90

Megan was still avoiding me and not answering any of my texts so I stopped. Linda had been a life saver so far and she took complete control of my day to day operations and she had an uncanny knowledge about Sire life, other lairs and how to handle the unwanted ones.

I parked my truck in front of their house on the night of the Sire meeting to pick Brenda up. I walked up to their door and rang the doorbell and smiled brightly when she opened the door and invited me inside.

“She’ll be right down, Sire,” Linda said.

“Linda, I really thought we were past all this Sire stuff,” I said to her.

Brenda came down the stairs and I had to admit she looked really beautiful. I smiled as I looked at her and offered my hand to her as she reached the bottom step of the staircase.

“Don’t worry, Sire Ryder, you’re not my type,” she said and I laughed.

“Please just call me Ryder, and I’m happy to hear that you won’t turn into one of those Sire crazy girls,” I said to her as she smiled.

“Drive safe,” Linda said as we walked to the door and I escorted Brenda to my truck.

Brenda kept up an interesting flow of conversation all the way to Chicago and I laughed at her jokes plenty of times. It was on the way there that she decided to tell me what had happened to them in that house.

“They kept us locked in those cages during the day and every night at ten pm they would unlock it, take us to the bathroom where we could shower and then we would have to lay down on the bed,” she said.

“Brenda, you really don’t have to tell me this now,” I said to her.

“You came to save us, you deserve to know why you put your life in danger and what you saved us from,” she said. She seemed a lot more grown up than her seventeen years.

“I won’t ever pressurize you into talking about it,” I said and she smiled sadly at me.

“They would tie us to the beds and our master would then entertain himself for however long he wanted to. If you performed well you were fed afterwards, if not then you stayed hungry. That’s how they kept us compliant and quiet, with hunger,” she said.

“I’m really sorry that happened to you,” I said as she looked out of the window.

“I was ready to give up that night, I was going to fight him until he killed me, but then there you were, saving me from death,” she said.

“I’m glad you didn’t give up, you’re very brave and strong Brenda and someday some guy is going to be really lucky to have you,” I said and she shook her head.

“I don’t want that, ever. Thinking of bonding with someone makes me nauseous and afraid because there are a lot of sick and twisted people out there in the world. I know I’m only seventeen and that I might feel better when I’m older or when I meet him, but just the thought of what they did to me every night is enough for me to know that I don’t want a man to ever touch me,” she said so seriously that I believed her.

“But you don’t feel anxious with me?” I asked her.

“Strangely enough no. I know you have no interest in touching me, you’re my Sire and you saved me from that life. My mother trusts you and therefor I trust you, you’ve shown over and over again that you only have the lair’s best interest at heart and somehow I know you’re one of the good guys,” she said and smiled at the end.

“That means a lot to me,” I said to her.

We arrived at the hotel where the previous ball was held and I parked almost in the same spot again. Brenda took my arm with a smile as we walked to the elevators but I let the doors close again as I turned towards her.

“Most of the Sires here tonight are unbonded, some of them are lewd and they make crappy jokes. Whenever you feel uncomfortable you let me know and we’ll leave. I don’t care about making alliances, I have enough friends out there so if anything bothers you or someone makes you feel uncomfortable I want you to tell me immediately,” I said to her.

“I won’t embarrass you tonight, Sire, these meetings are to further our lair in the end,” she said to me sounding just like her mother.

“Brenda, for as young as I am and even how inexperienced I am at all this shit, I have a big reputation and Sire meeting or not, plenty of them want to be my ally, I don’t care much for bullshit meetings. I do what I think and feel is right and to hell with anyone else,” I said to her.

“I promise, Ryder, if anyone makes me feel uncomfortable I’ll let you know,” she said with a smile.

We reached the ballroom and I extended my invitation to the warriors standing in front of the doors. We were shown inside and I headed straight for the bar. We took our drinks to the table where I could already hear my brother laughing his ass off.

“Ryder!” Chase said loudly as he spotted me.

“Already trying to be the center of attention,” I said as we hugged and he slapped me on the back.

“Who’s this?” he asked me as I pulled a chair out for her and we sat down.

“This is Brenda, that’s my older twin Chase and his bonded half Melissa,” I introduced them.

“Nice to meet you, Brenda,” Chase said with a smile.

“We’ve met actually,” she said and Chase frowned as Melissa gave him a pointed look.

“She was one of the girls in that vampire house,” I said to him and I could see Melissa relax.

“You look completely different, I hardly recognized you,” Chase said as he studied her.

“That’s what a mom’s cooking will do to you,” she said with a small laugh.

“If it isn’t the ever irritating Grey twins,” a voice said as I turned around laughing and stood up.

“Are you even old enough to be here?” I asked him.

“Ha! Funny, I’m like only five months younger than you, asshole,” he said as he pulled out a chair.

“Where’s your manners, Brady?” Chase asked him.

“Ah yes, this is Corlea, my bonded half. That is Grey Asshole One and that is Grey Asshole two otherwise known as Chase and Ryder, Melissa over there is Chase’s bonded half and I’m sorry I don’t know your date, Ryder,” Brady said as we all greeted Corlea.

“This is Brenda, and that asshole over there named Brady grew up with us and his father’s a Sire in Wisconsin,” I said.

“Brandon sends his regards,” Brady said.

“How’s your sister by the way?” I asked him.

“Real funny,” he said and turned his attention to his drink.

“I feel like there’s a story there,” Brenda said and I laughed.

“Mia’s about a year and a half younger than us and she used to follow us around everywhere when we were kids and whenever Brady chased her away she would always tell him that she was going to be bonded to one of us or both of us and he’d never have a mate of his own and she’d have two,” I said to her.

“Then my little sister grew up and those two idiots kept telling me how hot she was,” Brady said.

“We were only yanking his chain, Mia’s like family to us and we’ve never seen her as anything else,” Chase said.

“Where’s Cam?” I asked.

“I saw him downstairs in the lobby being Cameron,” Brady said.

“I wish they’d just start this and get it over with,” I said as I leaned back in the seat. Melissa had moved to sit next to Brenda and Corlea and they were having a good time as they laughed the whole time.

“Chill Ryder, you need to create alliances,” Brady said.

“We already have alliances with each other, we don’t really need anyone else,” Chase said as he gave Brady a look.

“The only difference is we have to fight for it, Ryder over here has alliance proposals coming out of his ass because of his little ‘this is how you kill a vampire’ stunt,” Brady said as Chase laughed.

“You did say that,” Chase said as I laughed.

“There’s Cameron now making his entrance,” Brady said and we all turned in our chairs.

Cameron came gliding into the room walking with a confidence that could only belong to an O’Connell. He was exactly like his father, Jasper, and he was proud of that fact. His mother regularly beat his ass and still threatened him constantly.

He stopped at the bar and grabbed a bottle of scotch. He was smiling at other Sire’s dates and getting glares as he laughed to himself and then a genuine smile when he spotted us at our table. We stood up and met him halfway as we all hugged and bumped fists and Cameron had his arm over my shoulder as we walked back to the table.

The girls had gone to the bathroom and Cameron sat down next to me as he opened the bottle and started filling our glasses. The door to the ballroom opened and I could literally see Cameron stiffen as he turned his head and looked towards the door.

“Who the hell is that fine specimen?” he asked and I turned to see who he was talking about.

“Brenda, Melissa and Corlea,” I said as his eyes seemed to glaze over and he sniffed the air.

“Shit,” I said as I realized what was happening. Melissa and Corlea had been bonded and his dragon had just recognized Brenda as his bonded half.

“Isn’t that your date Cameron’s eyeing?” Brady asked as he looked at Cameron.

I stood up as they neared the table and stood in front of Cameron blocking his view of Brenda. I turned towards her and grabbed her hand pulling her along with me.

“Ryder Grey! Unhand my bonded half!” Cameron suddenly yelled as he realized what I was doing. Brenda’s eyes filled with fear as she heard his words and I just gripped her hand tighter.

“Back off, Cameron,” I said to him as I pulled her behind me.

“I’m not kidding, Ryder, get your hands off her!” he said angrily as he came for me and I could see his intention was in knocking me down so he could get to his mate.

I timed him perfectly and my fist connected with his jaw as he stumbled into a table next to us. Brady and Chase was running towards us as Chase now fully realized what was happening and knowing who Brenda really was he understood my actions.

“I’ve got him Ryder, go!” Chase said as he threw himself on top of Cameron and Brady joined in the action.

Brenda was shaking like a leaf so I scooped her up in my arms and hurried out of the ballroom as everyone gawked and stared at us and I could hear Cameron’s screams of frustration as I took his bonded half away from him.

Brenda was pale as I put her in the truck and her hands were shaking too much to buckle herself up so I did it for her. I started the truck and sped out of the parking lot glancing over at her as she tried to calm her breathing.

“Chase, did you handle him?” I asked as soon as he answered his phone.

“He’s livid brother, and probably on his way to your house,” Chase said.