Chapter 31 Personal
\[Allister’s POV\]
“One,” the word puffs out of my mouth as I pull myself up and then drop back down. “Two.”
I continue this pattern again and again until my irritation begins to die down. Three days had passed since I got to taste that woman, and even now I found myself craving her blood, but despite the need growing in me, I didn’t search for her.
There were rules in place for the chase and hunting, but the one we were playing with down wasn’t among them.
Huffing, I release the pull-up bar and drop to my feet before walking over to the bench, where my towel and water wait for me. When I reach, I wipe the sweat from my face and my chest before taking a long drink.
Looking around the room, I consider whether or not I should do a couple more reps, but I decide against it.
Throwing my towel over my shoulder, I begin to move, heading out of the workout room and into the hall beyond, just in time to see Vance stumbling towards me.
For a moment, I just took in his disgruntled form. His hair, which he usually keeps neat, is messed up, and his complexion is pale.
Frowning, I continue to take him in until I notice the long gash that he is trying to hide with his arm.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I growl, moving forward and pulling his arm away. “How did this happen? Who has the balls to..."
“Shut up,” he hisses, looking around worriedly. “And help me to my room.”
“To your room,” I repeat in disbelief. “You should be getting to the medical wing.”
“No. If I go there, father will find out.”
Finished speaking, he yanks his arm free and begins to stumble again, but stops as a growl of pain escapes him.
“Come on,” I sigh.
Moving forward, I wrap an arm around his waist and begin to move, leading him toward his room. Once inside, I help him to the bed before stepping back and waiting for an explanation.
“Instead of standing there, can you go and find some needles and a string?” He asks.
“Why aren’t you healing?” I demand, taking in his injury again. “Don’t tell me that this was caused by a magical weapon.”
“And if it was?” He snaps. “Now either help me or get lost. I don’t have the patience or the mood to deal with you.”
Rolling my eyes, I begin to move, heading toward the medical wing. Once I’m sure it is empty, I head inside our medics office and grab some gauze, bandages, and stitches. With supplies in hand, I head back to Vance’s room to find that he has cleaned the area, giving me the perfect view of a nasty gash that spreads from one side of his chest to the other.
“Here,” I huff, passing him the supplies I get. “Now you better fucking tell me how you got this.”
“I went to see her,” he sighs, beginning to stitch himself.
“Her?” I repeat, raising a brow. “As in that woman?”
“That’s right,” he confirms. “I broke my rule of not touching Alissa because of her, and I wanted to make her pay.”
“So you decided going against the rules was the way to do it?”
He had to be out of his fucking mind to have gone through that much trouble, but that still didn’t explain how he ended up hurt like this.
“Did she do it to you?” I ask. “If she was, I'll..."
“It wasn’t her,” he snaps, his eyes flashing with warning. “It was a damned member of the fae that seems to be hanging around her.”
“Looks like she has been busy,” I huff, crossing my arms. “Was our punishment not enough for her?”
“No,” Vance sighs. “That was why I decided to remind her, but then that bastard showed.”
Nodding, I take in his words while trying to keep my temper in check.
“It seems that he needs to be disposed of.”
The bastard crossed the line, touching Vance, and I would be damned if I allowed him to remain alive.
“You stay here, I'll..." I begin, but stop as Vance reaches out and grabs my wrist. “Don’t.”
Eyes widening, I consider his words as confusion mixed with my anger.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” I demand, unable to control my anger any longer. “That bastard did this to you, and you’re telling me not to do anything. How can you possibly..."
“He will be on guard for some time,” Vance snaps. “Do you intend to get yourself killed? Whether or not he is hovering around that woman doesn’t matter. In the end, she will come to us, and for now, we simply have to wait.”
“Says the man who nearly got himself killed by going to see her.”
What the fuck was he actually thinking? Was it because he too felt that her blood was different, and that was why he couldn’t stay away? I didn’t know, but if he thought I was going to let her and that fae man get away with what they did to him, he was wrong.
“Finish fixing yourself up; I’ve got something to do.”
“You aren’t going after them, are you?”
For a moment, I don’t speak as I examine Vance’s face, wondering whether or not he would chase after me if I admitted what I was actually going to do.
“Of course not,” I smirk. “I’m going to shower and play with my pets.”
Growing quiet, I remain in place all the while keeping my expression neutral until he gives a nod, seeming to concede.
“Do what you want.”
I wasn’t sure if that was his way of saying to go and deal with them or not, but I don’t waste any time before I’m moving.
As I step out of Vance’s room, I make my way downstairs and then out of the mansion. When I arrive at my car, I hop in and rev the engine to life before speeding out.
When I reach town, I begin to extend my senses, searching for the woman since I was sure that after what happened earlier with Vance, there was no way that she would be alone. When I begin to feel her, I slam the gas and speed toward where she is residing. However, when I grow closer, I find that I’m only looking at an empty lot.
Letting out a growl of frustration, I realize that the bastard fae man had cast a glamor over his domain, and since I wasn’t of his kind, there was no way I could pass through.
“Fuck,” I hiss, trying to consider exactly how I could go about getting to him when an idea hits me and I’m taking off. “Enjoy your last few hours of life. You made this personal when you hurt my brother, and I’m going to fucking kill you.”