"I'm your brother."
The words echoed through the forest long after he stopped speaking.
I stared at him, waiting for someone to laugh. For Rhys to tell me it was a trick. For Kael to say the man was lying. No one did. Kael stepped farther in front of me, his broad shoulders blocking most of the stranger from view. His body was tense, every muscle coiled like he was seconds away from shifting.
"You have five seconds," Kael said. "Then I start removing body parts."
The stranger sighed dramatically.
"You've always lacked manners, Blackpine."
"You have four."
The man ignored him.
Instead, he looked directly at me.
"My name is Lucien."
"I don't care."
A flicker of amusement crossed his face.
"I thought you might say that."
"I said five," Kael growled.
Lucien finally looked at him.
