AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Let’s take a few minutes to compose our thoughts—” Nina didn’t have to add their emotions as well, “—and return here in ten.”
Respectfully, the rest of the delegates slowly left the room on silent feet. Rukia didn’t speak as nausea rose in her throat. Knowing that Torrin had targeted Gideon made it all worse, and sitting here surrounded by those feeling the same despair was suddenly too much.
Squaring her shoulders, Rukia rose from where she sat, striding for the door. Neither Jeremiah nor Tyee stopped her.
Gideon was dead, and her very soul required retribution.
She grasped the chilled brass doorknob, and flung it open before breezing into the vastness of the hallway outside. It shut behind her with a click. Her feet carried her away from the conference room, but she had no idea where they were taking her.
Gritting her teeth, the red haze of anger shadowed her vision. TheCitizenswould pay for assassinating Gideon; she’d make sure of it.
Daylight brightened the hall before her, but it wasn’t long before she found herself in the confines of a darkened den. When her frenetic heartbeat pounded in her ears, she knew who was already in the room. A part of her had known who it’d been far before she looked up to verify.
Eyes of deepest brown met her gaze in earnest for the first time since he’d teleported her home that night. He stood alone by the empty hearth, looking lost.
Between them, the air bristled, charged with the tinge of conflicting emotions. Rukia was torn between kissing away the hurts that still marred his perfect features and cocking back her arm to slug him for all she was worth. In the end, she decided on neither.
“What happened to your face?”
A blink, but no emotion filtered into his blank features. “Zeke and I had a disagreement.”
“On what?”
“Nina and I slept together decades ago,” Isaiah commented blandly. “Zeke was infuriated.”
Even as she cringed and internally wilted at Isaiah’s exploit, Rukia couldn’t understand the basis for Zeke’s outrage. Swallowing her reaction, she asked, “Why should he care?”
“Zeke and Nina are fated mates, but they’ve never fulfilled the bond.” As they spoke, both had taken steps to close the distance between them, though neither had done so consciously.
“Fated mates.”
Isaiah nodded. Rukia closed the last step between them, her heart beating chaotically in her chest. Breathing deeply, she savored the evergreen and spice scent of him, longing to dissolve into his arms.
He swayed forward as if drawn by the same thread, but a pained expression crossed his features as he jerked back. Rukia hated seeing the hurt on his face, but this close, she couldfeelit.
She stepped out into dark waters, praying the bottom wasn’t too deep for her to find. “With what happened that night with Jacob, Isaiah—no one prepared you for that. There was no way you could’ve stopped it. And you still handled it with honor, kept your people safe. That is enough, Isaiah.”
She pressed her hand against his breastbone, savoring the heat of him. “I know you’re low right now, and I know it hurts, but you are still here. Afterallof that. And I’m so proud of you.”
Spurred on by her own pain, she said, “I hate seeing you in pain, Isaiah. Please—what can I do? Tell me how to make his death easier on you. How can I help you?”
He swallowed and leaned into her touched. “I’ll live with what Jacob did for eternity, Rukia, but that’s not … that’s not the only reason why I’m hurting.”
She frowned but didn’t interject.
“And I’m not the only one hurting, Rukia.” Slowly, Isaiah’s fingertips trailed softly over her cheek, gentle and tender. “Seeing you here, still fighting through your pain … I’m sorry, Rukia. Torrin has to pay for what he did to Gideon. To you.”
“We have to send them a message.”
He nodded. “I’ll burn the house to the ground for you. You have only to ask.”
Rukia covered his palm with her own. “We’ll burn it together.”
Features softening, Isaiah withdrew his hand. The fleeting feeling of loss was a knife in her gut, but seconds later, strong arms were closing around her with possessive need. Melting into him, Rukia drew in the familiarity of his scent, cinching her arms around his back as she clung to him for all she was worth.
Her hands fisted in his soft cotton shirt as she rested her head upon his breastbone. Being near to him uncoiled the knots that held her captive, eased the pressure inside her chest. And as Isaiah relaxed against her, she had a feeling he’d experienced the same.
The sounds of movement echoed from the corridor outside the den, and suddenly Isaiah stiffened. “They’ll prevent us from going if we don’t leave now.”
