The same brother who landed her here in the first place. “You’re correct.”
“I can control him, you know. Tavi listens to me, even more than he listens to dad. I’m sure he’s assured you that as The Chief he has it under control but—”
“Because of our deal and your father being on the council, your brother has been granted some leeway. I get boundaries, wanting to protect your land and what’s yours. That said, during the full moon, I keep my men out of the Woodlands out of respect. What Tavi needs to understand is that such orders on my behalf are a consideration, a peace-offering for keeping you under my roof as a repercussion for his actions. That doesn’t mean he can take advantage of it. He needs to understand the Woodlands are just as much mine as they are yours or his or your father’s.”
“Exactly why you should let me go home,” Tigerlily stresses, scooting to the edge of her seat. “Me being here will only continue to make him more uncooperative. If you set me free, his mind will ease. I can’t control him behind these fortress walls, Captain. Please, please...”
The Chief’s daughter interlocks her hands together, brown eyes gazing up at me in a pleading fashion. She has a point. Really, she does, but if I set her free, what leverage I have on that animal she calls a brother disintegrates. Those very words are forming on the tip of my tongue right as a knock resounds at the door.
“Captain?” Violet’s kindly voice erupts behind us. “I’ve called for the girl several times, but she won’t answer, and her room is far too silent. I’m a bit concerned.”
Tigerlily is usually “the girl,” as I’m sure you’ve noticed. In this case, or at least today, Violet’s referring to the testy, transitioning vampire a few doors down who kicked me out of her quarters and slammed the door in my face.
This should be fun.
“We’ll finish this later,” I tell Tigerlily, retreating toward the door without hesitation. “Don’t get your hopes up, though. A deal is a deal, and your brother’s debt is far from repaid.”
Far doesn’t even begin to cover it, but we’ll circle back to this later.
When Violet and I arrive at Tinksley’s door, I dismiss her with a thankful tip of my head and thoughtful kiss to her cheek, promptly rapping my knuckles against the white wood as she ambles away.
Tens of seconds tick by and no answer follows, just as she’d warned. So I knock again.
And again, there’s no answer.
“I’m coming in, Tinksley,” I forewarn her, jiggling the knob, and much to my surprise, it’s not locked.
Okay then.
Still no answer by the way, even as I push the door open to the somewhat darkened room.
She’s curled up on the bed, forehead to her knees, arms locked around her legs to keep her upright.
“Get out,” she mutters, the words muffled against her pale skin.
“I can’t do that.” I click the lock in place behind myself.
Tinksley lifts her head, eyes narrowing into familiar, lethal slits. “I don’t give a damn about what you can or cannot do, Callan. I said get the hell out.”
I won’t lie...my dick kicks beneath my trousers at the snip in her tone. Feisty Tinksley is all the more intriguing than pure little demur Tinksley. If the current predicament weren’t so pressing, I’d be tempted to continue pushing her buttons.
And I might just still, if this all turns out the way I’m hoping.
“You need to listen to me.”
She rolls her eyes in a perfect circle. “Here we go again with this ‘you need to listen to me’ crap. I don’t need to do shit, okay? I don’t want to—”
I’m on her before she can blink, pinning her body to the bed, hand sealed over her lips, the tip of my nose touching hers. “Hush. Your mouth. And listen to me, Tinksley. I get it, you’re mad, furious, livid. All of the above, and rightfully so to some extent. But I can’t take back what happened. I did what I thought was best in the moment because like I said, I wasn’t going to let you die. It wasn’t your time.”
Those tropical irises flare as a frustrated growl builds in her chest. She’s ripping my hand off seconds later, breaths coming erratic. “Let’s try this again—who are you to decide that? I chose it to be my time because I didn’t want to think about Peter anymore, didn’t want to feel that pain