Chapter 24 — Don't Move

~ LYRA ~

Ronan's button fly isn’t any trouble to undo. The damn thing parts like a breeze when I tug at the fastener. He lifts his hips, helping me out, and I know it won’t take much to reveal his straining erection. He hasn’t bothered with underwear. A couple of well-timed tugs, and he’ll be free. And once he removes my jeans, nothing will stand in our way. I’ll urge him to take me hard and fast, needing to feel him plunging into me over and over again.

Realization crashes over me and my fingers still.

"Oh shit! We need a condom," I blurt out, my cheeks heating when his silken flesh slaps into my hand, reminding me just how crazy I almost was.

Ronan gazes at me, confusion in his eyes. "What?"

"I’m not on a pill."

"You don't have to worry about that." He pinches my nipples through my bra, causing me to gasp, passion and sexual hunger trying to override reason. "Trust me."

I do trust him—more than he probably realizes—but when it comes to this, the risks are too high. The consequences, too real. Just look at Amanda.

"I do," I say, denying my traitorous body that's begging me to shut up and let him feel me up. The feeling of his cock prodding my thigh doesn’t help matters either. I have to steel myself not to respond when he circles his fingers over the pointed peaks hidden beneath my clothes.

"It’s not your time to conceive. If it was, I’d know."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I do." He rises above me, his irises like bottled whiskey tempered by fire. "I am part wolf, baby."

No arguing with that.

He’s equal parts animal and man, a perfect and sinful combination.

Unexpectedly, his pocket buzzes again, teasing my fingers through the thin layer of denim. I frown, adjusting my hand to make out the shape of what I already suspect is a phone. I’m about to ask who’s calling when everything changes, throwing me off balance and confusing the hell out of me. I don’t even get the chance to brace myself before Ronan vanishes, leaving me gazing at the open sky, cold and bereft.

Who knew he could move so fast?

I hadn’t even seen him pull away.

Flipping onto my stomach, I try to look in his direction. Where did he go and why? A loud snarl pierces the air, sharp and horrifying. When I finally see him, my breath catches, sexual heat turning to alarm.

He’s crouched a few feet in front of me, his hands braced on the ground, resting on the balls of his feet. I can’t see his face, but the tense line of his shoulders tells me something is off. He’s focused on something in the distance I can’t see.

"Ronan?" I ask cautiously, unnerved by his behavior and the awareness blooming inside me. He’s putting himself between me and whatever he perceives as a threat.

"Don’t move," he commands, his voice deeper than usual, and I feel his power slam into me, reinforcing his will. "Stay there, Lyra. That’s an order."

There’s no time to question him. He leaps from his crouch, moving so fast he disappears into the line of trees in a blink. I hold my breath, heart pounding in my chest, palms stinging from the pine needles digging into my skin. Seconds tick by. I want to stand but can’t. Despite willing my limbs to move, I stay exactly as he left me. Something inside me obeys Ronan’s command like it’s gospel.

What the hell?

A loud snarl comes from the trees, then another. I hear Ronan growling something I can’t make out. Then silence follows.

I wait, unease twisting my stomach.

What did he find out there?

Werewolves aren’t supposed to fear anything. Judging by Ronan’s behavior, he wasn’t just concerned—he was pissed. I didn’t think anything could rattle him. Knowing something has the power to put him on edge, taking him from demanding lover to hard-edged protector, makes me nervous.

Loud snapping and the sound of branches breaking interrupts nature’s calm melody. I stare at the trees, eyes locked on the space between two trunks. More snaps follow—footsteps. Then I hear Ronan’s deep voice. He’s speaking softly, but there’s warning in his tone. When he appears, he’s gripping another man—no, not a man. A vampire—by the back of the neck.

"You're one stupid son of a bitch."

"I can’t tell my master no," the vampire says. "I only came to confirm the rumor. I didn’t mean any harm."

"The hell you didn’t," Ronan snarls, giving him a firm shake. "You came to spy on me and my fucking mate with shitty intentions. So in my book, that’s lots and lots of harm. Now, if you want to leave here in one piece, you’ll tell me who you are and who your master is."

"I can’t—"

"I don’t think you want to say that to me, bloodsucker. I’m trying real hard not to kill you. Don’t piss me off with lies. I’ve got enough shit to deal with without you wasting my time."

Nodding, the vampire swallows. "My name is Jude, and I work for The Crimson Court."

I watch him closely and notice his red eyes widen the longer he stares at me. It’s like seeing me more clearly is making him realize something he hadn’t before, putting two and two together. I don’t know what he’s seeing or why he looks so spooked. He lowers his gaze and swallows again.

"It’s okay, baby," I hear Ronan say, drawing my attention from Jude. "Go ahead and get up. You’re safe."

Just like that, whatever spell he used to keep me frozen breaks.

Blood trickles from slices in Jude’s skin, made by Ronan’s claws. I study the vicious-looking things, shocked by how long and sharp they are even though the vampire’s wounds are slowly healing. When I saw Ronan’s fangs earlier while we were messing around, I was turned on. This, however, makes me feel something else entirely.

Something that sounds like a stampede breaks behind me. I turn just in time to see the man from the parlor—Killan—running like the devil is chasing him. He slows when he spots us, his face taut with agitation. He continues across the distance, fury radiating off him, his eyes a bright, burning gold.

"I see I didn’t make it in time." He lifts a hand, revealing a phone. "Next time, answer your fucking cell."

"Tell me what you know," Ronan barks without apology, forcing Jude to walk slightly in front of him.

Without missing a beat, Killan dives in. "Magnus found out I was asking questions."

Ronan grimaces. "How? I know how good you are. So how come he found out so quickly?"

Killan sighs, shooting him an apologetic look. "Selene. He found out through Selene."

"Shit!" Ronan curses.