Free Blood Crave 2 by Jennifer Knight Page B

hurt him after it’s over?”
    Rolf regarded me stonily. “The Council members have illuminated the error of my thinking, and I have changed my mind. They believe that destroying a life out of fear is dishonorable and wrong. As wary as I am of Derek’s potential for murder, he has not harmed anyone or proved himself malicious in anyway. He has committed no crime and cannot be condemned simply for existing.”
    He seemed truthful, but it was just so difficult to believe. Then Yvette’s gaze caught mine again, and a small, almost nonexistent smile was etched into the creases of her face. And then I realized: she’d done as she said and influenced Rolf. Whether she’d used her power, or simply spoken to him on my behalf, I couldn’t know. Either way, I was grateful.
    “I want some kind of insurance,” I said. “Sorry if that insults you or whatever, but you locked Lucas in the silver room and campaigned to kill Derek for three weeks straight. I just don’t believe you.”
    Suddenly, Rolf stood up, and I jumped, pressing myself into the couch as he walked toward us. But he turned on Lucas.
    “I will make a Blood Pact with you, son,” he said. “Hold out your hand.”
    Tony, Nora’s husband, spoke up at once. “Are you sure that’s wise, Rolf?” he asked. His deep, gravelly voice thundered through the room, startling me.
    But Rolf ignored him. “Your hand,” he said, eyes pinned on Lucas.
    Lucas stood without a word and obeyed. Rolf produced a slim silver knife from his pants pocket and pressed it into the center of his palm. Thick, rich blood gushed from the wound, and I glanced worriedly at Derek, but he shook his head.
    Oh, right. Werewolf blood smells like ass.
    I watched Rolf take the knife and puncture Lucas’s hand as well. Lucas didn’t even wince. I would have been screaming.
    Rolf held on to Lucas’s wrist as the dark blood dripped from their hands, pooling on the floor, spattering as it hit. It was sickening.
    “I, Rolf Farrow, swear with every drop of blood in my body, that I will not harm the hybrid creature, Derek Turner, unless he proves himself to be a danger to our territory.” He clasped his hand with Lucas’s. “I swear this in blood, the unbreakable bond.” He looked Lucas in the eye for a solid minute and then released his hand. By the time they let go, the wounds had healed. He turned to the room. “The Blood Pact has been made. You all bear witness to it. Hear this and spread it within the pack: No one is to touch this boy, Derek Turner. If he is thought to be a danger, I will call for him and I will be the one to dole the punishment. Is that clear?”
    Every head in the room nodded except mine and Derek’s.
    Then Rolf turned back to me. “Satisfied?” he asked.
    I felt my chin lift. “Yes. Very.”
    I couldn’t ask for more than that, could I? Sure there was still the chance that Rolf was lying, but with his pack watching and what Lucas had said about trust, I thought the odds were much lower. This would have to suffice.
    Rolf returned to his seat. “Find him a place to sleep for the day,” he said, waving his hand as if swatting a fly.
    Derek and I rose and followed Lucas to the door that led to the basement. I felt every eye on our backs as we crossed the room and filed into the ballroom. The door clicked shut behind us, and I let out a huge breath, sagging against the wall.
    “That was nerve-racking,” I gasped.
    “What happens if Rolf breaks the Blood Pact?” Derek asked Lucas.
    “I get to kill him,” he said flatly.
    Derek and I stared.
    “Don’t get excited,” Lucas grumbled. “Rolf is almost two hundred years older than me. Even if the Council allowed me to fight him, I’d never survive. It was all for show.”
    I deflated. So much for that.
    “What about everything you said?” I asked. “About trust binding the pack together? Everyone just saw him make the Blood Pact with you. If he breaks it, won’t it make him look bad?”
    “Yeah,” Lucas