Betrayal (The Forever Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

shook his head at me, disgust and loathing etched on his face. “You should have let me die,” he said, before he turned from me with great effort, cutting himself off from me.
     
     
    I finish up my tale of woe, hoping that CK grasps the fact that Cade hates me and wants nothing to do with me.
    “I see,” he says. Again, I wait for more, but there is no more. He is processing it and I leave him to it.
    Fortunately we land at Heathrow shortly thereafter and we disembark in silence. Cole is attached to me like a barnacle and I appreciate the support. He wasn’t mad with me after what I did, just hurt, as was Devon. But once I explained to them both that there was no love or lust, even, between me and Cade they started to come around. Once they saw Cade’s reaction to his turning and his distance from me, they grew to accept it even more. I am hoping the same can be said for CK.
    “I understand,” CK says suddenly as we get into the waiting car.
    “You do?” I ask, surprised.
    “Yes,” he sighs. “I know you, Aefre. I know that you couldn’t let him die. You did the only thing that you could to save him.” He takes my hand and just like that all is forgiven. I suppose under the circumstances of him being gone and wondering if I would ever come back for him, not to mention he now has me almost right where he wants me, he is not going to do anything to mess it up.
    “Thank you,” I say and smile at him. He returns it. Slightly forced, but I can live with that.
    “So, where is he now?” he asks.
    “I don’t know,” I say. “He came to Rome with us and back to Paris and then he disappeared. I haven’t seen him in about a month.” Thirty-two days to be precise.
    “You were in Rome?” CK asks, his fingers squeezing mine.
    “Yes, last month,” I say quietly with lowered eyes. I wanted so desperately to go to him, but I forced myself to stay away.
    “Oh,” he says miserably. His eyes suddenly snap up to mine and he says, “A month?”
    I nod, also miserable now. “He knows he is damaging himself, but he doesn’t seem to care.”
    This statement further cements in CK’s mind that Cade is in fact no threat to his newfound happiness and he relaxes somewhat, clearly not concerned as to my newest charge’s well-being.
    “And everyone else?” he inquires, politely.
    Cole answers for me, as he knows I am still struggling to regain my composure. “Devon and Jess will be back tomorrow. Lincoln should already be there and I have no idea as to Xane’s whereabouts. Liv?” he asks with more than a bit of snark, his concern over my internal struggle all but forgotten.
    “He will join us tomorrow,” I say shortly.
    “And Sebastian?” CK asks, casually.
    I frown at him. “You don’t know?” I ask. “Have you not seen him?”
    He shakes his head. “No, I haven’t seen anyone since I left you in March,” he admits cautiously.
    “Oh,” I say, somewhat taken aback. I had assumed that Sebastian would go to him. “He is still in the Fae Kingdoms. I haven’t seen him for several weeks.”
    “Is he okay?” CK asks. I can see it takes a great effort for him to ask me about his own charge.
    “As well as he can be, I guess,” I say. It isn’t very reassuring, I know, but the last time I saw Sebastian he was a mess. Granted, a well-held together mess, but he wasn’t fooling me. He hates being King, he hates his brothers, he hates this civil war, he hates being away home, he hates being away from me, basically he is just hating everything and everyone at the moment.
     
     
     
     
    We arrive back at the country manor in record time and we all pile out, glad to be back in a home setting and with each other. Grayson unloads the luggage we had to haul around with us as we enter. I call for Lincoln, but there is no answer so he must not be here yet. That leaves me, Cole, and CK to stand in the Entrance Hall, only just a little bit awkwardly. I am dying to ask how this is going to work now, but I chicken