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"I gave her what she deserved but I still don't see - "
"She used a drug on you," I said shortly Angrily. "That changed the way you thought and acted. She made you fall in love with her." I crossed my arms and glared at him. "How different is that to what you're doing to me?"
"It's different." But it was softly said He knew the point I was making. He just didn't want to acknowledge it.
"How is it different?" I all but shouted. "How in the goddamn hell can you stand there and say it's different?"
"She didn't care for me, just my money."
"And you caring for me makes it all right for you to try and change my very nature through mind control?"
"I was just - "
I held up a hand "I'm tired of your excuses, Quinn Tired of giving, tired of forgiving. Just get out."
"There's too much between us to just walk away from it. I won't - "
"You keep saying that, and yet you keep trying to change my very nature. Enough is enough. Please, just leave, Quinn."
"No - "
"She did ask nicely," Rhoan said, his voice holding an edge as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe "Leave, or I will make you."
Quinn's expression darkened. "This is between me and her - "
"You take her on, you take me on," Rhoan said. "Right now, she doesn't want you in this apartment, or her life. Go, as asked, or I will make you."
Quinn's gaze went from Rhoan to me and back again, and the sudden sense of danger had the hairs along the back of my neck rising. Even though he hadn't moved a muscle, the man standing in front of me was suddenly every inch an old and deadly vampire. Then he shook his head, and the sensation fell away.
"I never took you for a coward, Riley. I guess I was wrong."
"I guess you were." I took a sip of coffee, then added, "But then, you're the one trying to change a werewolf's nature, not me."
He gave me a look that was an odd mix of anger, determination, and regret, then spun on his heel and left. When the front door slammed shut, I sighed in relief.
"Thanks, bro."
He nodded. "You sure you want to do what you just did?"
"He was trying to change who I am, Rhoan. I can forgive many of the things he's done, but I can't forgive that."
"For ever and ever, or just for a while?"
"I don't know. I'll tell you when I figure that out."
"Fair enough." He walked up beside me and flicked on the kettle. "I'm your backup for tonight."
"No offense, bro, but I hope you're not my only backup tonight."
"Jack will be there. And the place will be surrounded." He hesitated, and added with a wry grin, "And our enigmatic vampire will undoubtedly be there, if only so he can close the gate."
"The more the merrier." I reached up to the shelf, grabbed the regular coffee, and handed it to him.
Rhoan's tastes weren't as fussy as mine when it came to coffee - even if I'd drink just about anything when push came to shove.
He accepted the jar with a nod of thanks, and tossed some granules into a mug. "You worried about tonight?"
"Yes." I rubbed an arm, and tried to ignore the goose bumps that fled up my skin at the thought of stepping into the den of a dark god and his dragons. "If they felt Caelfind's entrapment, then things could get very nasty in there tonight."
