Arrow Inferno
Chapter 95: Jeremy Stanton vs. Ryan Hicks ~ Feral attraction in the midst of hatred… Fury!

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Jeremy woke to the feel of hair brushing over his shoulder and an arm slung across his tummy. From that delicious scent filling his nostrils, he just knew that the person sleeping beside him was none other than his mate. But how? For a moment Jeremy didn't know where he was. He was on his back in a very familiar bed. His? The room was dark but from the face of the clock on the bedside table which glowed brightly in the darkened room, it was two-thirty a. m. He turned his head to look at the most beautiful person he'd ever laid eyes on and just like that, it all came rushing back...

The Fort, the sudden excruciating pain in the chest, the high priestess, Ryan, the feeling of nothingness, and then Ryan again...he'd bitten him. Why his mate had felt the need to bite him, Jeremy didn't know, however. He didn't mind though because he would have made Ryan mark him too at a point anyway. But everything after Ryan bit him seemed fuzzy. He definitely didn't remember getting into bed with Ryan.

Jeremy turned on his side to face Ryan who lay on his side too, his face soft and angelic in repose, his chest rising and falling with every silent breath he took. Jeremy lifted his hand and pulled the bedside switch, flooding the room with light. He needed to clearly see that face. That face that never ceased to bring him inner joy anytime he pictured it in his mind's eye. He needed to see that face like he needed air. And when Jeremy finally focused on Ryan's face, he felt his whole body go weak with emotion. Fuck he'd missed his mate, Jeremy thought. As if he couldn't help himself, his hand moved to touch Ryan's hair. Jeremy gently combed through the beautiful, white, silky hair with trembling fingers. Ryan stirred, leaning into Jeremy's touch with a soft sigh. That was so adorable Jeremy actually laughed softly. But when beautiful green eyes opened and stared at Jeremy, he forgot to breathe.

"Jeremy," Ryan whispered, drawing a tortured moan from Jeremy. Just the sound of his name on Ryan's delectable lips made his stomach flutter and his heart pound with excitement. "Hey." Jeremy breathed. The look in his eyes was something Ryan would never forget. It was enthralling, smoldering and at the same time, tender.

"Hey," Ryan whispered, feeling himself melt. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm looking at you...touching you. There's nothing better than that. The feeling is indescribable." Jeremy's eyes said all that was in his heart.

Ryan's breath hitched in his throat. Jeremy's words... His sleep-roughened voice... It sounded deeper, rougher, slower and so sexy it sent a delicious shiver down Ryan's spine.

"I love you, Jeremy," Ryan said softly. "I'm so much in love with you it terrifies me." His eyes glowed with raw emotion.

"I know," Jeremy responded softly. "I mean you did accept me despite all the shit I've put you through. There's no way you could have done that if you didn't love me. But...should you?" Jeremy's voice was barely audible. His eyes closed on a shuddering breath as his heart began to pound.

The alpha of Stanwood Pack could still feel himself actually doing cruel stuff to Ryan. He could still hear Ryan's screams of pain. He tried to dispel the images but they wouldn't leave him. He was no longer in purgatory for fucks sake, he told himself as he tried to take deep breaths. Throughout his stay in purgatory, not even a single minute went by without him hearing his mate's screams of pain. Pain that he had inflicted. Even when he was reliving other tragedies that had occurred in his life, my mate's screams of pain was always in the background. Jeremy had been in his own personal hell. But for his determination to avenge the death of his mate by living long enough to rip out the heart of the high priestess, he would be dead by then from all that agony he had gone through in purgatory.

"Jeremy?" Ryan called softly, noticing how sweat had suddenly broken out on Jeremy's forehead. His eyelids lifted slowly, revealing unfocused irises. "Hey, are you okay?"

Jeremy took a deep breath and looked into Ryan's eyes. "I don't think I deserve to be loved by you, Ryan."

"What?" Ryan asked, looking totally confused. There he was professing his love for his mate, and he was telling him he didn't deserve... "Why would you say something like that?" Ryan's breath hitched in his throat. Jeremy sighed. "Can I just... All I want to do now is just look at you." "Jeremy..."

"Shut up," Jeremy whispered and kept combing his fingers through Ryan's tresses. "You're so beautiful." His hand moved to Ryan's face, bushing gently against his cheeks. Then it moved to his ear and then down to his neck, rubbing against the creamy flesh. Ryan knew the exact moment that Jeremy discovered the absence of his mark. The alpha tensed up. "What happened?" He rasped.

Ryan swallowed hard. "Someone...a warlock bit into my mark and broke our bond, Jere..."

"What the fuck!" Jeremy exploded, shooting off the bed. "Are you saying someone got that close to you and... How the fuck did that happen?"

"I thought I was dreaming, Jeremy. It's a long story..." Ryan groaned, rolling off the bed. "You need to calm down and listen to me, Jer," Ryan said firmly, staring at an angry Jeremy who stood on the other side of the bed.

"Oh, trust me I am calm." Jeremy rasped, but he was far from calm. His heartbeat quickened as fresh pain seared through him. Jeremy's eyes widened when he suddenly remembered that agonizing pain... He remembered how it had suddenly felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest. In fact, he was sure he'd died at a point. "How long ago did this happen?" The strain in his voice showed just how hard he was holding on to control. Ryan didn't miss it. "Jeremy, I understand your anger but really, you don't need to get worked up," Ryan said warily.

"Don't you dare tell me not to get worked up." Cold fury morphed Jeremy's gorgeous face into something so frightening Ryan took an involuntarily step back. "Tell me... How the fuck was someone...a warlock, able to get that close to your neck? What the fuck was going on?"

"I...I thought... I..." Ryan couldn't even get his brain to work in the face of all that rage pouring off his mate in spades.

"You thought what, Ryan?" Jeremy growled.

Ryan took a deep breath. "I thought I was having a dream. And I thought I was making out with you. I..."

"You kissed someone?" Jeremy breathed as rage fired his blood, and radiated through his entire body. It was so intense it took away his breath and almost every ounce of control he had. Jeremy felt his body tremble with the intensity of his anger. He had to make a conscious effort not to allow his Ojah to take over because he knew how much his red-eyed inner spirit scared his mate. "You allowed another person to touch you?" He roared, grabbing the clock on the bedside table and throwing it with all his might against the glass door that divided the bed area from the rest of the suite. The glass shattered, coming down as if it was raindrops.

"Jeremy, come on I thought..."

"It was a dream. Yeah, I got that." Jeremy snapped, grabbing the bedside phone. He didn't think he was in the right frame of mind to even access his mind-link. He began to punch in a number. "Whatever bullshit went on in my..." Ryan jumped onto the bed and ran across to snatch the receiver from Jeremy's hand before he could finish punching in whatever number he'd been about to punch.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jeremy growled, fixing Ryan with an icy glare. "Give it back." He looked as if he was about to explode. Anybody would have been terrified but not his stubborn mate.

"No, I won't," Ryan growled right back. "You're going to sit your butt down, calm down, and listen to what I have to say." Ryan's eyes flashed, showing just how serious he was. But then he completely ruined the effect by adding softly, "please."