Her eyes blazed. Her fury spat at him like nails. “So, you’re going to lock me in a room like a cell?”
“I never said lock.” However, he thought it after her recent disobedience.
Her scowl darkened and she pivoted away from him, marching in the opposite direction of his home.
“Larissa, where are you going? My house is this way.”
“I’ve spent enough time locked in rooms. I’m not going home with you. I’m going to my parents’.”
Her stubborn pride was going to age him a hundred years. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t.”
“You can’t tell me what I can and cannot do!”
Their laws said otherwise, but he didn’t want to upset her further. “It has nothing to do with my command over you; it’s everything to do with the state of your family.”
Her steps halted and she spun to face him, her face suddenly unsure. “What do you mean, the state of my family?”
He assumed she’d been in contract with Cain and her brother might have filled her in. “Your father’s not well.”
Her guarded expression told him she had some details but not all.
He closed the distance between them, gently taking her hands in his. “Larissa, I’m sorry to have to tell you what will almost certainly be more bad news, but you deserve to know the truth. Your father’s being called.”
“No.” She took a step back. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s very possible.”
“But he can’t. My mother…” Her fingers fluttered to her lips. “I have to go to her.”
“That wouldn’t be wise—”
“She must be devastated.”
“You can’t navigate this for them.”
When he reached for her hand, she flung his touch away and scowled. “I can’t let her face this alone.”
“Their marriage is not your concern. We must deal with your situation and the threat in the woods—”
“I don’t care about any of that. My mother and father are being ripped apart. How can I think of anything else? I must go to them.”
“Larissa, enough!” he snapped. “Your father is not well, and I forbid you to go near him.”
Her head drew back. “You forbid me?”
“Yes, as your bishop, elder, and your mate, I command you to stay away from that house and come with me.”
Her eyes narrowed and a slight shiver raced up his spine. The nearly undetectable tremor drew his attention like the whistle of a bomb sailing through the air, and he anticipated the blast a split second before detonation.
“Command me?” Her fury exploded with nuclear force, shoving him back several steps. “I will not be commanded or ordered or told what to do! How dare you bully me with your authority after vowing to treat me as your equal! I shouldn’t have trusted you. What happened, Bishop? You had me in your bed, got what you needed to survive, and then you no longer needed to persuade me with silly promises?”
“My promises stand. But our situation has changed—”
“So—in this case—it’s fine to break your promises, is that it?”
“You’re being unreasonable, Larissa. I’m trying to protect you—”
“Well, you’re being the same controlling, self-righteous relic you’ve always been. And I’m the fool who fell for your lies!”
“Larissa, I’ve not lied to you.”
Her fury shifted into sharp pain, and he read her emotions with stabbing accuracy. His need to protect her only translated to a betrayal—another authoritative male constricting her freedom.
“If you would just trust me, you would see that my intentions are noble.”
“You said it would be different.” Voice small, she looked at him through glassy eyes. “You swore you wouldn’t treat me the way he did.”
Her sadness gutted him. “Don’t label me like him.” He reached to brush his fingers along her cheek but she pulled her face out of reach. “Larissa, it will be different. But, for now, we must be sensible. No one knows we’ve mated. You are still legally wed to Silus. Your father’s not himself, so your family home is not a safe place to stay. And we have a vampire that knows your scent at large. I swore to protect you and that is what I plan to do.”
Her emotions flushed with vulnerability. The delicate thread of her fear was so subtle, he almost missed it, but once he felt it, there was no mistaking it. She was scared.
Approaching her slowly, he gently took her hands and kept his voice low. “This will be so much easier if you could trust me.”
Trembling with worry, she stared into his eyes. “Promise you won’t let him take me away from you.”
A half grin curved his lips. He was glad to hear that she wanted to stay with him but then frowned. Did she honestly believe Silus might somehow get his way?
He caught her shoulders and looked into her eyes with cold certainty. “He will never touch you again, Larissa. Never.”
Somewhat satisfied, she nodded and took a deep breath as she stepped back. “How long will I have to stay hidden?”