Page 89 of An Oath at Midnight

Bram grabbed the phone, because there was only one person it could be. “Yeah?” he listened. “On our way.” He hung up, then turned to me, tucking my hair behind my ear. “He wants to see us.”

Shit.

We took the stairs back down, and slipped out from behind the bar. A low, throbbing beat filled the room. The club was in full swing, business as usual, like nothing had happened.

Bram’s jaw worked as he looked around.

Some people were dressed seductively, some barely dressed at all, and some were straight-up naked. There was a couple on the low stage, a mostly naked male was strapped down, his back and ass streaked red, while a female in leather walked around him. Others in the room watched or were engaged in their own…scenes.

Bram’s chest expanded. “Can I touch you? I need…I need everyone to know you’re mine.”

He needed it, and right then, I could thankfully tolerate it. “Yeah.”

“He let go of my hand and gripped the back of my neck possessively, pulling me into his side. “Stay beside me, and don’t talk to anyone.”

“No one’s going to hurt me or touch me. Places like this have rules. Brent wouldn’t let his members harass one another.” Bram looked ready to tear someone to pieces. “It’s going to be fine,” I said, and hoped I was right.

He didn’t look reassured.

We walked around a big male sitting at one of the tables, a female wearing a collar, kneeling at his side. Her head was dipped, and his big hand was threaded in her hair, stroking her like she was his pet.

Bram’s grip on my neck tightened, and he snarled when several people looked our way. They weren’t just looking at me, but Bram didn’t seem to notice that. No, he only saw the eyes that came my way, and he seemed to puff up like a cobra ready to strike.

I leaned into his side, wrapping my arm around his waist, trying to reassure him. Brent was already pissed at us for breaking into his place, the last thing I needed was Bram going full predator and killing a bunch of people for looking at me the wrong way.

“Down here,” he said and led me toward the hall where we’d found Chase.

Most of the doors along it were closed, but I could hear the moans and cries of pleasure and pain coming through them. We turned left at the end of the hall and walked up to another set of glossy red doors. Bram tensed beside me.

“What do you know about this guy?” Bram asked.

“Brent’s half sex demon and owns several clubs, I assume, like this one.”

Bram bared his teeth.

“B, you gotta calm down,” I said, looking up at him. “What’s gotten into you?”

He took my chin between his thumb and finger. “You ran for almost two days through a demon-infested forest to show me you want me. I watched you run from a bloodthirsty hoard, fight and kill to get to me. Baby, my crow didn’t miss it, the male who knows he has his mate at his side, didn’t miss it. I was already protective of you, possessive as fuck, and overnight that shit has reached an entirely new level. Anyone even looks at you, at my female, the wrong way, and I will fucking end them…that’s what’s gotten into me.”

I blinked up at him several times, my heart in my throat. What the hell did you say to that? I touched his arm, trying to calm him down, when I was far from calm myself. “I’ve been around my sisters and their mates enough to understand this is something you have to work through, just please, no matter how strong the compulsion is, do not kill Brent. He’s a good guy, by all accounts, and a friend of Willow.”

“He won’t die if he shows the proper respect. If he’s a good guy, like you say, then we shouldn’t have a problem.” He turned back to the door.

Shit. I knocked.

“Come in,” a deep voice called.

I opened the door and walked in. Brent stood from behind his desk. He wore dark trousers, his jacket was off and draped over the back of his chair, his shirt unbuttoned at the throat and his sleeves were rolled up. His hair looked like he’d been thrusting his fingers through it, and there was a heavy sliver chain around his neck, glinting against his lightly tanned skin, a metal ring hanging at the base—a collar.

“Hey, we’re really sorry about earlier. That was kind of…fucked up. Thanks for giving us somewhere to wait it out.” I motioned to Bram. “I uh…didn’t get to properly introduce you before. This is my—”

“Mate,” Bram finished and pulled me a little closer.

Brent studied us a moment, his lips twitching. “Take a seat.”

We both sat, then Bram’s hand shot out and grabbed the arm of my chair, dragging it right up against his, and gripped the back of my neck again.

“Bram,” I bit out. “Take a freaking breath.”