Chapter 17 Seventeen
KAZIEL
The distinct smell of cinnamon. I can smell it.
Which means Eve is here. But how?
I've never brought her here before. I haven't even spoken to her since that day Danika saw us.
There's also the smell of blood in the air. It's definitely not mine. Shit. This is not good. The last thing I need is for my blood thirst to be triggered again. I'd barely kept it under control earlier.
Gritting my teeth, I rise, bringing Danika to her feet.
Her brows knit. "Is it really her?"
I don't answer, but she knows. She follows me out of the room and down the hallway, closely.
I can feel her unease and the way her heartbeat stumbles every few seconds.
She knows what Eve is, but she's yet to understand the cost that comes with it.
When I open the door, the last thing I expect is Aaron, my beta, standing on my porch.
And in his arms is Eve.
She looks like she was attacked. Her jacket is torn at the shoulder, bruises on her face, and a cut on her lower lip. There's a major cut on her arm. It doesn't look deep, but damnit, the smell of blood is starting to get to me.
This isn't right. I'm not usually this sensitive.
Aaron's expression is grim when he speaks. "I found her close by, Alpha. She was barely conscious. She's a werewolf, so I figured she might belong to one of the neighboring packs." He glances down at her, then back at me. "She said her name is Eve. And that she's the vessel."
For a moment, all I can do is stare. Something is off about her. Aaron could've been an enemy. Why would she randomly tell him that she's the vessel?
Is she really that dumb?
"She told you that?" I finally ask.
Aaron nods, confusion flickering across his face. "Yeah. She said you'd understand. That you'd... found her." His voice lowers. "Why didn't you tell me, Kaziel?"
Because I wasn't supposed to. Because keeping her hidden was the only way to keep her alive.
I move closer, scanning Eve's wounds. "Bring her in."
Aaron obeys immediately, crossing the threshold and laying her gently on the couch. Danika hovers near me, torn between concern and dread.
Eve's lashes flutter, and her gaze lands on Danika first. Despite the blood and exhaustion, her lips curve faintly. "Hey, roomie."
Danika exhales shakily, kneeling beside her. "Eve, what happened to you?"
Eve swallows hard. "They found me," she whispers. "The hunters. They knew what I was."
Aaron stiffens. "Then they're getting smarter. If they're tracking her now—"
"Enough." My tone comes out colder than I intend. Aaron goes silent immediately.
I crouch beside Eve, studying her face. "You shouldn't have come here."
She lets out a weak laugh. "You think I wanted to? You're the only one who can keep me alive, Alpha. And she—" she tilts her head faintly towards Danika "—is the reason they're accelerating the hunt."
Danika flinches. "Me?"
Eve nods, grimacing in pain.
Damnit, bitch, can you not stop talking?
My mate glances at me, puzzled. "Kaziel...what is she talking about?"
Fuck.
Just how much does Eve know?
I pinch the bridge of my nose, annoyance buzzing in my veins.
"Attend to her, Aaron. Danika, come with me," I mutter, the familiar sting of blood thirst coursing through my gut.
"Please, stay," Eve suddenly blurts out, and I halt, narrowing my eyes at her.
She lowers her gaze instantly. "I...I'm scared," she breathes, and Danika tenses beside me.
I'm tempted to knock her out with a slap. But I can't.
Mama made damn sure I'd never raise a hand to a woman.
My father, though... different story.
"Aaron, do not let her out of your sight," I say to my beta. Then I reach for Danika's hand. She places it in mine, rising to her feet.
We head back upstairs together. I don't realize how fast I'm moving until she tugs at my arm, lightly.
I turn to see her brows furrowed, her hazel eyes filled with worry.
"What's wrong?" She asks, and my gaze instantly slides to the pulse pounding in her throat. The memory of the taste of her blood strikes me like a gunshot to the chest, and my fangs elongate.
Horrified, I quickly yank my hand out of her grip and turn away from her.
I need air. I need...I...
My hands are shaking so hard as I keep moving, awfully aware of Danika following closely.
Heart pounding, I step into my room, hurrying to my closet for stabilizers. But then I freeze in shock when I see that ...when I see that I'm out.
Every last vial. Gone.
"What the—" Dread lances through me.
Danika's voice is small behind me. "Kaziel?"
I can't answer. My throat locks. I stare at the empty shelf like it's mocking me. The walls seem to close in, the air turning thick and metallic.
I spin around, my breathing ragged. Danika takes a startled step back, her eyes wide. Her sweet, sweet scent floods my senses, and my stomach twists painfully.
The hunger claws at me from the inside, a familiar burn creeping down my throat. I press my palm against the wall and bow my head until my forehead rests on my arm.
"Stay back." My voice cracks, guttural. "Danika, please—stay away."
"Kaziel—"
"Don't!" The word rips out of me before I can stop it. My fangs ache, my pulse hammering in my ears. I can hear her heart racing. It's too loud. "I can't—"
I stagger, my knees buckling. The floor tilts beneath me as I crash down, my palms slamming against the marble. "Fuck!" The word tears out of me as I clutch at my chest, trembling hard.
Danika's footsteps falter, but she doesn't move closer. She's smart enough to be afraid.
I can smell her fear, and it feeds the thing inside me.
I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing air into my lungs, but every breath I take tastes like her blood.
"Get out," I croak. "Get out before I—"
My body jerks, a snarl ripping through my teeth as the thirst surges higher.
And then, my body moves before my mind catches up.
One minute, I'm there, the next, Danika is pinned against the wall, my hand on her chin, tilting her head while I bury my face against her neck.
"Fight me, Danika. Baby, please," I croak, my fangs grazing her skin.
"Is...is it going to hurt?" She asks instead, and I swallow hard.
Isn't she terrified?
Why...why is she asking me that instead of running?
"I'm not sure," I groan. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You're hungry, a-aren't you?"
She has no idea. I could kill her.
"It's okay," she whispers, rubbing my back.
"How can she be so trusting?"
She smells so fucking good.
I should warn her that I'm most likely to fuck her in the process. But I'm too far gone.
My fangs sink into her flesh as my vision goes black and she moans. She's going to be the death of me.
I'm scared out of my mind, but that fear isn't enough to quell my thirst. The first taste of her blood sends fire shooting through my veins.
Her blood floods my mouth, hot and metallic. The taste burns down my throat, scalding and divine. My vision whites out, my body locking in place as the beast inside me howls in ecstasy.
I think I'm screwed.
"Kaziel," she moans, her body arching against mine and I slide my hand over her chest to squeeze one of her perfect tits.
Fuck, yes.
I want to rip her clothes off like this, spreading her thick thighs. And then take her right there, getting her high on my fangs.
No, stop it.
You're going to kill her.
With every shred of will I can muster, I manage to swirl my tongue over the puncture on her neck and stumble away from her, panting. I probably look like I'm high out of my mind.
Danika stands there, leaning against the wall, her eyes dilated.
"W-what was that?" She slurs.
Guilt clogs my throat, making it difficult to breathe.
"Sleep," I compel her, rushing to hold her as her body goes lax. Gently, I lower her to my bed, tucking her in. This is not the way I planned on introducing her to my bed, but anything works at this point.
Letting out a shaky breath, I stumble to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. I can't believe what just happened.
Just then, I hear a knock on the door. Now what?
Wiping my face with a towel, I head to the door to open it, my hands still trembling.
Aaron stands there with a worried look on his face.
What part of ‘don’t let Eve out of your sight’ doesn’t he understand?
"Alpha...we have a problem," he utters, and I stiffen.
"What is it?"
He frowns slightly. "Why do you look like that? Have you been using again—"
"Fucking hell, no. What is the problem?" I demand through gritted teeth.
I hate that he sometimes reminds me of the past I've sworn to forget.
"It's Eve..." he rasps. "She's been poisoned."