Page 164 of White Raven
Athan sighed behind her, and Rhaena didn’t even realize she’d turned her chin over her shoulder to look at him before she caught the understanding expression slapped across his face. His arctic eyes seized hers, and she was overwhelmed. He sympathized with her. Foley’s blood on her hands and all.
“You’re buying this?” she asked. Athan nodded.
“She’s right, Rhaena. You know me. Probably better than most. It’s hard for me to admit to the state that Sarah and Tony found me in. I died…over and over. I was forced to battle it out with the worst memories. The demon I have to fight off every day of my eternal life. They don’t have the luxury of being made whole by what Sarah is.Whoshe is.”
Rhaena turned her body in anger. “So fucking what?”
Athan dropped his arms to his sides. “You’ve got your blinders on, partner. Maybe a few people in that coven actually deserved to live like we do. Most didn’t. And yet they live. But what did I do to get us there? I fed on mymate. Ikilledher. I lied to her and destroyed her. I broke her heart. I broke her trust. IbrokeSarah St. James—the only person I’ve ever known other than my own mother as pure-hearted and just as breathtaking on the inside as she is on the outside—and I lassoed in all of the people on my short list of true friends to do it. I’ve never deserved her. I still don’t. I don’t deserve the life I’ve been given to return the love I still can’t believe she has for me. Your pack…those other vampires left to figure out what to do? They don’t have that, Rhaena. We’ve all got our darkest flaws. Nobody ever stepped up to remind me I don’t deserve a second chance. I’m not about to do that with this one.”
Rhaena was frozen in awe. She slowly turned back towards Sykes, who now looked desperate ever since she’d admitted that Leigh was more than an infatuation. “What are you asking me to do, Ryan?”
Ryan’s mouth curled into a serpentine smile, and she leaned her body over the table to come nearly nose-to-nose with Rhaena. “I’m asking you to take it from her. Rip it off her fucking head. Trust me…when you have the rest of the pieces to this puzzle it’ll be all too easy for you. There’s a Northwood that’s supposed to stand tall among us, Rhaena. But it isn’t her.”
Rhaena backed away, and slowly stood, and she could have sworn that Ryan cowered beneath her in submission. It made her muscles tight, and her skin raw. Power like she’d never felt rushed through her. It made her wonder if Foley had known all along. Rhaena shook it off and sighed deeply. “This is—a lot. I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know what to think.”
Ryan stood too, shoulders bent forward, and remaining submissive, even through her deep smile. “Well? Heavy is the head…Gloves.” The uttering of that nickname speared her chest like a rusty blade. “But I suggest holding it high when you talk to my dear auntie. And if that ring just so happens to…slip?” A warning knock on the other side of the window sounded, catching Rhaena’s attention, but causing Ryan’s smile to widen further, and that mischievous gleam in her eye to stand out.
“Is that how you’ve been able to hide the other half of yourself?” Rhaena asked.
Ryan grinned and pulled a silver locket from the collar of her shirt. “It’s my dad’s. I’ve had it since I was really young. Smart move, Kane.” She glanced back at him, and then focused on Rhaena. “Whatever you decide as far as my fate…I guess I’ll have to accept it. And if you‘throw me to the wolves’…just…leave Leigh out of it. That’s all I ask.”
Rhaena crossed her arms. “That’s all?”
She huffed a laugh through her nose and raised her chin. “Give ‘em hell, Northwood.”
There was so much about everything that they were that he didn’t understand. So much about the rules, and the liability of knowing things that he shouldn’t—and even his own fiance wasn’t well-versed on all of it. Brandon couldn’t help but feel for her while he watched from observation. It was hard not to feel for Ryan too, even though she knowingly participated in all the bullshit. Rhaena had way too much to carry. As strong as she was before, and as barbaric as she could be now that this change had amplified her strengths…he wondered if it would be enoughfor door number three. Especially now that they all had seen the evasive Ryan Sykes all but bow down to her like she was royalty.
“How the hell could she wanna be with somebody this unstable?” Wren growled from the window. Sarah scoffed beside her.
“Umm…are you trying to imply that Leigh is stable? That any of us are?”
Wren fidgeted uncomfortably, and Stratford bit back his smile as he crept up behind her and braced his hands on her waist. “I just—I’m finding it really fucking hard to feel bad for her, Sarah. We’ve all been through hell. We didn’t get a free pass. Why does she?”
Brandon watched as Sarah paled and lowered her gaze to the floor. “Some of us did get a free pass when we did unspeakable things, Wren. You forget that you helped cover my ass when I made a break for it? I was under the assumption that Foley wanted me in cuffs for killing a man. I got trashed at your apartment after I did it, when in reality…I should be rotting in the prison where Athan made a personal bloodlust buffet.”
“They’re coming out,” Brandon said, watching Rhaena and Kane leave Ryan behind in the interrogation room. Sarah followed him out into the hallway, and before Athan could say a word, she pushed him to the wall and devoured his mouth. Foster grumbled choice words from the doorway.
“I’m happy to be broken by you, detective,” Sarah whispered, finally releasing him. He only looked at her in reverence. Like she was a goddess among men. It reminded him of how deeply he felt for Rhaena, who looked more than burdened by the thought of facing the woman in the next room.
“Will you go with me?” she asked, hoarsely.
“Baby…some things you just don’t need to ask. Just don’t ask me to keep my mouth shut if she says one fucking thing out of the way to you.”
Foster stepped between them, and pulled Rhaena closer, lowering her voice. “Before you do this…I’m warning you now. Everything Sykes warned you about…everything you think you know…it’s gonna be worse. I told Foley that I was here for Ryan’s protection. I told you not to attack her. When you get in there, Northwood…consider my head turned. And thank you…for not blowing my case. This is my olive branch, okay?” Rhaena stared through the window at Sykes, and slowly nodded.
“Can you add a couple of extra seats on your plane ride back?” Foster scrunched her brows and cocked her head. “Maybe we can both get a win outta this. And some fucking closure. Foreverybody.”
Brandon swore that Foster’s body sagged in relief. He watched Rhaena turn away, straighten her spine and swipe her card at the door without a word. He followed her inside, and the shuffling of everybody’s movements to the next observation chamber hollowed out as he stared at a woman who looked almost identical to the love of his life. The tension between the two of them was thick enough to saw in half, and their stare downright lethal.
“So…this is what you chose.”
It took him a moment to realize that she was talking abouthim. She didn’t turn her eyes toward him, nor did she have enough decency to sound like she was the tiniest bit happy to see Rhaena after all these long years of abandonment. Foster was right. So was Sykes. This wasn’t a mother. This was the monster that Rhaena had all but convinced herself thatshewas. And she washideous. Cold. Not at all deserving of the face that matched his future wife.
Rhaena dismissed her comment altogether, and walked unhurriedly to the chairs, pulling one out dramatically, and making sure it screeched across the floor. She sat first, andBrandon followed shortly behind, steeling himself, and sitting straighter, trying to match her energy.
“Not what you were expecting? I can’t say I’m shocked about that,Mom…how is Dad, anyway?” Rhaena’s tone was as sturdy as a brick wall. Made his cock twitch a little with pride. Ashina narrowed her eyes.
“Your ‘figure-it-out’ friends didn’t tell you already? Your spineless uncle?”
