Katie's Hope

"We aren't too different," Sasha voiced quietly. "Sometimes it only takes a small nudge to push you over the edge."

"What pushed you to the Dark One, brother?" "A loss too great for me to bear."

Kris looked at him sharply, suspecting his brother was trying to play on his emotions. Sasha still stared into the fire.

"What did you lose?" he demanded.

"My soul mate. You stole him from me, just as Rhyn stole Lilith from you."

Surprised at the raw, bitter note in Sasha's voice, Kris studied him. "Jade?" he asked. "You were in love with Jade?"

"I was, until he became enamored with you. You don't give a shit who you fuck, but I did then. There was only one for me." "You can have him."

"Too late. I think I burned that bridge. The demons brought Jade and Iliana to Hell."

Jade had disappeared after Kris sent him away in hopes that Katie would become his mate. He'd last seen his other trusted lieutenant, Iliana, two days ago, when he'd sent her to represent him in North America while he was away.

"Are they alive?" he asked.

"They are. The demons treat their guests well. Iliana has been a favorite among them." Anger made Kris's face warm. Iliana was a relatively young Immortal who had been at his side for only a few decades, having caught his attention with her fighting skill and fierce loyalty.

He'd promoted her to one of his lieutenants. She was tough, loyal, and beautiful.

"Our family is prone to ongoing disappointment and treason. I think we are worse to each other than the Dark One is to his enemies," Kris said, white rage buried deep within him to keep Sasha from seeing it.

"Without a doubt, brother, which is why I hope your meeting with Darkyn goes well. He's not the kind of demon you want to piss off."

Kris glanced at the clock, aware it was time for him to meet with the demon leader. He set his glass down and looked again at Sasha, who had yet to glance away from the fire. He wasn't fooled by any of his brothers, especially Sasha and Rhyn, whose treachery had been too personal for him to forget or forgive.

He threw on a jacket and left, aware Sasha couldn't leave the castle grounds without forfeiting his life and wouldn't dare disrupt the Immortals for fear of Kris's wrath. Kris could kill or have him killed in retribution for any life he took while inside the walls. Sasha wasn't that stupid, though Kris wondered what game his brother played.