Evelyn
I slide the phone in my pocket and focus on doing some laundry. When I hang the last piece on the clothesline, I feel cold hands touch my shoulders and jump with fright. “Geez, don’t sneak up on people.” I turn around and glare at Orion.
He runs his hands down my arms and picks up the already empty basket. “What did you do today?” Orion asks as we walk back inside the house.
“Nothing much: some laundry, and I had a call with Lana,” I tell him, not realizing Ryland and Thaddeus are on the back porch listening.
“How did you speak to Lana, Evelyn?” Thaddeus growls out as I reach the top step.
I roll my eyes at his angry tone, but that doesn’t go unnoticed. Thaddeus grips my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He presses his lips together, expecting an answer from me.
“There is this thing called a phone. You know, it sends signals to a satellite in the sky, allowing you to speak to people,” I tell him, and he growls at my sarcasm.
Thaddeus grips my chin tighter, a little too tight, making me smack his hand away from my face. As I push past him, he grips my arm above my elbow. “Hand it over,” he says, holding his other hand out.
“No, Thaddeus, I won’t stop talking to her just because of April!” I snap at him, ripping my arm away from him.
And again, my attempt results in nothing as Thaddeus yanks me back. He sneaks an arm around my waist and pulls me against his chest. His voice is deadly calm, yet I can feel his anger surging through the bond. “I am not in the mood today to put up with your tantrums. Now, give me the phone.”
“Thaddeus, leave her alone; she isn’t doing anything wrong,” Ryland tells him, stepping forward, but Thaddeus refuses to let go.
Instead, he starts rummaging through my shorts’ pockets until he finds it. He lets me go, flicks through my phone and hands it back to me. As I inspect it, I see he has deleted and blocked her number. I try to undo it, but I need to put in the password that he has added.
I hand it back to him, and he takes it. “Keep it,” I tell him as I turn my back on him and walk away. He has no idea how pissed I am with him right now.
“It’s for your own good, Evelyn!” Thaddeus yells from behind, but I ignore his words. Instead, I walk into the laundry room to throw the basket in the corner. Then, I walk upstairs and lock myself in the bedroom.
I don’t see what the problem is. Lana is fourteen and no threat to me. Now I know that none of them will take me to see her, so that leaves only option two – find Thaddeus’ keys. But I also fear his wrath if I go against him.
Just as I lay down on the bed, there’s a knock on the door, followed by Orion’s voice. “It is only me,” he says, and I get out of the bed to unlock the door for him. As Orion enters, he closes the door and lays next to me. “He just worries about you,” Orion states, rolling on his side and propping his head upon his elbow.
“Doesn’t mean he had to be a jerk,” I tell him.
“He is just on edge; the magic is tainting him.”
“But he hasn’t been using it,” I try to argue.
Orion brushes my hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead. “He doesn’t have to; it’s magic in general. Using it makes it worse. He feels destructive and therefore, wants to destroy things himself.”
“Did he destroy anything while you were gone?” I ask.
“No, because he knows you would have heard about it on the news or radio. He doesn’t know what to do with it but bottle it up, which will make it worse,” Orion tells me, and I look away and sigh. How are you supposed to help someone who needs the destruction that gets him in trouble? “Don’t think too much about it; Ryland and I will figure something out to help him,” Orion says, and I nod.
“Did he kill anybody?”
Orion shakes his head. “No, but he needs to feed; his bloodlust is making him worse.”
“Fine then,” I tell him, getting up.
“No, not you, Evelyn. Not when he is like this. Ryland will let him,” Orion says, grabbing my arm.
“Can he feed off Ryland?” I ask, wondering how that works with him being Lycan.
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
“He is just rough with him. Thaddeus nearly killed him when he marked him, put his hand through his chest,” Orion explains.
As the words leave him, I feel intense fear hit me. “But he has fed off me?” I tell him, raising an eyebrow.
“He held himself back, and he wasn’t tainted like he is now, Evelyn. Not only that, but your scent is also stronger now. It’s not a good idea,” Orion shakes his head as he warns me.
I know I should listen, but I ignore the warning and walk downstairs as he chases after me. I find Thaddeus sitting at the dining table with his chair turned, watching Ryland make something in the kitchen. He looks up when we walk in, and I walk over to him. I don’t speak as I sit on his lap, facing him, and move my hair off my shoulder.
Ryland instantly tries to rip me away from him. I know because I feel hot hands on my arms and insane panic hits me though the bond we share.
Thaddeus’ arms wrap around my waist, tugging me to him. I place my hands on his shoulders just as his eyes turn pitch black and he lets out a menacing growl. The sound makes goosebumps spread all over me and my stomach does a backflip with fear, but I force myself to stay calm. My fear only entices him more, so I have to push it away. I have to do anything to stop fearing him.
Thaddeus’ eyes, focusing on my neck, making me wonder if I have just made a mistake. Orion and Ryland step closer, and Thaddeus growls so loud, I fight the urge to shiver as it vibrates from his chest like he is a predator, about to attack.