Adryan slowly looked at me and smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. He knew what I was trying to do, how I was interjecting into this conversation to smooth things out. And I had a sneaking suspicion he wanted things to escalate. I had no doubt in my mind that Adryan reveled in bloodlust and battle, and I couldn’t imagine that in his position as the leader of the vampire clan, he got to see much action. He probably doled out orders instead of getting his hands dirty.
And as if he read my mind, as if my words were written right across my face or shouted in the room, his eyes flashed red, and he grinned broader, inclining his head as if he was agreeing with me or approving of my conclusion.
“We’ll find her. I’ll help ye find her,” Cian said in a steady, calm voice. “Ye helped me protect my mate, came with me tae America tae find her. I’ll do the same.”
Odhran was shaking his head before Cian even finished talking. “As much as I love ye like a brother, my family, and know ye’d die helping me, ye have yer own mate. Ye stay here tae protect her, tae live the life we both have been denied for so long.” He ran a hand over his blond hair and exhaled, staring at the floor before muttering, “This is my journey. I’ve been searching for her for decades, and I have tae do this for my own sanity.” He lifted his head and slammed his closed fist on his chest over and over again. “I’ve never been this close before,” he said with passion and a fire burning in his eyes. “And I will no’ leave without her this time.” His voice was so loud and sure, his words echoing and shouting in the room.
I felt tears gather in my eyes before slipping down my cheeks.
“This is what my life is about,” Odhran said when I could see Cian was about to argue. “She’s the only thing that matters, and no one will tell me different, Alpha of the Guard or no’. I will no’ leave without her this time,” Odhran kept saying over and over again, as if he was convincing himself, a mantra, a promise he made, because it was clear he was broken inside.
Odhran closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, and I could see he was trying to gather his control. My heart was pounding, and I placed a hand over it. I felt so much emotion right now, not just because of all the stuff that had happened with me, but also the stuff that was continuously happening with all of us. Odhran was in pain, and a part of me knew what that felt like, because there had been a moment after I’d been taken where I felt that gaping hole of losing Cian and knowing I may never see him again.
“I will no’ go back tae Scotland.” Odhran opened his eyes and stared at Cian, and there was so much pain in his expression that my breath caught as I felt Cian’s body tense farther. “I will no’ go back until I can bring my mate back with me.” Odhran looked at me as I stared around Cian's arm. “Ye kno’ how it feels, brother.” Odhran addressed my mate but kept looking right at me. “Please donna try tae reason with me.” He glanced back at Cian then, his jaw clenched as his pain washed right away, and his resolve settled in its place like a burning coal. “Because right now I canna be reasoned with.”
Cian didn’t say anything, but he did give a slow nod in agreement. Odhran exhaled once more and took a step as if to walk past us when the sound of the front door opening and commotion coming our way had everyone freezing.
Weapons were drawn, Cian was shoving me more firmly behind him, and I held my breath.
“What the fuck, James?” Adryan prompted in a dangerously low voice as two vampires stepped into the room, one looking like he’d been tortured and barely hanging onto life.
Everyone stepped away from the vampire named James as he tossed the other man to the ground.
“You and Matteo get into a car fight?” Adryan’s words could have been construed as teasing, but the way he snarled them and curled his lip as he stared down at the barely moving man revealed the truth of where his emotions were at.
James took a step back, and his focus was on the vampire named Matteo. He bared his teeth, his fangs elongated as he hissed out, “Interesting story.” James looked up at Adryan, but the vampire leader didn’t show any emotion. He just stood there as if he was bored. And as the seconds ticked by, I could see the annoyance move across Adryan’s face