Page 93 of A Trial By Blood

He studied me for several seconds. “Fine,” he said grudgingly.

“You know, this new Ronan is really bossy.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. When something you don’t like happens, your jaw gets all tight and you get this stubborn look on your face right before the bossy comes out.”

His gaze dipped to my lips. “Does it offend you?”

I licked my lips and his nostrils flared. “No, it’s just new. A part of you that was suppressed. I guess we’re both changing since…since that night.”

A shudder moved through him. “Yes.” He looked back up. “That night will forever torment me.”

“If it wasn’t for that night, we wouldn’t be here together now,” I said softly.

“Maybe.” His lids lowered, concealing his eyes. “The thought of what could have happened, what I almost did—”

“You saved me, Ronan.”

He looked up again, and his eyes were startling, so violet, so beautiful. “You know why, don’t you, Rose?” he said, and there was a slight tremor in his voice. “Why I could never stay away from you? Why, despite the emotionless void I lived in, I was drawn back to you time and time again?”

“Yes.”

“You feel it, too, don’t you?” he rasped.

“Yes.”

“You’re mine, Rose Thornheart. You were born for me and I for you. You don’t know it, but you saved me long before I saved you. You gave me a reason to carry on when I had nothing else. When nothing moved me. When all there was, all I felt…was nothing.” His hand trembled as he lifted it and gripped the side of my throat again, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “My heart, you have no idea what you’ve brought into my life.”

His heart. Word by word, he destroyed me. “Ronan—”

“I want you.” He shook his head. “Don’t ever doubt how much. Last night, I…” His throat worked. “I will make you my mate in all ways, Rose. I will get past this.”

Lifting to my knees, I wrapped my arms around him. His banded around me instantly, so tight I could barely breathe. I squeezed him tighter. I didn’t know how to help him, and I hated it, but this was something only he could work through. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said again, choking back the tears clogging my throat. “No matter what, I’m yours, and I always will be.”

* * *

Ronan

The clubhouse was mostly empty when I got there.

I’d just left Rose with her sisters to prepare for her visit with her father, and I felt restless. I clenched my fists. No, I was fucking pissed off. Rage boiled in my veins and blazed in my gut. Relic stood across the room with Warrick, and I changed direction, striding toward them.

Warrick turned my way and one of his brows lifted. “You look ready to fuck shit up, brother.”

I was. I needed it. “Do you want to train?”

Warrick searched my expression, then nodded. “Sure. You need someone to kick your ass. I’m your hound.”

I turned and headed belowground to the fighting pits, Warrick and Relic following.

Thirty minutes later, we were both bloody and bruised, and the fury inside me was still as raw and violent as it had been when we’d climbed into the pit.

“You want to tell me what crawled up your ass?” Warrick asked, then charged me, hooked me around the gut, and slammed me into the wall.

If I’d been human, my spine would have been crushed to dust. I shoved him back and slammed my fist into his side. He jerked when one of his ribs snapped, then laughed. The male was probably already healing. Half the bruises I’d given him were already gone.

“You’re not just pissed, are you, brother?” Warrick said, looking into my snarling face.