Chapter 74 I kept her scent
Ruel's POV
“What the fuck was that?” I ask harshly, my glare shifting to Elric.
“Small talk,” he says with a shrug.
“Small talk!” I hiss, stepping closer.
Sensing the annoyance in my tone, he shifts, standing straight. “Look, she brought your meal. You weren't here and I happened to walk in at that exact moment.”
“You happened to… Elric, do you think you are talking to a fool?” I snap.
“Okay, okay… calm down jeez,” he says, his hand stretched out, keeping the space between us.
“You happened to be here with a fucking dagger in your hand and her looking like she’d seen a ghost.”
He exhales through his nose, taking a step back but holding my gaze. “The dagger shifted in my pants. Yeah it was one hell of a bad timing but it was so uncomfortable I pulled it out without thinking. It scared her.”
“I wonder why?” I scoff, my eyes hard.
“I put it down right away. And I kept a good distance between us.”
I stare at him. His face gives nothing away but the moment his eyes twitch I know there's something else he's not telling me.
“I’m going to ask you this and I'm going to ask it once. Did you question her?” It isn’t a guess, I know he did. Ira isn't easily scared. And Elric's curiosity will make it hard for him to keep his thoughts to himself.
His gaze flickers to the window then back at me. “I asked about the night she was brought. That's all.”
“That’s all,” I echo again, stepping closer. My hands flex at my sides. “You didn't ask about her hair either, did you?”
He flinches but quickly comports himself. “I uh.. I did.”
The words hang, replaying in my head.
Anger like boiling flames rushes fast in my veins. I grab the front of his shirt in one fist, yanking him forward until we’re nose to nose.
He lifts both hands as the fabric twists under my grip.
“If you ever…” I start, inhaling when I feel Krist pushing forward. I'm mad but Krist is still my friend. And with how angry I am I know if Krist takes charge, it'll be easier for him to mess up Elric.
With my tone a little bit calmer, I say “...if you ever point a blade at Ira again, even by accident, even if you think it’s nothing… I will not hesitate. Friend or not. Brother or not. I will put you down myself. Krist won't need to lift a fucking finger.”
His eyes don’t leave mine. He nods, his gaze void of any fear but laced with understanding.
“I know,” he says softly. “I cherish our friendship too much to ruin things, Ruel.”
I hold him a second longer, then shove him back. He stumbles one step, letting out a heavy breath before smoothing out his shirt.
To my surprise he doesn't walk out. Instead he sits, his voice breaking through the silence.
“You’re wound tight, Ruel.”
I turn away, raking a hand through my hair while I try to get my mind out of the gutter and my emotions in check.
The room smells faintly of Ira and it seems like now that I've gotten past the anger, that's all my nose can perceive.
That sweet floral scent.
“I’m fine.” I mutter, making myself busy with the tray Ira brought in. My fingers trail its edges, knowing it's where her hand had been.
“You’re not.” Elric says nonchalantly like we're on the best terms and he has every right to confront me.
“Sit before you wear a hole in my head.”
I don’t sit.
“Why are you here?” I ask.
He watches me for a long moment, then speaks quieter. “That’s no longer important. What I want to understand is what this means. Are you finally going to seal the bond?”
The question stops me cold. I turn slowly. “No. Where did that come from?”
He stalls, as if waiting for me to say more.
“I will never take on that kind of weakness.” I say, repeating the same words I've said a billion times. Yet anytime I see Ira it's as if all my principles get lost in the wind. I barely remember I have them.
Elric leans forward, placing his elbows on the desk. “You haven’t asked me for the suppressants in days.”
I blink, my eyes widening slightly in realization.
He lifts a brow. “Not since the last batch ran out. Your wolf’s been quiet enough for you to forget?”
My mouth goes dry. I part my lips to deny it, but nothing comes out.
Elric’s gaze sharpens. “If Krist isn’t clawing at your walls, Ruel… it means you’ve been intimate with her already.”
I look away, my jaw clenched. “We kissed,” I admit reluctantly.
Elric’s brows climb. “Just kissed?”
I drag a hand over my face, only now registering the fact that I truly haven't used the supplement in days. “A little more than that.”
“And that was enough to calm your wolf?” He asks, stunned.
I shake my head, remembering one more thing.
“I kept her scent,” I mutter.
“And how did you do that?”
“I rubbed it onto a cloth. It… keeps me level headed. Keeps Krist quiet mostly.”
Elric gapes fully now. Then he snaps his mouth shut, leans back in the chair, and shakes his head slowly. “You…” he laughs, “And you say you won’t seal the bond.”
“I won’t.” My voice hardens. “I can’t be mated to a…”
“To a what?” he cuts in gently. “A stray? A servant? A girl who makes you lose your damn mind with just her scent?”
I glare at him but he doesn’t back down.
“You give yourself too many excuses, brother. Claim your mate. And do it soon, before you snap.” He adds, his expression turning serious. “I did some reading and I learned that if you truly carry Lycan blood…and we both know something’s shifting in you so don't deny it.” He quickly adds, cutting me off because I even say a thing.
“Then it’s not Krist who’ll lose control when the rut hits fully. It’s you. You could hurt her badly, Ruel. And you'll never forgive yourself for hurting someone you care about.”
“I don’t care about her,” I say.
He snorts softly. “Right. And you were ready to rip my throat out five minutes ago because I scared her. That’s just the bond talking, sure.”
I drop into the chair opposite him, my shoulders dropping. My head falls back against the leather.
Elric’s voice softens. “Ruel, even if the whole base judges you, I won’t. Even knowing you’re hiding things from me, I've got your back.”
My only response is a heavy sigh.
That's when Elric's voice becomes quieter. “Who knows, maybe this is the answer you’ve been chasing. What if your lost memory is tied to accepting who you really are? What if you are only experiencing these changes because her stray powers… whatever they are… are bringing them out?”
I stare at the ceiling absorbing the silence that dwells after that.