Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“Just stay back here with me,” Fox whispered. The witch waved his hand in front of both of them, and Ronan swore there was a new tingle of energy in the air. Something shimmered in front of him. He reached out and touched the electric blue film.
Fox shivered and smacked his hand. “Don’t touch it. It doesn’t feel good.”
“Sorry,” Ronan murmured, turning his attention to where Winter was holding Mara and Michael at bay. His mind was absolutely spinning. Winter and Fox had been there the entire time. They jumped in to save him. He could have handled Mara and Michael with little problem, but the fact that they’d acted to protect him was…well, it was confusing and kind of wonderful.
“How dare you threaten us! I’m an emissary of the European Ministry. I—” Mara shouted but Aiden cut her off.
“You are nothing here!” Aiden roared. “The European Ministry has no power here. You are permitted to be here by my tolerance, and after you attempted to shed blood in my office, in my domain, without my permission, my tolerance is at an end.”
“You have no idea the power the European Ministry wields,” Mara hissed.
Aiden chuckled. “You have twelve hours to safely leave my lands and return to the Ministry. The clock is ticking. Do not test me.”
Mara glared at Aiden for a couple of seconds before turning her ire on Ronan. “The Ministry will have your head for this betrayal. You swore your allegiance to the European Ministry.”
Ronan snorted. “There was no oath. I’m a paid sword. I’ve always been a paid sword for them. They knew how far my loyalty ran.”
Mara tried to take a step closer, but Winter was right there in front of her, his grin growing wider and more wicked, as if he were taunting her.
With a final huff, Mara spun around and marched to the door that opened as she reached for it. On the other side stood a lethal-looking woman and a man who was both taller and wider than Michael.
“Lola, Ryder, please escort our guests from my property. See that they return directly to their hotel,” Aiden instructed. His glare turned on Ronan, and Ronan’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. “I will see to the final member of the envoy.”
A frown pulled at the corners of Ronan’s mouth, but he forced down his growing worries. That didn’t sound promising at all for him, but at least Aiden knew the kind of danger he clearly faced. Keeping Aiden safe was the only thing that mattered to him.
Chapter Twelve
Aiden watched as Lola and Ryder escorted the emissaries from his home. Rage boiled in him at the audacity of the woman, of the European Ministry. They thought that he could be manipulated. That he would dare bow to the wishes of the European Ministry and place his family in danger.
And then Ronan risked his life like that. It was all too much for him to hold together.
Marcus rushed around the desk to close the door while everyone remained perfectly still as if they were holding their breath. The second it closed, his family released the air trapped in their lungs. Winter shoved his knife into its holder and grinned at his mate.
“Excellent job, babe,” he said.
Fox dropped the protective shield and left Ronan to wrap his arms around his vampire’s waist. “That was pretty smooth, wasn’t it? Idiot there needs to learn not to touch the shield. Sends feedback through my fingers,” he complained with a jerk of his head toward Ronan.
Ronan looked like he wanted to argue, but Aiden couldn’t hold in his anger and frustration a second longer. When Mara had moved for Ronan, Aiden had nearly climbed over his desk to get at the woman. Not that he believed she could actually harm him, but he was beyond rational thought when it came to threats against his family, and now apparently Ronan.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Aiden shouted, making them all jump.
“I was telling the bloody truth!”
“And putting your bloody head on the chopping block!” Aiden stomped around his desk to close the distance between him and Ronan. He was barely aware of Winter and Fox quickly moving out of his path. Ronan backpedaled, looking a strange mix of confused and mutinous. “You could have lied. You could have served as a spy within their ranks. You could have lied so you could safely slip away later.”
“My safety doesn’t matter in the face of a threat to you. I only care about protecting you.”
“Idiot! You can’t do that if you’re dead!”
Ronan opened his mouth to argue, but Aiden didn’t want to hear it. He slammed his lips down over Ronan’s, swallowing his moan or possibly just whatever he was going to say. The vampire stumbled backed until his shoulders slammed into the wall. Strong arms wrapped around Aiden’s waist, pulling him in tight, and finally some of the panic started to ebb. Ronan was safe. No one touched him. No one was going to touch him, ever.