***“Ryan?” Paige breathed through her tears as she watched Ryan’s demeanor change right there before her eyes. Although she could still see the pain in his eyes, he suddenly seemed to have developed a…thick skin of sorts. He didn’t seem as he had just moments earlier…as if he was about to die. He looked…dangerous. “Ryan…” Paige wasn’t afraid of Ryan. She just felt uneasy. “I’ve called Dad and Phillip. I’m sorry for causing all this but we will fix it.” She spoke softly, trying to calm Ryan. She didn’t know whether it was working, but that was all she could do. “I don’t know how but I promise, we…”“Alpha?” Deloris called out softly when she appeared inside Ryan’s study, cutting off Paige’s tirade.The warlock’s eyes widened when she took a look at Ryan. Just one look told Deloris that something was very wrong. There was a wildness about him…almost as if he was having a hard time holding on to his control. He paced like a caged bull. The Ryan pacing before her looked nothing like the

***Everything that happened after Jeremy’s first sob happened so fast it was almost a blur. One moment Ryan was looking down at an emotional Jeremy, the next moment they were on their bed inside their suite. Jeremy didn’t even seem to know what was going on. He just sobbed. It was only when Ryan looked up and saw Deloris standing beside their bed that he connected the dots. She’d blinked them away from all those people.“I didn’t want them to see him like that.” She whispered.“Thanks, Deloris.” Ryan sounded as if he was in shock.“Take care of him.” She said, leaning down to kiss Ryan on his wet cheek. “If you need anything, get in touch with any of us.”“Gloria…”“She’s fine,” Deloris assured Ryan. “Just spend time with him. It’s late anyway. The others will have their turn tomorrow or the day after…don’t think about it.” With that, the warlock disappeared.Ryan draped himself over Jeremy and allowed him to cry it all out. After a long moment, Jeremy finally quieted down and drifte

***Jeremy woke to the feel of hair brushing over his shoulder and an arm slung across his tummy. From that delicious scent filling his nostrils, he just knew that the person sleeping beside him was none other than his mate. But how? For a moment Jeremy didn’t know where he was. He was on his back in a very familiar bed. His? The room was dark but from the face of the clock on the bedside table which glowed brightly in the darkened room, it was two-thirty a.m. He turned his head to look at the most beautiful person he’d ever laid eyes on and just like that, it all came rushing back…The Fort, the sudden excruciating pain in the chest, the high priestess, Ryan, the feeling of nothingness, and then Ryan again…he’d bitten him. Why his mate had felt the need to bite him, Jeremy didn’t know, however. He didn’t mind though because he would have made Ryan mark him too at a point anyway. But everything after Ryan bit him seemed fuzzy. He definitely didn’t remember getting into bed with Ryan.

***Eventually, Ryan composed himself long enough to finish the story. The look on Jeremy’s face was priceless. He looked so shocked he couldn’t utter a word after Ryan told him how Reynard’s life had ended. He then finally told him what he’d done when their bond got broken by the warlock.“I would appreciate it if you don’t rip into Paige or anything like that when you see her,” Ryan said shakily. “Much as her method was dangerous, it worked. So please…”“Shhh…” Jeremy folded Ryan into his arms again. “She’s not the one I want to kill right now. How the fuck did Phillip even think it was okay to expose you to all that violence?”“I insisted, Jeremy,” Ryan said hoarsely. “You know how difficult it is to try to talk me out of something once my mind is made up. If I hadn’t gone, you wouldn’t have had anyone to come back to.”“That doesn’t make it alright,” Jeremy growled stubbornly. “Fuck, I’m so sorry for everything.”Ryan nodded. “I’m sorry I made out…”“You really should have known,

***Ryan stared at his mate’s captivatingly gorgeous face. He looked to be in deep thought. They were in bed after a busy day. Lunch had been a fun affair with Gloria and Deloris telling everyone stories about the battle. When Gloria recounted the story about the three Wyatt warlocks, everyone erupted into laughter. And Reynard Wyatt’s silly talk definitely amused them. Even Paige had felt free enough to recount some of the funny things the albino had said to her. She’d insisted that at a point she’d actually thought the man was a professional comedian. It had been a fun time and by the time everyone left, it was already evening. Immediately they’d gotten back to the suite, Jeremy had informed Ryan that he needed to see the high priestess. He thought he should at least apologize for trying to kill her. Ryan had encouraged him to go because he thought that Jeremy really needed to do that.Around nine p.m., Gloria had called the suite and asked to speak to Jeremy. When Ryan informed her