Page 61 of A Trial By Blood

She shrugged a rounded shoulder. “I don’t know his specialty. It could be a lot of things. Fertility, beauty, love, immortality. The list goes on.”

“And it’s definitely real?”

She sat back with a groan and rubbed her knee. “I believe so, it appears to be marked.”

“What kind of mark?” Ronan snarled and roared my name. He was losing his mind outside. I needed to get back to him.

“There are several different ones in existence, some real, some fake, created from fairy stories. The real ones are marked with a cross, in the bargaining demon’s blood, somewhere on the item.” She sat forward again. “That’s all I have for you, girlie. So I’ll let you leave, but when I call on you for my favor, you best get to it quick smart, understand?”

“I understand.” Fear prickled across my skin as I stood and turned to leave—

She grabbed my arm, and I spun back. How the hell had she moved that fast?

“You need to be careful, daughter of coven Thornheart. That darkness is closing in fast,” she said, then released me.

I nodded and rushed to the door. I almost expected it to be locked, but it opened first try and I ran out.

Ronan was at the end of the path, fists clenched, veins bulging in his throat, those fangs long and glinting. I ran faster as soon as I saw him, racing down the path to get to him.

I reached the ward, and again, I almost expected it to stop me from leaving, but I ran right through.

Ronan snarled, grabbed my hand, and yanked me through to him, then snatched me up in his arms and held me to him so tight I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t care. I didn’t need to breathe. I just needed him.

He lifted me in his arms and strode away from the cottage. “Did she hurt you?”

“No, she didn’t hurt me. I can walk, Ronan. I’m okay.”

“But I’m not okay, Rose.” He bared his teeth. “I’m not fucking okay.”

CHAPTER 19

Ronan

I couldn’t let her go. I held her tighter to me and broke into a jog. I needed to get her away from here, from that evil crone and this forest full of demons.

I needed Rose somewhere safe, somewhere no one could reach her or hurt her.

Emotions were all twisted up inside me. I recognized anger. Anger was always there, and fear. I thought I’d lost her. I thought I’d never be able to get to her. That she was being hurt and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But there was something else, that urge I’d felt even before my emotions returned, the one that had me taking her food every day, trying to feed her, it roared through me now.

Rose was my mate. I didn’t doubt that now, and the need to care for her was pounding through me. I needed that more than I needed anything else, but twisted up in all of that was relentless desire.

I wanted to be close to her. I wanted my body pressed against hers. I wanted to feel the heat of her skin, hear the beat of her heart, the rush of her blood moving through her veins.

I sprinted through the forest, past monsters, creatures I’d never seen before, and so many demons. Danger, so much of it around my female, my Rose. I picked up the pace, until the trees were nothing but a blur as we sped past. Rose said nothing, she just held on.

Light broke through the trees ahead.

We were almost out.

Almost to the car.

Relief. I recognized it as it poured over me as we burst from the thickest part of the forest and I spotted the car. I hadn’t dropped my power once, and I kept it in place as I carried Rose to the passenger side, yanked the door open, and carefully placed her on the seat, then dragged the seat belt around her, securing it.

I got in, started the engine, and got out of there, driving faster than I should over the pitted dirt road in a car that wasn’t equipped for this type of terrain. Rose hung on, glancing at me every so often.

When I finally gained some semblance of control, I looked over at her. “Are you sure she didn’t hurt you?”