"He's hit Transition, he's becoming immortal. And from the smell of it my little blossoming Flower, you're getting close to blooming as well. Damn! You didn’t smell like this last week. Ryder will want you close to him now. Imagine an animal going into heat. Every fucking alley cat is gonna come sniffing for a taste of you. He wants you with him when it happens."
"That's not his fucking choice," I snapped. I spared a quick look at Adam who was just waking up, he'd almost raped me. Knowing that would kill him, "Ristan, I need him not to know what happened here. He would never forgive himself, he's been through enough."
"You care too much Syn. I'll take him home, where he can feed. You did right last week by letting go of him, but consider this. Females in heat bring any Fae male with a nose right to their doorsteps and Adam was weak. He isn't immortal yet Synthia, if you're alone when you go into Transition," he shook his head as his silver and black eyes met mine, "God have mercy on the poor fucker who tries to get to you, because Ryder won't."
"Synthia," Vlad smiled as he sifted in eyeing the shower curtain I held like a lifeline, "Smashing get up, who knew a shower curtain could be so sexy?"
I shook my head and left the room before Adam could see me. I listened as Ristan and Vlad who had sifted in behind Ristan were now helping Adam up. I had yet to stop shaking from how close I'd come to being raped by my best friend. My only friend.
I looked down at my lower stomach. The brand had grown while I'd been running from Adam. It was about the size of a silver dollar, the background looked like a silver disc inlaid with a design similar to a Celtic cross and had three red marks the color of rubies running down the center. Resting on the top of the disc were two red dragons facing one another with their wings spread and almost looked as if they were about to fight or worse—mate.
Ryder hadn't just claimed me, he'd fucking branded me. On top of everything, this was the last straw. He'd allowed Adam to sign a contract, after having me sign one in order to keep the others safe, once again leaving me no choice. He'd been overbearing, pigheaded and stubborn since day one.
It was too much, just when I was finally getting my life back to normal. I had been slipping back into a routine, and even though I’d been in mourning, I was dealing with it and moving on. And now this. Branding me, like cattle!
But branding me was unforgivable. My life was not perfect right now, but it was my life. I'd been offered an income if I decided to take the Guild's jobs and Ryder was also paying me to work for him. I had a roof over my head and I had Adam.
I didn’t need some egotistical maniac ruling what was left of my coven—even if it wasn’t considered that anymore. I didn’t want Ryder ruling any more of my life than he already did. He had enough of that in the last month. I didn’t want to be immortal and I sure as hell didn't want to go into heat like some freaking animal. But then life wasn’t asking me what I wanted.
I dressed in jeans and a shirt, flinching as I pulled it over my stomach that felt raw around the site of the mark. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and threw on a pair of flip flops and grabbed the keys to Adam’s car off the kitchen table and headed to confront Ryder.
I got no further than his front gate before I noticed something was wrong. The metal gate hung open as if it was expecting someone, so I drove through and parked in the back. Everything on the grounds was eerily silent—no movement and there was always activity of some kind around Ryder's mansion.
I walked across the grass and decided to sneak a peek through the window, since curiosity got the better of me. What I saw was not what I had expected, or anything I could have mentally prepared for. Ryder’s men were inside the room, along with humans and Fae set in a line on their knees. Some of them looked battered if not a little bruised. As I watched, a figure with a hood and cloak stepped up to a male who was already screaming for mercy.
I felt chills run down my backbone, and my heart accelerated. A golden haze came from the hooded figures hands, and the man on his knees began to screaming louder the instant it did, a blood curdling howl that had me covering my ears with my hands.
It had no effect on the one using magic. He had no qualms about using his magic on the poor guy. I scanned the room watching as Dristan came into view. He kicked the screaming man onto the floor and moved to the next male in line. I moved my eyes to the next male, and my blood turned to ice, it was a member of the Guild. There were several other men on their knees, all lined up with Ryder’s crew standing close behind them. I exhaled a long shaky breath and scanned the room more.