Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

turned away. "Love is love."
    She didn't understand what he was trying
to say and for the first time in a while, cursed his stilted, short way of
speaking. "Did you want to try again or not?"
    He shook his head. "You aren't
ready yet. Right now, I can't compete with him."
    "It's not a competition."
    "No, but you haven't learned how to
do this, how to separate the loves in your heart. Right now, he is all you can
think of. Your heart is full of only him." He tilted his head, looking up
at the sky. "We have time. We'll try again."
    "Kei…"
    He held out his hand. "We can talk
instead. If you want?"
    She hesitated a moment.
"About?"
    He blinked once and lowered his hand.
"You and Prince. I thought…it might help."
    His uncertain tone made her wince. "I…
Not yet. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm thinking. Everything in my
head is just a mess."
    He turned away, but not before she
caught the hurt look on his face.
    "Kei…"
    "Think then. I'm here if you need
me." He took a few steps away before stopping again. "Just be careful,
and pay attention. The woods aren't safe, and you know that."
    Her lips moved, but she couldn't think
of what to say. She still had no idea even when he ran from her sight.
    "Rot." She ran her fingers
roughly through her hair. Somehow she'd managed to anger Kei. Hurt him even. She
hadn't meant for that. He didn't deserve it. He was only trying to help, like a
best friend would. Like a brother would. She cursed herself again and started
to run. Maybe if she ran enough, thoughts of Prince would disappear on the wind
of her passing.
     
    ∞ ∞ ∞
     
    She eventually calmed the raging torrent
of thoughts into a less chaotic ramble. Whether the mindless task of running or
the silence of the forest helped her she didn't know, or care. Perhaps her
thoughts had just finally run their course.
    Even the fierceness of her emotions
dimmed somewhat. The anger, the fear, and the sadness didn't quite overwhelm
her anymore. A sharp bitterness came forward, mainly directed at herself. Why
couldn't she just be happy? They had returned Prince to his home. He'd be well
now, and safe. She should at least be happy about that, but she wasn't. A
selfish part of her wanted him still by her side.
    She refused to cry. However, her body
and mind persisted on urging her to do so, to drop to the ground and wail and
scream out her heartache and loss.
    Chest tight and eyes stinging with
unshed tears, she pushed herself to run faster.
    When darkness dropped from the trees
before her onto the shadowed ground, her breath lodged in her throat as she
scrambled to stop her headlong run.
    She saw only flashing claws and snarling
teeth as she skidded to a stop, hands grasping for daggers. The clawed shadow
leapt forward before she could pull them and she stumbled backward, heart
pounding. Fear stole her voice as she lost her footing in her wild attempt to evade
those deadly claws. She crashed onto her back, the breath knocked out of her.
    Weaponless and vulnerable, she raised
her chin in defiance to the death about to claim her.

 
    Chapter 4
    Threats
     
    "You're dead!"
    Aro gasped up at the furious face of
Kei. Heart still madly pounding, she struggled to breathe and control her
sudden flash of anger.
    "That's not funny!" Scrambling
to her feet, she brushed off her pants and glared over at him. "I mean
it."
    His eyes remained a glowing red. Though
his teeth had returned to normal, his claws remained. They clacked his
irritation and anger. "You weren't paying attention. If it hadn't been me,
you would be dead."
    "You don't know that," she
argued.
    A low growl rumbled from his chest.
"You should get back on the horse."
    "I don't want to."
    "Why are you being so
difficult?"
    "Why are you?"
    He paused at her snappish tone and
wilted under her glare. "I worry for you."
    Her anger bled away and she turned her
gaze to the ground. "You don't need to. I'm just…sorting things out in my
head."
    His brows drew together in frustration
and