19. Hayden
Thankfully, Cáel was quicker, catching hold of Easton’s suit jacket and jerking him back. “Don’t.”
Hal laughed, but there was an ugly twist to the sound. “So touchy.”
“You’ll get what’s coming to you, Corbett,” Easton spat, his breathing ragged.
Hal’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat on neutral territory?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.This was bad. So very bad. If one of my bond made a move in violence, the council might have cause to remove me from their protection.
I darted forward, slipping my arm through Easton’s and gazing up at him. “Can you take me outside for a moment? I’m feeling a little flushed.”
Easton was so shocked by my presence and touch that it seemed to steal the edge of his anger.
I squeezed his arm. “Please?”
“Sure,” he muttered.
I tugged him quickly toward a hallway as people muttered behind us. I had no idea where I was going, but I hoped I could find a way to a backyard or something. A waiter pulled up short as he saw us.
“Backyard?” I asked.
The waiter nodded quickly. “There’s a patio. Make a right at the end of the hall.”
“Thank you.” But I didn’t stop. I worried if I did, Easton might head back and deck Hal Corbett.
When I caught sight of the French doors, I breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Opening one, I led us through it.
The cold night air was a balm to the anxiety ripping through me. I released my hold on Easton, but he stayed close, staring down at me.
“Are you okay?” he asked gruffly.
“That was going to be my question.”
Easton’s gaze bored into mine as he mulled over his words. “No,” he finally admitted.
My breath left me on a whoosh of air. “Me neither.”
Pain twisted Easton’s features. “I’m so sorry, Hayden. I’m sorry he hurt you. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “Knox told me what happened to your family.”
That had Easton taking a step back, his face closing down.
“Please, don’t,” I begged. “Don’t shut me out. I’d rather have you barking your insults at me than that.”
Easton shook his head, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “It was easier that way, wasn’t it?”
One corner of my mouth kicked up. “Never thought I’d be wishing for someone to call me a piece of ass.”
Easton winced. “I’m the ass.”
“Not going to argue with you there.”
He sighed, turning to face the immaculate gardens that led to thick forests. “I never want to turn into my older brother.”
My heart squeezed. I could feel the fear in those words. “You won’t.”
Easton shook his head. “You don’t know that. Ryan was just like us. Loved his family, his friends. He was funny. So full of life. So normal.”
“What happened?” I asked softly. Knox had only told me that Ryan’s mate had passed away, but none of the details.
Easton’s jaw worked back and forth. “Ryan’s mate was a dragon, but she didn’t have the ability to shift. That’s what happens to a lot of females of our species.”
I wasn’t sure why that mattered, but I stayed quiet, hoping he would keep going.
“When we’re injured, shifting is what allows us to heal supernaturally.”
My stomach twisted, dreading where this was going.
Easton’s throat worked as he swallowed. “They were coming home from a concert, and a drunk driver T-boned them on Julie’s side of the SUV. She didn’t have a prayer. She was pinned inside the vehicle, and by the time Ryan got her out, she was barely breathing. Had she been a dragon, she could’ve shifted and healed herself. The driver was passed out, and there were no other humans around.”
“But she couldn’t.”
Easton shook his head. “Ryan watched her die on the side of the road all because some idiot got behind the wheel drunk.”
Tears filled my eyes. I knew what it was like to watch someone you loved fade in front of your eyes. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. “I’m so sorry.”
“It changed him. He went dark. Shut us all out. I knew we were in trouble when the driver turned up dead a couple of months later.”
My stomach churned. I didn’t blame Ryan for seeking vengeance, but I knew it wouldn’t stop the pain.
“But he didn’t stop there,” Easton went on. “He went after the bartender that served the driver, then the owner of the bar. Finally, there was no one left for him to blame, so he turned it all on himself. His mind shattered. We tried to intervene…”
“And that turned him on you,” I surmised.
Easton nodded. “He drugged us at dinner and set the house on fire. But he must’ve underestimated my and Knox’s weight. We were growing fast back then. We woke up to smoke. We tried to get our sister and our parents, but they were already gone.”
I had to move then, couldn’t hear Easton’s pain and not touch him. I crossed into his space, taking his hand in mine. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could take all the pain.”
He stared down at me, eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Do you see now? You terrify me, Hayden. You already own me, and I’ve barely touched you.”
My heart jerked in my chest. “Easton…”
His free hand lifted, his thumb ghosting across my bottom lip. “It would already ruin me if anything happened to you. The more I let myself into your orbit, the worse it gets.”
Everything hurt because I could truly see Easton’s fear. The reasons behind all of his assholish behavior. He was doing everything he could to push me away to protect himself. And here I was, trying to smash down those walls.
“But you make it so fucking hard.” Easton’s hand dropped to my neck, his fingers trailing over my pulse point, his mouth slowly moving closer.
My breath caught in my lungs. He was so close I swore I could already taste him. His scent, sea air and a hint of citrus, swirled around me.
The door behind us flew open with a bang.
Nolan glared through the night. “It’s time to begin.”