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the doors that led to the other office spaces were closed and locked, making Naya feel more than a little claustrophobic. She hated coming here, hated it right to the marrow of her bones, and Paul knew it. He’d made her come here to exercise his control over her. To remind her that no matter what she thought to the contrary, she was nothing more than a tool at the elders’ disposal.
    He took her to the back of the building and into the largest room besides the attic and basement. This was where the tribal elders met, made decrees, and decided the fates of their people as if they were all too stupid to think for themselves. Seated at a half-moon-shaped table, backs straight and expressions severe, were the rest of the elders. Naya tripped on her own feet as she walked through the door, and her jaw dropped in shock. What were they all doing here? A gathering like this only occurred when there was big business to discuss or if someone was in deep shit. And since Naya couldn’t remember any big business coming up that pertained to her, she had to assume that the elders had gathered because she was about to get her ass kicked. So not good. Her heart raced as she took a seat opposite the gathering of males. Did they know about Ronan? Holy shit, she hoped not.
    *   *   *
    For the second time in the past twelve hours, Ronan woke up feeling like he’d been ejected out of the business end of an elephant. Though his mind was clearer now, he still couldn’t remember what had happened the night before. She’d said that he’d told her he needed to protect her. From what? Had he known she was his when he tackled her to the ground last night? Was something after her? After them both? Fuck. She’d knocked him out and walked right out the gods-damned door. He had no idea where she was. He might not know anything about her, but she was his mate. She’d tethered his soul to hers. And it was his responsibility to keep her safe.
    His muscles twitched involuntarily, causing his concentration to flag as the realization that he was still bound overcame him. Ronan tensed as he pulled the chains securing his wrists to the headboard. He inhaled sharply at the bite of pain. Though the silver had weakened him, he should have been able to at least bend the frame with his physical strength alone. So either his devious female chained men to her bed on a regular basis or she’d fortified the frame with a magical enhancement to prevent him from breaking free.
    His female. Gods, even now the truth of it was a fist to Ronan’s gut.
    From the moment she’d tethered him, his body had turned traitor. His cock ached with the need to be buried inside of her and his fangs throbbed in anticipation of breaking the flawless skin at her throat. No matter what she thought to the contrary, he didn’t know her name—had never seen her before—and yet she belonged to him. It was curious that she seemed not to recognize their tether. To her, he was nothing more than her prisoner.
    Ronan thrashed against his bonds, welcoming the burn as the silver seared his skin. He needed to find her. Go to her. Make some sort of sense of why his soul had tethered itself to this unknown female who brazenly took a vampire captive. And he needed to know why he was here—wherever the fuck here was—and why. So many answers just out of his grasp, and worst of all, he had to relive the feelings of helplessness and anxiety he’d long ago put behind him as he lay here, chained and at someone else’s mercy.
    Did Mikhail know he’d left? Jenner? Ronan’s stomach knotted up to the size of a baseball. Fuck it all . Did Siobhan?
    He’d sworn a blood troth to the dhampir in exchange for a codex that had helped Mikahil unravel the mysteries of his mate, Claire. At the time, the bargain had been more than worth Ronan’s while. He enjoyed bedding Siobhan well enough and he’d needed the codex.