“Yeah, maybe,” he murmured.
My gaze followed him as he turned and strode back into the office with a determined gait, Ronan passing him on the way out. I watched as Bastian sat in our abandoned seat facing Noah. Even without being able to hear them, I could tell that his words were coming out fast and harsh.
“Beauty,” Ronan wrapped his arms around me and pulled my attention toward him, “he’ll be okay. Let’s just give him some time. Besides, both of us need some food and rest.”
“Okay,” I whispered, still feeling uneasy about leaving Bastian.
When he got home, we would talk—I would make sure of it. Never again would he be left alone with his pain and fears.
11
KIERAN
A tickleon my nose roused me from sleep. It was a particularly hard task considering how easily I’d gone in and out of dreaming all night—I was shocked awake throughout the night from the horrible images my mind chose to torture me with.
To the depths of my soul, I truly believed that Bash would never hurt me. Yet all night, my dreams were filled with images of him draining all the blood from my body. Over and over again, I watched as it circled around him in a revolving orb that only he could control. There had been a maniacal glint to his eyes that were transfixed to the twin cuts on each of my palms as I hung limply from chains that held me against a stone wall. There wasn’t an ounce of the tender and protective Bash that I knew present in the man in my dreams.
My body felt sluggish as I opened my eyes and swatted my nose, trying to get rid of the tickling sensation. The room was blurry for a second before my vision cleared and the culprit became known. A small, black tail flicked back and forth, as if agitated, from where the little wyvern lay curled asleep on my chest. Blocking the little swish of the tip of his tail with my finger as it came flying at my face again, a grunt sounded fromthe warm-bodied man cuddled into my side with his face on my shoulder.
“It was supposed to be my turn alone tonight,” Ronan rumbled, refusing to open his eyes and greet the day.
I curled a finger beneath the underside of Niz’s snout, scratching him lightly until a small vibration flowed through his body and into my chest. The wyvern was purring.
“But you couldn’t say no to him?” I asked, turning my head to look at Ronan.
His hazel eyes were wide open and focused on Niz as he breathed out, “Could you?”
An amused huff came from my nose as I shook my head lightly. “Not a chance.”
“Yeah, we’re talking about you, asshole,” Ronan growled as his eyes narrowed to slits.
Turning back to look at Niz, I caught him just in time to see a wink sent Ronan’s way. I dissolved into a fit of giggles, the euphoria much needed to chase away the shadows of the horrible dreams still swirling around in my head.
As if they could both sense my thoughts, Niz gently licked the finger that had just been scratching him as Ronan asked, “So, did you have a chance to talk to him?”
My eyes turned to the ceiling as my chest rose with a deep inhale. As I let it out, my head shook. “Nope. I thought I’d find a way to have a moment alone with him, but according to Gabe, he locked himself in his room as soon as he got home—and I was in the shower when he got back.”
A heavy sigh puffed over Ronan’s lips, tickling my exposed skin with the movement. “Just give him time. I know he’s the ball of energy and dramatic flair this group often needs, but in my experience, those are the people who are hurting the most on the inside. They just hide it with jokes and smiles, and they almost always do it better than anyone gives them credit for.”
My mouth parted, but just as I was about to speak, a loud banging on my door filled the room.
“Let’s go, Kieran!” Steele shouted. “Noah told me he needs time with Bastian alone today. So, you’re coming with me to combat training, and I’ve booked an area for us to work alone.”
I fought the urge to let out a groan but failed, epically. Steele chuckled from the other side of my door. “Get your ass in gear, Princess. Don’t tell me you’ve gotten soft since focusing on affinity training.”
Annoyance and sheer stubbornness rolled through my body and I flicked off the door as his footsteps sounded on the stairs. Ronan’s large hand grabbed mine, bringing my middle finger to his lips before pressing a soft kiss against it. A shiver passed through me at the heat burning in his gaze. “Keep that attitude up and I won’t let you out of this bed, Beauty.”
“You say that like it wouldn’t be a welcomed excuse to be late and piss him off.”
The words were out of my mouth before I fully processed what I said, and it was clear we both felt shock from my brazenness. Ronan’s mouth parted on my finger, and for a moment, everything was still as we stared at each other. Both of our breaths grew ragged, the sound of it filling the air around us.
Niz flew from my chest as Ronan lunged for me. My hands tangled in the soft strands of his hair as I welcomed his tongue into my mouth. His larger body smothered me into the bed as he rolled on top of me. A gasp escaped me as his hand captured my throat, tightening ever-so-slightly.
I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, biting the soft flesh until he ground his hard length against my hot core. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist, welcoming the friction against my clit that sent sparks shooting throughout my pussy. He swallowed the moan that came from me as his hips rocked forward again.
The image of him stroking his cock right before he marked me with his cum came to the surface, making me pant out, “Remember what I told you last time?”
A growl ripped through him as he leaned back enough to look me in the eyes. “How could I forget you saying you want my cock to fill your mouth next time, Beauty? Those words plague me every time I picture how pretty your ass and pussy glistened with your cum and mine coating you.”
