Before Daybreak (Love Bitten)

Ren’s eyes narrowed, and he jabbed a finger toward his face. “You have to be kidding. I was nice and let you beat on me without fighting back. If anyone has the right to be pissed off right now, it’s me.”

“I’m not debating this with you.” Braeden quirked a brow. “How come you’ve never mentioned before that you were working with Callie?”

“I’m not a child.” Now that I’d calmed Braeden down, Ren apparently felt safe to throw some attitude his way. “I’m five hundred and thirty-six years old. I don’t share every little thing I do with you. Besides, I’ve trained hundreds of slayers, and you’ve never asked about any of them. How the fuck was I supposed to know this one was different?”

“You’ve been training my destined consort for what?” His gaze slid to me. “Two years now?”

I nodded, happy to learn that he’d paid close enough attention to what I’d told him last night that he remembered such a small detail. Being heard was a powerful aphrodisiac. Especially since my parents tended not to listen to me since they assumed my thoughts were perfectly in line with theirs.

“Yeah, and I’ve turned her into a damn fine slayer, if I do say so myself.”

Ren was a tough trainer and didn’t give out a lot of praise, so my chest puffed out in pride at the compliment. A growl rumbled up Braeden’s chest at my reaction, making me shake my head in exasperation. It was going to be a long few years waiting for our claiming ceremony if he was on edge so much that he couldn’t even handle his brother paying me a compliment about my fighting skills.

“I’ll be taking over from here,” Braeden grunted, pointing his index finger at Ren. “No more meeting with Callie behind my back.”

Ren waved his hands in the air. “I didn’t even know she was your destined consort until about thirty seconds before you showed up.”

Braeden’s hold on me tightened. “Then I guess that’s a conversation for Callie and me to have.”

Oh, crap. I had a lot to learn about relationships. I’d thought leaving the note when I left was the right thing to do, but now I was second-guessing myself.

5

Braeden

Still on edge from losing my cool, I pulled Callie tighter into my body and took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet, floral scent. With one thought, we were back at our home, standing in the den where I’d first brought her the day before.

I’d almost gone straight to the bedroom but had enough sense to know we wouldn't get any talking done in there. Although, as my eyes fell on the couch where I’d eaten my mate’s pussy for the first time, this hadn’t been much of an improved choice.

“What were you thinking, Callidora?” I asked, my voice hoarse from holding back both my hunger and anger.

“I was thinking that you told me I wouldn’t have to choose between you and my dreams,” she retorted, her body going a little stiff. “I had a training appointment, and since I’m behind the curve of most daywalkers my age, I don’t like to miss them.”

I scoffed and grasped her shoulders, moving her away just far enough so I could stare down at her beautiful face. “You know damn well I’m not talking about leaving to go train.” I narrowed my eyes. “With only a note—but we’ll get to that later.”

Her cheeks stained pink, and she looked down, her lips curling into a frown. “I guess I should have thought that you’d prefer to know it was Ren training me.”

“Prefer to know?” I repeated in a tight voice. “As your consort, I deserved to know.”

She didn’t respond at first, but then her gaze met mine, and she nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Her apology mollified me a bit, but I was still steaming from what I’d seen when I popped into the gym. That sight would be burned into my brain for a few hundred years, at least. “And you should have told Ren straight off that you’d found your mate,” I growled. “Then he would have been smart enough to stay away from you.”

Callie gasped, her face a mask of outrage. “That’s ridiculous! I’m his student. Do you think he stops training every woman who finds her mate?”

“Yes.” My tone was matter-of-fact, and it obviously surprised her. “I admit, I went a little crazier because it was my brother. But, baby, you know how hard the mating instinct is riding me. Seeing any man with his hands on you, no matter how platonic, will drive me to the brink of my sanity.” I decided not to tell her that it wouldn’t be a whole lot better even after I’d claimed her. I had a feeling that little tidbit wouldn’t go over well at the moment. “Ren would have helped you find a new teacher—a female—so you could continue without his life being in danger.”