Dark and Deadly - Lynn Hagen Page 0,7
with one of the demon warriors from the demon realm. After that, Warren had become distant, looking at Ryan as if he would murder Warren in his sleep.
No, Ryan hadn’t exactly acted like a sane person. He wanted to kick his own ass for that.
He told Ash about his meeting with Phoenyx. Ryan just didn’t tell Ash why they’d met. “And now Warren thinks I’m hanging out with thugs.”
“Fuck.” Ash slapped his palm against the steering wheel. “I’m not gonna kick your ass just yet. Why didn’t you tell Warren that you were mates? Why is he still in the dark about all this?”
“Have you ever tried to tell a human about our world? How the hell do you even approach that subject without fear that he’ll have a mental breakdown? I was working up the courage, but before I could tell him, he kicked me to the curb.”
That made Ash laugh. Ryan wanted to slug him. His life was in the gutter right now, and what he didn’t need was his other mate poking fun at him.
His other mate. Ryan groaned. Someone shoot him and put him out of his misery already.
“Sorry.” Ash sobered. “I just find it humorous since there’s no such thing as breaking up with a mate.” He sighed, and it sounded as if Ash was just as tired as Ryan felt. “I’ll find a way to talk to him. For now, keep your ass away from him until I can smooth things over.”
“Like hell,” Ryan snarled. “So you can slide up in there and claim him without me being involved? I’m not being sidelined, Ash. No damn way.”
Ryan had never had an orgy, but could the three of them sleeping together be considered one? They were mates, so Ryan didn’t think so.
Ash’s brows were raised, and his eyes were wide. “Tell me you two haven’t already fucked.”
“I—” Ryan closed his mouth.
“Like I thought,” Ash huffed. “You two have already slept together and you want to pull the jealous card on me? Sitting on the sidelines is exactly what you’re going to do. No wonder Warren thinks you’re crazy.”
“I’m not crazy,” Ryan argued. “I got a little too fucking happy that I found my mate and didn’t handle it like I should have. You’ve never gone overboard with something that meant everything to you?”
Not that that excused Ryan’s behavior. Stalking someone or becoming possessive was never the right thing to do. But Ryan was much better now.
Or so he kept telling himself that.
In truth, part of the reason he’d acted that way was because he was afraid Macaw would find out about Warren and try to hurt him to get to Ryan.
He wanted to tell Ash about Macaw, but Ash already thought Ryan was a screwup. Besides, as long as Ryan didn’t go back to the demon realm, there should be no way Macaw could find him.
Hopefully.
Ash slid his hand around Ryan’s nape and pulled him in for a toe-curling kiss. When they broke apart, Ash teased Ryan’s bottom lip. “We’re in this together. You and I know how important a mate is, and there is no me and Warren or you and Warren. Got that? I’m still blown away that I have two mates, but I promise you I’m not going to do anything behind your back except try and repair the damage you did.”
Ryan had no choice but to trust Ash. He steeled his spine and bared his fangs. “If you fuck me over, there’s no place you can hide.”
He might be acting submissive to Ash, but Ryan was anything but. He’d had a hard, grueling life and had plenty of enemies. Ash better make damn certain that he didn’t cross Ryan, or Ryan would unleash his wrath, regardless of the fact that they were mates.
Chapter Three
The only way Ash could think of to have any contact with Warren was to go to the pizza shop. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he had to find a way to break the ice.
Thanks to Ryan, that wasn’t going to be easy. But Ash couldn’t be mad at Ryan. Not when he’d felt the pull—twice in one freaking day. He’d had to use all the strength he possessed in order not to pull Warren into his arms, to not stop his mate from running from him.
Now he had the task of trying to convince Warren that Ryan wasn’t some unstable person. How the fuck was he supposed to do that? Even more