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She pressed her hands against his chest. “Take care of this. I’ll wait with Dane.” She shook her head, knowing he wouldn’t be returning to her.
Mating heat was like a drug, an addiction. He wouldn’t be able to leave his mate’s side until it eased. And Ria would be long gone by then. Long gone and far away.
“Like bloody fucking hell.” He snarled the words into her face. “Not happening.”
“Mercury, listen to her,” Dane urged quietly from behind him. “Do you want to hurt her like this, man? I could smell the mating heat on you the moment Alaiya flung herself into your arms. Denying it isn’t going to keep Ria from hurting.”
Her knees turned to rubber.
Oh God. She couldn’t fall. She stared up at Mercury in horror.
“It’s not like that. Ria, listen to me.” His hands gripped her face, his expression twisted in agony. “Baby, you have to listen to me. It’s not like that.”
His head lowered, and she knew what was coming. He was going to kiss her. Let her taste what she couldn’t have. Let her know what belonged to another woman. And he would destroy her with it.
“No!” Her hand jerked up, covered his mouth. “Let me go, Mercury. Let me go.”
“You’re my mate.” He shook her hand away. “Damn you, you will listen to me.”
“Let her fucking go.”
Dane spun him around, away from her, but none of them could have expected what happened next.
A roar tore from Mercury’s chest and Dane went flying. He slid across the waxed floor, ending up in a pile against the wall before he shook his head and came to his feet with a snarl of rage.
“Touch my mate and you die.” Mercury placed himself between her and Dane. “Do you hear me Vanderale? I’ll gut you like I did that fucking bastard in the labs and I’ll shove it down your throat.”
His voice—wasn’t his voice.
Ria backed away from him, shaking her head as Callan, Kane and Jonas rushed from the office, putting themselves between Mercury and Dane as Jonas held his brother back, snarling in anger as Dane fought him.
“Mercury?” Alaiya stepped from the office. Sensuous silk hissed as she moved, like a serpent’s whisper. Her voice was almost childishly soft, confused, but her eyes—Ria stared into Alaiya’s eyes, and she saw the smug satisfaction there. “Mr. Vanderale hasn’t touched me.”
She touched his arm as Mercury’s gaze swung to Ria.
“Don’t you walk away from me.” He shoved a finger in Ria’s direction, fighting for control, obviously fighting against the rage tearing through him with mating heat.
Mating heat. For her. Ria looked at the other woman and felt like screaming in her own rage.
“Looks like the party’s over,” she whispered, staring back at him, aching to the depths of her soul. “Take care of your mate, Mr. Warrant. I’ll take care of myself.”
She felt the ice building, though she knew it wouldn’t last long. It was forming in her veins, covering her flesh, washing through her mind. The shield was as brittle as frost, and just as cold.
Mercury’s lips pulled back from his teeth in a silent, warning snarl as he started for her. And he might have reached her, he might have actually touched her, if Alaiya hadn’t been there. If she hadn’t reached up, her hands sliding over his shoulders, her lips pressing to his before he could push her from him.
And Mercury stilled, silent as death, against her.
Ria couldn’t bear any more. She turned and ran, aware of Dane behind her, calling out her name, catching up with her. He stopped her at the entrance to the foyer, forced her to slow down before wrapping his arm around her and leading her quickly for the door.
The doorman was waiting with her cape.
Dane grabbed it. Ria would have kept going. She had to run. She had to escape. She had to get away from the pain. It was splintering inside her so sharp and deep she didn’t think she could survive it.
The first sob tore from her throat as she rushed down the steps, ignoring the echo of a roar behind her.
Dane’s limo was waiting outside. Rye rushed to open the door and slammed it behind them as Dane rushed her into the back. A second later, the car was pulling away from the mansion, slicing a path through the fallen snow as Dane wrapped her cloak around her.
“It’s okay, little mink,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms, rocking her.
