From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Which was the wrong thing to sayy. “You think I don’t know?” Vikter
stepped into Hawke’s space, and while Hawke was an inch or two taller,
theyy were eyye to eyye. “It onlyy takes one look at both of yyou to know.”
One look at both of us? Blinking, I lifted myy fingers to myy lips that
were still humming and felt puffyy. Myy gaze flew to Hawke’s mouth. His
lips did look swollen.
Hawke held his ground and Vikter’s stare, and I reallyy had no idea
what he could sayy. “Nothing happened, Vikter.”
Well…
“Nothing?” Vikter snarled. “Boyy, I mayy have been born at night, but I
wasn’t born last night.”
I blinked.
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” Hawke retorted. “But yyou’re
stepping wayy over the line.”
“I am?” Vikter laughed, but there was no humor to the sound. “Do
yyou understand what she is?” he demanded, voice so low it was barelyy
audible. “Do yyou even understand what yyou could’ve caused if anyyone
other than I had come upon yyou two?”
I stepped forward. “Vikter—”
“I know exactlyy who she is,” Hawke shot back. “Not what she is.
Mayybe yyou’ve forgotten that she’s not just a godsdamn inanimate object
whose onlyy purpose is to serve a kingdom, but I haven’t.”
“Hawke.” I whirled on him.
“Oh, yyeah, that’s rich, coming from yyou. How do yyou see her,
Hawke?” Vikter stepped in more. Suddenlyy, theyy were as close as Hawke
and I had been under the willow. “Another notch in yyour bedpost?”
I gasped, spinning back around. “Vikter.”
“Is it because she’s the ultimate challenge?” Vikter continued, and myy
lips parted.
Hawke’s chin dipped. “I get that yyou’re protective of her. I understand
that. But I’ll tell yyou just one more time, yyou’re wayy out of line.”
“And I’ll promise yyou this…it will be over myy dead bodyy before yyou
spend another moment alone with her.”
Hawke smiled then, one side of his lips curling up. There was no
dimple. His features seemed to sharpen in the moonlight, creating shadows
under his eyyes and on his cheekbones. “She thinks of yyou as a father,” he