“You don’t think of me in the same category as him do you?” he spat, genuinely appalled at the very idea.
“No,” she laughed, a smile appearing on her face in place of tears. “You and him are made of completely different cloth.”
“Why? Because I’m not human?”
“Well there’s that.” An angry frown appeared on his face and Chloe laughed harder in response. “There’s also the fact that you’re honest to a fault. No matter what you do, you come out and tell me, no lies, no secrets and no deception. Plus, there’s that strange belief you have that my body is somehow perfect, without a single flaw.”
“It is,” he interrupted, his eyes wandering over her frame in a heated caress.
“And you care about me Ryan. I can feel how much you care in every single action you take. Every time you touch me, talk to me, I can feel how important I am to you. Then there’s the fact you saved my life. If actions speak louder than words then that single thing is screaming how much you care so loud that it’s deafening me.”
“What I feel towards you is more than care angel, much more. Simple care wouldn’t have made my heart stop when I saw you fall. If I only ‘cared’ for you then your tears wouldn’t feel like knives to my heart, your smile wouldn’t warm me as though it were the sun. Care isn’t a strong enough word to describe how I feel and soon I hope you feel the same way about me.”
Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her eyes, deliberately avoiding his intense gaze. His words were heartfelt and she knew his eyes would no longer be amber but that seductive shade of brown that would draw her in and force words from her lips she wasn’t ready to say. I have a feeling Ryan that it won’t be too long. I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done in the last two days if I only cared about you. I’ve shot straight past care territory and landed on dangerous ground. Shaking herself, she smiled warmly at him. “Are you ready to eat now?”
He allowed the abrupt change in topic, her body was going haywire with worry, there was no need for him to put even more pressure on her…yet. “Sure angel. I’ve got to eat up so I’m strong enough to deal with Lucinda.” And then I’ll move on to Gary. No one breaks my angel’s heart and gets away with it. Not even me. Especially not me, he mentally corrected remembering his propensity for making mistakes. He released her hand, allowing her to slip away from him and retrieve a tray of food. You can trust me with your heart Chloe, I’ve already given you mine, an exchange is only fair. I’ll protect it from harm. I promise.
Chapter Thirty Four
True to his word, it hadn’t taken long for Ryan to recover once he had consumed the food Chloe had brought him. His body, armed with the necessary energy for regeneration, had quickly healed the hole in his body leaving nothing but smooth unscarred skin in its place. He had known the exact moment he was healed, the second the skin had stopped knitting itself back together, the instant his organs were once again as they were meant to be. As soon as his body was healed, his mind had turned to his next concern, dealing with Lucinda. The threat to his mate was pressing in on him, becoming the sole focus of his thoughts the longer she was left to roam free.
It was as if the instinct were punishing him for leaving his mate vulnerable. He had always said to himself and advised others accordingly that wolves who defied the instinct should expect to be punished by it. It was one of several reasons he gave others for continuing to listen to his wolf’s advise in flagrant disregard of forward thinking. Not only was his mind a mess, his thoughts centred solely on Lucinda, but his body was suffering too. His muscles were tense with strain, the sharp fangs that had exploded in his mouth were slicing his lips and tongue, leaving the tangy taste of blood in his mouth. His amber eyes were wilder than usual, darting back and forth across the room as though Lucinda would appear at any moment. The only thing that wasn’t suffering had been his hand. Clenched tightly in Chloe’s grip it alone was safe from the instinct’s backlash. Even subconsciously he sought to keep her protected from the worst side of his nature.
“Angel, I need to get out of here,” he growled. While the instinct may have sought to protect her physically, it wasn’t so concerned about protecting her from harsh sounding words when they were for her own safety.
“Ryan, you’re hurt,” she said calmly, her tone dismissive. Over the last few hours she had become accustomed to Ryan’s continual pleas for freedom in spite of his injuries. How did he manage to survive all those years without someone like me trying to keep him from hurting himself?
Apparently her subconscious thoughts had spilled from her mouth as Ryan proceeded to answer her mentally rhetorical question. “I’m only like this because I need to take care of the bitch who thought she could get away with trying to take you from me. Leaving you open to potential harm isn’t in my genetic makeup. You’re my mate; you deserve nothing less than the best. Besides Chloe, I’m healed now. I have no reason to lay here like an invalid.”
“Ryan, less than twenty-four hours ago your organs were splattered all over the ground, you were dying. You aren’t healed and you aren’t leaving this bed.”
“Chloe, I was never in the danger you seem to think I was, physically anyway. The only thing life threatening about that fall was the danger it posed to you. If something had happened to you then my death was almost guaranteed, I won’t go back to the lonely half-life I had before you came into my life. If anything my life without you would be worse than it was before. The scents of everyone mated around me and me knowing that I’d failed my mate and had her taken from me, my wolf would drive me to my own end.”
“There’s no need to think so seriously. You’re meant to be resting, recovering.”
“You are about the only thing in my life that I take seriously love, you’re that important to me. Now Chloe, I’m leaving this bed. I’m healed. Look.” He sat up; after all of the pain that had racked his body for hours the simple sensation of moving and not being in agony was amazing. His hands moved to the beginning of the bandages wrapped around his middle only for Chloe’s hands to move, surprisingly quickly for a human, and stop him. “Trust me angel.” He smiled confidently, reassuringly and her hands fell away reluctantly. Moving quickly with self-assured, deft movements, Ryan unwrapped himself and allowed the hidden skin to breathe. “See, I’m fine.” Gripping Chloe’s much smaller hand in his own, he placed it on the completely healed skin.
He sucked in a breath and swore softly the instant she touched him. His body was beginning to respond to her unknowingly sensual motions. Her hands were sweeping over the taut skin of his stomach, moving frustratingly close to part of his body he most wanted her to touch. A look of awe was embossed onto her angelic features. Her appearance was so at odds with how she had looked at him over the time he had known her that he wanted it to stay. It was only when he saw the sheet begin to move that he sprung into action. There was no need to embarrass himself in front of his mate whose body he couldn’t yet take.
Rising from the bed he moved about the room, careful to keep his semi hardened shaft from her line of sight. “See I told you that I was fine.”
“But I thought it would take you days, weeks to heal.”
“I told you I wasn’t in danger. Now, I have to deal with the matter of Lucinda.”
“What’s going to happen to her?” she asked softly, unsure of what fate exactly she wanted to befall the woman who had tried to kill her.
“She’s going to die,” he replied simply, the stark statement all the more shocking for its casual delivery.
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly. What she did is a capital offense. She tried to take you from me, who knows; if I hadn’t been where I was she may have succeeded. I’m going to kill her.”
“You’re going to do it?” she gasped.
“Of course, unless Tobias beats me to it. She tried to kill Alex once. I don’t think his wolf has ever gotten over the fact he let her live. Tobias may have allowed reason to overpower his wolf’s need for retribution but
that won’t happen with me. My wolf is powerful and I’m not inclined to disagree with him on this. Maybe we could deal with her together,” he mused.
I’m glad to know you’re not going soft, the wolf purred before its thoughts turned to the many ways in which he could kill Lucinda.
“Don’t worry love, I won’t let this threat to you stand.” His voice was distracted, his mind already wandering from convincing Chloe to let him leave the room to how exactly to deal with Lucinda. If he could have everything his way he would simply walk up to her and tear her head off but she was a Lady, nobility. He couldn’t simply behead her, there were procedures to be followed, people to be contacted, a trial to be conducted before he could kill her. He snarled, distinctly unhappy with all that he had to do before Lucinda was brought to justice.
You’d better get going then, his wolf snapped, eager for the taste of Lucinda's blood in its mouth.
He turned his gaze to Chloe, noting her eyes were wide with shock, her mouth slightly open. He thought of never being able to see her again, never being able to touch her, hear her angelic voice calling to him and he saw red. I’m going to make that bitch bleed! “I have to go angel. I’ll be back as soon as I can. When I get back there will be a trial and after that you’ll never have to worry about her,” or anyone else, “ever again.”
“So there will be a trial, you aren’t just going to take her out back and shoot her or something?”
“Unfortunately she will have a chance to explain herself.” Not that it will do her any good. I’m going to deal with her one way or another.
Good Ryan, his wolf purred, their thoughts beginning to merge into a unified course of action. She doesn’t deserve mercy.
No mercy, no clemency, no chance for escape, no hope of survival.
“So when will you be back?”
“I don’t know, there are things I need to take care of, people that I need to talk to. It doesn’t matter how late it gets, I’m having her tried today. I’ll come for you when I return.” And with that he was gone. He sped from the room, gently caressing her cheek as he ran. The leaders of the clans had to be notified and brought together before a Lady or Lord could be executed. Killing off leaders for things that could be excused would only result in disorder and so unanimous agreement to do so was necessary.
Lord Jeremiah could make things difficult, his wolf mentioned thoughtfully.
He won’t be a problem, Ryan answered confidently. If I have to rip his tongue out so that he can’t speak I’ll get him to agree.
*****
It hadn’t taken long to gather the clan leaders; a wolf intent on protecting their mate was akin to an unstoppable force. Ryan had run from clan to clan, dragging leaders from whatever task they had been doing and forcing them to run to the royal estate where Lucinda was being held. It had been easier to gather some leaders than others, those in his family were a prime example. Others, such as Jeremiah, were considerably harder to move. It had almost been understandable, if he were a father he wouldn’t have wanted to attend his daughter’s possible execution. But he wasn’t a father and if Lucinda had had her way he never would have been one. It had been easy enough to threaten Jeremiah into compliance; a not too subtle threat to his life had been all it had taken to get him to move. Jeremiah was a lord, he was strong but Ryan had the instinct on his side, he was stronger and they both knew it.
Sitting beside his nervous mate Ryan felt anticipation thrum through his veins. He was eager for the trial to end so justice could begin. The instinct was pressing him hard to finish what he had started. He had done the right thing, taking the first steps to ensure her demise but he was a werewolf led by his wolf, led by instinct and wolves weren’t known for their patience or their ability to deal with technicalities and paperwork.
The leaders had been gathered and now sat in a circle, surrounding Lucinda and keeping her fenced in though there were also guards stationed at all of the large room’s exits. If she tried to escape they would kill her without hesitation. As he looked at her porcelain skin, her bright blue eyes and long blonde hair he vaguely remembered that people had often referred to her as the angel of the Northeast. He snorted in derision. Compared to Chloe, Lucinda looked like a cheap imitation of an angel. I hope she tries to escape so I can send this fake angel to hell.
Tobias eyed the woman in front of him, his grip tightening protectively on Alex’s hand. Lucinda was sat, primly as though she had done nothing of serious import and the image she portrayed was angering him even more than her presence. She had tried to kill not one but two mates in his family. He had spared her once, he wouldn’t be so lenient this time. “Lucinda Delphine, Lady of the Northeast clan,” he began. “You are accused of the capital punishment of trying to kill another’s mate. Do you understand the severity of the charges lodged against you?”
“Yes,” she smiled.
“And how do you plead?”
“Not guilty.” The smile on her face never faltered.
Tobias growled before his grey eyes turned to his cousin. She had picked the wrong mate to go after if she was hoping for a peaceful trial, Ryan’s temper was legendary and she was about to be on the receiving end of an explosion. “Ryan, she’s all yours.”
Placing a gentle kiss to Chloe’s brow, Ryan stood, reluctantly releasing his grip on her hand. As he walked towards the chair Lucinda was seated in, his eyes became amber, fury filling his every move. He gripped the armrests of her chair so hard the metal crumpled beneath his strength. “Lucinda, you tried to kill my mate. Don’t try to lie to me; I can smell your deception as can everyone else in this room. You’re going to die.”
Chloe gasped, this was a side of Ryan she had never seen before, pure anger, aggression and violence. While her mind was aware that he should have repulsed her, she was strangely attracted to even this side of him. He was doing this for her, acting like this because someone had tried to kill her, protecting her from all threats. Though she had chafed under her family’s protection she wanted to get closer to Ryan. Her reactions to him went against everything she had ever known but still she was drawn ever closer.
“We both know that you’re guilty, now what I want to hear is the truth. The truth won’t set you free in this case, it’s too late for that, what it will do is determine how you die. I can do it quickly, so quickly that it will almost be painless or,” he paused, “I can drag it out. Shall I tell you what I’ll do to you? I’ll peel the skin from your body and douse the flesh beneath in silver powder.” Their audience gasped collectively in shock but Ryan continued as though they had said nothing. “Your skin will burn and fester as it tries to grow back. Once your skin is back in place I think I’ll take a limb or two. Cut them from you with a silver blade and hang them from a wall so you can see them and know they won’t grow back. How am I going to do that you ask? Wolves regenerate all lost limbs. I’ve learned a few things over the years and I’ll put them all to use on you. If you cauterise a wound with silver it won’t grow back. And then because you’ll be taking up far too much of my time by this point, time better spent with my mate I’ll grant you death but even that will be slow. I’ll behead you obviously but I’ll do it over a few days, maybe even weeks. I’ll build a silver blade and hang it from the ceiling have it cut a few millimetres every day and leave it in over night to burn some more before setting it in motion again the next morning. It’s up to you, slow or fast? The truth or a lie?”
Chapter Thirty Five
Lucinda's face had visibly paled with each word in Ryan’s eloquent description of her death until by the end of his speech she was as white as a ghost, her already pale skin an almost deathly white. She gulped, her blue eyes connecting with his feral amber ones. She found nothing but heart sinking confirmation. He would kill her in the most horrid way his imagination could conjure up and judging from what he had already said it would undoubtedly be painful. The corners of his mouth lifted in a cruel smile and his gaze broke from hers, turning towards one of the doors before r
eturning to her. It was as though he were daring her to try and escape. Her eyes wandered to his hands, noting the razor sharp claws were still holding the remnants of the mangled armrests. She wouldn’t escape; she would be dead, his claws rending her head from her shoulders before she made it past him. A long sigh escaped her lips.
“I’ll tell you the truth.”
“That’s a shame, I was hoping you would make things difficult for yourself. I want to know a few things. First, how did you escape the dungeon? Did you have help?” His eyes wandered around the room before landing on Jeremiah, accusation burning in their depths. “You had to have had help, no one escapes the dungeons and you weren’t to be released until your mate came to collect you and as we can all tell,” he breathed deeply. “You aren’t mated.”
“I escaped on my own. I had no help.”
He breathed, confirming the truth behind her statement. “How?” he hissed.
“It was the full moon, the guards were inattentive. They wanted to be with their mates, at the feast, take your pick. I tricked them into releasing me.”
“How?”
“I told them that my mate was in the estate, that he’d been around for a few days. That I could scent him through the air conditioning, that after a few days of being constantly exposed to his scent I recognised him for who and what he was but he couldn’t find me because of where I was.”
Ryan scoffed at her words. “Your mate would be able to find you anywhere.”
“Blame it on the moon,” she shrugged. “They didn’t want to be there, their wolves were strong and their control over themselves was weak. It’s as simple as that. They heard and believed what they wanted to.”
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