Chapter 19
Tyce watched Briel, not even bothering to be sneaky about it. She lay on the floor with Fena and Wynter, the three of them working on a puzzle. Conn rested on one of the leather sofas drawing lazy circles on Aries’ arm while she quietly read from a hardbound book she’d pulled off one of the book-lined shelves that filled an entire wall. A fire burned brightly in the hearth, and the house smelled of chocolate, because Aries and Fena had made one of his favorites for breakfast, biscuits and chocolate gravy. Apex felt homey, which was odd because he’d built the place from the ground up and adored it, but it had never oozed the warmth and rightness that was currently making his chest feel tight.
Two days. Briel and Fena had been at Apex for two whole days without incident or another attempt at escape. Granted, he’d upped security measures and had a Sentry now stationed on night patrol. However, it didn’t change the fact that Briel hadn’t tried to run off again, or even brought up leaving. While his hope of her staying willingly mounted with each passing day, he himself was starting to diminish. A side effect of the affliction was that, until it was sated, a Walker couldn’t eat or sleep. Consumed with thoughts of claiming his mate, he ignored his own personal needs. No, ignored wasn’t right. ‘Ignored’ implied he had a choice. There wasn’t. He’d eat and sleep if he could, but that’s not how the affliction worked. Mother Nature was a bitch, and she’d designed Walkers to be like rutting elk. The urge to ensure his seed was passed on was all-consuming, forcing him to forego all creature comforts.
He openly leered at Briel. He wished they were alone, so he could slide off his chair and crawl over to her. He’d roll her over and kiss her again, more deeply this time, and in more intimate places. His cock, which had been hard as steel since he’d found her, jerked in response to his thoughts. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her.
Lying on her stomach, her tight, ripped-up jeans hugged her ass and her dainty bare feet were crossed at the ankles. Her short hair brushed shoulders hidden beneath a worn baseball T-shirt.
Fuck, she’s perfect.
His thoughts were interrupted by Shane’s mental nudge.
“Boss, we’ve got a transmission from StoneCrow. Monroe has invited you and Briel to the Estate for a welcoming dinner, and…”
Without preamble, Tyce shot back an immediate, “No!” before severing the connection. He wasn’t playing Monroe’s games. Fucker should’ve known it!
Letting his eyes dip back to Briel, he was surprised by how much just the sight of her soothed him. Granted, she wasn’t what he’d expected, and certainly not what he’d have chosen for himself. She was almost tomboyish in her dress. He’d always imagined his Angel would be elegant and refined, like King’s Lilly or Gauge’s Amanda. Briel was nothing like either. No, his Angel was rough around the edges and so damn cute he couldn’t stop staring at her. He smiled when her forehead creased as she turned and caught him staring again.
Rolling to her side to face him, she palmed the side of her head in her upraised arm. Looking down at her body, as if she’d known he was assessing her, she frowned and fingered one of the rips in her jeans, trying to pull together the gaping, fringed hole on one thigh.
It bothered him that she suddenly seemed self-conscious. Her actions made him wonder if she was worried about what he thought. “Something wrong?” he asked casually.
Briel sighed. “I’m sorry I’m not more...” Her eyes left her jeans to rove up and down his crisp suit. “Expensive,” she finally supplied. “I haven’t been shopping for clothes in years. I wear what I have.”
Her words made Aries lower her book to stare at Briel.
Tyce’s brows shot up. “Years?” His eyes dipped to her clothes. He’d had Conn and his team gather Briel and Fena’s belongings from the hotel back in DC. He thought she wore what she wore because it was comfortable. If he’d known it was not her choice, he’d have rectified it sooner. “You’re beautiful.”
Briel clucked her tongue and expelled an offended breath on what sounded like a feminine growl as her expression darkened. Pulling her legs in, she struggled to her feet and paced to the liquor cart where she poured herself a drink.
He liked that she felt comfortable enough to help herself. She was starting to fit in at Apex, and that made him prouder than he could ever express.
“I’m not,” she responded. “I look tacky. I apologize.”
Tacky? Apologize? Well, that wouldn’t do. Standing, he crossed to her and held out his hand.
Briel looked up with a confused expression, but took the proffered hand. “What?”
Tyce led her toward the door. “We’re going out.”
“Out?” She gazed up at him as she walked before turning to peer over her shoulder at Fena. “Out where? What about Fena?”
“We’ve got her.” Aries waved as she closed her book before sitting up and then dropping to her knees to crawl toward the girls and their puzzle.
Several Sentries met them in the foyer as if they’d been magically summoned. James smiled and handed Tyce a coat that he held up. It took her a moment to realize he wanted her to put it on, so she hurried to slide her arms inside.
“We should be back in a few hours.”
Shane nodded, waiting stoically beside Lok while James plopped down on the top stair in the foyer.
Briel shot a worried glance over her shoulder. “You’re…you’re sure she’ll be okay?”
Briel’s worried tone tore at him, and he almost felt guilty…almost.
“She’ll be fine,” he clipped out, intentionally keeping the need to coddle her to himself. Briel needed to learn to be a little thicker-skinned where Fena was concerned. Besides, there wasn’t any other Walker on the face of the Earth he trusted more with the protection of Fena than Conn. The man was a literal beast and had grown only more aggressively protective once he’d found his Angel and she’d borne him their daughter.
“I’ve trusted Conn with not just my life, but with the lives of every Walker here at Apex. He’s never let me down.”
“Me and Fena, we’re not Walkers.”
It grated on him that she was always reminding him of that fact. Part of him wanted to tell her that, once he fully bound and claimed her, she’d be as close to being a Skin Walker as any human could hope to be, but he decided to keep that information to himself. The reason? He knew she’d ask what he meant. While he understood she’d be asking about being close to actually being a Skin Walker, his mind was stuck on the ‘fully bound and claimed’ part. Even now, as his halo shone brightly around her delicate throat, the need to bury himself in the wet sheath of her pussy was all-consuming. His dick was hard as iron, and had been for days. Now, he finally understood the true toll of the affliction. He was parched, starving, and exhausted beyond belief, but the driving need that felt like razors scraping his skin raw was the visceral ache to claim his Angel. She was the key.
No, not the key, he chastised inwardly. She’s the lock, the door, the building, the block, the fucking universe. “You’re more,” he replied, and then commanded, “Lok, bring the car around.”
Lok turned wordlessly to do his Dominant’s bidding.
Tyce turned Briel toward the door where she paused only a moment before slipping into a pair of socks and her only pair of shoes. He opened the door, about to usher her out, when he stopped. Monroe’s words came dancing back to bite him in the ass. “If you had something important to protect, you’d understand. I take no chances where my Angel is concerned.”
He eyed Briel as she turned to look up at him expectantly with her warm whiskey-colored eyes. Just the thought of anything happening to her made his insides curdle. Damn Monroe StoneCrow! “Shane!” He reluctantly barked, stopping the Sentry on his way down the hall. “On me!”
The order was so out of the norm that it took Shane a second to understand. Tyce had goaded Monroe for years for taking a Sentry everywhere he went. To prove the pointlessness of the act, Tyce intentionally went everywhere alone, no Sentries in tow unless they were transferring from Apex to StoneCrow, and simply hitched a ride, or unless they were on a mission.
When Tyce’s request finally sunk in, James beamed from ear to ear, clapped his hands together, and laughed out, “Oh shit! Times, they are a-changin’!”
A dark look from Tyce had James dropping his hands and quickly clearing his throat with feigned seriousness. “Sorry, boss. Anything I can do?”
Shane opened the front door and held it as Briel went out. Tyce waited until she crossed the threshold before turning an icy scowl on James. “Yeah.” His voice was low. “You can wipe that damn smirk off your face.”
“Got it. Will do!” James’ smirk grew into an outright grin, and he had to dip his head to hide it.
Tyce growled his displeasure before adding, “And the chef’s been complaining about foxes trying to get into the greenhouse.” He smirked. “Take care of that.” He stalked out the door to James’, “Awww, man!”