Today had been dangerous. If not for the scorching daylight, Isaiah would have reached her.
Eleazar’s grip tightened around her subtle weight filling his arms. She was his most precious gift. His salvation. He needed to protect her before all else. He also needed to protect his flock.
Isaiah’s eyes had been devoid of humanistic traits. He behaved like a cornered lion, and Eleazar suspected that whatever had been following them in the trees was the lion’s pride.
The filthy, naked male was beyond feral. A true and feeish vampire that needed to be destroyed. Recalling the stench of mortal blood and the stains on Isaiah’s skin, Cain’s theories had been correct, and his uncle was most likely the animal attacking the mortal women in the woods.
He hated admitting the young male was right. He sighed, not looking forward to the conversations ahead.
Larissa’s grandfather, Ezekiel, was a male Eleazar respected. He’d even go as far as to call him a friend. He was also Isaiah’s brother, and confirmation of Isaiah’s survival would generate a renewed and unjustified burst of hope.
There was no hope for a rogue vampire.
Eleazar did not wish to inform his mate’s family that Isaiah had survived, only to sentence him to death in the next breath. There was no choice but to follow through on the execution. It had been an order decided by The Council eighty years ago, and there was no reason why such a ruling should not still stand.
This was not his expected homecoming. He was prepared to deal with the Hostetlers and Silus, but not this.
He wanted to enjoy his mate. See to her annulment and make her his wife. He had been distracted and harsh with her, and for that, he needed to explain his position, but she owed him an apology for disobeying his direct command.
He could be lenient in most things, but he expected her to comply without question or hesitation when he required obedience. He was not Silus. If and when an order passed his lips, he would only have her best interest at heart, and she needed to trust him. She needed to obey without question. Today, her insolence could have gotten her killed.
When they reached the farm, Eleazar blocked their presence. Larissa’s lashes fluttered as if she sensed them approaching their destination.
She looked up at him and grinned with groggy confusion, then quickly scowled. “What happened?”
“You disobeyed me.”
Her brow pinched as she glanced to the distant buildings and neighboring fields. “How did we get here?”
His molars locked with renewed frustration as the memory of his earlier fear returned with several unwanted emotions.
She gasped, her own memories likely falling into order. “You bastard. You forced me to sleep?”
“What choice did I have? I gave you an order and you deliberately disobeyed me.”
“I’m not a dog you can command!” She squirmed in his arms and his grip tightened, his steps stretching along the frozen ground.
“Correct. You’re my mate, and as such, your safety is my top priority. Do you have any idea how dangerous your actions were today?”
Her anger shifted to concern. “What happened to your throat?”
“I asked you a question,” he snapped, thinking once more of how close he came to losing her.
“And I asked you one.” Twisting, she forced her way out of his arms. “I can walk on my own.” The moment he set her down, she took in his tattered clothing and her rage simmered. “Eleazar, what did this to you?”
“A predator in the woods.”
She drew back in shock. “What was it?” It was rare for any species to cause a threat to an immortal.
His lips firmed. If he wanted her trust, he would have to give her the truth. “A vampire. Your uncle.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “That’s impossible.”
“Yesterday, I would have agreed with you. Today, I cannot. I saw him with my own eyes. Isaiah Hartzler is alive and out for blood.”
Chapter 27
“I don’t believe it.” No longer walking, Larissa shook her head in denial. “They hunted Isaiah years ago. He’s long since dead. My family has moved on.”
There was no time to convince her or explain how dangerous this revelation was for their kind. A rogue vampire put them all at risk.
Capturing her hand, he yanked her into step. “We must get to my home. Once we’re there, I’ll show you your room and you can wait there while I address The Council about this.”
Her heels dug into the cold, hard earth. “Eleazar.”
Her tone demanded he stop. Frustrated with the sense that this last mile would consist of endless delays, he huffed, “Yes?”
Her fists anchored against her hips as her glare hardened. “I’m not going to wait in a room until you have time for me.”
The tedious press of so many priorities left his patience clipped. “You will wait where I tell you to because until I notify The Council of your return and our union, Silus will assume he still has a right to you as his wife. My private home is the safest place for you. I need to address The Council, and you need to stop arguing with me about what is best.”