Sighing, I warily stared at the shifter who Ryker left in control of my fate, and he chuckled, shaking his head before offering me his arm with a gallant smile. I should imagine ancient people naked to torment him. Or should I save that for when I’m irritated? Hmm, decisions, decisions. Tyger glanced at me, and I smiled brightly in reply. With a snort, he led me to another room where Ryker sat at a grand table with another glass of wine. What took my breath away, however, was Matty seated at the opposite end, about five seats down. He didn’t look like he suffered and a silent sigh of relief left my lips. Ryker didn’t lie, which gave me hope for our future.
“You’re about to be unhappy, yet also excited,” Ryker mused. At first, I thought he was talking to me, but Matty, with a curious frown, looked around the room while Ryker stared at the wine he swirled within his glass. As soon as he saw me, Matty’s face lit up, followed by his expression crumbling. Ah. He feared me showing up here since we would both be ‘guests’ of the vampires. Were they covens? Or did they go with what bats are called since they are often associated with them? A colony, camp, or cloud? I believe cloud is only for when they’re flying, however. Yes, welcome to my cloud of vampires. Sounds like a line from a dream of heaven turned into a nightmare. Interesting. Now I want to draw that. Tyger snickered under his breath beside me, and I gently elbowed him with a slight smile.
“Hi, Matty,” I greeted, a lump forming in my throat when he looked like he might cry.
“You weren’t supposed to come here, Angel,” Matty sobbed, and I sighed. Stepping forward, I left Tyger’s side to kneel beside Matty’s chair, and he looked at his plate with a wobbling bottom lip.
“Matty, I will always come for you, whether I need to traverse hell or high water to reach you. You’re my baby brother, and I love you. You are the reason I find the strength to smile and face each day. Otherwise, I fear I would have given up long ago. So, yes, I am supposed to be here. Liam didn’t threaten me or you either, I came freely,” I told him with a gentle smile. I brushed his bangs back, and the next moment he was in my arms crying. “At least we can be together without fear here. So, see, it’s not all bad.”
“B-But they want to-” Matty began only to flinch when Tammy burst through the door. He bit off the end of his sentence, and I quirked my brow. What happened between them while they were here? Albeit, it wasn’t surprising that the vampires would try to drive a wedge between the pair. They had no need for Tammy. Well, none that were good.
“Angel,” Tammy breathed when she saw me, her expression darkening after a moment. Uh oh, what’s that about? “I see they captured you as well.” Captured? I suppose so, but also not at the same time. Liam gave me the option to come or not, so while I was sure I couldn’t leave, I wasn’t captured either.
“In a way,” I sighed after a moment. “I’m glad to see you’re healthy. Ryker assured me of that, but it’s still nice to see it for myself.” Tammy’s expression darkened, and I sighed inwardly. I feared she was acting perversely, and I didn’t know how much longer Ryker would tolerate it. Yes, I understood this wasn’t a desirable situation, but being a brat about it wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, it would only make it worse. Ryker was behaving graciously. At the very least, we should try to be thankful we weren’t suffering the treatment some of our kind would maliciously give.
“You believed and are thankful for that leech?” Tammy hissed, and I barely kept from wincing. A glance at Ryker showed his lips set in a firm line that looked like it might become a scowl at any moment. So, this was how she referred to him. Great. Way to have self-preservation instincts, Tammy. Sighing, I shook my head and looked at her pleadingly. Please, Tammy, don’t do anything stupid.
“Angel,” Matty tugged on my sleeve until I glanced at him. Poor sprout still had tears clinging to his lashes. “Angel, they want to drink from you.” I sighed silently, then smiled and ruffled his hair.
“I know, bud, it’s all right. We’ve got beds to sleep in, right?” I asked, thinking quickly to convince Matty it was fair. He nodded with a slight frown, and I chuckled. “Food in our bellies?” Another nod. “Clothes on our backs?” A slightly more hesitant nod while his brow scrunched. “And we haven’t had to pay for any of it. Nothing in life is free, Matty, there’s always a price somewhere. So, if sharing what I have naturally will aid our host and pay our way, then so be it. He’s not asking me to do anything I’m uncomfortable with. What’s the difference between providing a little blood versus working to make money?”
Biting his lip, Matty looked thoughtful, and I tilted my head to the side while waiting for either his agreement or objections. “It’s all right?” Matty asked quietly after a moment.
“Yes. I’ve agreed to it, Matty, so it’s fine,” I promised, and, after a moment, he sighed with relief. Not that I had a choice in the matter, nor did I ever agree to it. But if that slight lie kept Matty from stirring up trouble trying to play hero, then I’d tell it a thousand times. Matty was stubborn, and if he thought I might be in the slightest bit of danger, he would dig in his heels. Other than with
