Page 103 of Eternally Bound
“Good,” Ronan said and pushed the remaining folders aside before focusing on Nathan. “We will find a more central location to meet next time and go out to hunt together from there. Neither of us will reveal where we live, or be expected to. If anyone is caught trying to find the location of the other, it is a breach of trust and the offender will be dealt with swiftly by the other side. We will send out groups of hunters and vampires together every night. If someone is wrongly injured by someone on the other side or knowingly attacked, the attacker will be dealt with by both sides.”
These were details they had already hashed out while waiting for Brian to arrive, but he wanted to make sure they were clear to everyone.
“Agreed,” Nathan said.
“It’s a solid start,” Kadence said.
“It is,” Nathan replied.
Ronan rose with Nathan and extended his hand across the table to him. “A good beginning to what could become a strong alliance,” he said as he took hold of Nathan’s hand.
“Yes, it is,” Nathan agreed and shook his hand.
There was only one more thing he had to discuss with Nathan before leaving here.
“I think it is time for us to go. We will be in contact tonight.” Nathan said.
Nathan went to step away, but Ronan kept his hand, holding him back as the others started to file out of the room. “I’d like to speak with you and Kadence alone,” he said.
Nathan hesitated before waving the rest of his men out the door as Ronan’s followed behind them. Ronan released Nathan’s hand and drew Kadence against his side.
“You’re to make sure your man, Logan, stays away from Kadence,” he said to Nathan when the door closed behind the others.
“I never had romantic feeling for Logan, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Kadence said.
“No, you didn’t, but he had feelings for you, and now those feelings have turned to anger.” His eyes burned into Nathan’s as he spoke.
“Logan would never hurt her,” Nathan said.
“Maybe not before, but he’s bitter and angry now. That’s a deadly combination. If he does anything that I deem threatening toward her, I’ll kill him, alliance between us or not.”
“Ronan!” Kadence gasped.
“No.” The look he sent her caused her to hold back any further protest. “On this, I will not budge. He won’t be anywhere near you. There will benoarguing about that. I have only one weakness, Kadence, and it is you. Everyone who was in this room knows that. They won’t exploit it, but Logan might. Not to mention, you both think you can trust him, so your guard will be lowered around him.”
“I’ll keep him away from her,” Nathan promised.
“Good.”
“One more thing,” Kadence said. “The women in the stronghold need to be better trained. I’m not saying prepare them for going out in the streets, but you have to do more, Nathan. I believed I was prepared when I left the stronghold, but I wasn’t. It nearly got me killed.”
“Ah hmm,” Nathan cleared his throat and gave her a pointed look.
“I know leaving in the first place put me in danger,” she agreed, and her brother nodded. “But I wasreallyunprepared. The women think they can defend themselves. They can’t. I know you think you can keep them all sheltered, but there may come a time when you can’t. If that time comes, they’ll be lambs to the slaughter, and you would have allowed it to happen by not teaching them more.”
Nathan stared at the wall behind her before focusing on her again. “We will train them better.”
“Good,” Kadence said. “And speaking of women, how is Simone?”
“She is fine,” Nathan answered.
“Will you tell her I say hi and that I miss her?”
“I will,” he promised.
***
Nathan’s mind spun as he tried to sort through everything that had happened in such a short time. He had no idea how he would get the elders and some of the other male hunters in the stronghold on board with this, but he had to. After what he’d seen with those Savages in the warehouse, he knew it was only a matter of time before they were all completely outnumbered.
