“I didn’t make you kill either one of them!” I fire back.
“Maybe not directly, but they’re still dead because of you.”
“You think I asked for Troy to—” I choke on the words and turn to look out the window.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Thane finally says.
“Yes, you did.”
The car comes to an abrupt stop, and Thane grabs a hold of my face, turning it to him.
“His death is not yours to own. I never should’ve said that.” There’s a sincerity in his voice that catches me off guard as his intense gaze cuts straight through me.
After an achingly long moment, Thane finally drops his hand and starts driving again.
“I don’t get you,” I mumble, turning to face the window.
“Well, I don’t get youeither.”
Thane
This game of tug of war is exhausting. She literally tried to kill me, and yet I’m sitting here mad at myself for blaming her for Troy’s death. It was a stupid thing to say, and seeing the hurt on her face in that moment was punishment enough.
Fuck.
It’s not supposed to be like this. I’m not supposed to care how she feels. In fact, the only feelings I should want her to feel are hopelessness and pain. That was the whole point of taking her as my pet in the first place. She’s supposed to represent the retribution of my people. Maybe if I hadn’t marked her, everything would be fine. It didn’t really feel like an option, though. For whatever reason, I needed her to be mine, and I needed everyone to know it.
I thought keeping her in the dungeons and staying away from her for a little while would help, but it only seemed to make things worse. Being away from her felt wrong. More than wrong, actually. It felt like a piece of me was missing. The idea of that is so fucking ridiculous.
The dreams certainly haven’t helped. I thought the first one was just because she was lying in my bed that night, but they’ve kept coming every night since. Even when I wake, the memories of them linger. Tormenting me day and night.
I’m just hoping this visit to Seattle will help. Maybe tapping into my inner demon will remind me that I’m still in control.
Chapter 18
We pull up to a gas station where a vampire is waiting with his arms crossed in front of a red sports car. Thane zips over to my side and pulls me out of the car before turning and catching a pair of keys the vampire tossed while his back was turned.
“Thanks,” he says with a nod.
“Sure thing, Boss.” The vampire jumps into the Prius and takes off.
“Really?” I deadpan. “This is what your phone call was about?”
Thane opens the passenger side door and motions for me to get in. “You didn’t really think I was going to let everyone see me driving around in a teal Prius, did you?”
I shake my head and slip into the seat, which is much lower to the ground. “I feel like the teal Prius suited you quite well.”
He scoffs and shuts my door. “The only thing about that car that suited me was how old it was,” Thane says, as the engine hums to life.
“Was that a joke?” I ask, as a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Did the big bad hybrid just attempt a joke?”
Thane looks at me with a sidelong glance. “Next time, Kole is going to drive you.”
“Good.” I lean back, putting my feet on the dash. “I’d prefer his company over yours any day.”
A low growl vibrates in his throat, reminding me that his brother is one of those buttons he hates for me to push. A satisfied smile inches its way across my face, and I turn toward the window to hide it. I don’t actually care for either of their company, but I’ll let Thane believe I prefer Kole’s presence. At least with him, I don’t have to fight the effects of the mark.
Seattle looks different, and yet somehow the same. The outskirts are unrecognizable. Half-burned down buildings ripple down the streets, surrounded by piles of rubble, while military and police vehicles line the streets with werewolf-sized dents and missing doors. Bones and skulls lie within the wreckage, reminding everyone of the merciless killings that took place.
