The Wicked Beasts That Roam

Chapter 30

Zipping up the last suitcase, Jade's eyes roamed the room with the strong sense that she'd forgotten something.

"You don't have to leave," Zeke said, leaning against her bedpost. "Me and Aidyn can still protect you."

"Eh, it's my route every time shit hits the fan." She furrowed her brows.

She wondered if Zeke came up here to comfort her from her impending doom, or if he was going to start prying about the mess that was her and Dom. Whichever the reason, she didn't feel like responding to either.

Zeke cleared his throat and sat on her bed. "He can be an idiot sometimes."

She should have known it'd be the latter. "Yeah, well, I'm done with his mood swings."

"I understand. I really do. But I'd at least wait to leave, you know 'til he comes back from wherever the hell he went. That way you can yell at him, hurt his feelings and make him feel like shit." Zeke scratched his head and gave her an iffy stare, "Look, I know my brother is possibly the biggest douche in the world—"

"Times ten."

"Times ten. But somewhere deep inside that iceberg heart of his, he loves you. And he feels it, he knows it's there, and it scares him."

She rolled her bottom lip into her mouth as she set her other bag on the bed. "Your logic is distorted, good sir."

"Him kicking you out of his room—that was low. That was really low." She pinned him with a blank stare. Dear God, did everybody know. "Okay, it was downright cruel of him. I'm not on his side, and I'm not trying to defend him in the least, but you gotta understand he's scared of commitment. He fears it like the plague."

Zeke shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He . . . he wants you. He really does. But he doesn't think he deserves you or a family, because honestly he's never had one. My father brainwashed him into believing he wasn't worth anything, drilled that shit in his head. And when his mother didn't come back to get him like she promised . . ." Zeke shook his head, "that spoke millions to him."

Jade plopped onto the bed beside him, twiddling her thumbs. "He's fucked up—I get that. I'm fucked up too. Everyone is to a distinct point. He just lets his control him. I'm not gonna hold it against him though."

He closed his eyes and rubbed them. "Do you remember anything that happened while you two were . . . you know . . .?"

"Yeah, he bit the shit out of me." She subconsciously rubbed her shoulder.

The weird thing about it? It disappeared.

"He claimed you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means . . . uh, you know, your . . . his." Zeke picked her rubrics cube off the bed and began twisting it. "It's a demon thing. You just kind of stake your prize and the whole mating process begins."

"Why'd the hell did he do that for? I didn't wanna be anybody's property. Especially his." She slung her suitcase on the floor. "Why is he like that? Why does he just take things that aren't his?" she asked, thinking back to her black book he'd stolen.

Zeke frowned, his forest green eyes taking her in with pity. "It's instinct when we love someone. Hell hounds don't tend to love things, but when we do it's . . . strong, possessive, a nature that overcomes us no matter how bad we wanna fight it—we can't. At some point, we'll get caught up in the moment, and it'll win." A soft smile danced on his lips. "I speak from experience."