Chapter Sixteen: Ciaran

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The Ruari I left this morning is a vision of a fallen angel, sweet and innocent looking in sleep. I considered waking him up before I left but I decided not to disturb him since it was not even dawn when I set out.

I was going for a meeting about the raids with another alpha and if I want to be back before the end of the day I had to leave before first light. Ruari is still recovering so he needs all the rest he could get. I thought it'd be a hassle for him if I woke him up just to say I'd see him later.

I did, however, leave a note to apologize for leaving without waking him and explained I'd be away the whole day. I didn't mention the meeting about the raids. I didn't think it's anything important to worry him with. Maybe that's the reason why the Ruari I went home to this evening resembles the devil-incarnate ready to chop my balls off.

"Where have you been?" Ruari asked his voice low and calm. It sent a cold shiver down my spine.

I closed the double doors behind me, preparing myself for the worse. Honestly, I would rather he shout and berate me for not telling him exactly where I went. I know how to handle that kind of anger. But this, silent and cold type of rage, is new to me. I don't know how to effectively deal with it.

I know Ruari can be stubborn and now I'm finding out that he has a violent temper as well. How do I douse it without getting myself castrated, I wonder?

"I left you a note. Didn't you read it?" I asked gently gauging his temper. I realized immediately it was the wrong thing to say because he growled low on his chest.  

Damn! I'm drawing blanks. I really have a lot to learn about my mate. Like how do I deal with this temperamental side of him?

"I read your note." He glared at me baring his teeth. "What I want to know is the part that you left out. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Where have you been Ciaran?"

I groaned inwardly massaging my now aching head. I've been traveling for six hours to the meeting place and another six back. I spent the rest of time cooped up inside a small room with another man discussing death and the possibility of preventing them. I'm tired. Is it too much to expect that I'd go home to the happy and caring mate I spent the whole day yesterday? Looking at Ruari's mutinous face, I guess it is.

Lorcan told me about what happened at breakfast this morning. How the pack reacted or didn't react properly to his presence. He also informed me of Ruari's newfound interest on Leanne and Cale. And how he reacted to being kept out of the loop about the raids. My beta suggested it might be better to tell Ruari everything, get him involved.

Under normal circumstances a man in my current position would probably be groveling by now. Desperately trying to explain his side of the story and persuade the other party to agree to his point of view. I should try to make amends and salvage the situation, meet Ruari halfway so to speak.

But I am not that kind of man. I'm arrogant to a fault and I've never been good with dealing with situations where people question my judgments.

"It's none of your business Ruari," I answered flatly, looking straight into his mismatched eyes daring him to call my bluff.

I'm playing with fire, dumb of me I know, but I don't agree with Lorcan's suggestion. It's better if Ruari doesn't know anything about the raids. It's bad enough that he'd made aware of them. It'd be safer for him if he were kept in the dark about what's really happening. Who knows what he'd do if he knew everything? I won't risk his safety just to satisfy his burning curiosity.

"Is that so?" He answered slowly.

I stiffened at his tone and the sudden blank look on his face.

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