Midnight's Captive(90)
“The selmyr. They’ve surrounded us. We willna be leaving to help your friends anytime soon.”
“I have to leave,” Charon stated. Anger surged within him, and Ranmond was quick to urge him to battle. Charon promptly tamped down his god, but not before his skin flashed copper.
One of Guy’s dark brows rose in question. “Is your god difficult to control?”
“I thought you knew all there was to know of Warriors.”
“We’ve watched you,” Guy admitted. “We know some seemed to give in to their gods.”
Charon looked at his hands and allowed his claws to extend. “When Ranmond was first released, he drowned out my own thoughts. His need for blood and death was overwhelming. As god of war, that’s all he thought about, all he longed for. It would’ve been easy to give in to his demands.”
“Why did you no’?”
When he looked to find Guy’s eyes reflected genuine curiosity, Charon tamped down his god until his claws disappeared and said, “Deirdre put my father in the dungeon with me. Ranmond was in control then. I killed my own father. It was that realization after I had calmed down that helped me get the upper hand on my god. Every day is a battle to stay in control.”
“Even now?”
“Even now. Especially now,” Charon admitted, and glanced at the bathroom, where Laura was taking a shower.
Guy flattened his lips. “We might be able to distract the selmyr for you to leave, but it willna take them long to know what happened. They’ll come for you. You’ll never make it to your friends.”
There was no way Charon was going to accept that. There had to be some way he could get himself and the dragons to his friends.
Suddenly he smiled and began to chuckle. “We willna be leaving Dreagan, Guy. We’re going to bring Wallace here.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Aiden blew out a harsh breath and looked at the midnight drenched land. He felt a little of the pressure taken off his shoulders since they had arrived at the cottage. But that would last only until Wallace found them.
He peered around the door of the cottage to find Britt’s head leaning against the back of the chair, her eyes closed. Her beautiful purple dress was torn and dirty, her glorious mane of blond hair was in disarray, but it didn’t stop the need clawing inside him to kiss her again.
His hands fisted at his sides, eager to feel her skin beneath his palms and learn every inch of her.
He could wake her. They were alone for the moment since his father, Galen, and Phelan were outside, patrolling the area. Yet Aiden knew how exhausted she was. It wouldn’t be fair to wake her, especially when he didn’t know the next time they would be able to rest.
“I’ve always heard it’s not nice to stare,” Britt said, and smiled, her eyes still closed.
Aiden’s gaze dropped to the swell of her breasts and the ample view the deep plunge of her dress afforded him.
When he finally raised his gaze to Britt’s face, her eyes were open and trained on him. She wordlessly held out her hand.
Every fiber of his being shouted for him to go to her. Just one taste, one touch. That’s all he needed to sustain him for a few more hours.
Aiden closed the short distance between them and placed his hand in hers. The corners of Britt’s lovely mouth lifted softly. She tugged him down until he squatted beside the rickety chair.
“This is the first time we’ve been alone since dinner,” she whispered.
His balls tightened at the husky, desire-filled sound of her voice. “Aye.”
“Then kiss me instead of wasting this time,” she said, and leaned toward him.
Aiden didn’t need to be told twice. He covered her mouth with his. The brush of her lips, the sweet taste of her kiss broke through the carefully constructed wall he’d erected around himself so long ago.
He wasn’t able to hold back the swell of longing that claimed him. And he didn’t want to.
It felt good to let go. More so when Britt’s hands delved into his hair and a soft moan sounded in her throat.
Aiden had never truly understood—or appreciated—the love shared between his parents and their private smiles and whispered words. Until that moment with Britt in his arms.
It all became perfectly, crystal clear.
He ended the kiss and stood. His head was filled with thoughts of Britt while his body burned for her. Yet, he had dragged her into a dangerous world she had no place in.
And he had no right to want her there.
“Aiden?” she whispered, her brow furrowed.
He turned his back to her. If he looked at her, if he saw the desire burning in her blue eyes, he wouldn’t be able to stay in control.
That control hung by a thin thread as it was. Knowing she was so close quickly had that thread unraveling. It was only the thought of her death that kept him from giving in to his body’s need.