A minute feels like hours as we wait to see if our blood helps her. Suddenly, she chokes on our blood, and Ryland stops. He falls backward in relief. Evelyn is trying to spit out the blood as she gasps for air, the long gash on her head escaping into her hairline starts healing, and she rolls on her side, retching, spewing our blood onto the floor.
“I’m so sick of puking,” she gasps.
Thaddeus grips her, crushing her against his chest. Relief floods the bond as he cups her face, and I feel the darkness leave him, feel him relax with her in his arms.
“Get off me, asshole,” she says, smacking his chest, making me chuckle. Yep, there she is, our feisty little mate. She nearly died and doesn’t even realize it; she is pissed off because she woke up in his arms. Thaddeus loosens his grip, letting her move, and she looks around, confused. Then, her eyes snap to the floor where her blood has pooled. “What happened?” she asks, shocked, and I realize she can’t remember.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Thaddeus tells her, guilt flooding into me through the bond, mixed with fear of her rejecting him over what he has done to her.
“You’re fine. You will be fine, Evelyn,” I tell her.
I see her look up at Thaddeus as she realizes he has done something, yet she doesn’t understand what. I hold my hands out for her, and she moves off his lap, coming toward me warily before gripping onto me like I am her lifeline.
Ryland stands up. I watch him as he bends down, kisses her head, and turns around to walk into the kitchen. Thaddeus is staring at her like she is about to vanish in front of him, and I can feel his longing and jealousy that I am holding her, that she always seems to gravitate towards me.
Yet, he needs to understand every time she has been in his presence, he has hurt her or scared her. I have done neither. Humans tend to go where they feel safest, and at the moment, that is me.
“She is fine, Thaddeus. Go get some sleep and calm down,” I tell him, and he growls at me. Ryland touches his shoulder, making him look up. After a brief moment, he stands reluctantly and leaves me with her.
“What happened?” she asks.
“You hit your head. Ryland’s quick thinking just saved your life. You will be fine, Evelyn.”
“And Thaddeus?” she asks, turning her face into my neck.
“Thaddeus didn’t mean it; he just wants you. He isn’t particularly good at being gentle. He had no intentions of hurting you. I am partly to blame; I shouldn’t have tackled him.”
“Why can’t I remember?” she asks, pulling back and looking at me.
“Might be best you don’t,” I tell her.
As I stand up, I place her on the couch and grab a wet cloth and a blanket. Putting the blanket over her, I clean the blood off her face and peel her shirt off. Evelyn eventually falls asleep just as the sun rises, and I carry her upstairs, laying her on the bed next to Thaddeus and Ryland.
Going downstairs, I pull the mop bucket and mop out to clean up the mess left from last night, praying that she never remembers what happened. For this to work, Thaddeus needs to learn control, and she needs to accept him. After tonight though, I feel the shock of almost losing her might be enough to make him realize she is only human and can’t be mistreated like Ryland and myself.
I know Ryland is holding himself back. He feels the pull to her the most because he has marked her, feels what she feels. Somehow, he has pushed the parts of him that remind me of Thaddeus aside for her.
Thaddeus, however, struggles with who he is and with his own identity. I have lived among humans for centuries and have grown to like their humanity. I like the way they perceive the world, and understand emotion better than they do. I just hope Thaddeus can find his humanity in her. Because if it comes down to choosing, I will choose her over him, and I know Ryland feels the same way.
Evelyn
When I wake up, I roll and squeal as I feel myself falling, my eyes snapping open. However, before I hit the floor, an arm snakes around my waist and pulls me back and onto their chest.
My heart races at the sudden shock of nearly falling off, and then races harder when I realize I am now lying on top of the devil himself. My eyes open to see Thaddeus with eyes half-open, watching me. He yawns, and I can tell I woke him. What I don’t remember is getting in bed with him.
I can feel Thaddeus’ breathing change as he wakes up completely. With a smile on his lips, he almost looks human in this moment. All traces of the monster I know are gone. Just hypnotic green eyes I could get lost in and full lips only inches away from mine.
“Good morning, Evelyn,” he whispers, watching me closely. His hand on my back rubs my skin softly, sending sparks everywhere he touches. His hands are warm, different from the cold hands of Orion.
Thaddeus moves his other hand, brushing my hair behind my ear, his hand cupping my face and his thumb brushing my cheek gently. I involuntarily lean into his touch and find it soothing. I don’t understand why, but now all fear I have for him is gone; maybe because he isn’t killing people, he isn’t being rough. He is almost normal at this moment.
“Morning,” I tell him, wanting to move off him, yet my body seems quite relaxed in his arms and doesn’t want to move.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. That was never my intention, I never want to hurt you,” he says, his breath fanning my face, and I inhale his intoxicating scent.
He smells nice; they all do in a weird sort of way, addictively sweet and intoxicating, erotic. I have never been turned on so much by the way someone smells.
Thaddeus moves underneath me slightly, and then rolls onto his side. One of his hands is under my head, the other rests on my hip. He pulls me closer, crushing me against his chest. I place my hand on his chest, and he shivers under my touch, making me chuckle.
“What?” he asks.
“Nothing. You’re just being nice for once,” I tell him, and he pulls back, looking down at me.
“Never heard someone describe me as nice.” He chuckles, as he pulls me closer once again. I feel his hand run down my side to my hip and sparks move across my skin, tickling me and making me squirm.
“Are you ticklish, little one?” he asks, doing it again and getting the same reaction.
“Yes, but it doesn’t tickle. It’s a weird sensation,” I tell him, not knowing how to describe it.
“Tingling?” he says. I nod against his chest. “The mate bond is working then; I feel that every time you touch me.”
“Does it stop?” I ask.
“No. Been years, and I still feel it every time Ryland and Orion touch me. If anything, it gets stronger,” he says, and I feel the bed dip behind me. More sparks run up my shoulder, and someone rests their chin on me. Looking over my shoulder, I see Ryland.