Ronan eyed Declan as wrath burnt through him. “You knew what she was to me when she pulled that little stunt with her brother.” He stalked toward Declan as he spoke. Declan’s heel pushed open one of the doors as he backed into the gym. “You could have stopped this. She would have been gone from here before our relationship ever progressed to this point.”
He’d regretted going after Declan in the poolroom before; now he would like nothing more than to tear his friend’s arms off and beat Declan with them. If that didn’t satisfy him, he would tear Declan’s head off next.
“After what I saw with you in that alley, I did suspect it,” Declan admitted, apparently unaware of how close to death he was. “But this was going to happen no matter what. Even if she had told her brother where to find her, you never would have handed her over to be married to another man. You’re unraveling fast, Ronan, faster than I thought possible; most likely because of your age, power, and lineage.”
Declan’s gaze was sad when he stopped retreating. “You have no control over this. It will claw at you until you go mad.”
Ronan turned away from him, no longer able to meet Declan’s gaze. “I promised her she could see everything she ever dreamed about seeing. I can’t take her to see those things, I can’t give her the life she deserves, not now. The traveling we do consists of: arrive, hunt, kill, return. There’s no time for sightseeing and tourist traps. Even if there was time and I did take her with me, I would be dropping her off to go kill before returning to take her on a guided tour. What kind of fucked-up life is that?
“Not to mention, I don’t think any of us will be going anywhere anytime soon, not with Joseph here. My life revolves around death. She’s too vibrant and beautiful for hers to be the same way. She risked everything to gain freedom, and I won’t be the monster who rips it away from her.”
“You can figure all that out, and one day, maybe you will be able to take her everywhere she wants to go.”
“That’s a big maybe. She’s also frightened because of what Joseph did to her in that alley.”
“You’ll get her past that. You need to change her and mark her so that every vampire will know who she belongs to and so you don’t completely lose it.”
“Mark her for death, you mean,” Ronan replied. “Because I will be painting a bullseye on her for all of our enemies if I do that.”
“If anyone can keep her safe, you can, and we will all help you do so.”
“She won’t understand any of this.”
“She will, if you explain it to her.”
Ronan laughed harshly. “She’ll understand that any hope of freedom she ever had is gone?”
“That’s not true. Things can change over time.”
“There will always be vampires who turn Savage.”
“Yes,” Declan said. “But maybe one day we won’t be the only ones fighting them. She gave herself to you; I would say she cares about you a great deal if she did that. In fact, I think she has already given you her heart. She’s a good woman, Ronan.”
“Too good for the likes of me,” he muttered.
“Tell her what is going on and see what she decides.”
“I won’t put this burden on her.”
“She’s strong and she’s smart. You deserve some calm in your life; deserve someone who cares for you. Tell her and let her make the choice.”
The scent of vanilla drifting to him silenced Ronan’s response. He took a step back toward the swinging doors and nudged one open with his heel as the sound of Kadence’s footsteps on the stairs reached him.
He’d considered himself somewhat settled, but having her so close caused hunger to surge through him once more. “Get her out of here, Declan.”
“Ronan, you know what must be done.”
“I need more control over myself before I can see her again. Get her out of here.”
“Ronan—”
“Now,” he hissed. “I might hurt her otherwise.” Declan turned to leave. “Declan.” He looked back, his silvery eyes troubled. “I understand why you didn’t stop her from doing what she did with her brother, and that you weren’t trying to go against me, but she can’t stay.”
“She can if you give her a chance to decide.”
Ronan didn’t have the time to get into it with Declan again as Kadence’s scent strengthened on the air. “Keep her away from Saxon and Killean; I don’t want them to know about this yet.”
“I will. I threw a pair of sweats at you earlier.”
As Ronan slipped back into the storage room, he vaguely recalled Declan tossing him something earlier. He spotted the blue sweats on the floor amid the bags of blood as their hushed voices drifted to him through the swinging doors.
Ronan returned to the fridge and took out more blood. He was determined that one of these bags would finally drench the fire within him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Is he okay?” Kadence inquired.
Declan heard the concern in her voice, saw it in the way she kept turning her head to look over her shoulder for Ronan. A spurt of jealousy went through him. He wasn’t jealous of the condition Ronan was in now, for he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy, but of the relationship he and Kadence could have together.
They already cared for each other, that much was obvious. It was only a matter of time before it deepened into love.
He shook his head to rid himself of the crazy ideas running through it. No, he was much better off the way he was. The last thing he wanted was to get shot by the bullet that was taking Ronan down. Ronan was going insane, and Declan was calmly walking the cause of his insanity away from the gym.
“Declan?”
He returned his attention to her as he tried to recall her question. “He’ll be fine,” he assured her.
“Are you sure?”
Declan nodded, but he couldn’t be completely sure until everything was settled between the two of them. If everything went well, within the next day or two, Ronan would be fine. Hopefully, Ronan still had a day or two left in him before the impending meltdown occurred.
Kadence bit her lip as she twisted her hands in front of her. She was beautiful, yet there was an inner beauty and strength to her that outshone her looks. Enemy or not, he liked this little hunter and hoped she would make the right choice.
“He’ll be fine,” Declan assured her again.
“I may not know as much as I thought about vampires, but whatever this is doesn’t seem like him. Is it because of me?”
She was completely out of her depth in this whole mess and didn’t understand the greedy, unpredictable nature of the demon lurking within them. She had given herself to a man she cared for, and in doing so she’d escalated a chain of events she never could have known were already starting to unfold.
To be fair, even if she hadn’t given herself to Ronan, it would have only been a matter of time before Ronan recognized she was his mate.
“This isn’t like him,” he replied, uncertain of how to respond. “But it will all work out soon.”
Her mouth pursed as they stepped into the main foyer. He guided her toward the stairs, eager to get her to her room before Killean or Saxon arrived and caught the scent of Ronan all over her. Killean would not react well to such a thing.
Maybe he should tell her what Ronan was going through and how she could help. He shut the idea down as soon as he thought it. Even if he were stable, Ronan might kill him for interfering in such a way. He’d definitely kill him now for it.
This was not his place, and he knew better than to interfere in others’ lives.
“What’s going on?”
Kadence stopped short when Killean strolled into the foyer from the hall. He held a glass of scotch in his hand and his golden eyes surveyed them with curiosity.
“What are the two of you doing?” Killean inquired.
“I gave her a tour of the place,” Declan lied.
Killean took a sip of his drink as he walked closer to rest his elbow on the
banister of the stairs. The tension in his body belied the casual gesture. “Why, she won’t be staying for much longer?”
“It was something to do,” Kadence replied flippantly.
Killean swirled the liquid in his glass as he inhaled deeply and his upper lip twisted into a sneer. Declan braced himself for whatever was about to unfold.
Kadence’s stomach twisted at the look on Killean’s face. She knew he didn’t like her, but when he looked at her like that, she realized that she also repulsed him.
“Where’s Ronan?” Killean demanded.
“In the gym,” Declan replied. “I would suggest leaving him be.”
“Leaving him be,” Killean snorted. “I can smell him all over her. What is he thinking screwing her?”
Color flooded her cheeks, but she managed to stop herself from gaping at Killean’s blunt words. She should have known the vamps would be able to tell what had transpired between her and Ronan tonight. She didn’t know if she wanted to melt through the floor or kick Killean in the nuts more. Driving his nuts into his throat would feel really, really good right now, she decided.
“Watch yourself, Killean,” Declan advised.
“It’s not you I smell on her, Declan. Why are you being so protective?” Killean demanded.
“It’s not her he’s protecting. It’s you.” The hair on Kadence’s arms rose as Ronan growled the words from the doorway behind her. “Because if you say another goddamn word, I’ll rip your throat out.”
Declan cringed inwardly as Ronan’s words filled the foyer. He released Kadence’s arm, surreptitiously pushing her a little away from Killean and himself. The last thing they needed was to provoke Ronan any more by having her so close to them.
A scarlet haze clouded Declan’s vision as Ronan’s wrath reverberated within him. He blinked the cloud away, desperate to get his vision back, but Ronan’s emotions were too wild to be shoved away.
He wanted to reach out to someone, to grab them in order to stay grounded. Killean was out of the question unless he wanted to experience more anger. He couldn’t touch Kadence, not with Ronan so wound up. He settled for resting his fingers against the wall, if only to keep standing. It did nothing to wash away the red tide shading his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
Kadence’s voice filled his ears as her hand latched onto his arm. The red cloud intensified tenfold, causing his ears to hum and his head to throb. Ronan must have seen her grab him. “Let go!” he ordered and tried to shake off her hand.
“You don’t look so good.” She clung to him as her voice took on a frantic tone.
He didn’t feel so good. He was either going to pass out or his head was going to explode. He didn’t care which happened first as long as the awful haze stopped. It had been centuries since anyone had broken through his carefully constructed barriers this bad. He’d spent years armoring himself against others, but Ronan was far more out of control than he’d realized, and he was far more powerful than Declan’s walls.
“Let go of him!” Ronan snarled.
“But he looks ill,” Kadence protested.
“Let go!” Declan finally succeeded in getting her to release him. “Calm down, Ronan,” he managed to choke out.
He couldn’t see Ronan right now, but Declan knew his friend approached when the haze grew darker. Breathe, just breathe, he counseled himself. The deep inhalations helped him to piece his broken walls back together and the pressure inside him eased.
Gradually, the red haze faded until he saw parts of the foyer once more. He took in the shadows, the stairs, and then Ronan. His eyes widened on the vamp coming at them, and he wished he couldn’t see again.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kadence couldn’t stop the tremor that went through her as Ronan stalked across the room. His eyes were a shade of red she would have only thought possible in Hell before she saw him like this. They were so bright they lit the shadows around him as his attention remained focused on Killean.
She’d never seen the normally distant, often asshole vampire look at all ruffled. Now, Killean straightened away from the banister and fear flashed briefly across his face before his expression became void of all emotion. Declan took a hitching breath. His cheeks had regained some color, but he still had a blank look in his eyes that troubled her.
The anger Ronan radiated was impossible to ignore as it pulsated through the room like a living entity. The veins in his arms bulged, and every muscle through his chest and arms stood out. She didn’t know where they’d come from, but the pair of blue sweats he wore hung low on his hips. He looked ready to kill, yet his hand was gentle when he clasped her elbow and drew her closer to him.
Ever since he’d walked out of her room, she’d felt a strange sense of loss and an odd stretching of her skin, as if it didn’t fit her body right. It made no sense, but the second he touched her again, the sensation eased and she found herself able to breathe easier again.
Ronan pierced Killean with a look that would have made most men cower. Killean’s golden eyes filled with disbelief. The only reaction he showed to the hostility Ronan directed at him was a tensing of his fingers around his glass.
“You’re not to talk to her like that ever again,” Ronan said, the hint of his Irish accent more pronounced. “You’re not to do anything but treat her with respect and defend her life with yours. If I see or hear you doing anything disrespectful to her ever again, I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life, and when you heal, I’ll do it all over again.”
Kadence gasped at Ronan’s threat. She opened her mouth to deny his words, but Killean was already speaking. “You’re the boss.”
Ronan took a step toward Killean, who had the good sense to back away. Killean’s eyes darted toward her, but instead of his normal antipathy toward her, she sensed only curiosity.
“Don’t fuck with me on this, Killean,” Ronan stated.
“I have no intention of doing so,” Killean replied.
Kadence glanced over her shoulder as Ronan nudged her forward and started leading her up the steps. Killean stared blankly back at her as he took another sip of his drink, while Declan rubbed at his temples.
Turning away from them, she focused on Ronan. With every step they took, his eyes shifted back to that amazing burgundy color, but now that she knew the true depth of the brown in his eyes, she wanted to see more of it.
He pushed open the door to her room and stepped aside to let her enter first. She was instantly assailed with the lingering scent of their sex. Her heart kicked up a notch, and to her horror, she felt herself growing aroused again. After what had happened earlier, she’d been certain she’d never have sex with him again. She wanted answers about what had happened to him, but she would not be fooled twice. Unfortunately, her body seemed to have other ideas.
She couldn’t meet his gaze as he stepped into the room beside her. His fingers stroked briefly over her skin before he released her arm. He strode over to her bed and pulled the blanket back. Kadence’s jaw clenched as the sight of her blood staining the white sheets brought back the horrible events of him fleeing her room earlier. His hand stilled and his shoulders hunched up as if he were preparing himself for a blow when he looked at her over his shoulder.
“Did you not know I was a virgin?” she asked coldly when the stunned look didn’t leave his eyes.
“No, I knew you were,” he said. Turning away, he spoke so softly she barely heard his following words. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
Yanking the sheets from the bed, Ronan wadded them into a ball. He hadn’t thought it possible, but seeing her blood made him hate himself even more for the way he’d treated her tonight. Seeing her blood on the sheets slammed home the reality of what an asshole he was.
“I’ll get you some new sheets,” he said.
He couldn’t meet her eyes as he walked past her and into the hallway. He opened a few doors before he found the closet with the sheets Marta kept stacked within. Staring at them, he stru
ggled to maintain the thin thread of control he’d managed to reclaim after glutting himself on ten bags of blood.
Finally feeling capable of being near her again, he removed a set of sheets from within and returned to the room. Kadence remained where he’d left her, her eyes guarded as she watched him remake the bed.
“You should probably try to get some sleep,” he said when he was done.
“I’m not tired.”
“You’ve had a rough night; you should rest.”
She glared at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. He’d hurt her, he knew. When she should have had comfort and security, he’d abandoned her. He wasn’t surprised she was mad at him; he was surprised by how much he didn’t like it.
“It wouldn’t be a rough night if you would tell me what is wrong with you. Besides, I don’t recall having to take orders from you,” she said.
Ronan gritted his teeth as he met her gaze. Her face was suffused with color; her hair cascaded around her face in waves that emphasized her striking features. She was exquisite and his. There was no denying it. Even after she left here, she would always be his.
“There is something we must discuss,” he said.
“Noooo,” she retorted sarcastically.
He lifted an eyebrow at her, but he deserved her anger. She hadn’t cried and carried on about her circumstances and what he’d done to her tonight, but what would she say when he told her he wanted to bind her to him for eternity? That he wanted to turn her into something else entirely and deny her the freedom she so rightly deserved to have?
If they completed the mating bond, it would be for him; there would be nothing for her. Just as there had been nothing for her amongst her own kind. He’d thought the hunters archaic for marrying her off like they intended to, so what was he now? Because his demon DNA recognized her as his mate, he believed he had more of a right to her than her own family and her own kind?
[The Alliance 01.0] Eternally Bound Page 19
