The Council (Darkness #5)(17)

“Don’t tell a woman she’s unbalanced!” Ann seethed. “Because I will show you unbalanced if she won’t!”

Jonas started forward with powerful, purposeful strides. “Keep that magic off me, human,” he growled. He didn’t balk, even when one of the balls nearly didn’t shift in time. He cut a path to the female wrestling with Stefan’s hands to get closer to his body, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, yanked her away from Stefan, and then tossed her down the hall like a doll. She landed in a pile of limbs.

He turned to Sasha. “Talk this shit out. Kill him after you figure out what’s going on.”

The female got up like a cat who’d just been splashed with water. “You will be punished for your harsh treatment of me!”

Jonas stared at her for a moment. The female’s eyes went wide and her mouth clicked shut. “Have some respect for yourself. You let males—or whoever—rip into your neck. That kind of tear is about disrespect. They might as well have been spitting on you. And yet you claim to be protected? You give all humans a bad name, and that’s saying something. Scamper away. You’re not good enough to be in this circle.”

“Rudy will hear about this!”

“Super. Now go away.”

With trembling lips, the female attempted a glare that didn’t manifest and about-faced, marching away down the hall.

“Sasha doesn’t like when you rough up women, bro. Not the right time to be pouring salt in the wound. Probably better to get a BJ.” Charles scanned the floating orbs, now turning from black to rainbows of color. Stefan had no idea what that meant.

“Tough shit—that broad stunk like sewage. No way was the Boss messing around with that.” Jonas started back toward Tim’s room.

Stefan refocused on the beauty in the middle of the hall. She’d just displayed a raw power and control probably only one or two others in this whole complex could boast. She was young, inexperienced, and naïve, but she was a powerhouse and now she was starting to show it.

How could she ever think he’d be happy with another? She was the only one for him—his match in every way.

“Shall we take this behind closed doors?” Stefan asked quietly.

“Where were you?” Sasha’s lip trembled before her eyebrows dipped low. Soul-crushing pain throbbed through the link, riding echoes of anxiety that said she really had thought he was dead.

“What were you going to do, storm the place?” Stefan asked softly, stepping toward her. Wanting to touch her so bad his hands were shaking. Because he knew she would’ve. She would’ve killed everyone she saw to avenge him.

“I’m not telling you your business, Boss, but I wouldn’t poke the unhinged female…”

“Say unbalanced or unhinged one more time, you jackass!” Ann roared. “One more time. I dare you.”

Charles flinched away from her glare.

“Move,” Jonas said, ushering everyone into Tim’s room.

Ann’s finger flashed out. She pushed it into Jonas’ face. “Do not drag me anywhere.” She turned to face Sasha. Softly, she said, “Are you okay? Do you want me to stay?”

“No, you can go,” Sasha said quietly, a tear overflowing.

Ann wiped the tear away before hugging her friend. With a last look at Stefan promising intense pain, she turned back and followed Charles into the room. Jonas followed her in.

Stefan waited for the hallway to clear before he said, “I stopped with that woman because she had that smell thing you do. A scent to her arousal.” He shook his head, stepping right up to her. “Only that. I didn’t want to rough her up because she is a human female—I know that you are opposed to that. I was coming to see you. I just got back. You can ask around—news of my efforts will have been heard by now.”

Sasha held her ground, shaking and rigid. Another tear dribbled down her cheek. “What happened to you?”

He brushed the wetness from her face. “The challenges have begun. Same as with you.”

“And you cut me off, why?” she whispered, moisture catching in her long black lashes.

“Because I didn’t want you to feel my pain, or my… brutality.”

Her hands came up slowly, aiming for his chest. Wanting to touch him as badly as he did her. He leaned into her, right before a blur of a fist rocketed into his lat.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me, you jerk!” she yelled at him, punching him again. “I was worried sick!”

She shook out her fist. “Ow.”

He brought her in to his chest. “Sorry. I’m sorry—Dominicous told me how to muffle the link right before the challenges came. Well, the first might not have been a challenge, but let’s go inside. The walls have ears.”

“No, they just have unoriginal idiots who don’t know what to do with themselves now that I know how to undo their spell. Turns out, Toa is a pretty good teacher. Did you know he was head-hunted once, too? They wanted him for that Clutch. The guy isn’t as powerful as some, but he’s way better at actually handling the magic.”

Stefan swept her up into his arms and carried her back to their room. He settled her softly onto the couch and sat next to her. He pulled her body against him.

“Did she smell better than me, is that why?” Sasha asked quietly.