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“Not the point.” Rhage tilted forward onto his hips. “And I am not worried about propriety. I am worried over that poor female. Fuck the social rules, are they truly all that bothers you in this?”
“Of course not.” Jabon waved his arms around. “And as for that male’s baseless accusation unto me, her scent is not upon me. Inhale well and know my truth.”
Rhage shook his head. Jabon had immediately stepped out of the dining room when the females had come down, so it was impossible to tell whether his scent was upon the air because of his presence in the foyer or because of what he’d left upon the dressing gown and flesh of the young female.
Their host clasped the front of his silk evening jacket. “I should never have invited the Jackal under my roof, and moreover, when his story began to be cast in doubt in my mind, I should have relieved his dubious presence of this house immediately. I regret not acting as such, and moreover, I regret that one who should never have suffered has been hurt by my failure of judgment. I will make this right. I swear upon my deceased sire’s soul.”
On the far side of the closed panels, Rhage’s ears picked up on a muffled rhythm descending the stairs. And then the front door opened and shut soundly.
Through the glass panes that faced out the front of the mansion, he witnessed a dark figure with a suitcase in hand stride down the walkway and take a right to progress away from the property.
The Jackal had departed with his possessions.
Abruptly, Rhage looked down at the suit coat that had been prepared for him. The slacks. The leather shoes.
Peeling off the formal jacket, he draped it over the back of a silk chair. Then he yanked off the cravat, loosened the waistband of the slacks, and kicked off the shoes.
As he disrobed, Jabon blinked in confusion, as if he had neither performed nor ever seen such actions before. Darius, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.
All the way to naked.
Rhage took it all off, and then itched his back and rolled his shoulders. “Thank you for the hospitality. You can keep these clothes. I’m leaving as I came in.”
Jabon stuttered. “You—you—you cannot depart thus! What will—”
“Do not ever ask me for anything, especially not unto this house,” Rhage announced. “And if you see me out upon the town, look away, walk away. I do not wish to be associated with anything under this roof, and I do not believe your story of that male who just took his leave of us. I have no proof, however. So do as you wish, but do not seek to entangle me—or I might just feel the need to share my opinions of you and this household and this situation with others of ready ear.”
“You are wrong about me, and wrong about him!” Jabon shook his head as he launched into much pleading. “And you shall see. I will ensure that this is redressed the proper way. Punishment will be levied and served for what he has done. Please do not shun the hospitality that shall always be available herein for any member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood!”
“I do not believe you.” Rhage shrugged. “About anything.”
With that, he nodded unto his brother and took his own leave, dematerializing through the glass panes of the windows through which he had regarded the Jackal’s own departure. As he spirited out into the night, heading at long last for the isolated home he had set for himself far from the center of town, he resolved to avoid all persons unless absolutely necessary.
Nothing good ever came out of interacting. And that was before one contemplated the roaring complication of his beast.
As well as the utter unreliability of others.
Best that he continued as he was meant to go on.
Alone.
I am a prisoner just the same as any.”
As the Jackal spoke the words again, he pulled the top of his tunic closed and held the two halves in place. “My story is no different than any of the others, and my sentence is what it is.”
“It isn’t.” Nyx shook her head. “You could leave here. If the guards can’t touch you and you have no collar, you can just dematerialize out. You’re choosing to stay—”
“No,” he said sharply. “I do not choose to stay. I would leave here if I could, just like all the others.”
When she shook her head again, he got to his feet and went over to the stack of neatly folded tunics and pants. Yanking his stained top off, he wadded the thing up and threw it into the shadows. As he pulled on a fresh one, he wanted to take a full bath. Instead, he settled for going over and kneeling by the burbling pool. His hands were not steady as he cupped them and splashed his face, over and over again. The water was warm. He wished it was cold enough to ice over.
