Chapter 77 Requiem 4

Chapter 77 Requiem 4
“Why are you being so kind to me?” Mae’s voice was broken, water mixing with her tears and running down her face. Somehow him being nice was worse than his anger. She didn’t deserve it.

“I don’t know.” He was pushing the sodden denim down her leg, but there was nothing sexual about it. His fingers didn’t linger on her bare skin. She cast a glance up at him. He was so big, so masculine, if you liked long hair on a man anyway. Which she didn’t.

Usually.

But right now, his face was twisted in a grimace, almost like he was fighting some internal battle.

“Step out.” He ordered, and she felt her legs lift on their own volition. Her body wanted to obey him. 

Next was her top; the t-shirt, one of her favourite ones in the world, was totally ruined. No amount of washing would save it. Even if she ever wanted to place it back on her body again.

“Did they do this to you?” His fingers probed the bruises that marked her, a myriad of colours, purple, green and a sickly yellow and she winced back. He swore under his breath. “Mae?”

“Some of them, some were from when we were trying to escape, some from when the walls came down.” She lowered her eyes. Not daring to mention that he was the reason for the walls coming down on their heads. Well, his dragon anyway. 

“They hit you.” It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t answer. “I don’t like the idea of anyone hurting you Mae, and I…” He trailed off, shaking his head. Water droplets lingering on the tips of his blonde hair. “I have to go; will you be okay washing yourself?”

Mae paused, would she be okay washing herself? Or was she some emotionally delicate child, who couldn’t even handle a simple shower by herself. “I can shower by myself.” Her voice was harder than she meant it to be. The question was never really whether she could wash herself, it was whether she wanted to. She had never enjoyed a man’s hands on her as much as she had Requiem’s. 

The thought of being naked with him, as he soaped up her body, was both exhilarating and terrifying. 

“Good, I’ll be in the kitchen when you have finished. A shift always makes me hungry.” He quirked her with a quick smile. “Well hungrier, I’m always hungry.”

She could believe that. A man didn’t get to his size without putting away a fair bit of food. 

“And Mae,” His bird-like eyes flickered. “Don’t try to escape okay?”

Requiem couldn’t think, not when she had been so close to him. Wet and almost naked. It was like all his defenses crumbled. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms, and kiss every bruise on her body. And that couldn’t happen.

Sure, he had been with women since Amber's death, but none made him feel what Mae made him feel. Just looking at her felt like a betrayal to Amber's memory. Like he was cheating on her, even though she was long dead.

Dead and gone.

He needed to keep his wits about him. He wasn’t a young man like Roman or Reaper. He wasn’t prone to outbursts and reckless behaviour. He was the steady one. The one who always thought things through. So why couldn’t he right now? Pulling out his phone, he dialled one of two people he thought could help him.

Bethany picked up on the third ring, her voice sleepy.

“Req?” Her voice was worried, even clouded with sleep. In the background, he could hear Reaper swear. His voice rising. Calling him out for waking them.

“Yeah, I just needed to ask you something.”

“Brother can’t this wait, or phone Roman?” Reaper's voice was closer, clearer. He had obviously taken the phone from his human mate. 

“Put Bethany back on.” Requiem couldn’t phone Roman; he needed a female's advice, and Roman’s mate had only just recently given birth. Merely days before they were taken. She would be exhausted. Not to mention that Rory was softer than Bethany. Sweeter in a way, though Bethany was sweet enough. She just had more fight in her. Which was why she was the perfect mate for Reaper. Bethany would never let Reaper get away with shit, no matter how much she loved him. She proved that when she ran away and started a whole new life for herself, when they were just kids. 

“Bethany is tired, hell I’m tired too. Phone back in the morning.”

“It’s about women’s clothes.”

Requiem heard the phone being passed back to Bethany and smiled. Reaper was many things, but an expert on women’s fashion wasn’t one of them.

“What can I do?” Bethany’s voice was clearer now.

“I don’t have clothes here for her, and hers are ruined. Not even a boil wash will make those wearable.” 

“She wouldn’t want to wear them again anyway Requiem, you may as well burn them. I can send some over first thing, but I suggest you take her shopping.” Bethany sounded like she was trying not to laugh. “Especially if you plan to keep her…”

“I’m not keeping her, I just don’t want to have her walking around my apartment naked” Requiem realised too late that he had interrupted her, that his voice sounded just a tad too defensive. 

Bethany laughed. “You sure about that, she’s a pretty girl.”

“I wouldn’t say I’ve noticed.” Requiem was starting to regret this phone call. “Clothes would be good, thank you Bethany, I am sure she will appreciate it.”

“It's fine Requiem, for tonight just give her something of yours. Honestly, you are so big that anything will cover her anyway”

“Thank you, Bethany; tell Reaper he best look after you.”

Her laughter tinkled again. “Haven’t you heard, I can look after myself and him.”

“I sure have, sharpshooter.” Bethany’s new nickname came easily. Given to her when she had picked up a gun and helped to protect Roman’s wolf pack from attack. 

Yeah, Reaper had chosen his mate well. No one in the entire female population could handle him the way Bethany could. If she had been a shifter of any type, she would have been a kick-ass Alpha. Hell, she was a kick-ass Alpha, just in human form. 

Requiem padded to his room, pulling open drawers. He would take Bethany’s advice, because there was no way he could handle Mae’s tight little body being naked in his apartment. Not if he wanted to be a gentleman.