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"Did you see the look on Phury&039;s face?" Blay said

John glanced across the island in the kitchen and nodded in total agree back relief beers At a dead run

He had never seen any male look like that Ever

"That was some bonded-male shit, for real," Qhuinn said as he went over to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took out another three bottles from the queen&039;s Sam Adams stable

Blay took the one he was offered, then winced and prodded at his shoulder

John cracked open his freshie and took a slug Putting down the bottle, he signed, I&039;m worried about Cormia

"He won&039;t hurt her" Qhuinn sat down at the table "Nah, no way He raves, but not her"

John peeked out into the dining roo Loudly

"Well, there are a lot of people in this house" Qhuinn looked around like he was tackling a bad "

John stood up I have to go check I won&039;t you know, interrupt anything I just want to o with you," Qhuinn said as he started to get up again

No, you&039;ll stay here And before you gum-flap, fuck you This is my home, and I don&039;t need a shadow all the time

"Okay, okay, okay" Qhuinn&039;s eyes shifted to Blay "Then we&039;ll hit the PT suite Meet us there?"

"Why are we going to the PT suite?" Blay asked without looking at the guy

"Because you&039;re still bleeding and you don&039;t kno to get to the first-aid shit from here"

Qhuinn stared hard at Blay Blay stared hard at his beer

"Why don&039;t you just tell et there," Blayto handle your back?"

Blay took a long suck on his Sam "Fine But I want to finishto eat I&039;m starved"

"Fine What kind of food do you want"

The tere a pair of Joe Fridays, stiff and staying to the facts

I&039;ll ned, and turned away Man, the two of the upset the whole world order in a way It was just wrong

John left through the dining roo by the tirand staircase Up on the second floor, he s fro one he usually played

Hardly the accoone to their separate bedrooument?

John crept up to Corh the draft drifting out into the hall was perfu it couldn&039;t hurt just to see if Cormia was okay, John lifted his knuckles and rapped on her door softly When there was no answer, he whistled

"John?" her voice said

He opened the door because he assumed he wasacross her bed on a tangled mess of duvet covers and sheets She was naked, with her back to the door, and there was blood on the insides of her thighs

She lifted her head over her shoulder, then scrain!"

As she snapped the duvet up to her neck, John stood stock-still, his brain trying to process the scene

He&039;d hurt her Phury had hurt her

Cormia shook her head "Oh daain only to see his younger self in a grungy hallway after what had been done to his on the insides of his thighs, too

So in his face must have alarmed the hell out of her, because she reached for him "John oh, John, no I&039;m okay I&039;m okay¡ªtrust me, I&039;m¡ª"

John turned and walked calmly out her door

"John!"

Back when he&039;d been sainst his attacker Now, as he stalked the ten feet to Phury&039;s door, he was in a position to do so about his past and Corh Now he could stand up for soer than they were

"John! No!" Cor out of her room

John didn&039;t knock No, there was no knocking At this moment, his fists were not meant for wood They wereopen Phury&039;s door, he found the Brother sitting on his bed with a blunt between his lips As their eyes ret in it

Which sealed the deal

On a soundless roar, John launched hi to stop the attack If anything, the Brother opened hiainst his pillows as John punched hiain

So A fe Lot of yelling

"What the fuck!" Wrath boomed

John heard none of it He was focused only on pounding the bloody hell out of Phury The Brother was no longer his teacher or his friend, he was a brute and a rapist

Blood ran on the sheets

Which was only fucking fair

Eventually soe¡ªand Cor away

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Wrath bit out "Can we get a break around here?"

The opera in the background so didn&039;t match the scene: The majestic beauty was at total odds with Phury&039;s wrecked face, and John&039;s shaking rage, and Cormia&039;s tears

Wrath wheeled on John "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I deserved it," Phury said, wiping off his bloody lip "I deserved it and worse"

Wrath&039;s head whipped toward the bed "What?"

"No, he didn&039;t," Cor the lapels of her robe close to her throat "It was consensual"

"No, it wasn&039;t" Phury shook his head "It was not"

The king&039;s whole body stiffened In a low, tight voice, he said to the Chosen, "What was consensual?"

While the convention in the room looked back and forth between the two of thee&039;s hold loosened, he was going after the Brother again No side

Phury sat up sloincing, his face already starting to swell "Don&039;t lie, Cormia"