The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

disappearing with Naill and Emil. “He was scared. And now
that I think about it—”
“Poppy.” Casteel placed the tips of his fingers against
my cheek, just below a spot that ached. He dipped his head,
brushing his lips over the cut. “I have two things to say. If
Beckett had anything to do with this, I don’t care what or
who he is, and I sure as fuck don’t care about what he was
feeling.” His voice rose until all who remained at the Temple
could hear him, including his parents.
“A move against my wife is a proclamation of war
against me. Their fate is already sealed. And, secondly?” He
lowered his head even farther. This time, his lips brushed
over mine in a featherlight kiss. I could barely feel it, but it
somehow still managed to twist my insides into knots. He
then lifted his head, and I saw it in his features—the stark
stillness of a predator locking onto its prey. I’d seen it
before, right before he’d torn out Landell’s heart back in
New Haven.
Casteel turned his head to the side, looking at the only
wolven who remained, now standing on two legs. “You.”