My body finally went limp, and I collapsed onto Grayson's chest, spent and gasping for breath. His fingers gently stroked my hair and traced patterns along my sweat-slicked skin.
"God, you're so beautiful, Parker," he murmured softly, his voice full of wonder and love.
But our peaceful moment was shattered by a sudden sonic boom that rocked the room. Lights flickered wildly, and the sound left my ears ringing. Panic surged through me as I realized my demonic powers had once again surged from the bond. I figured they would, but hoped it wouldn't be anything too bad.
"Shit!" Grayson cursed, hastily pulling a blanket over our naked bodies as alarms blared throughout the house. The door to my room slammed open, and Ro appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide with shock and anger.
"Dammit, Parker!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the sound of the alarms. "What the hell have you done now?! And how?"
His voice was a mixture of anger and concern, but I was too dazed to even begin to understand what his issue was or how he'd even gotten here.
CHAPTER 13
WHY ARE YOU SO HELL-BENT ON RUINING MY LIFE?
Ro paced the room, his shoes clacking furiously against the cement floor. His anger was palpable as he raged at me. "Where is it, Parker? Where's the ring?" His demonic, glowing red eyes burned into mine.
"Get out!" I shouted, my voice trembling with annoyance. Grayson tucked the sheets around me before pulling on his boxers. He stood between Ro and me, his muscles taut and ready to fight. "How did you even get in here? And why are you so hell-bent on ruining my life?"
Ro waved a dismissive hand at Grayson, a disdainful sneer curling his lips. He reached out and grabbed my arm with an iron grip, causing me to wince in pain.
Grayson growled, "Let her go, Ro. You have no right to touch her."
But Ro must have used his demonic powers, creating an invisible barrier that kept Grayson from coming any closer. I couldn't see it, but I felt it… the intention put into it. I gritted my teeth, fighting back the urge to throat-punch my demonic gene donor who was far more powerful than I was. "Fuck off, Ro! Just leave me alone."
Instead of listening, he shoved my hand in my face, forcing me to look at the finger that should've been adorned with the golden soul ring. It was gone, and Ro's fury intensified.
"See what you've done?" he snarled, his human teeth elongating into fangs that glinted with menace. His grip tightened on my arm, making me whimper in pain. I couldn't understand why the loss of the ring meant so much to him, but I had other concerns. Grayson's safety was paramount, and I needed to defuse the situation.
"Ro, please," I urged, my voice barely a whisper. "Whatever happened to the ring, we can fix it. But you need to let me go and leave Grayson alone." My heart ached, my thoughts consumed by the potential consequences of Ro's wrath.
"Look, I don't know how it came off," Ro growled, his face inches from mine. "But you shouldn't have been able to remove it, and you need to put it back on."
"I didn't take it off!" My voice rose in defiance as I locked eyes with him, refusing to back down. "So, it must've just fallen off."
"Impossible." Ro's tone was dismissive, but a flicker of uncertainty danced across his eyes. "You must have done something, Parker. It's not where it's supposed to be." His gaze darted around the room, searching for any sign of the missing ring.
I frowned, glancing at Grayson who stood tense and ready to intervene if necessary. "What's the big deal? I know the ring is important for me, but what does that matter to others?"
"Concentrate and find it," Ro commanded, ignoring my question. "If it's not here, then it's somewhere else… which means someone else can claim the power from it."
"Wait, what?" Grayson interjected, shooting Ro a look of disbelief.
Ro's glare intensified as he muttered something in a demonic language under his breath. I felt a chill run down my spine, and I clutched the sheet to my chest as I sat up straighter.
"Hey!" I shoved Ro, anger coursing through me. "You better not do anything to Grayson!"
"Pathetic," Ro sneered, shaking his head. "Being attached never ends well for our kind, Parker. Creatures are only interested in demons for how they can control our power. Mates are no different, fated or not."
His words stung, and I felt my heart stutter in my chest. I knew I had to protect Grayson, but the fear of the unknown weighed heavily on me. What if Ro was right? What kind of chaos would I release now that I'd somehow lost an unremovable ring?
"None of this helps us find the ring," I snapped, trying to redirect the conversation. "So, let's focus on that instead of arguing about who I can or cannot care for."
As Ro continued to search the room for the ring, I closed my eyes and concentrated, desperately hoping to sense its location. But all I could feel was the growing unease within me, the uncertainty of what would happen if we couldn't find it.
The door slammed open, and Kearan burst into the room, a tall glass of iced coffee in hand. His eyes widened as they darted between Ro, Grayson, and me, taking in the tense atmosphere. He set the iced coffee on the nightstand next to me, his expression unreadable as he studied my face.
"Thanks, Kearan," I murmured, trying to ignore the turmoil in my chest. "I'm fine. Just trying to figure out how Ro got in here."
