Zach jumped back from Ryan’s tone. “Umm, they’re back.” He looked over his shoulder and then turned back to Ryan.
Ryan shook his head back and forth angrily. “Of course they’re back now.” He looked back at Lucie. He gave her a small smile and shifted into a calmer tone for her. “Wait here. I’ll be back.”
Lucie shook her head and walked toward the door. “No, I’m coming too.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Yeah, but umm …” She looked toward the bathroom door where the slayer was still lurking in wait. She looked back at Ryan and licked her lips nervously. She didn’t want to say why she didn’t want to stay, but he caught on quickly. He let out a low chuckle and scooped her up into his chest.
“Actually, this is better anyway,” he said as he cradled her against him.
“Ryan, I can walk. The wounds are healing.”
“You CAN walk, yes. But I don’t want you walking around with those wounds.” He smiled and turned back to the door where Zach was holding it open for them. “Let’s see what they know.”
CHAPTER 15
Ryan walked away, annoyed with the timing. He really needed to talk to Lucie. A small smile spread across his lips as she curled into his arms. She didn’t even realize she was doing it, but subconsciously, she wanted to be close to him.
He had his suspicions about them being soulmates, but he wasn’t sure because Lucie should be feeling these things too. He figured it was because she was trying to fight off the mate bond and they hadn’t marked each other yet. But he was certain now, after the dream and feeling her heartbeat, that they were connected on a deeper level.
Soulmates were rare among all species. One thing was certain, though, and that was that all species respected the sanctity of soulmates and their bond. This was something so rare that none would oppose it, no matter the situation. But even still … there was more to Ryan than she knew, and he was dyingto explain this to her. He wanted her to know that it was okay to accept the mate bond, if it was what she really wanted. He wanted to know exactly how she felt.
Now that she said she would also choose him, it was a done deal. Wanting her was never a question. He just needed to explain the situation to her. This was just a temporary delay. They would have eternity together, but he still felt so frustrated. He needed her to look at him with want and not feel guilty about it. Even in her dream, she’d desired him, but she felt guilty. Just thinking about it now made him want to go right back into the bedroom with her. But first things first. He needed to see what had been discovered.
Chaz and Sabrina had been tasked with watching what was going on with Beryl. They were the two on his team called ghosts because they moved like ghosts and could go undetected. They were able to conceal their aura, making it seem as if they weren’t there. It made sense for Sabrina, a tiny little vampire who was five foot nothing, petite in every aspect except her attitude. But Chaz was built like a brick wall. Not only was he tall, coming in at almost seven feet, but he was built like a tank. Despite his size, he was incredibly stealthy. They were the best assassins among the vampires, except for one other person. Jasper was the only vampire better than the two of them. He was also extremely deadly in combat, which made him an incredible asset to the vampires. His loyalty was also unquestionable.
Lucie looked at the two strangers as Ryan carried her closer. She could see they were looking at her curiously, probably wondering why their leader was carrying her around. Ryan stopped a few feet in front of them but still kept her in his arms.
“You can put me down,” she whispered, tugging on his shirt. This only made him smile and grip her tighter. Sighing, she folded her arms in front of her. Okay, she’d asked nicely. This was why you couldn’t just be nice, because you might get takenadvantage of. When people think you’re nice, you get bullied. Well, not her. Despite how wonderful it felt being curled up in his arms, she still needed to stand up for herself. Meeting Ryan’s gaze, she gave him a small smile. “Ryan, you’re going to put me down or I’m going to get down on my own.”
“Are you threatening me?” Ryan’s eyes danced in amusement as he grinned widely, looking down at her.
“No. I’m promising you.”
Ryan smiled, but when he noticed the serious look in Chaz and Sabrina’s eyes, he slowly lowered her body down beside him.
“What is it?” Ryan asked, keeping his hand on Lucie’s shoulder. Chaz stared at Lucie as he hesitated. “You can speak freely in front of her.”
“Is she the prince’s mate?” Sabrina asked.
“How did you know about that?” Ryan asked. They were sent out when he came back with Lucie, so they hadn’t heard of her connection.
“We ran into Jasper, who came here because of the prince’s mate. We described the girl you brought back and he seemed immediately relieved,” Chaz said as he eyed Lucie up and down. “If she is going to be with us for a little while, we could have some fun with her …”
Lucie didn’t even have a moment to react. One second Ryan’s arm was around her and the next it was gone. A blur moved in front of her and then a body hit the wall loudly. In a flash, Ryan had Chaz pinned against the wall by the throat. He growled in his face and bared his fangs at him.
“Whoa, Ryan, chill. It was just a joke. I didn’t realize you were so protective over the prince’s fiancée.” Chaz struggled a bit under Ryan’s grip.
“Lucie, are you alright?” Tonya gasped in shock. Immediately, Ryan released Chaz and whipped back to Lucie’sside. Tonya smirked, and Lucie turned her gaze to her, confused. “Oh, must be the lighting playing tricks on my eyes.” All it took to snap Ryan out of his rage was to make him think something could be wrong with Lucie. She may have lied to make him switch gears.
Chaz rubbed his throat, his brows furrowed. Sabrina was watching the scene curiously, shocked by Ryan’s outburst. It didn’t make sense.
“If I didn’t know any better …” Sabrina began quietly, watching Ryan gaze at Lucie with concern.
“Lucie is Ryan’s mate. Chaz is lucky he didn’t get gutted for what he said.” Zach chuckled as he walked up behind Tonya and pulled her into his chest. She was such a vixen sometimes, and he loved her for it.
Chaz’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, dude. I’m sorry.” Then his mouth gaped and he pointed at Lucie. “The prince’s fiancée is your mate? Aww man, tough luck. I know how you’ve been waiting for your mate to show up.”
