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Chapter 36

Brady stiffened further, and I felt his arms loosen, preparing to let me go.

I clung to him. "No," I pleaded. "That's what he wants. Please, Brady. I want to leave. I don't want to be here."

For a moment, I didn't think he'd listen. He stood, hands fisted, waves of furious rage and raw power scorching my skin. Despite the burning, I didn't move away. I pulled him closer, silently begging, then heaved a sigh when his arms once again circled me.

"Kill you later," he growled, tone low and threatening before a burst of blue surrounded me, and the world shifted.

I basked in the feeling, gripping him. My lungs filled with cool crisp air, more precious than any breath I'd ever taken, full of a relief I'd thought I'd never experience.

We landed, back at the beach house, and I pulled away to meet his eyes.

Brady wouldn't look at me. He stared into the distance, jaw clenched and eyes tinged in glowing red.

"Brady?"

He took a step back and held a hand up. Then, without a word, he walked away, steps long and forceful as he rushed onto the beach. He let out a roar, an inhuman sound that pierced the night and shook me to my core.

I stood silent, frozen, waiting for him to calm. Guilt filled me. I'd done this. This was my fault. If I'd only believed him, then none of this would have happened. If I'd never made that call. If I'd listened to him after he'd saved me the first time, or the second. If I hadn't been so stubborn.

When he turned back, his eyes zeroed in on me, back to black but piercing like a knife. He locked me in that dark gaze as he closed the gap between us, and I couldn't think to move away. I didn't want to move away.

When he reached the spot in front of me, he stopped. "I have to contact some people," his voice was harsh. He lowered himself and palmed my face. "Are you okay?"

I heaved a sigh. "I'm fine. Are you?"

His laugh was humorless. "I've been better," he paused, "but, I could also be much worse." His eyes softened, roaming over my face. In a sudden move, he pulled me closer. "God. You scared me to death."

I clung to him. "I'm sorry. They said–"

"I don't want to hear what they said," he cut me off. "No more." He pulled away, gripping my shoulders. "I almost lost you. No more, Amelia. You either believe me, or you don't. Which is it?"

A flicker of doubt spread across his face, furrowing his brow. I lifted a hand to smooth away the crease. "I believe you. I'm sorry." I needed to fix it, to make it right. Something about seeing his hurt, knowing I'd caused it, hit me in the deepest part of my soul. It hurt, more than any bruise or scrape, more than any foul name or taunt. In that moment, I'd give anything to make it go away. "I accept you," I said.

Brady's eyes flashed, that brilliant blue flooding in to linger just along the edges of his irises. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly. He seemed frozen, not a muscle moving as he stared intently at my face, waiting. He didn't blink, didn't breathe.

"I accept you," I repeated. My whole face grew hot, then my ears, and my neck. I swallowed hard and took a breath. "I believe everything you said, and I accept it. All of it." Please don't make me say it. I don't want to say it out loud.

"The bond?" His voice was rougher, and the pull between us pulsed at the mention of strengthening it. "You'll accept that too?" His gaze drifted down to my waist, and his hand had just began to drift out, when he bit his lip and pulled it back. His eyes found mine again.

"I–uh– Yeah." I swallowed hard as electric neon blue exploded into his eyes, burning brighter than I'd ever seen it.

Brady's hands closed into white-knuckled fists, held tightly at his sides. His eyes drifted, and his bottom lip was once again pulled between his teeth. "You would say that now." His voice was strained.

I watched him struggle, completely confused by his reaction. "That's what you want, right?"

Brady groaned. "You have no idea."

"Okay?" I took a step forward, but Brady jumped back.

He held out a hand. "We really can't at this moment, and if you come any closer, we will anyway."

"Why can't we?" I asked. We were alone. The setting couldn't be more perfect. I'd almost died, almost lost him forever.

"Because, I have to kill someone." The mention seemed to be enough to help him focus. "And if I don't do it now, it will be much harder to."

"You're leaving?" I couldn't hide my disappointment.

"No. I'm not going anywhere. He can come to me."

"How are you going to do that?"

Brady held up a hand. "I have to get in touch with some people." His eyes drifted to the bed. "Sit." It was a command, a compulsion, and no sooner did he utter the word, I complied.

He stared at me for a long drawn out moment, before his jaw clenched and he hurried inside.

I sat in silence, listening to his murmured and aggressive tone, too low for me to distinguish any clear words. A moment later, a burst of orange light appeared on the beach, leaving in its wake a man I'd never seen before. He was tall and large, not quite as tall as Brady but more muscular. His hair was lighter too, almost blonde, and the only excuse I had for my sudden comparison between the two, was his smirk.

It was far too similar, and his eyes seemed to dance in that familiar way as he climbed the steps towards me.

I opened my mouth to call for Brady, but the stranger held a hand up to stop me, literally. The moment he did it, my voice locked inside my chest and no matter how hard I fought to, no sound would come.

Brady was still talking with someone inside, seemingly unaware of our latest arrival. The new man's eyes shot to the open door, then back to me. He held a finger to his lips. "Hello, lovely. Why does he have you all stuck here this way?" He sauntered forward to kneel down in front of me. "Who are you?"

Brady suddenly appeared in the doorway, and when he saw the man before me, his eyes widened. Before I could blink, Brady disappeared, reappearing a second later to shove the new arrival away. "Back off Damion!" he growled.

The new man laughed. "What? I wasn't doing anything. I was just talking to her. Who is she?"

Brady made a rumbling noise, then his eyes shot back to me. He seemed torn as to how to answer, and for a moment, his reluctance stung. Was it because I'm human? Was he ashamed?

Brady must have read something in my face, because his eyes darkened and he turned away to face the man named Damion. "She's my mate."

Damion's eyes lit up with surprise. "Is that so?" He tried to get a better look at me, but Brady shoved him back, blocking the view with his massive form.

"It's so, and you won't touch her."

Damion laughed. "I wasn't touching. See?" He held his hands up. "No touching involved."

Brady growled. "I'm not kidding, Damion. I'll fucking kill you if you–"

Another laugh. "Fine!" He peeked around and shot me a wink. "Hear that, hon? He's such a buzzkill."

I watched the two and wondered if they were brothers. It would make sense, and I made a mental note to ask Brady about it... when I could physically do so that is.

"I called you to help, Damion. Not give me shit. This is serious."

I watched Damion's hand pat Brady's shoulder. "Alright. Fine. I'll behave. What is it you so desperately need my assistance with?"

Brady chanced a glance back at me before leading his friend inside, leaving me once again to sit literally glued to my spot, only now unable to speak.

After ten minutes of sitting in said spot, I became angry. Why was I being left out? It was my monster, after all. It was me the thing wanted. And what was it with this sticking me somewhere and making me stay? Like a dog. Like magical chains. The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became.

By the time the two men stepped back out, I was seething.

Brady lifted a brow at my expression, and Damion let out a low laugh. "She's mad at you, I think."

A dark look crossed Brady's features, and he turned it on his friend. "You can go now."

Damion threw his hands up. "Yes. I understand. You're welcome, by the way." He shot me a wink. "I'll see you later."

Brady's jaw clenched, but a burst of orange lit up the darkness before he could respond. He stared at the spot, then took a breath and looked at me. "What's wrong?"

I literally couldn't answer, so I tried to convey my annoyance through my eyes.

Brady waved a hand, releasing me from my invisible chains. "What's wrong?"

"Stop doing that! If I want to sit, I'll sit. If I want to speak, I'll speak! No more crazy voice thing you always do!"

His lips twitched. "Alright. I'm sorry." He slowly walked forward, his whole demeanor changed. His eyes began to glow that neon blue, and each move was smooth and predatory, like a cat stalking its prey. "You know, that thing I needed to do?"

I swallowed hard, my body heating up ten degrees each time his foot hit the wooden boards beneath us.

He took a seat beside me, so close our thighs touched. The back of his finger gently ran down my arm, painfully slow, sending those familiar tingles coursing across my skin. "It's done."

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