don’t know a damn thing about me. And if you ever lay a hand on me again like you did in there, I swear I’ll take a piece of you with me. Brother or not."

His nostrils flared, chest heaving. "You’re so full of it, Thorne. You act like you’re better than me, but you’re not. You’re the worst kind of man—charming, careless, and completely incapable of love. You ruin everything you touch."

I laughed bitterly. "You think I care what you think?"

"You should," he snapped. "Because for once, I’m the only one telling you the truth. You think you’re some noble protector? You’re a player, Thorne. You always have been. You flirt, you tease, you promise the world and then disappear the second it stops being fun. Josie’s not some prize for you to toy with just because Varen’s distracted."

"You don’t know what’s between us."

"I know enough," Kiel bit out. "I know the way you look at her when you think no one’s watching. I know the way you act around her, like you’re testing the waters, seeing how far you can push without getting burned. And I know she doesn’t deserve that. She deserves love. Real love. Not some hollow game from a man who’s never meant anything he’s said in his entire damn life."

That one hit.

I stared at him, something sharp and dark curling in my chest. "You done?" I muttered, voice low.

"No," he growled. "Because you don’t get to walk around acting like you’re the victim here when you’ve been treating everyone else like pawns in your stupid game. She’s not a toy. She’s our mate. And if you can’t respect that, then maybe you’re the one who needs to stay the hell away."

"I’m done with this conversation," I said coldly. I turned away, needing space—air—anything that wasn’t Kiel’s judgmental face.

He didn’t let up. "No, you’re not. You don’t get to run away now. You think you can just walk off like your feelings are more valid than everyone else’s?"

I stopped. My shoulders were stiff, every muscle in my body vibrating with restrained violence. "Archer," I barked, "get him out of my sight."

Archer hesitated. "Thorne..."

"Now."

He swallowed and stepped between us, gently pressing a hand to Kiel’s chest. "Come on. Let’s take a walk."

Kiel didn’t move at first. His eyes burned into mine, a silent war waging between us. And for the first time, I saw the deep crack in our bond—one that might never fully heal.

"You’re going to regret this," Kiel said finally. "Everything you’re doing... the way you’re treating her... it’s going to come back to bite you, and when it does, I won’t be there to pick up the pieces."

"Good," I muttered. "I don’t need you to."

They left. The door clicked shut behind them, and silence fell like a shroud.

I stood there, alone in the hallway, blood drying on my face, my chest still rising and falling like I’d just been in a brawl. My hands were shaking. I clenched them, dug my nails into my palms.

He didn’t understand. None of them did.

I wasn’t trying to play Josie. I wasn’t trying to hurt her. But gods, I didn’t know how to be what she needed. Not really. I didn’t know how to be soft—not like Varen. I didn’t know how to protect her the way Kiel claimed to.

But I wanted to. I really fucking wanted to.

Every time I saw her, something inside me shifted. Something raw and terrifying clawed at the surface. She made me feel... seen. And that scared the shit out of me.

I leaned against the wall and let out a long breath, pressing my fist to the space just over my heart.

"Fuck," I whispered.

Kiel was wrong. I wasn’t trying to ruin her. I was trying to figure out how not to ruin myself in the process.

But maybe it was too late for both.