Khasinau, wandering around to determine the exact origin of his soulmate tie, was surprised to find himself at Star Lake. He circled around, startling a goose and lapping water from the still surface of the lake of water, so serene and calm. His life certainly wasn’t like that. His family had been thrown into mourning for Aya and Helheim. Well, Aya was a girl. It made sense that the women would die. And in Khasinau’s opinion, if Helheim had died, he was a weak man. That was what wars were for-pruning out the weak.
He narrowed his eyes at the strand in front of him. A woman would be on the other end of it. A girl who may or may not be his type. He liked the submissive yet fiery women. His mother had been all too fiery. He hoped she was dead.
Along with his traitor sister Derevko. And the two whelps from Bristow, Snowflake and Calvin. God damn them. They had let his mother drag them off, although Snowflake and Calvin deserved to die no matter what, since they were bastards from an affair. And hadn’t his mother wanted him? And Nephilim?
Khasinau’s bitter thoughts were results from a lifetime of listening to his father. Daneliya and Maverick had ill blood, that was true. His father reviled his mother and it was probably the other way around too. He was locked in his head all the time. But he hadn’t discovered the truth-that truly, he was hurt by his mother’s abandonment of him. He didn’t know if she loved him. And that was worse than absolutely anything.

“Marital advice from you, wonderful. Like what, don’t betray your spouse?”