A short time later, Ronan opened the door to his bedroom. He’d meant to stay completely away from Kadence until it was time for her to leave, but with every passing second he’d become increasingly compelled to return to her. Eventually, he’d given up the battle. He told himself he was going to see her to make sure she was ready to leave, but he knew he lied.
Kadence sat on the bed, her back to him and her head bent forward. Her pale hair cascaded down her back in thick waves that shone in the light. She’d removed the sweater and draped it over the back of the chair; her coat lay beside her on the bed. The sundress Marta had given her exposed the creamy skin of her bare shoulders and clung to her slender curves.
Her head rose when the door click closed, but she didn’t turn to look at him. “It’s almost time to go,” he stated. “I’m sure you’ll be happy to see your brother again.”
“I will,” she replied in a clipped tone.
He frowned as he tried to puzzle out why she didn’t seem more excited by the prospect of being reunited with her family. Moving around the bed, he stopped before her. Her face was completely serene and impassive, like a statue. She revealed no emotion as she clasped her hands demurely before her and stared at him.
It took him a moment to realize this was the docile, female hunter she was supposed to be. He didn’t like it one bit.
“What is wrong?”
That odd mask of composure never slipped. “I am to be married soon.”
Out of everything he’d expected her to say, that hadn’t been it. His gaze ran over her slender body and alluring breasts that would fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. His fangs lengthened at the idea of any other man knowing what it was like to feel her body against his while they slept, to be inside of her.
He managed to suppress a snarl. “When?”
“Within the month.”
He recalled what she’d said earlier, “I’m supposed to be sorry for not being overjoyed about my glorious role as soon-to-be bride.” At the time, he’d assumed she meant far in the future, not within a month.
“To who?” he demanded.
“Logan. He is an outstanding hunter from a strong family line. Our children will be fine hunters. He is a good man, a good friend, and loyal to Nathan.”
“Your brother arranged this?”
“The elders chose Logan for me when I became capable of reproducing.”
“You’re not a fucking horse!”
She blinked, but it was the only reaction she showed to his explosive response.
“Do you want to marry Logan?” he demanded.
“It is a great honor to marry a hunter and bear him children. I must be grateful that I am of an age to do so and that a fine husband has been chosen for me.”
She sounded as if she were reciting something drilled into her head over the years. “You accept this?”
Her blank eyes met his as she spoke in a dull monotone. “Of course. It is why I was born. It will be a privilege to carry on the legacy of my heritage.”
He didn’t understand this complacent person who had taken the place of the spirited woman he believed her to be, but he wanted to shake her to reveal the woman she truly was. The woman he wanted for himself alone.
The irrational urge to possess her was back again, but this time it refused to be buried in the cold recesses of his heart once more. Unthinkingly, he stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers. She didn’t nuzzle him like she had before, but at least she didn’t turn away from him.
Crouching before her, he grasped her chin so she had to look him in the eye. “Do you really accept this?”
Something flickered in her eyes, but her mask didn’t change. “I have no choice. What else am I to do?”
He had no answer for her, no solutions. There was nothing he could give her, nothing he could say that would help. “You could tell them you are not ready to be married.”
She let out a harsh laugh. He winced inwardly, hating the bitterness of the sound. “I can no more fight who I am and what is expected of me than you can. My turn has come. I have known since I was a child it would happen. There’s nothing I can do to change it, and Logan is a good man. We’ve been friends since childhood. I know he won’t abuse me, and he will make a fine father for our children.”
Not only would another man know her body, but he would also get to share the bond of raising their children with her. Ronan stilled at the realization, even as he wanted to tear the room apart.
He released her chin and rocked back on his heels. “What happens if Logan dies?”
“Then I will become an instructor. I will show the young our heritage, teach them our ways, and I will guard over our ancestry.”
“What if he dies before you have a child, or six months from now?”
“If I am still at a good breeding age, and a hunter loses his wife, then I may be considered to fill the role.”
No wonder she’d rebelled against her life, there was no hope within it, he realized.
Removing his hand from her cheek, he rose to pace across the floor. He couldn’t stand the thought of her being locked away for the rest of her life. Couldn’t stand the idea of someone so beautiful and alive being caged so remorselessly and used like cattle.
He turned back to gaze at her as she remained sitting rigidly on the bed. He couldn’t begin to imagine what she faced when she returned. Spinning on his heel, he paced back and forth once more. He couldn’t help her. If they didn’t return her, the hunters would go on a rampage, slaughtering every vampire they came across. Many innocents could become caught in the crossfire of the sudden onslaught. Many of his kind could die.
He couldn’t allow that. For his entire life, it had been his duty to protect them.
Being married was her destiny, her fate. Who was he to go against the ways of the hunters, even if he didn’t approve of it?
Stalking back, he stopped before her. “I can’t help you.”
She showed no reaction to his callous words. “I didn’t ask you to.”
Ronan ignored the fierce pounding of his heart as he pushed aside the clamoring in his head telling him to keep her, that she belonged to him.
“Maybe your brother can stop it—”
“It is my fate. It is who I am, who my people are. No one can stop that,” she cut in.
“Shit,” Ronan mumbled. He ran his hand through his hair as he started pacing again. A solid rap on the door drew him to an abrupt stop. “What?” he barked.
“It’s time, Ronan,” Declan replied in a subdued tone.
“We’ll be right there.”
Kadence rose from the bed with her hands still held demurely before her. Slowly, she met his gaze. “I will tell Nathan to come alone. He may believe it’s a trap, but he’ll do whatever he believes is necessary to get me back.”
“He loves you,” Ronan realized.
“Yes.”
“And you him?”
“He’s my twin and my best friend. Twins are very rare amongst our kind so we were exceptionally close.”
“How rare are they?”
“We are the first ones born in nearly seven hundred years and the first girl/boy twins born in over a thousand years.”
Ronan folded his arms over his chest. “I see. Would he stop this marriage if you asked him to?”
“He might try, for me, but I would never put him in such a position by asking him to do that.”
“Is he the leader of your people?”
“We have many different leaders in different places,” she replied vaguely.
He is at least one of those leaders then, Ronan realized and she would sacrifice herself not to cause her brother any trouble. He assumed Nathan had taken over after their father was killed, if the leadership role passed with hunters the same way it used to pass with the vampires.
“Kadence.” He moved back to her, and placing his finger under her chin, he lifted it. For the rest of his life, he would recall every detail of her. He brushed her hair back, letting the silken strands run through his fingers.
Stepping closer, he stopped when his chest brushed against hers. Her eyes searched his as he stood over her, but her face remained serene. He found himself unable to resist the lure of her plump, red lips as he bent his head to hers. He only meant to have a little taste, but the minute his lips touched hers, he knew he was gone.