“You, Kieran,” Steele said loudly. “They were looking for you.”
Kieran’s back straightened as she tightened her hand in mine, not answering him. I didn’t have the same qualms over engaging with the bastard.
“Steele, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to make you. I don’t give a shit who is around.” My voice was a low, threatening hiss, and he glared at me before rolling his eyes.
Bastian hummed, seemingly in agreement with me, as Niz sat up in Kieran’s lap. I felt his anger radiating toward Steele, and there was a serious desire to maim him coming through the bond.
I expected Steele to lash out at me in return, but his attention jumped to Gabe instead.
“What about you, Gabriel?” he questioned, voice full of condescension. “Do you agree with Ronan, that I should shut up about the harm she’s bringing into our home? Are you willing to defend someone who is bringing danger and conflict here?”
“Youare the only one bringing conflict into our home,” Gabe snapped, and I nodded in agreement. “Do not ask me to pick sides, Steele. You won’t like my decision. Kieran sacrificed everything to come here—to bring us the dagger—and now she stands with a prophecy hanging over her head. She’s still fucking here. Those scouts may have nothing to do with her. Did you forget that Bastian was literally in a prison garment when they came here?”
“They admitted they were here for her before we killed them!” Steele snarled, and I felt Kieran tense next to me, no doubt surprised by his words. “Oh, and to top it all off, we searched their bodies and found trackers implanted in them! They’veneverhad trackers before now.”
Her eyes were wide as I stared down at her, squeezing her hand. I knew that despite Kieran being bold and brave, in equal measure, this was her first real taste of battle.
“Trackers?” she asked softly before raising her eyes to Amelia. “Does that mean they’ll send more people?”
Steele was clearly not pleased with her dismissal of him as his brow slanted and his fists curled at his side. He attempted to take her focus back as he snapped, “Are you a complete fucking idiot? Of course it does!”
“Steele!” Amelia’s ringing voice silenced the room. “Whatare you doing? I will not allow you to talk to her like this for a second longer. You are dismissed from this meeting, Commander.”
Her words seemed to strike Steele back into reality from whatever delusional world he was living in. Whatever angerhad been fueling him, seemed to diminish almost immediately. Confusion clouded his gaze, and his eyes darted toward the council before moving to us and then finally down to Kieran. Without another word, he stormed from the room, the door slamming behind him.
I watched as Kieran sank down into her chair just, her free hand scrubbing over her face in a sign of frustration.
“As I was saying,” Amelia continued, sounding a bit ruffled over her grandson's behavior. “I wanted to inform you of the potential for a future threat in case they really are looking for you. We will increase patrols and security, which is something the camp will be made aware of. The security will be even tighter around your house—I don’t want to scare you, Kieran, but we cannot allow them to get to you.”
“Right,” Kieran bit down on her lip before nodding. “I understand.”
“Which is why I am also asking that whenever you leave the house, you are escorted by security and ideally Gabriel or—” Her words cut off as she looked back at the door with a small sigh. “Maybe just Gabriel for now.”
“I can do that,” Gabriel agreed as Kieran took a deep breath.
I felt the anxiety rolling from her as her leg started to bounce lightly before she asked, “Was that all?”
“Yes,” Amelia nodded looking at the other members. “Anything else we need to talk about before we adjourn?”
“Please don’t try to evade your security team for any reason,” Councilmember Ayers said quietly. “I know it may feel stifling, but it is necessary.”
Kieran nodded in understanding, and after a passing comment or two more about the logistics of the security teams being sent over to our house, I stood and followed Kieran out.
Gabe and Bastian walked ahead of us as Niz flew low throughout the hallway, as if trying to keep pace with them. Irealized that once we left this building, we probably wouldn’t get a chance to talk alone. I noticed a small hallway to my left near the exit, so I gently grabbed her hand before calling out to the guys, “We’ll meet you back at the house in a few minutes. We just need to talk before our house is swarmed with random people.”
Bastian didn’t bother looking back, but Gabe looked over his shoulder. After a slight pause of consideration, he nodded.
We were in the safety of the administrative building, so there was no need to be concerned. However, knowing there was an active threat to her life was making my heart beat wildly. I’d spent all day away from her, oscillating between anger and sadness, feeling nothing but pity for myself.
The scouts could have broken into the camp today.
They could have taken her from me.
I led her down the hallway and around a secondary corner until we couldn’t hear anyone.
“Ronan, I’m not in the mood to talk about our?—”
Capturing her delicate face between my hands, I didn’t hesitate, slamming my lips against hers in a deep hard kiss. I wanted to feel her melt against me—wanted to feel any lingering tension between us disappear.
