91
“What the hell just happened back there?” Brenda asked sounding near hysterics.
“It’ll be okay Brenda,” I said to her as I stepped on the gas and sped up on the highway.
“Why was he acting like that?” she asked.
“Brenda, his dragon recognized you as his bonded half,” I said to her.
“Oh no, no, no, no,” she said as her hands instantly went around her arms as she cradled herself.
“His name’s Cameron O’Connell, his father is the Sire of the Chicago lair. I’ve known them my whole life and I know that he’ll arrive at my house with his father and probably mine as well not long after we reach it,” I said to her.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered fearfully.
“Brenda, look at me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. This remains your choice and as your Sire I won’t force you to recognize this bond if you don’t feel ready to do it,” I said to her.
“Do you promise?” she asked me.
“I promise you, you’re part of my lair and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” I assured her.
Forty minutes later I parked the truck on the street in front of her house. I could see the living room light was still on and I felt like shit having exposed Brenda to this. It was the last thing she wanted or needed right now.
Linda opened the front door as I helped Brenda out of the truck and she seemed like she was going to start to hyperventilate soon.
“I’m sorry, Linda,” I said as she looked at Brenda worriedly.
“What happened?” she asked me as she took Brenda in her arms and looked at me.
“A Sire claimed her as his bonded half. I saw how his dragon recognized her scent, it’s real. I know him very well and I know he’s on his way to my house right now probably furious as hell,” I said to her.
“Oh dear,” she said as she tried to soothe Brenda.
“It’ll be okay,” I said to her and turned towards my truck, “I’ll keep you updated.”
I drove to my house and sighed in relief at finding the driveway empty. I knew Cameron was pissed off with me but he didn’t understand the whole story and I had no idea what Chase had told him. If I knew Chase, and I did, he would’ve told him to talk to me. Chase wouldn’t have shared Brenda’s story with him.
“Link?” I called out as I walked into the foyer of the house.
“Yeah?” his voice came from the living room.
“We have a situation,” I said to him as I heard two cars pull up in the driveway.
“What’s going on?” he asked looking concerned as he also heard the cars.
“Whatever happens don’t hit the young guy,” I said to him as the door was flung open and Cameron, Jasper and Lucas walked inside glaring at me.
“Ryder, what the fuck is your problem?” Cameron asked as he stopped inches from my face.
“Back off, Cameron,” I said to him as my eyes flashed yellow.
“Both of you back off,” Lucas said.
“Ryder needs to explain why he carted Cameron’s bonded half out of there and clocked him one,” Jasper said. I couldn’t quite place the expression on his face but it was something between anger and amusement.
“Let’s just all sit down, get a drink and I’ll explain myself,” I said as I took a step backwards.
“Where is she?” Cameron asked.
“I took her home,” I said to him as he continued to glare at me.
“I don’t care what you feel for her, she’s my bonded half and you can keep your paws off of her,” he said to me angrily.
“Calm down Cameron and remember that you two are actually friends,” Lucas cautioned him.
I walked to the living room as Link looked at me questioningly but I didn’t have to explain anything to him right now. I sat down and Cameron kept throwing murderous looks my way as we all settled in the living room.
“Her name’s Brenda Wyatt and she just turned seventeen,” I began my side of the story.
“Get to the point, Grey!” Cameron said as Jasper laughed and Lucas smiled as they watched us.
“She was one of the girls we saved at that vampire house,” I said as I looked at them.
“Oh fuck,” Jasper and Lucas said simultaneously.
“What the hell does that mean?” Cameron asked and Jasper turned towards him.
“It means that you probably scared the shit out of that little girl and Ryder did the right thing in clocking you one and getting her the hell out of there,” Jasper said.
It took Lucas and Jasper the better part of an hour to tell Cameron the whole story of how we found Brenda and then I told him exactly what had happened to her while she was there. By the end of the conversation Cameron looked defeated, sad and angry.
“I didn’t know,” he said as he looked at me.
“I was just trying to protect her,” I said to him and he gave me a weak smile.
“I can’t just leave her here, she’s my other half,” he said to me.
“The best I can do at this point is to talk to her mother and see what Brenda wants to do. She’s scared out of her mind of being bonded, she thinks all men are animals,” I said to him.
“Except you,” Cameron said as he gave me a look.
“That’s different Cam and you know it. I’m her Sire and the one that rescued her,” I said to him.
“Call her mother,” Jasper said.
I went to my office and called Linda. We spoke for almost an hour and she agreed to bring Brenda over. Brenda had said she would meet with Cameron if I was there and she wouldn’t be forced into anything ever again. Link had assessed that everything was fine now and had excused himself and left to go out.
Twenty minutes later I heard Linda’s car and I gave Cameron a look that told him to stay put while I went outside to talk to them first. I was glad that he had brought Jasper and Lucas with him and I knew he was hurting, finding your bonded half was special or supposed to be.
“They’re all inside,” I said as I met Linda and Brenda at the front door. Brenda had changed into jeans and a hoodie and she looked younger than seventeen.
“What if he forces me to leave with him?” Brenda asked.
“Nobody is forcing you to do anything,” I said to her and led them inside to the living room.
Brenda remained half hidden behind me as Cameron stood up but didn’t make a move towards her as I lifted my hand to stop him.
“Hello Mrs. Wyatt, I’m Jasper O’Connell, Cameron’s father,” Jasper introduced himself to Linda.
“Brenda, sit down next to your mother, the only person in this room that you don’t know is Cameron. You remember Jasper and Lucas right,” I said to her and she nodded as she greeted them and sat down next to her mom.
I could see Cameron was itching to sit next to her and touch her, lay some sort of claim on her but Brenda was skittish and he was fighting hard to control his dragon. Jasper and Linda did most of the talking as Lucas sat back and looked at me.
“What do you want to do, Brenda?” I asked her and everyone turned to look at me.
“I don’t know Sire, I’m still in high school,” she said as she looked at me.
“Why don’t we agree that Cameron comes to spend some time here and you two can get to know each other, take things slow and then you can decide if you want to accept him or not,” Lucas suggested.
“I’m willing to do that,” Cameron said as he looked at her hopefully.
“How exactly will that work?” Brenda asked and once again looked at me.
“Cameron can stay here and you and Linda can come over or he can go to your house, however you want to do this. Brenda, I wouldn’t even be sitting here negotiating this if Cameron wasn’t a good guy. I’ve known him my whole life and I can promise you that he will never hurt you,” I said to her.
“Okay, I’ll try,” she said and Cameron beamed at her.
Linda and Brenda left shortly after that and I returned to the living room where they all had remained seated. I sat down and rubbed my hand over my face. This night had turned into a real shit storm and I had eleven missed calls from the Elders that I still had to return.
“Can you all please leave now,” I said as I leaned back on the sofa. It was already two am.
“Like father like son,” Jasper said and Lucas laughed.
“Uncle Jasper I really want to say something now but your sensitive ass might take offence,” I said as Lucas wiped tears from his eyes as he laughed.
“Shit look at this one with the attitude,” Jasper said.
“I got it from him,” I said and looked at Lucas.
“Since he became a Sire he thinks he’s a man now,” Lucas said as Cameron tried to hide his smile.
“With all due respect, piss off Dad,” I said as Jasper laughed.
“I’ll be here next weekend,” Cameron said as they stood up.
“Looking forward to it,” I said as Jasper and Lucas laughed.
“We’ll talk more in the morning,” Jasper said as I walked them to the door.
I locked up the house after they had left and I felt bad for Cameron. He had a long road ahead of him with Brenda but Uncle Brandon had walked an almost similar road with Kimberley and I hoped that things worked out for them.
I went upstairs to my room and took a shower until the water ran cold. I was tired but my mind was also racing a mile a minute and I wondered if I’d be able to shut down and sleep. Abeloth was restless as well as I got dressed and I gave up on the idea of sleep and headed to my office.
“Do you think Cameron has the patience to see this thing through?” Abeloth asked me.
“He doesn’t have much choice in the matter,” I said to him as he smirked at me.
“That brings me back to you and Megan,” he said and I sighed.
“You saw how she reacted when I told her the truth,” I said.
“She’s confused because she feels what you said. I could feel her emotions, she’s not good at hiding them,” he said.
“It’s her call Abeloth, what more can I do anyway?” I asked him.
“Woo her,” he suggested and I laughed slightly.
“How the hell do you woo a woman?” I asked him and now he really laughed at me.
“Not with the thing behind your zipper,” he said.
“Idiot,” I said as he laughed again.
“Moron,” he replied.
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