Chapter 9

The second Ren locked eyes with the large beast, he felt a shock, like something was pushing him from behind. He lost his footing, stumbling forward. 

Its eyes were like Ashton's. Deep dark red that went on forever. They were the color of blood. They sucked Ren in, trancing him with just one look. He forced himself to pull away from the feeling. The addiction was already rising up. He didn't know what was so appealing about the strange sensation, but it was all he could think about.

It bared its teeth, lips quivering as another loud growl came from its throat.

Time slowed. It was all but a moment when Ren first saw the beast, but it could have been an hour for all he knew. The thing that had controlled his body had the same effect on him. This thing, it was similar in a way he couldn't quite place. 

He turned on his heel and ran in the opposite direction. He hadn't thought about Ashton or where he was going. He could only think about the girl's face, her body almost ripped apart, and how they just found her murderer. Or the thing that had killed her.

The ground flew past as he ran at full speed.

For a brief moment, he thought he was a goner. A vivid scene played out in his head. The Hound flew onto him and ripped him open. His guts painted the forest floor. It hadn't happened yet, but he was just racing against the inevitable.

Ashton grabbed his wrist. He jerked back, almost stumbling over his feet. There wasn't enough time to think about what Ashton was doing. Ren followed him, meeting his red eyes in the dark. They looked so close to the Hounds that Ren's heart leaped in fear. But Ashton was focused. His hand tightened around Ren's wrist, leading him toward the direction Ashton had gone to get the gas. They were running at the same time. The rush of it set Ren's skin on fire.

Everything was a blur but an explicit array of images at the same time. Ren's eyes were everywhere yet he couldn't describe one detail besides the press of Ashton's fingertips to the inside of his wrist, right on his pulse, and the growls echoing in the dark forest behind them.

His feet were on fire by the time they reached the point where Ashton had left him. Ashton raced past the point and onto a path. But the path was overgrown with large trees that seemed to stretch on for miles upward. Ren didn't have the time to crane his neck to see where they ended. Ashton was faster than him. He pulled Ren along after him, not minding that Ren was stumbling over every single pile of leaves and fallen branch. His shins ached from how many times they collided with some foreign object.

Ashton's hand burned into his wrist. He took a deep breath, heart skipping as he turned to look over his shoulder. The red eyes peeked out from between the dark trees. The shadows split through the beast, turning its already large body into an infinity of flesh and fur. His eyes widened as it slid through the brush, kicking up leaves and dirt. The dark ate it up until he couldn't tell which was the Hound's body and which was the shadows. Everything became a blur of terrifying images that turned his legs into jelly.

He tripped. Ashton fell down with him. They were a tangle of limbs. A beat, a faded second that knocked the air from his lungs, was all it took for the Hound to catch up. Ren cried out as a large paw smacked down on his lower back. The searing pain was a knife slicing through him. He gritted his teeth. He turned over, hands held up to cover his face. The Hound snapped its jaws at him, snarling and dripping saliva over him. He gagged at the smell of rotten breath.

He kicked his legs out. Each hit jolted through him. It was not enough to get it off him. Ashton flung his entire body onto its back. 

"Your knife!" He yelled. It took Ren a second too long to snap into focus.

The Hound caught him by the shoulder. He screamed, eyes squeezed shut, as the fangs sunk deep until it felt like they hit bone. But he forced his hands into his pocket and grabbed the handle of the switchblade.

The blade flicked out. The Hound thrashed. Its fangs tore him open. The pain made it hard for him to move, but Ashton locked his arms around its throat and yanked its head up. He bared its throat to Ren. A clear shot.

"Do it!" He screamed over it growls.

Ren raised his knife and stabbed into the Hound's neck. It howled in pain. Ren ripped the blade across until blood spilled from the open wound. From the left all the way to the far right, up to its ear. He sliced through its fur and tough skin. The blood gushed out like a broken fountain. Ren held back vomit as he pushed against the Hound's heavy body.

It tried to growl once more, but the sound was lost in a gurgle. It thrashed against Ashton's hold and Ren's hands were too weak to keep it up on his own.

The blood was a dark red that looked closer to black. It smelled greasy and lacked all the aroma Ren was used to with human blood.

The Hound's body twitched and then fell limp. Ren grunted as its large head knocked against his. The blood smeared across his face. His lips were soaked with the greasy dark red liquid and he pressed them into a hard line so it didn't get into his mouth. The smell was so pungent he couldn't think of anything else besides how bad it smelled and how to get it off him. He turned his head, biting back the sickness taking over his sensitive stomach. There was nothing worse that he could think of besides this.

Ashton shoved the Hound's body to the side. It rolled over, tongue flopping out of its mouth. Its eyes were pitch black now. There was no sign of life.

Ren let out a sigh.

Leaning on his elbow, he peered at the corpse.

Ashton panted in front of him. He leaned back on his heels and wiped at his forehead. The blood smeared across his head. Ren stared up at him. His tongue was stuck as he took him in. His white shirt was streaked with the blood. The long sleeves were shredded at the end from the Hound struggling against his grip.

Ren swallowed and looked away.

Ashton's chest heaved. He was still looking at Ren.

And the more Ren looked back at him, the harder it was to turn away. He was glowing in the moonlight, covered in blood, and heaving like a mad man. His jaw clenched, teeth showing between his lips, and he was glaring. Ren knew it wasn't at him. At least, he hoped it wasn't because that look scared him.

It was the same look he was wearing when Ren found him hunched over the girl's body. There had been blood that time too. All over him.

Now it was on both of them.

Disgusting.

Then, the moment snapped like a thin string. Ren jolted back into his body. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The forest was colder now. A soft breeze dried the blood on his hands and face. It was crusty even though it hadn't been long since it was spilt.

"What was that?"

Ashton smoothed the glaring look from his face, but Ren still didn't want to look at him. He was too much to look at all of a sudden. The ache in Ren's chest didn't feel right. He wanted it to go away, but he knew that if he looked at Ashton it would stay.

He's the reason behind the feeling. Ren didn't want to put a name to it though he knew what it was.

"Hounds." The word barely made it out between Ren's chapped lips. He licked them, hoping he could get some of the bad taste out of his mouth. He made it worse by tasting the blood of the Hound.

He spat out the little blood that had made it onto his tongue. The taste traveled to the very back of his throat. He couldn't get it out no matter how many times he spat.

His stomach twisted. He was sure he was going to throw up. The ache was there, pushing up through him and to his throat. He pushed it down with as much power as he had. His strength was waning.

When he couldn't taste the blood no longer, he glanced at Ashton out of the corner of his eyes. His glance turned into a glare. Anger surged within him. He couldn't pinpoint when he lost the control to put a cap on his emotions. At first, it was just irritation and then all of a sudden, he wanted to rip his throat out. The anger faded to something more manageable, but he felt as if the blood of the Hound had made him this way.

Ashton looked at him with a calculating look.

"What?"

His gaze lingered. The heat traveled to Ren's face. The anger turned to something worse. His gut burned and it wasn't because he just licked Hound blood.

The feeling grew the longer Ashton was looking at him.

"Nothing." Ashton tilted his head. "Let's go."

Ren scurried to his feet. It didn't feel right. His legs wobbled as he followed after Ashton. He was so done with this night, the Hounds, Ashton, and not finding where his grandfather's damn ring was. The moonlight shimmered against Ashton's silky locks. He had too pretty of hair for an annoying guy like him. Of course he had money, good looks, a fit body, and nice hair. Why the hell did a guy with such a sour attitude get everything in this world?

Well, the only thing he had going against him was that he was full vampire.

Ren didn't care anymore. He didn't care to ask Ashton where they were going. 

"Why was it here?" Ren asked. That was the main question. That was the main fucking question he couldn't answer.

It wasn't a question directed at Ashton, but Ashton answer back anyway.

"Shut up?"

Well. Not the answer he was looking for.

Ren mocked him behind his back, mouthing shut up with a funny face. Rolling his eyes hadn't seemed like enough and though he would have liked to kick him square in the back, it was still hard for Ren to keep standing.

They walked for at least fifteen minutes, maybe more, when a clearer path started to form under their feet. Ren glanced behind them and then forward where the path had started. The trees and lower brush was cut back like it had been taken care of recently.

Something irked him. He didn't know what it could have been until he saw the top of a house. His heart got lodged in his throat. He should have known this was coming. Ashton had left him behind to get the gas. There was really only one place he could have gotten it from. Though he hadn't put two and two together until it was too late.

Ren looked down at his clothes. They were stained with blood. His face must look just as bad. The dried blood was itchy. He scratched the itch away and when he looked at his nails, the flakes of dark blood were under them. A shiver of disgust rocked through him.

He couldn't go home like this. There was no way he could hide this big of a mess from his mom.

The house was not what he expected. It was a large manor, built before the war, and was in almost perfect condition. The paint was a sleek coat of white, the trim an expensive-looking dark wood, and the small shed to the side had its own porch. The strange thing about it was that it looked empty. The curtains were drawn shut, the lights were off, and there was not a trace of life anywhere in the yard. A small garden peeked from the back, but he couldn't get a good view of it.

Ashton turned to him. He raised a finger to his lips.

Ren nodded.

Satisfied with his compliance, Ashton walked toward the front door. It swung open without a sound. And from the inside of the house, Ren smelled flowers and a strong sweet aroma that made his gums throb. The smell was blood. It was a mix of human and animal, though the former was the strongest out of the two.

He thought back to the night he met Ashton. He'd been hunting he said. Animals weren't the best diet and didn't hold much nutrition. Ren couldn't imagine how he could settle for something that couldn't possibly ever fill him. Even Ren, a half-vampire, had trouble with the amount he had to drink a day. His stomach was a bottomless pit always craving more. A full-vampire would need twice as much.

They entered the hall that led to a large living room and a foyer. The only light was that of the moon streaming through the white thin curtains. He could tell the decorations and the furniture were exquisite. It was the only word he could use to describe them. It still didn't do them justice.

But the beauty couldn't hide the ominous feeling. It settled in around him, like a spider slowly crawling its way down a string of web. Inside, it was warm, yet his teeth chattered and goosebumps rose up along his arms and legs. He straightened his back and looked around with a slight tilt of his head.

Ashton grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the end of the hall. A large set of stairs jutted out from the wall. They were darker than the rest of the wood in the house. New, from the looks. He raised his head to get a better look at the top of the stairs. The moonlight wasn't enough to see up that far and there were no windows up that way.

He looked down where Ashton's hand held his. His fingers were so white against Ren's. He stared at them, mesmerized.

With his free hand, he ran the tip of his finger along Ashton's knuckles.

Ashton's grip tightened.

Ren looked up. Their eyes met.

Then, the light flickered on.

"Ashton Mantel. Would you like to explain yourself?"

Ashton turned. His stoic face made Ren bite his tongue. He wasn't going to say anything, but he wanted to make double sure he didn't make a sound.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs was a thin, almost pale woman with short blond hair cut just at her shoulders. She had green eyes, lips the color of a lotus which pursed in a thin line, and a tall frame that filled the silk gown she wore. Her arms crossed over her small chest. She narrowed her eyes at them, the faint color of green on her eyelids from the earlier day's makeup.

"Well?"

She almost didn't look that surprised to see Ren, a complete stranger, standing with her son covered in blood. Ashton looked worse off with the gashes in his arms.

"What do you want me to start with first? The dead body or the Hound?"

She snorted. She tightened the belt of her silk robe, tying it off with an angry snap. The fabric made a zipping sound.

"Sit down," she bit out. Without waiting for them to move, she turned around. The bottom of her silk robe and nightgown whipped against her legs. Then, she elegantly moved across the dark room to the plush couch and sat down with a slight fluttering of her clothes.

Ashton was the second to move. He followed her path, an almost copy of her if it wasn't for his clothes, the blood, and the angry look on his face. Ren could see the similarities between them though they were muddied with the striking differences. As close as they got to being one and the same, they were forcibly pushed away in only slight differences.

Ren tiptoed across the room. At just the soft patter from his feet, he caught her icy stare. She glared at his feet as if he'd made the biggest offense in her life. He swallowed down the queasy vomit.

Ashton sat, falling back on the cushions with an air of no care. The whoosh of him sitting down made the grimace on her face deepen. Ren sat beside him, light as a feather as to not make her notice him further. But he was sure it was hard to not notice the quite large elephant in the room that happened to be him. 

It also didn't help that they were both covered in blood.

She raised a brow.

"What?" Ashton didn't look at all frightened by the look on his mother's face.

Ren stared at his hands, fingers fumbling over one another as he tried not to scream. 

"Do not talk back to me."

Ren took a side glance at Ashton. His lips were twisted into a frown that made his handsome face look ghoulish. Him and his mom were mirror images of one another. Ren felt like he was trapped between two beasts about to fight to the death. The Hounds had been terrifying, but at least they didn't talk.

That he knew of.

Goosebumps rose up his arms. He slowly put his hands on his knees and squeezed them so he wouldn't be tempted to run his hands up his arms to warm them.

Her icy gaze fell upon Ren. "What the hell is this?"

This. What. He wasn't a who.

Ashton didn't answer.

She leaned back. "Nothing? Did you just pick it up on your way home?"

Ren looked between them. His mouth parted, but the words were just air he couldn't form with his tongue. He moved to the edge of the couch. 

"Ma'am" She snapped her head toward him. He inwardly cringed at himself. "Um…I—My name is Ren."

He would have knocked himself upside the head if he could. That was what he was going to say to her? That was supposed to make the situation better?

A grin stretched over her thin lips. Her white teeth gleamed in the moonlight.

She reminded him why vampires were so feared by humans. This was the beast they saw in their nightmares.

"Ren," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Why are you in my home?"

That was a good question. Though it wasn't one that he could answer without giving away what had happened up until this moment.

He looked at Ashton, hoping he would save Ren from his stupid decision to poke the lioness.

He was staring straight ahead. As if Ren wasn't sitting beside him at all.

She stood up as elegantly as she had sat down. She drifted across the small space separating them and looked down at Ren. He leaned back in the plush seating, feeling smaller than he'd ever felt before. Her eyes bore into his and though he wanted to avert his gaze so badly, he couldn't.

Ashton cleared his throat.

Her intense gaze looked away, breaking the spell she had over Ren. The brief relief was enough for him to take one deep breath and hold it as her cold piercing eyes landed on Ashton.

"I invited him."

She pursed her lips. "I see."

And with the flicker of her nightgown, she turned and sauntered to the stairs. Like a ghost floating through the wind, she glided up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

Ren panted slightly as he tried to catch his stolen breath. "Is this—"

He wanted to ask if this was fine. If it was okay that he was there in Ashton's home. His mom didn't look happy, even if it was with the permission of her son. Ren didn't think his own mom would have liked him bringing in strangers in the middle of the night either. She wouldn't like seeing him covered in blood either or knowing that he was going off in the forest by himself.

All those combined would have made her head explode.

"Just keep your mouth shut from now on." He grabbed Ren's wrist and hauled him up from the couch.

Ren stumbled to stand beside Ashton and to follow him in the direction his mom had gone.

The long hallway was illuminated by the hidden moon behind the draping tree outside the round window at the end of the hall. There were five doors, three on the left and two on the right. Ashton didn't hesitate to throw open the second on the left and rush inside with Ren being pulled behind him.

The room was bigger than Ren's living room. Even the hallway which he could only make out by the soft hue of the moon was nicer than his entire house. For its age, which was obvious by the structure and the furniture, it was in good shape. Ren could imagine this house was run by strict adults. There was not a single thing that stuck out so far that let on that kids had once played here. And though he couldn't ever imagine Ashton being a playful child, he also couldn't imagine he hadn't wanted to be one. 

Ren had once been free like a child. Young age was like that for almost everyone.

Ashton's room was as dreary as the rest. The colors were dark browns and black. The large bed in the center of the room was made up neatly with the sheets turned down and the pillows fluffed. The golden ornate swirls looked far from what he could imagine Ashton picking out for himself. If there was one color that fit him best, it was black and the color of dark red blood against his light skin. He was a monster when he was painted in the color and as Ren turned his eyes away from the bed and back at Ashton, Ren held his breath.

Ashton had stripped from his shirt. It was lying on the floor beside him.With his back turned to Ren, he walked to the tall dresser at the far wall. He pulled out a black shirt, slipping it over his head. The blood was still streaked on his arms and face, but most of it was stained into the white shirt.

"Here," he said. 

Ren jumped as a shirt flew at him. He caught it with both hands and clutched it to his chest. His eyes were stuck on Ashton's rippling back. He hadn't even looked at Ren.

Ren was thankful he hadn't. Ren's face was flushed and it was spreading down to the top of his chest. His ears were on fire. A lump stuck to the back of his throat. He swallowed it down as best as he could. It didn't make the burning in his chest lessen.

The black t-shirt in his hand was identical to the one Ashton wore now. Ren slowly pulled his hoodie and shirt off. As he folded the bloody bundle up, Ashton moved to the open door to the left. He flicked the light on and the large bathroom was illuminated in a blinding light. The bedroom was made darker by the sharp contrast. Ren looked away then and sat the bundle of his clothes to the side, away from Ashton's bed and away from anything that looked too valuable.

The shirt was soft against his skin. Once he'd pulled it on, he rubbed the hem between his thumb and pointer finger. The material was of higher quality than anything he'd ever owned or saw.

While Ashton washed in the bathroom—as Ren assumed he was doing—Ren took the time to look around the room.

Next to the large bed was a nightstand that held random bits of folded paper, a tube of chapstick, and a worn notebook that definitely saw better days. To the right, a small writing desk with an apple laptop sitting on top was pushed to the corner. A large bay window connected the nightstand to the desk. It was at least two feet deep and four feet wide, giving enough room for throw pillows and a thin cushion to lay comfortably. The curtains framing the large bay window were pulled shut, but a sliver of the moonlight trickled in. 

If he'd taken the time to imagine what Ashton's room looked like, he definitely wouldn't have imagined it to look even remotely like this.

Without thinking, he lifted the collar of the shirt to his nose and took a sniff.

He couldn't name the smell. It was uniquely Ashton though. Ren took another deep inhale.

It smelled good.

The water shut off and Ashton stepped out from the bathroom.

Ren dropped the collar of the shirt like it was on fire.

Ashton threw a damp towel at him. It was with the same force as he'd thrown the shirt. Ren was prepared and caught it in his hand this time.

"Don't touch anything until you're clean."

Ren resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Does that mean after he's clean he can touch anything?

He rubbed the towel hard against his arms. The blood came off in streaks, chipping away like dried scabs. He wanted to throw up. The blood stained the white towel and he wondered briefly if it would be tossed once he was done.

He wondered if Ashton would throw it away because it had been against Ren's skin.

His hand tightened on the said towel.

He wiped his face and then threw it on top of the pile of his dirty clothes. 

Fuck him. Fuck his mom and fuck this nice house.

Fuck this whole thing. He wished he'd done what Ashton had said and forgotten about this. But he kept coming back like it was any of his business.

In a way, it was. But he had a way out and he hadn't taken it.

"What am I doing here?" He asked out loud.

Ashton looked up from the book he'd picked up from somewhere when Ren hadn't been looking.

"Do you mean what you were thinking when you went to the forest tonight or do you mean why are you standing in my bedroom?"

Ren scowled. When he said it like that it made it sound like something dirty was going on. They were attacked tonight. Ren couldn't go home and he felt safer with Ashton than on his own in the middle of the forest.

How that came to be was beyond any of his competence.

Ashton resumed flipping through the book.

"How did you know they were Hounds?"

Ren's hands were shaking.

"I read a book," he bit out. He didn't know why, but he wanted Ashton to look at him. He wanted Ashton to at least acknowledge his presence. 

Ashton hummed. He turned the book over so Ren could see the inked pages.

"Does this look like what we saw tonight?"

The picture was of a large dog. The hair along its body was spiked and the blackest of blacks Ren had ever seen. The teeth were feral and the eyes were that of the devil.

Ren nodded.

He still didn't know why Ashton needed to confirm this with him. They had both been there. There was no way either of them had dreamed up what had happened.

He looked down at the claw marks on his arms.

He didn't know how long he could hide this away from his mom.

She always saw right through him when he was hiding something. 

Ashton turned the book back around. He pursed his lips as his eyes scanned the pages once more. He concentrated on the image and the words Ren hadn't been able to read. Ren didn't understand why he was so caught up in the book or why he was bringing this up in the first place. Ren had already said he'd seen them before. Albiet, he didn't know much about them.

Maybe that was what he was reading.

Ashton tossed the book on the bed. "That didn't help much."

He gave a lengthy sigh, running his hand through his lightly damp hair. He looked at Ren out of the corner of his eyes. 

"Right. You're still here."

Ren's fingers twitched. "Are we here for some reason or did you just want to flaunt your shit in my face?"

He hadn't meant to burst out like that, but he was getting tired of how Ashton was treating him. He was walking all over him like he was nothing. Not a living being that had thoughts and feelings. Well, he probably shouldn't have expected much from a Mantel. They were known for being righteous assholes who only thought about themselves. 

It just fucking sucked that the Mantels were the poster family for what vampires were like. They created most of the stereotypes that Ren had to deal with everyday.

While the the Mantels themselves were hiding away in the woods. 

Ashton snorted. He sat on the edge of his bed and leaned back on his arms while crossing his legs. "So you do have a backbone. I was starting to think you had a kink for getting walked all over."

The heat in Ren's chest rose. It was close to bursting. It was the dark thing inside of him. It didn't like Ashton either. Though, there was a hint of something else that made Ren's stomach twist. He couldn't think straight to put his finger on what that feeling was. But he knew he didn't want to find out. Anything the anger brought out within him couldn't be good.

Ashton laughed, but it was cut short. He pulled a serious look. "I'm kidding. Don't have an aneurysm."

He waved his hand to the empty spot beside him. "Sit down. Your twitching hands are driving me crazy."

Ren thought again about hitting Ashton upside his head. He squashed the feeling and sat down. He tried to keep a good distance between them. It didn't feel like enough even though the bed was gigantic.

He picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "Why did you even have this?"

When he looked over at Ashton, he swore for a second he'd seen a light dusting of pink on the tops of his cheeks. It couldn't have been a blush. Ashton Mantel didn't blush.

Ashton coughed. "Homework. I'm homeschooled."

Oh. Right. That made sense. 

Ren found the page with the Hound on it. It looked similar to the one that had been drawn in his mom's journal. Almost as if the one in her journal had been referenced from this one. He read the description though it didn't give him anymore information that helped him find out why they had attacked them in the first place.

He put his finger on one line and read it aloud. 

"Guards of Hell. Dogs turned by demons—are you sure we can trust this book?" He furrowed his brows. It was hard to imagine any of this was real. That being said, humans had thought along the same lines when vampires and witches started coming out of the woodwork.

Ashton grabbed the book. "Yes, I'm sure."

He glared at Ren. 

"I was going to help you find your stupid ring, but now I'm not so sure." He stood from the bed. 

Ren followed him.

"Wait." He grabbed Ashton's arm without thinking. Ashton looked down at where Ren's hand was touching him. Ren yanked it back.

He awkwardly put his hand to his side. The tremors had at least stopped. 

"We need to work together."

Ashton was about to open his mouth but Ren put his hand up.

"I know you don't like me. I'm not asking to be friends." He licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Think about it. The Hunter Society is looking for that girl. Even though we got rid of her body, they're going to pin her murder on someone. Want to take a guess who?"

Ashton crossed his arms. "I think you're trying to suggest my family."

"It's either you or me."

He seemed like he was thinking about it. Ren could only hope his argument was good enough to sway Ashton more likely to help him figure out what was going on. This wasn't how he wanted things to go, but he was too deep in this already to think he was just going to walk out of it. Either he could find out the real killer—find out why they'd been attacked by Hounds—or he could wait for the Hunter Society to come knocking on his door to lock him up for murder.

That would have been okay if his mom wouldn't be wrapped up in it. The Hunter Society were known for targeting people that defended vampires. His mom wasn't going to let him be taken away without a fight and if she did that, she'd be setting herself up for the Hunter Society to ruin her life as well.

That was what he was preventing. 

"Fine," Ashton said. "I'll help you."

The tension in Ren's shoulders lifted some.

"But it's going to be on my terms." He gave Ren a pensive look. "I can't have my parents finding out about this. They'd ship me off to Sangui if they did."

Ren didn't know why that was such a bad thing. It sounded like paradise compared to Montis. Ashton was rich, good looking, and he was a full vampire. Sangui was where his kind ruled.

"Okay. On your terms."

Ren thought that was where their agreement would be settled, but Ashton crossed the room to his nightstand. He pulled out a switchblade. It was all silver, the handle carved with an ornate design that just screamed high class. He flipped it open.

Ren backed up as Ashton walked toward him. 

Ashton grabbed his wrist and yanked Ren's hand toward him. "Don't worry. I'm just making the contract legit."

At that, he swiped the blade across Ren's palm. Ren hissed and tried to pull his hand away, but Ashton gripped him harder to the point Ren thought he was going to snap his bone. 

Blood seeped from the cut.

"Hold it there."

Ashton let go of him after making sure he was going to listen. Ashton cut his own hand. And then, he pressed the cuts together. A swirl of silver light flew around their clasped hands. Once it faded, Ashton let go.

"Whoever goes back on their word dies."

Ren grabbed the bloody towel still on top of his clothes. He roughly wiped his hand off. 

"Then it's good I always keep my word."

Ashton just stared at him. Not a word.

Then, there was a knock at the door.