“My blood?”
He nods. “This is a microscope. Look through here,” he points to the large device, “and you’ll see all the bits and pieces that make you…you.”
I do as he says, peering through the viewer, and see a multitude of shapes and colors, and I gasp.
I’ve never seen anything like this.
“There’s a protein I’m trying to isolate,” he says, his hand on my back warming my skin through my shirt. “But it’s weird.”
“Weird like how?” Gage asks as he comes to stand beside me.
“Weird like it keeps disappearing and reappearing,” Emmett says. “I wouldn’t have believed Rain Man over here if I hadn’t seen it myself, but it like…comes and goes on its own.”
“Is this protein what’s responsible for her reaction to the suppressant?” Gage asks.
Olly’s grip on me tightens as I watch the colors shift under the microscope.
“Likely, yes, but I won’t knowwhyit’s metabolizing so quickly until I can get a handle on what the protein is. Once I break it down, I’ll understand.”
I pull back, turning to look at Olly with concern.
“There’s something wrong with my blood?”
Emmett steps forth, and I tense. “No,” he says. “There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re—”
My gaze catches his, and a silent, unspoken tension builds between us.
“I’m what, Em?” I ask, bristling under his gaze.
“Nothing,” he says, licking his lips, turning away from me.
“I think what Emmett is trying to say,” Gage says briskly, “is there is nothing wrong with you or your blood, Auryn. You are just—”
“Different,” Olly says, his words soft. Understanding. I meet his gaze. “You’re just different, and different isn’t a bad thing.” His words settle on me, but I don’t miss the glaze of sadness in his eyes.
He says the words like they hurt him. I don’t think twice about reaching out to touch his cheek, and they pinken immediately from my touch. Emmett curses.
“Christ, can you perfume somewhere else,” he mutters.
Gage settles a hand on my hip and pulls me.
“Come on, Auryn. We’re not done, yet.”
I let out a strangled sound that is some mix of a whimper and a growl, and Olly swallows. Hard.
“It’s okay. I’m okay,” he says, giving me a faint smile. Something tells me he isn’t, and I feel awful.
“I’m sorry, I—”
He grabs my hand, squeezing lightly as he pulls it from his face. He lets out a heavy breath.
“Promise. Go with Gage. I’ll see you later, okay?”
I nod as I catch Emmett’s pained glare. His eyes glisten too, and he looks sad.
Not jealous.Sad.
“Actually, I have some things to do. I was hoping, Emmett, you could show Auryn to the guest room. Where she’ll be staying from now on.”
