Page 54 of Torn Between Two Worlds

He erupted. His hand punched into her wall, causing a damn decent sized hole. His voice raised and sounded ragged in his anger, “I knew it. I fucking knew it. It's right back to where we were prior. I can't help where I was, sweetheart. I can't say I didn't like it because War was in charge, and he fucking loved it. But I didn't choose to be there!”

She flinched, and he leaned closer to her on the bed, snatching the ring box from her and throwing it across the room. He smelled another male on her for the first time, and he growled low and dangerously, “Who the fuck have you been with?”

“Stryder listen to me,” her voice was calm, and she rose as if she was going to go pick the box up.

He stopped her. “I've already fucking listened. I listened while you played back and forth and cursed at me. I'm done listening, sweetheart. Answer me. Now.” He knew the black had taken over his eyes because he could see the claws extending from his fingers and felt the scrape of a fang over his bottom lip.Too fucking bad.

She rose off the bed and went to pick up the box. Her actions deliberate and slow, causing his blood to boil.

“Now!”

“You know, one shouldn't bark at someone when he's asking her to marry him, you big dumb jerk!” She was screaming too.

Good.Let him have hurt her, her betrayal hurt him.

“You vanished for almost three months! Do you know what that's like? You threw a hissy fit because I locked you out for like two days, this was three fucking months.”

Her hands opened the box, and she gasped at the ring, whether good or bad, he didn't know.

“I found someone else like me. He helped protect me, Stryder. Helped me learn, and he and his Guardian were there every time I cried that you weren't.”

The ferocity in her voice unnerved him and fueled his own anger.

“Stryder, I don't want this when I'm twenty-seven. This isn't just slip the ring on, be done and wait until the stars and planets all align. This is harder than that,” her voice softened.

Too bad his hadn't. “Sounds like you need some time.”

She opened her mouth to cut him off, but he was past the point of hearing.

“You need time? Fine, take your fucking time. I'm out of here, and when I come back, either have made your choice or find a new fucking Guardian.”

Hands clenched, he waited for her to open the doorway. “Open it, sweetheart, before I do something to you to make you.”

Panic flashed for a split second, and she ground her teeth together, causing her still naked breasts to sway. Then the doorway opened, and he stepped through, leaving her naked and alone and him naked and pissed off.

28

He had been watchingCiara for the last few months. Stryder's absence was unfortunate. He'd been trying to contact the God that gave him his own gift for information on why he wasn't able to help. It wasn't the first time a Guardian was held hostage to his world, but it was the first time it had been for so long.

She'd come a long way with Dale, both in her skills and helping him realize his lack of power wasn't a bad thing. She was stronger, fully able to control the gifts left behind from her former Guardian, and the ones from Stryder.

He'd spent countless hours watching as she talked to herself in the beginning of her separation with Stryder. Every fear or concern she’d had, he knew. The main one being about her and Stryder. She had no idea how to make them work, or how to continue their relationship for two years without actually being able to be with him one-hundred percent. Not to mention her fears about how he would feel about never being able to go home once she set him free?

He'd felt badly for her. She'd chosen to let time be as it was and just trust her heart, which was good because a happy heart meant, for the next two years, she would only grow in strength. However, then Stryder had been gone for a week, two weeks, three months. He had felt her trying to get to Stryder and to him both, but they weren't allowed to interfere, and he wasn't his brother.

So, when Stryder had popped up on his radar earlier that day, he'd smiled. His brother was working hard to take her down and constantly failing. With Stryder back, she would be unstoppable. Seeing where they were headed, he had closed her doorway off to give them privacy. All powerful, maybe. A peeper? No. Besides, seeing his Guardian's engage that way always left him hungry for his own attachment.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he decided enough time had passed. “Let's see how the happy pair must be.” Opening her doorway, he frowned. She was sitting on the floor, legs spread, and her body drooped over. He could hear her tears. “Fuck.”

Searching the room, he saw her opening and closing a little black box that was on the floor between her legs. “Shit.” Women didn’t cry over proposals unless something went wrong. Something shouldn't have gone wrong. Moving the doorway around so he could see her entire apartment was devoid of Stryder, he cursed again.

Pacing, he shoved his hands in the pocket of his coat and cursed. “How did this happen? I have no idea how to keep her on the right side now. Fuck my brother.” He was stomping on the floor so hard, he was going to wear a hole in it before he was done.

His brother would most likely be able to claim her. If he was watching too and saw it. If not, then he would still keep trying to kill her, and just maybe, she would let it happen.

He let out a frustrated growl. He didn't break the rules. Heneverbroke the rules. Well not unless hooking Word Speakers up when they needed it was against the rules. It wasn't direct interference, though.

“Well which would be worse? Losing her to your brother, her death or twisting things just this once?”

---