Page 26 of The Night Runs Red

But one question I heard above the rest captured my attention.

“Calia! What do you have to say about the recent rumors about Rion’s infidelity? Is there trouble in paradise so soon?”

I felt his muscles tense and knew he’d heard it too. Neither of us stopped until we made it to the car. I slid in first, buckling in before Rion followed. Hendrix was up front, giving me a slight nod in the mirror as he pulled away and began driving toward D’Arcy Manor.

There was so much I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for the answers. I knew Rion was no saint. After all, it’d been his idea to see people on the side if we kept it quiet and I heard the female voice on the phone earlier. Most women in Kallistos would sell their souls for a night with him, but he didn’t strike me as the type to take a stranger to bed. No, I was willing to bet he picked his partners carefully. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had background checks run on someone before agreeing to spend the night with them.

Just the notion of Rion with other women made me sick. Every night I thought about how he’d kissed me in the hall while I pushed my hand between my thighs. The way he gripped my body as if it was the only thing he needed in the world, his tongue tangling with mine, the way he’d ravished my neck. It all sent me over the edge each time. They were wicked, sinful thoughts, but they played repeatedly in my mind.

Neither of us spoke on the way home, but the tension was thick. The space between us was a chasm. I’m sure this was the last place he wanted to be. I wasn’t a fool, as he’d claimed. The anger in his body was evident as he vibrated from restraint.

You probably interrupted one hell of a night for him, and she was calling to check on him.

The manor came into view, and he threw open the door before we’d stopped, thundering through the entryway and out of sight. I stared at where he’d just been, resisting the urge to curl in on myself and cry.

I’d save that for when I got to my bedroom.

To his credit, Hendrix helped me out of the car and escorted me up the stairs. He insisted it was no trouble, saying he didn’t want me to carry my bags given everything that had happened. His eyes widened as I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. He hesitated only a moment before returning the gesture.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what, my dear?”

I fought against the torrent of tears threatening to spill over. “For always being kind, even when you don’t know me.”

He pulled back and wiped my cheek with his thumb. “It doesn’t take time to know someone. You can see everything you need to know when you look into their eyes.”

“And what do you see in mine?” I was terrified of his answer.

Hendrix smiled. “Hope, my dear. I see hope.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I rested my head on the small pillow attached to my bathtub, enjoying the feel of the silky water along my skin. When I’d gotten back, I’d immediately filled it to the brim with hot water and eucalyptus oil. The minty scent always relaxed me.

Rion hadn’t come by to check on me, nor had Jasper. I’d wondered what had happened after I was torn away from him. Did he stay behind to ensure Brielle was safe, or had someone gotten to him at the same time they’d grabbed me? I wanted answers, but there was a possibility I’d never get them.

The bruises on my body were nearly faded, except for a large one stretching down my side to my thigh. I examined the spot on my palm where Jasper had drunk from. As the doctor had said, two crescent markings were permanently etched into my skin. They were jagged and messy, but the dark silver scars would be recognizable.

I hadn’t expected it to be so painful. It’d burned and ached from the moment his teeth had sunk into me. Before marrying Rion, I’d done my research on vampyre bites. It was common for married couples to mark each other with their bites. Each one was different somehow, showing the world they were spoken for. The bites themselves weren’t supposed to hurt. In fact, many couples took pleasure in the act. Sometimes it was initiated during sex.

It made sense, given the effects Rion’s tongue had on my skin at our wedding ceremony. Even if it hadn’t been a true bite, the small pulls I’d felt had been euphoric.

Before our wedding, I’d wondered if we would mark one another. Once I’d spoken to him, however, I’d realized that would never happen. He wouldn’t want that on his skin, not when he planned to secretly live his life as a bachelor.

Yet, when he’d found out Jasper’s mark wouldn’t fade from my skin, he’d seemed angry. Was it because Jasper had tasted me first—some primal need to conquer and own my body, even though he wanted nothing to do with me?

The door to my bathroom swung open, and I looked up into storm cloud eyes. “Get out!” I shrieked, sinking lower into the water to hide my body.

He froze with his hand on the doorknob, lips parted in shock. Without saying a word, he turned and shut the door. “What the fuck?” I muttered, stepping out of the water and drying myself quickly.

My clothes were in the other room, but a long, viridian robe hung next to the door. I grabbed it, wrapping my body in the soft fabric before stepping next door. Rion sat perched on my bed, his arms crossed. He still wore the same tight expression as earlier, and I wondered if he always had that look on his face.

I leaned against the dresser, exhaustion weighing me down. “If you’ve come to fight, Rion, I don’t have the energy. Can we do this tomorrow?”

Suddenly, he was on his feet. He stormed toward me, placing his arms on either side of my body so I was trapped. I fought to control my breathing as his burning stare bore into me. Every alarm bell went off in my head, warning me that this man was dangerous. But I couldn’t bring myself to push him away.

“Why do you think I do not care?” he asked harshly, inhaling the eucalyptus scent clinging to my skin.

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