Year Four (Kingmakers, #4)

by Sophie Lark

“There’s two kinds of men in the world,” she says. “The kind who want to hurt you . . . and the kind who want to be persuaded by you.”

I’ve spent three years pretending to be Ares—calm, kind, patient. Humble.

Hedeon Gray has been digging for clues about his biological parents. I could tell him everything he wants to know. Instead I have to pretend to be his friend, his confidante, while secretly blocking him from ever discovering the truth—yet another task assigned to me that I loathe.

I know this for myself. When someone you love is torn away from you, the ache torments you every minute, every hour. You never stop thinking about them. You never stop regretting.

“He took me everywhere with him,” Nix says. “He showed me how to run, climb, shoot, fight. He never treated me as inferior because I was a girl. I was always his heir, always expected to grow to be just like him. And that . . .” she sighs. “Is a blessing and a curse. Because of course I’m not exactly like him. One person can never be just like another.”

I can’t be attracted to her. That’s fucking insane. I haven’t been attracted to anyone for a long time. Every time I saw a beautiful girl at Kingmakers, I stuffed that emotion deep down inside me. Lying to my friends is hard enough. I knew I couldn’t possibly keep up the facade in a romantic relationship.

I feel like an animal that wants to bite and claw and fuck. I want to chase her down, throw her against those rocks, and mount her.

I’m not sorry when Hedeon Markov interrupts us, accompanied by his son Kristoff, his daughter Evalina, and her fiancé Donovan Dryagin. The Markovs are one of the only families who supported me during my bloody battle with my rival Remizov. The Markovs’ loyalty will not be forgotten—they will always have a place at my table.

I look Ares in the eye and say, “I’ll kill anyone who hurts the people I love.” Ares nods slowly. “So will I,” he says.

I don’t care if this is wrong. I don’t care that I have no right. I need her, and I love her.

Now it’s me with my gun pointed at her back. I see her stiffen, with hurt or with outrage. It doesn’t matter. She’s safer this way. Because no matter what she does, I’ll never pull the trigger.

“I want you,” I say to her. “I want your wildness. I want your passion. I want you to love me the way you love the wind and the water and the outdoors. I want you to be untamable, except by me. I want you to be my wife.”

Home is the people you love, not a building, not a place. I want to go home with you, Rafe.”

“When am I going to see you again?” he growls. “What makes you think you’re going to see me again?” Sabrina says, tossing back her mane of dark hair. “I AM going to see you again,” Adrik informs her. “I was simply offering you the courtesy of choosing the time and place.” I can see the temptation to smile tugging at the corners of Sabrina’s full lips as she attempts to scowl instead. “I’ll think about it,” she says. “Not good enough,” Adrik retorts. “I’m picking you up on this dock on the last day of school. Wear something nice.”

“Our fathers shape us,” Sloane said, zipping her case. “But it’s our husbands who determine what we truly become. And us them. A couple is the sum of both of you together—as strong as you are together. As happy as you are together.”

isn’t. A coach is there if you want them. If you don’t want the goal anymore, then they don’t coach you. A father does whatever it takes for his son to achieve his goals. A coach praises when the goal is met. A father always shows that he’s proud of his son. You build your child up, and never tear him down, because you love him. And that makes it harder—because you’re not controlling where they go. You don’t control their goals. Be the kind of father that accepts your son’s decisions.”

There are crossroads in life where you can either choose the cold truth you see in front of you, or you can choose to chase the impossible dream. It’s only by believing in that dream, and pursuing it, that you can turn it into a living, breathing reality. You must chase the dream to live the dream. Otherwise, it will only ever be an ephemeral fantasy in your mind.