“Saeed. We have a serious problem.”
Ewan looked up from his plate of chicken fettuccine Alfredo to find one of the dhampirs on security duty standing in the doorway to the dining room. He, Sasha, Saeed, Cerys, Diego, and several dhampirs had been in the middle of what could only be described as an awkward dinner when the male burst into the room. It wasn’t every day you sat down to break bread with your enemy. But it was the best meal Ewan had eaten in months so he wasn’t about to complain. Vampires didn’t fuck around when it came to food. Despite the decadent grub, Ewan was glad for a break in the tension.
Saeed set his napkin aside. “What is it?”
The dhampir cast a tentative glance at Ewan. “There’s a berserker at the gate. He’s demanding you turn over the fugitive you’re harboring.”
Ewan swore under his breath. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Gregor came to fetch him home. Two days of respite since the battle arena had burned to the ground and already, he was about to be cast back into a fight. Ewan let out a slow sigh. Was there to be no end to the strife? He pushed his chair out and Saeed held up a staying hand.
“This is my coven. I’ll take care of this.”
It might have been his coven, but it was Ewan’s clan—or more to the point, their clan’s leader—who caused the problem. “I’m not one to let another male fight my battles.” He was working on being more cordial and less gruff but so far it wasn’t very successful. “I can handle Gregor.”
Saeed cocked a brow. “What makes you so certain it’s Gregor?”
Ewan gave him a look as though to say, “Come on.” It couldn’t be anyone else. Ewan knew some sort of bargain had been made between the coven master and berserker king. And besides, after so many monumental fuckups on Ewan’s part, Gregor wouldn’t trust anyone else to fetch him home.
“All right.” Saeed’s dark eyes showed the slightest hint of amusement. “We’ll go together then.”
Ewan could live with that.
“I’m coming, too.” Of course Sasha would refuse to stay back.
“No,” Saeed and Ewan said in unison. At least he wasn’t the only one who wanted her to stay put. He appreciated the vampire’s concern for his mate but that didn’t stop Ewan’s protective—and possessive—instinct to rear its ugly head. He tamped down the heat of battle rage that gathered in his gut and forced himself to calm. Baby steps. If he was going to keep company with Saeed, he’d need to learn to keep his jealousy in check. Sasha loved him, not Saeed. Ewan knew that.
Save that rage for a real fight.
Which, if Ian Gregor was here, wouldn’t be too far off.
“You’re both crazy if you think I’m just going to sit here and wait,” Sasha said with a disbelieving laugh. So stubborn, his mate. It was a quality that both infuriated and impressed him.
“Of course not.” Ewan could play her game. “You’ll come with us.” He gave her a stern look. “But you will stay thirty feet back.”
“No way!”
“Or you won’t go at all,” Ewan said. “Take your pick.”
Sasha’s eyes narrowed. She was put out but not angry. Besides, it’s not like Ewan trusted her to do as he asked. He full well expected her to march right up to Ian Gregor and point her finger in the bastard’s face. Something that would certainly amuse Ewan under different circumstances.
“Fine.”
Sasha pushed out her chair and followed Ewan, Saeed, and the dhampir out the door. Ewan’s lip quirked even as his stomach gave a nervous roll. He could smell the lie on her and she knew it. Ewan wouldn’t put it past Gregor to pull something shady. He’d already said he’d hurt Sasha to punish Ewan. But he also knew Saeed’s coven somehow fit in to Gregor’s master plan. Was punishing Ewan more important than seeing his end goal? He guessed he’d find out soon enough.
The walk from the house to the security gate at the bottom of the driveway felt like miles rather than steps. Thirty feet from the gate, Ewan stopped and turned toward Sasha. “Wait here.”
Her jaw took a stubborn set. “Come on, you had to have known I was never actually going to agree to that.”
Of course. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to make her see reason. “I don’t have to tell you how dangerous he is,” Ewan said. “I know you can take care of yourself, that’s not the point. If you won’t stay here, will you at least hang ten feet back? For my peace of mind?”
Sasha let out a huff of breath. She was stubborn, but not unreasonable. At this point, Ewan would settle for five feet of distance between her and Gregor. He just needed a cushion. A bubble of space where he could insert himself between her and Gregor if the need arose.
“Ten feet,” she agreed. “But no more than that.”
Ewan gave a nod. They continued toward the gate, and with each step, Ewan’s gut knotted tighter. His heart beat faster. His anger gathered and built. Ten feet separated them from the security gate and Sasha came to a tentative halt. Ewan reached out to take her hand in his and he gave it a reassuring squeeze before he walked away and her fingers brushed his as they slipped out of his grip.
“Gregor.” Saeed approached the gate slowly, his demeanor almost serene, his hands folded behind his back. “I can’t say I’m pleased to see you. House calls aren’t a part of our agreement.”
Curiosity burned. What sort of deal had Saeed made with Gregor? Whatever transpired between them had to be huge for Gregor to lower himself to making any deals with the vampire.
“You’re harboring a fugitive.” Gregor stabbed his finger at Ewan. “Which has nothing to do with our agreement.”
Saeed countered Gregor’s anger with a serene smile. The vampire certainly knew how to push his buttons. “Ewan is tethered to a member of my coven,” Saeed replied. “Therefore he is now a member of my coven. Under my protection.”
A presence at Ewan’s back drew his attention and he watched from the corner of his eye as Saeed’s mate made her way down the driveway to Saeed’s side. Like Sasha, Cerys took no shit.
“Everything okay?” Her saccharine sweet tone belied the deadly glint in her eye. She stared Gregor down, daring him to show even an ounce of hostility.
Gregor’s jaw squared. Saeed’s mate was powerful. Her unique brand of magic rippled along Ewan’s skin like tiny pinpricks. She made him nervous and put him on edge. He couldn’t help but wonder once again if she was the reason Gregor had formed a tentative truce with Saeed. A tense moment of silence followed before Gregor dragged his gaze away from Cerys and focused it on Ewan.
“You’re a fucking traitor, Ewan Brún.” Gregor’s seethed words carried the burden of accusation. “You’ve turned your back on your clan to lie with the enemy.”
So many centuries of hate. Of strife. Of seeking vengeance for a wrong that could never be undone. Ewan had had enough. And he wasn’t the only one. There were others, like he and Drew, who wanted their freedom. Wanted to rid themselves of this centuries-long strife. “Sasha is not the enemy.” It took all of the self-control he could muster not to fly at Gregor in an angry rage. “Saeed is not the enemy.” He pointed at Diego and the dhampir whose name he’d yet to learn. “They are not the enemy. They have committed no offense against us or ours. I refuse to continue to dole out punishment to innocent souls.”
Gregor’s eyes practically bulged from his head. “They have no souls!” His laughter echoed in Ewan’s ears. “They are abominations. You have given yourself to an abomination!”
Never before had Ewan wanted to kill Ian Gregor as much as he did right now. Gregor’s hatred was fueled by his own ignorance as much as it was grief. He had no interest in learning about his enemy. He had no interest in trying to understand. His hatred was blind and it would remain so until someone finally managed to put the bastard down. The insult to Sasha—to all of them—wouldn’t stand. Ewan took a step forward, prepared to launch himself over the gate and put the nefarious warlord out of his misery once and for all.
“Ewan, don’t.” Sasha’s voice was gentle in his ear. She came up from behind him and reached out to take his hand in hers. “None of us can change what’s happened. But we can change how we react to it going forward.”
Wise words from his mate. For the hundredth time since he’d met her Ewan marveled that Fate had seen fit to bring them together. He certainly didn’t deserve her. Even so, he’d never let her go. “You’re right, love.” He would never change Gregor’s mind. Nothing he could ever do would soften the hate that had festered and hardened within him. “Sasha is my mate,” he said to Gregor as he pulled Sasha close. “We are tethered. I am hers, and she is mine. Is é ár banna naofa.” Our bond is sacred. Such bonds had been recognized within their clan through ceremony and vows. Ewan spoke these words to Gregor now knowing he would recognize the importance of them whether or not he wanted to actually acknowledge it. “I love her, Gregor. I will not raise a hand against her or anyone she holds dear. Ever.”
* * *
Sasha couldn’t be any more in love with Ewan than she was at this moment. Pride swelled in her chest as she stood by his side while he proclaimed his love for her, his devotion, and offered his protection to everyone she cared about. He faced the most feared berserker warlord in supernatural history and made his heart, his convictions known despite the impact of that perceived betrayal. He’d taken a stand. His bravery astounded her. He was an extraordinary male. And he belonged to her.
Gregor’s eyes narrowed into hateful slits and his jaw squared. His lip curled with disgust and he spat at his feet. “Tá tú ag caitheadh amach, Ewan Brún!” Sasha didn’t need to understand Gaelic to know the words Gregor spoke were grave. “Banished! For your betrayal of your clan, you have accepted your enemy’s fate.”
Sasha’s heart clenched. Ewan had been cast out from his family and Gregor had effectively put a price on his head. He’d be shown no clemency in battle. Killed on sight. She hated that it had to be like this, and if she could, she would change it all for him.
Ewan gave a shallow nod of acknowledgment. “What about Drew?”
Gregor smirked. “Unlike you, he returned to his family. Made his amends, and accepted his penance.”
Ewan relaxed beside her. He bowed his head and remained that way for a quiet moment. Sasha gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. It was all she could do and she hoped it was enough. It was obvious she was missing a frame of the bigger picture and she hoped Ewan would seek solace from her and open up about all of it. She wasn’t sure what Drew’s role in all of this was, but she knew he meant something to Ewan.
“I think your business here is settled, Gregor,” Saeed said coolly. “I trust you won’t show up unexpected again.”
Gregor’s lips spread into a slow, cruel smile. “I forgot to mention, Saeed. Rin sends his regards to you both.”
Sasha’s brow furrowed. She had no idea who this Rin was, or how he or Ian Gregor for that matter, were connected to Saeed, but she intended to find out. Now that she was home, she planned to take back her role as head of security. And after what had just happened, it wasn’t a position she would take lightly.
Saeed turned and the small group that had amassed turned and followed him toward the house. Sasha kept Ewan’s hand in hers as they fell into step beside Saeed. “Do you want to tell me what that was about?”
Saeed offered a reassuring smile. “No. At least, not right now.”
Sasha pursed her lips. She didn’t like getting the brush-off but she’d accept his clipped response, for the time being.
Despite the wrought-iron gate between them, turning her back on Ian Gregor sent a shiver of trepidation down Sasha’s spine. She didn’t fear him. She feared what would happen to Ewan if Gregor ever got his hands on him.
Ewan let go of Sasha’s hand, instead putting his arm around her to pull her against him as they walked. The solemn group returned to the house, all of them lost in their thoughts, crossing the breezeway to the front door.
Saeed stepped up to Ewan and paused. “I want you to know that I appreciate everything you said to Gregor. The sanctity of the words you spoke weren’t lost on me.”
“And the same goes for you,” Ewan replied. Sasha sensed his discomfort at having such an intimate conversation with Saeed. “What you said was appreciated and I won’t take your hospitality for granted.”
Saeed smiled. He reached out and took Cerys’s hand, leading her out in front of him. “Ian Gregor certainly knows how to ruin a dinner, doesn’t he?”
Ewan’s lips twitched. “That he does.”
Sasha hung back and let Saeed and the others filter back into the house. She wanted a private moment with Ewan and those were few and far between in a communal living situation. He turned to face her, his brows raised in question. “Is everything all right, love?”
Love. She’d never get tired of hearing that word on his lips.
“Gregor gave up pretty easily, don’t you think?”
Ewan shrugged a shoulder. “He’s a very calculating male. Everything he does has a reason and purpose behind it. I don’t think he expected Saeed to turn me over. Or for me to leave willingly.”
“Then why come at all?” That’s what worried Sasha the most.
“To be seen, for starters,” Ewan began. “To make sure we know he’s watching.”
“Who’s Rin?” Curiosity ate at Sasha. While she’d been sowing her wild oats, so much had happened and she needed to get caught up to speed.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Ewan replied. “He’s Gregor’s captive. He returned from Seattle with him.”
“Seattle?” Saeed had been in Seattle for weeks. A piece of the puzzle clicked into place but it was far from complete. “Saeed was in Seattle.”
“Figures,” Ewan said with a snort. “Gregor told me that Saeed’s coven was temporarily under his protection. I have a feeling Saeed’s mate has something to do with that.”
“Funny,” Sasha said. “I had the same feeling.”
“Gregor doesn’t do anything that doesn’t serve his end goal. If she’s valuable to him, it’s because she has something or can do something that will further his agenda.”
“That’s crazy.” Sasha couldn’t quite connect the dots. “She’s mated to Saeed. She wouldn’t turn against him, the coven, or any vampire.”
“Gregor wants his vengeance,” Ewan said. “But he wants so much more than that. He wants the Sortiari to burn as well.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Ewan could bring so much insight into what they needed to do to protect themselves. “Cerys might be ammunition against them.”
“That’s my guess.” Ewan put his arms around Sasha and let his hands rest at the small of her back. “We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
“Yeah, we do.” They’d been so swept up in each other, and then the drama with the demons, that so much had fallen through the cracks. “It’s going to take us a few weeks to play catch-up.”
“A few weeks?” Ewan cocked a brow as one corner of his mouth hitched. “I don’t plan letting you out of bed for at least a month. I don’t think we’ll be talking much. At least not about Gregor or Cerys.”
Sasha couldn’t help but smile. “A month? That’s pretty ambitious. There isn’t anything else that might demand your attention?” She didn’t want to ask about the battle arena but it weighed on her mind. Something had driven him there night after night. Was he ready to walk away or was he still chasing that high?
His expression became serious. “Like what?”
She averted her gaze. “The arenas.”
“Sasha.” Ewan placed his forefinger under her chin and directed her face up to look at him. “I won’t be returning to the arenas. I’m done fighting.”
Relief cascaded over her. “Are you sure?” She would never deny him whatever he needed to bring him peace. She’d seen him in the grips of battle rage. If what he needed to keep that part of him satisfied was to fight, then she’d come to terms with it.
“I’m sure. I fought for money so I could get free of Gregor. I don’t need that anymore. I have my freedom. You gave me that. Now that I have you, I have everything I need.”
Sasha’s stomach flipped. She wondered if there would ever be a day when even the smallest word or gesture from him wouldn’t affect her so viscerally. She knew there would be more trials to face. The road was bound to be bumpy when a berserker tethered a vampire. But as long as they had each other, Sasha was certain they could overcome any obstacle that lay before them.
“You can do anything you want now.” Sasha could only imagine how liberated Ewan felt. “You have hundreds of options. What do you want to do?”
“Right now?” A mischievous glint sparked in Ewan’s gorgeous golden brown eyes. “I’m going to go heat up that delicious plate of fettuccine that’s probably cold, thanks to Gregor’s interruption.”
Sasha laughed. “And after that?”
His smile grew. Feral, predatory, and so damned gorgeous it stole her breath. “After that…” Ewan pulled Sasha close and put his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. “I plan to take you back to bed and shut the world out for a while.”
She couldn’t think of a better way to spend the night. “Or…” Sasha came up on her toes to kiss him as he’d kissed her. Her voice went low and breathy as she spoke against his mouth, “We can take the fettuccine back to my room and eat in bed. I’m pretty sure there’s tiramisu for dessert. I’ll make sure we have extra whipped cream.”
Ewan groaned. “Gods, you’re a wicked female, Sasha Ivanov. And I love you.”
“Just as you are a wicked male, Ewan Brún. And I love you, too.”
She’d though her life had begun anew when Saeed had made her vampire. But she’d been reborn the moment Ewan tethered her. Through their journey, she’d found herself, and with him at her side, they were capable of anything.
The world and all of its possibilities were theirs.