Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Williams Mansion

“Get out,” Ethan said, not bothering to look away from the ceiling when he caught her sweet scent.

Instead of listening to him, Indie walked into his room, determined to play nursemaid to him while his arm slowly grew back. He didn’t want her in here and he’d made that more than fucking obvious the moment that she showed up in his room when they’d carried him in here after the asshole tore his arm off, but she wouldn’t listen. She simply ignored him and his demands for her to leave and placed bags of blood on the bed next to him until he took the fucking hint and drank them, hoping that she would leave.

She had no fucking idea how close he was to losing it. When he’d caught her fear earlier, it had nearly knocked him on his fucking knees, but the look of terror on her face when Ephraim was reaching for her was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. She didn’t belong here, not with a Pyte who was struggling to hold it together for his mate and another that would happily welcome oblivion to escape the pain.

He never should have let her stay here.

“Your arm looks good,” Indie murmured with an approving nod, taking in the long stub where his arm used to be as she-

Made him fucking sigh when she climbed onto the bed next to him.

“Get out,” Ethan said, not really surprised when she ignored him and focused her attention on the iPad that she’d left on his nightstand earlier when she’d left to check on everyone else and grab more blood for him.

“Drew and Kara decided to name their son Mason. Drew wanted to name their baby girl Precious until Kara pointed out that could work really well if their daughter dreamed of being a hooker. After that, they glared for a while until they finally agreed on Ella, but Drew has decided to call her PBG for Precious Baby Girl. They were still glaring when I left,” Indie explained as she settled in more comfortably and began swiping on the iPad with the same disappointed sighs that she’d been making all day, making him curious about what she was looking at.

He’d considered looking at her iPad when she left the room, but…

He didn’t fucking care, Ethan told himself as he forced himself to glare back up at the ceiling as he grabbed a bag of blood. His fangs slid down as he pressed the bag against his mouth and-

Rolled his fucking eyes when she continued giving him an update on everyone in the house. “Ephraim woke up, but he’s refusing to leave his cell. Izzy made Noah help her down to the basement and as soon as they opened his cell, she kind of lost it. Ephraim just sat there and took it until she finally broke down and started crying and he pulled her into his arms. She’s been down there for a while now, just sitting there, holding his hand as he stares at the wall. I brought him more blood, but he’s refusing to eat.”

Because he wants to die, Ethan thought, remembering the crippling pain that nearly destroyed him those first few months after Trace went missing. Every minute of the day was a struggle and some days…

He would have given anything to have his son back.

“Madison came home a little while ago and Chris told her about Jill. She lost it, but Chris was able to stop her from going into bloodlust. He’s with her right now,” Indie mumbled sadly and since he already knew that from the soul-crushing sobs that he’d heard earlier, Ethan continued glaring at the ceiling.

“Trace should be back soon,” Indie said, sounding hopeful, probably thinking that the mention of his son would make him stop glaring.

It didn’t, but he was able to breathe easier knowing that his son was safe. He didn’t want his son working for the Sentinels, but it wasn’t his choice to make. His son was a grown man now and…

He couldn’t help worrying about him, Ethan thought, finishing off the bag of blood before tossing it aside and grabbing another one. His arm hurt like hell. The skin was sensitive and the bone felt like it was being grated against a rock as it grew. It would take a few days of overfeeding on blood before it completely grew back and until then, it appeared as though the woman that he couldn’t stay away from was going to take this opportunity to drive him out of his fucking mind.

“They were finally able to get a team up here to transport Eric back to the Manhattan compound. Chris and Nathan gave him blood, but it wasn’t enough. He’s struggling, but Noah thinks that he’ll pull through,” Indie said, making his jaw clench painfully at the mention of the fucking human that had been looking at her in a way that was going to get his fucking throat ripped out. She was-

Not his, Ethan reminded himself as he angrily ripped the empty bag from his mouth and grabbed the last bag, forcing himself to swallow the cold, thick, metallic liquid as Indie’s enticing aroma tormented him. Why the hell was he torturing himself like this? He didn’t need to stay here to see his son. He could buy a house nearby and…find excuses to come see her, Ethan thought, biting back a sigh.

From the moment that he laid eyes on his wife, he’d never thought about another woman, hadn’t wanted to, and since Emily died, he hadn’t wanted anyone else, but now, Ethan couldn’t stop thinking about the small woman curled up on the bed next to him. He wanted her and it was fucking destroying him.

“Marc is sitting with the babies. I think they slept through everything and-”

“Get out,” Ethan bit out, closing his eyes as he struggled to stay in control.

For months, he’d managed to keep his distance, trying to pretend that he wasn’t aware of her every fucking minute of the day. She was completely fucking oblivious to just how badly he wanted her. If she knew…

She wouldn’t be in here driving him out of his fucking mind.

“Are you okay?” Indie asked, sounding concerned as she laid her hand on his shoulder and-

Broke him.

There was no other way to describe it. One minute, he was struggling to stay in control and the next, he had her pinned beneath him, his fangs in her neck and a groan ripped from his throat as he got his first taste of the blood that had been torturing him since the first time he saw her. So fucking good, Ethan thought as he continued pulling at her neck, groaning with every mouthful of the hot, delicious liquid that had his stomach growling for more.

He’d never tasted anything this good before. Even Emily’s blood had never affected him like this. He felt stronger, Ethan realized, groaning as he took a deeper pull on her neck, feeling his arm growing. Seconds later, he felt his hand start to form, followed by fingers as muscle filled his arm and found himself groaning when her blood became richer as the scent of her arousal teased him and he realized that he was moving against her.

So fucking good, Ethan thought, only to groan when she moaned his name as she wrapped her arms around him. He slowed his movements so that she could feel what she did to him. She was so responsive, so fucking soft, and so fucking sweet, Ethan thought as he kept moving while he continued pulling at her neck. There were a thousand reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this, but at the moment, none of them mattered.

He wanted her and-

She wasn’t breathing.

* * *

Manhattan, New York

It was just a dream.

It was just a dream.

It was just a…

Dream, Jill told herself as she sat up, struggling to catch her breath as her hands fisted in her sheets and…

Just a dream, she repeated, closing her eyes as she slowly exhaled. She was fine. She was safe and she…was not in her cell, Jill realized as the silk sheets in her hands slowly slipped free as she opened her eyes and took in the large, unfamiliar bedroom. The island? It had to be, Jill told herself as she pushed the covers aside and moved to climb off the bed when she felt it, cold metal wrapped around her ankle.

Definitely had to be the island, Jill told herself even though she knew that the Council wouldn’t bother using chains on her. Not if she was really on the island. There wouldn’t be anywhere for her to go, she thought, licking her lips as she glanced around the room and-

“Good morning, Princess.”

Definitely not a dream, Jill realized as she found herself staring at the man that ruined her life.

Logan.