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“God forbid you have a human with broken bones on your hands.”
Rayne bared his canines as he moved closer to Felix. “You’re wearing my patience thin. There’s a difference between me torturing you and you getting clumsy. Thank whatever god you pray to that I decided to go a different route.”
This time Rayne stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
Felix curled up onto the bed, hugging himself, wondering what Rayne had planned for him.
* * * *
“That sounded as if it went well,” Kieran said as he heated some stew. “Did you kill the human, or am I seeing you lose control of your emotions?”
“Shut up,” Rayne groused.
“There’s still the option of torturing him for information.” Kieran removed the bowl from the microwave. “Or you could send me in there. I’m quite the charmer.”
Before Rayne could stop himself, he bared his canines.
“Interesting reaction.” Kieran smirked. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say the human is getting under your skin. Is the unflappable Rayne’s armor cracking?”
“Bite me,” Rayne snarled.
Kieran grinned, his green eyes lighting up as he annoyed the shit out of Rayne. “It’s good to see your feathers ruffled. Who knows, maybe kidnapping the guy will be good for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s sparking a reaction in you, other than you wanting to strangle him.” Kieran shrugged. “Been a long time since you’ve been interested in someone is all I’m saying.”
“Are you watching my personal life that closely?” It had been a while since someone sparked any kind of feeling inside Rayne other than hostility or irritation. Life had started to grind him down with nothing but hunting and getting laid sometimes in between. In truth, Rayne hadn’t felt happy in a very long time.
When was the last time he’d smiled or joked around? When was the last time he’d taken pleasure in anything other than a quick lay?
“Just an observation.” Kieran blew across the fork where he’d stabbed a piece of meat. “But you might want to think about it. You might be surprised at what you find if you let your guard down for once.”
Rayne grunted in response, not wanting to delve too deeply into what Kieran was saying. He didn’t need to be thinking about his personal life when there were more pressing matters at hand. They needed to find the vampires responsible for killing the humans, and they needed to do it fast.
But as he stood there, Rayne couldn’t help but think about Felix. There was something about the human that had piqued his interest, something that made Rayne want to protect him. Maybe it was the vulnerability in his eyes or the way he stood up to Rayne, despite being in a dangerous situation. Whatever it was, Rayne found himself wanting to get to know Felix better.
“It’s hard not to notice when you’re my alpha,” Kieran replied with a grin as he sat at the table with his food. “I’m just saying maybe this human is a blessing in disguise. Maybe he could be the one to break you out of your rut.”
Rayne scoffed. “You’re reading too much into this. He’s a means to an end, nothing more.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” Kieran took a bite, chewed, then swallowed. “But don’t be surprised if you start feeling a little something for him. Stranger things have happened.”
Rayne rolled his eyes as he took a beer from the fridge. Kieran could be irritatingly insightful at times. But Rayne refused to entertain the idea that he felt anything for the human he’d kidnapped. It was just ridiculous.
His thoughts drifted back to Felix. The human was frustratingly stubborn, but Rayne couldn’t deny that there was something intriguing about him. He was different than any other human Rayne had met. It could be the way he stood up to Rayne, or it was the way he refused to back down even when faced with danger. Whatever it was, he found himself wanting to know what made Felix tick.
He also couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to protect Felix, although that didn’t make sense since Rayne was the guy’s biggest threat.
Kieran finished his stew and stood, stretching his arms overhead. “I’m going to turn in. It’s been a long day. I’ll take shifts with Cyrus to keep an eye on your boy.”
Rayne grunted as his mind raced with thoughts of Felix, and he couldn’t seem to shake them.
When Kieran left the room, Rayne walked over to the window, peering out into the darkness. As he took a swig of his beer, he couldn’t help but think about what Kieran had said. Maybe Felix was a blessing in disguise. Maybe he would be the one to break Rayne out of his funk.
But Rayne couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Not now. He had a job to do, and he couldn’t let his feelings get in the way.
With that thought in mind, Rayne finished his beer and decided it was time to check on Felix. He made his way to the bedroom, pushing the door open quietly. Felix was curled up on the bed, eyes closed, breathing steady.
