Brodie almost got out of his chair, but then he took a breath and asked, “Babe, you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Just cut my finger a bit. Nobody move. I have my slippers on.”
I heard the sharp inhale first. By the time I realized it came from Luca, he was already moving toward Kye with a horrifying purpose.
“Kye, duck!” I yelled as I went after Luca, my chair clattering to the ground behind me.
The scent of blood wasn’t that obvious to me. It was just a small cut. But to a vampire?
Rian, who was fully in control, moved two seconds behind me. Kye jumped over the open dishwasher door in the narrow space, which gave me just enough time to get my arms around Luca.
I didn’t recognize him. His eyes were too dark. His fangs were out as he snarled, and I could even see his fingertips elongating into those primal vampire claw points that I’d only seen once before when Rian was defending the pack house against some rednecks the previous summer.
Max burst out of the bathroom and chaos ensued behind me as I pushed Luca into the pantry.
“Snap out of it!” I growled at him, terrified of the situation. Not of him, but the lack of control I was witnessing.
I’d pressed his front against the only empty wall inside the walk-in pantry. Holding one of his arms behind his back and pressing with all my weight, I could still feel the struggle in him. He turned his head and his eyes were still almost black.
Rian reached between us and put his hand on Luca’s back. “Come on, Luca. You can fight it,” he said calmly, but I could tell he was shaken, too.
We barely fit there, especially when Max got there, putting his hand on Luca from my other side.
My brother calmly said, “Close your eyes, darling.”
Somehow, Luca did that. Then Max started to scratch his scalp, like he did when we laid in our room, watching TV most nights.
“It’s okay,” I murmured to all of us.
There were a few more small jerks of Luca’s muscles as we stood there. Then Rian stepped back and gave us a bit more space. I let go of Luca’s arm and moved it to his side. He wasn’t breathing hard anymore. His fingers looked human again. All I could hear were two fast and two sluggish heartbeats, our breathing, and the scrape of Max’s nails on Luca’s shaved head.
I pressed my forehead against the back of Luca’s neck. “You’re okay.”
He made a choked sound and I had just enough time to catch him before he slid down the wall as he collapsed.
“Hey, hey….” Max joined the weird hug we had going on.
“You can go upstairs now,” Rian said from the doorway. I hadn’t even noticed he stepped out.
Luca shook his head. “I-I c-can’t—"
“Yes you can,” Max said firmly.
“Come on.” I took Luca’s hand and Max took the other one.
We walked out of the pantry. The kitchen was quiet, but I could hear the others in the living room.
Brodie appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Luca,” he said firmly in his Alpha voice.
Luca’s arm jerked and his nostrils flared. He lifted his gaze slowly to Brodie. “Yes?”
Brodie’s voice was calm, even warm. “It’s okay.”
“N-No—”
Brodie cut him off. “Luca, it was an accident. He dropped a plate. We forgot to feed you first thing after the run. It should’vebeen our first priority, given how Rian said you had a reaction to the working out—which we’re going to continue tomorrow.”
“B-But—”
