He stopped me, his bigger bulk heaving upwards and throwing me off. Raze was growling as he climbed to his feet. “The club isn't here to babysit your girlfriend. It's here to follow Leviathan's orders.”
I stared at him dumbfounded. “I am president of this club…” Lowering my voice I took a menacing step forward, invading his space again. “Unless you feel like challenging me for that title.”
The silence in the room was heavy and no one said a word.
“I don't want to cause any more problems, Tommy,” Briella spoke up from the doorway and my head snapped around to her.
I didn't know how long she had been standing there or how much she had heard, but if the look on her face was anything to go by it had been a while.
“Briella, you aren't…” Ignoring Raze totally, I started walking towards her.
“Yes I am, I’m grateful for the rescue and everything you have done.” Her eyes swept the room before landing on Raze. “All of you.”
He gave the smallest of nods.
“But Raze is right. I don't belong here. I need to go home.”
* * *
“Briella?”I caught her around the waist the moment the door to my room was shut and crushed her against my chest. She came easily, her cheek pressing right over my heart and I felt rather than saw the tension slip from her.
“You don't have to go.”
“Yes, I do Tommy. I saw you attack a man, someone who is your friend because of me. That's not right. You barely know me and you are going against your friends.”
Pressing my lips to her hair, I breathed in the smell of shampoo and soap, and under it the sweetness that was all her own.
“I would do anything for you.”
“Don’t you see how crazy that sounds? This isn't how relationships work.”
I wanted to tell her this was exactly how things worked in my world. The mate bond was instant and it lasted a lifetime. I had known the moment I saw her face smiling back at me from the picture that she was meant to be mine. Seeing her in person had cemented it in my soul. But I couldn't explain that to her without giving away that I wasn't human.
She suspected as much, but she didn't know for sure.
If I could explain it to her, things would be different and she wouldn't be looking at me like I was crazy but I couldn't do that without showing her.
Raze was right, she wouldn't be able to handle it. I wasn't a wolf or one of the pretty shifters that women swooned over in books.
I was Bloody Bones.
A thing of nightmares.
The monster the monsters feared.
“It's time I went home Tommy.” She faltered for a second., her face lifting as she stared up at me. “That doesn't mean we can't see each other right?”
“No, it doesn't mean that. I told you once before that I am not letting you go.” Searching my memory, I smiled down into her hopeful face before sliding my lips over hers. “Actually it might have been more than once. You can't get rid of me that easily. I promised to protect you and I will.”
“See, no need to fall out with your friends over it. It's sorted.” Briella's smile was dazzling. “I will go home and we can date. Easy peasy.”
Easy peasy.
Just two normal people dating.
How hard could it be?
