“It will be okay,” he murmured.
“Just remember, I wouldn’t be here if itwasn’t for him,” she whispered in his ear before rising from hisarms.
Aiden stood and started toward the doorway.Ethan strode ahead of him through the rooms and out the front doorof the small cottage. Stepping outside, Aiden’s jaw clenched whenhe spotted the single story, concrete building where he’d beenimprisoned. He’d been in there once before his confinement, whenhe’d helped to interrogate the Savage who told them about Carha. Hehoped to never see the place again.
He couldn’t fault the others for what they’ddone, he would have done the same, or he would have destroyed thevampire, but heloathedseeing the reminder of what he’dbecome. He clearly recalled the madness whispering incessantlythrough his mind.
He’d let everyone down, especially Maggie,and he would do everything he could to make it up to her. Every dayfor the rest of their lives together, she would know only securityand love.
“You shouldn’t have gone to her,” Aidensaid. “I don’t remember a lot of what happened, but I know I madeit clear to the others she was to be left alone.”
“They told me you wanted her left alone, andI didn’t go to her until it became clear she might be the only onewho could save you. I was right.”
Aiden gritted his teeth when he recognizedthe older, wiser brother tone that sometimes crept into Ethan’svoice. It didn’t happen often, but it was there now. Ethan wasolder, possibly wiser, but he had to know he wouldn’t win a fightbetween the two of them, not anymore. Ethan had the advantage ofage on him, but Aiden had spent countless hours training to killwith some of the most lethal vampires on the planet. He’d also beenkilling and occasionally feeding on Savages. He’d honed himselfinto a killing machine; Ethan had become a dad.
“If I hadn’t gone to her, you would havedied.Wewould have had to kill you or make the decision tohave someone else do it,” Ethan said.
“I know, but—”
“She was in pain too. I saw the bandages andher blood. I know what her heritage is, and though she didn’t knowwhy she couldn’t stop hurting herself, the vampire part of her wassuffering without you.”
Aiden couldn’t stop himself from wincing atthe reminder of Maggie’s physical and emotional pain. “You stillshouldn’t have gone to her. What happened that day was abigmisunderstanding, but what if she really had chosen someone elseover me?”
“Then I would have left her alone, but sheneeded to know.”
Aiden rounded on him. “You still wentagainst what I instructed withmymate.”
“Yes, but what would you have done if I wasthe one rotting in a cage with only death as my ultimate end? Wouldyou have stood by and watched me spiral further into madness ifthere was a chance you could prevent it?”
Aiden studied his older brother as hepondered this, but he knew the answer. He wanted to choke Ethan, tobrawl with him as they’d done when they were younger, but he wouldonly be fighting a choice he would have made himself.
“No,” he admitted. “I would have gone toEmma too.”
“I didn’t do it because I thought you werewrong and I knew best.” Ethan smiled when Aiden glanced sharply athim. “I know that’s what you’re thinking. I did it because I loveyou and I couldn’t stand by and watch you die without a fight. Iwould have left Maggie alone if she’d told me to get out of herplace, that she was with another and wanted nothing to do with you.I swear I would have. She didn’t say that though, and listening toher, I knew she loved you too.”
“What if I’d killed her or forced the changeon her when you brought her here?”
“If you do recall, I was trying to get herout of there to prevent that from happening when you tore your cellapart. I’ve felt the rage that takes over when someone threatens amate; I know we can push the boundaries of the rules placed on us,but I never saw that coming. I also didn’t realize how fast she wasand that she would be able to dodge me to get at you.”
“She’s been training for the BostonMarathon, and her father was a vampire.”
“I know, but I still underestimated her; itwon’t happen again. She wanted you almost as badly as you wantedher. She saw what you did to that cell and still trusted you not tohurt her. Even with you as out of control as you were, I alsobelieved you wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I’m glad one of us did,” Aiden muttered ashe gazed at the back wall of the prison.
“It was bad for you after you reachedmaturity, far worse than you let on, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“What did you crave the most?”
Aiden released a snort of humorlesslaughter. “What didn’t I crave? I wanted blood, pain, death, andsex all the same.” Aiden’s jaw clenched as he recalled thecompulsions that had ruled him every day for years. When he felthis temper rising, he searched out Maggie’s mind with his. Thebrief touch with her calmed him again.
“Apparently, according to Declan, it happensto some,” he murmured and then realized Declan wasn’t with them.“Where is Declan? He was in the car with us.”
“Saxon said he couldn’t be here. I don’tknow why.”
“He couldn’t handle being so close to avampire without their mate.”
