But that ability didn’t apply to Ranulf’s mate.Not yet.Once they were mated—if Sephie agreed to the mating—she would take on the ability to change into a dragon and her skin would have the same resilience to bullets and other harmful projectiles.
But the other silence in his head told him that time hadn’t yet come.Which meant that for the moment, Sephie was vulnerable and Ranulf had to give the impression that the other man had the upper hand.
The same hand that the other man had dared to touch Ranulf’s mate with, and which Ranulf was already relishing breaking every bone in once this situation was resolved.
“We meet at last,” Wallis taunted as he came to a halt several feet away from Ranulf.He continued to hold Sephie in front of him as a shield.
“I assure you the pleasure is all yours,” Ranulf dismissed, more concerned that Sephie was no longer meeting his gaze.
The strength she had shown when they met outside earlier today had completely dissipated, her expression now one of deep despair.
“Sephie?”Ranulf prompted evenly.
She finally lifted those defeated eyes, pleading, begging him, forsomething.
With her freedom to speak curtailed and their mating not yet in place, along with that distinct lack of concern for her own welfare he had sensed earlier, Ranulf could only guess her distress now to be out of concern for her parents.
Time, Ranulf promised her inwardly.It was just a matter of keeping Wallis occupied until the time was right for Ranulf to disarm and neutralize the arrogant bastard who had dared to touch his mate.
In the meantime, Ranulf had to suffer through letting this fool believe he wouldn’t squash him like a bug the moment he was free to do so.
“Don’t even think about doing anything other than what I tell you to do,” Wallis warned in a mistakenly confident voice.“If I even suspect you’re being anything other than compliant, I will press this button and…boom.”He held up the hand Ranulf had assumed held a gun.Instead, it was a small black controller with a large red button.“The inn will blow up with this one’s parents tied up inside if you decide to go that route.”He gave Sephie’s shoulder a hard enough squeeze to make her wince.“It’s truly amazing what you can learn from the internet nowadays!”
Now?his dragon urged.
Soon, Ranulf bit out his own impatient reply.
Now that Ranulf knew of the impending danger to Sephie’s parents, it was obvious why Wallis had chosen this particular building for their meeting.The church was built of solid stone slabs hewn into shape, each one two feet long, a foot wide, and a foot thick.They would protect anyone inside the church if there were an explosion in the inn twenty or so yards away.
“I’m sure you don’t want that to happen,” Wallis challenged when Ranulf didn’t answer him.
Ranulf gave Sephie another brief glance, hoping it conveyed the need he felt for her to trust him.
It was a big ask, he knew, on such a short acquaintance, but for now, it was all he had.
His face settled into its usually disinterested mask as he turned his gaze to meet Wallis’s triumphant one.“I only met Miss Malcolm today.I don’t know her parents at all.So why would your threatening to kill them be of any concern to me?”He saw, and deeply regretted, the alarmed way Sephie began to struggle in Wallis’s grip.He couldfeelher beautiful eyes glaring at him for what she no doubt perceived as his complete callousness toward the possible death of her parents.
For the moment, Ranulf had no choice but to play this situation out to the end.To continue to waste precious time.He only hoped that when this was all over, Sephie wouldn’t hate him too much for putting her through the added distress of thinking he was unwilling to help her parents.
The truth was, he would do everything and anything to ensure his mate’s happiness.Ensuring her parents’ safety was top of that list.
Wallis looked nonplussed for several seconds before that look of mockery returned.“You don’t mean that.”
Ranulf gave a derisive smile as he shook his head.“You really don’t know the nature of the beast you’re hunting, do you?”It was a challenge, not a question.
“But I have every intention of knowingallthere is to know about that particular beast,” Wallis taunted.
Ranulf’s smile was pitying.“You have no idea of the capabilities of the monsters you’ve awoken.”
“And yet I’m still the one setting the rules and making the demands,” Wallis scorned.
Ranulf’s nostrils flared.“For the moment.”
Wallis gave a derisive huff.“That won’t change when I’m the one who has possession of the journal.”
“After killing the young man who stole it for you.”He sent Sephie an apologetic grimace when he saw the horror in her widened eyes.
Wallis shrugged.“There are always casualties in any war.Ah, yes.While we’re on that subject… I don’t suppose you have any idea where my niece is currently?She disappeared over a week ago in the company of one of your brothers.”
