The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Red Witch

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Raphael watched as the twigs he'd piled in the fireplace began to smoulder and catch. Small flames began to lick at the kindling as he fed a larger log into the fire. The witch and he had sat up talking most of the previous night and into the early hours of the morning. He still couldn't believe she had been living with his brothers, that she'd played chess with Gabriel and learnt to sword fight with Winston, it sounded so surreal. The pang of jealousy for the closeness she'd shared with his brothers made him feel ashamed. Almost as shamed as he felt that his brothers had spent years protecting his bride while he'd been living a peaceful quiet life. Her scent filled his cabin and was the only thing that didn't have him convinced it had all been a delusion. He felt so much guilt, how could he have just left her? Ok, she hadn't known about her brother's threat, but he shouldn't have just assumed she would reject him. Rejection was pretty rare after all. It was hard to reject someone your entire being was geared up to fall in love with on sight. They were soul mates after all even if they didn't really know each other yet. That was meant to be the fun part, the learning about each other.

After they had slept, her in his bed and him in one of his chairs, he'd saddled Areion and taken her to the village so she could take advantage of the bathhouse and get into clean clothes. He'd been fascinated by the wide-legged trousers she'd worn and the clean pair she'd pulled out of her bag. They were so like some his mother had owned. It nearly floored him when she said Gabriel had given their mothers to her and she'd had many more made over the years. He was so glad Duncan had chased down and retrieved her horse, it hadn't even crossed his mind at the time. If the wolf hadn't her clothes and other possessions she'd carried with her would have been lost.

He'd gotten some food from the storehouse as he never did make it on his hunting trip with Duncan and left Areion to bring Rouge back whilst he prepared a decent meal for her. His cabin suddenly felt small and lonely without her in it.

Once the fire was going he moved his copper cooking pot on its hook over the flames then he turned to get the meat and vegetables to make a stew.

Bryn was standing in the cabin doorway watching him, it made him visibly jump. He'd been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't heard the she-wolf come in. He stared at her wide-eyed, his mind reeling.

"Is that for her?"

"What do you want Bryn?" She looked upset and hurt.

"She's a waif, she can't look after herself. She'll be a burden to you. It's not like something that small and weak can give you strong healthy sons." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bryn, please don't do this."

"We've watched each other for years. I know you like me. We'd be a better match." He opened his eyes and gazed at her angry hurt expression.

"She's my fated one Bryn."

"It's not fair. I've been here all these years. She hasn't."

"Bryn, there's never been anything between us, literally nothing."

"There should have been." She walked over to him and went to place her hand on his chest. He caught it before she could and gently pushed it away.

"When you meet your fated mate you'll understand Bryn." He turned from her and started placing the food he'd prepared on the table into the copper pot.

"If she was dead your bond would break." He felt his fangs lengthen and his vision sharpen as his eyes turned black.

"I'll say this once Bryn. She is my fated Bride. If anything happens to her I WILL kill you." His voice came out a feral snarl. Bryn leapt back and nearly crashed into the door frame in her hurry to leave.