I blinked slowly, even as I watched silver eyes slowly travel to Elder Merrick, and Leric lifted his brows a bit, stating idly, “I guess it’s a good thing I could care less about etiquette where my Chosen is concerned.”
“I do so hate to interrupt,” King Zeller stated on a drawl as they eyed each other. “But,” a head tilt toward the door with a small smile, “I believe Sin is…” He stopped, his lips trembling fiercely. “Never mind.”
The door banged open, and Sin rushed inside, muttering a curse under his breath, appearing frantic and extremely pissed…while he wiped blood off his knuckles onto his black cargos, his emerald green eyes glowing fiercely. “Caro?”
I was instantly on my feet, blanket left behind, moving toward him. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes were directly scanning me from head to toe, and then he breathed out heavily, slamming the door closed behind him…just as I saw the hallway littered with an unconscious Frost and Farley. “I heard you were hurt.” His chest heaved again, glaring fiercely over my shoulder. “Badly.”
I instantly touched his chest, running my hands up and down over his rigid muscles in a soothing gesture, even as he trembled the barest bit, talking to him gently. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” He grabbed my hips, pulling me against his hard body, trapping me against him, and I murmured against his chest. “Leric healed me. It was no one’s fault, but my own lack of knowledge.” I could practically feel his mind churning with Elder Merrick’s death. “Really, Sin. No one’s at fault and I’m okay.” I felt his hand slide from my hip, and I instantly grabbed it, his power he tried so hard to keep leashed, hidden, starting to leak. “Don’t even think about it.”
He growled quietly and stopped reaching for his gun, instead, reaching up to thread his strong fingers into my hair, tipping my head back. Instantly, he dipped his head…and his lips were on mine. I froze inside his hold when he didn’t just press his lips softly, his normal caress.
No…not normal…not as his wide, soft lips crushed mine.
Stroked possessively.
His other hand glided across my hip to the small of my back, pressing me against his hard, warm strength, even as his hand tightened in my hair, holding my face close.
Heart accelerating, I instantly felt the tranquility transfusing me disappear, the emotion I had been gifted by Leric gone, and I felt my own emotions brimming…exploding inside. Adoration and love poured over me in gulfing flames, my chest aching with it, throat clogging, while his lips caressed mine again…and again…but fear overrode all, air caught in my chest. “Sin,” I whispered against his lips, gripping his shirt in my fists, “I’m okay…I’m…” Another graze of his lips over mine, soft as satin, but wicked as the night almost had my knees buckling. “Sin, I’m alright.”
Hot panting breaths brushed over my mouth as his sensual onslaught slowly ceased, lips lightly touching mine, his forehead pressed against mine. My eyes flittered open, not even realizing they had closed. I stared into glowing emerald green, his gaze severe, my own eyes glowing on his, and he breathed harshly against my lips. “If he fucking touches you again,” in any way, he left unsaid with a pause, “I will shred him.”
“Shh,” I whispered, lifting my hands to brush them over his cheeks softly, rubbing my thumbs over his temples in deliberate calming strokes, even in my own frightened, and loved, state. “Calm down…I’m here…with you.”
“Fertilizer…” he breathed brutally, not calming. “He will be fucking fertilizer for our damn flowers.”
I blinked slowly. Continued rubbing. “I remember one year we had beautiful flowers.”
Feeling his lips curl slightly against mine, my brows rose, and he murmured, “Bruno was good for something.” My eyes widened marginally, and I felt his fingers stroke gently against the small of my back, his own thumb against my cheek began running softly against my skin. “You loved those flowers.”
I swallowed. “Yes, I did.” My own lips curled. “I’ll cherish their memory even more now.”
Softly, lovingly, he pressed his lips to mine more firmly, and I barely kept from trembling as he stroked them gently once, then whispered against them, “Remember, love…fertilizer.”
I started when Elder Jacobs cleared his throat loudly, half forgetting they were there, only to hear him mutter, “Yeah…he obviously gets a spot.” Another clearing of his throat. “And apparently, you, Mr. Damon, don’t have the possessive streak most mates do.”
I froze completely.
Leric’s drawl was overly lazily from behind me. “Oh, no, Elder Jacobs…it’s there, but I’ve learned restraint in my years.” Then in my mind, a quiet purr, “Restraint that is wearing thin quickly, especially with your most recent “free-loving-spree” and now that our connection has completed…and his fucking hand had better not slip down any farther, my Chosen.”
Abruptly, I turned inside Sin’s own frozen form, he, obviously, getting the gist of Elder Jacobs words. I held up my hands instantly in Leric’s direction, Sin’s grip that had been on the small of my back now on my lower stomach, his fingers digging in as he really started to tremble against my back…and I could only imagine the mirage of emotions twisting inside him, especially because I had managed at one point to tell him in code spirits didn’t have mates. “Leric…Sin is the only person I fully trust, unconditionally love, and can truly call my own.” My jaw clenched. “So, rein in whatever the hell you’re feeling, and don’t ever threaten him, or any fucking choice you may be hoping for will be,” I blinked, then grinned cruelly, “shredded.”
Leric’s nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched tight, but he stayed quiet.
King Zeller waved an absent finger from the hand he had over his mouth, watching Sin over my shoulder. “Ms. Jules, why don’t you take Sin out of here for a bit and explain the situation to him before there’s any more bloodshed today?” Not waiting for my approval, his next words were directed at Sin. “And her bodyguards are not effective if their unconscious, so please quit rendering them so.”
Sin’s response was a shaky exhale from the breath he had been holding in, sounding half growl, his gaze surely on Leric, his posturing enough I instantly started pressing backward with my feet, pushing us toward the door, gripping his thighs to make him move, and I mumbled hastily, “We’re going to take a walk.” Sin started pressing back, wanting to do God knows what, and I grunted, putting a little power behind my efforts. “A long walk.” My wide gaze went to Leric as Sin literally started growling behind me. “Leric, we’ll talk later.” More loud growling, and a fumbling for his gun.
And…God, help me…my gaze strayed to Elder Merrick for the barest moment, seeing his body utterly relaxed against the couch, a completely fake posturing since he wasn’t moving, his lids hiding his navy blue eyes from me…right as I slipped out the door, pushing Sin in the direction of the backyard while grabbing his gun from him he had managed to pull while fighting me.