The man ignores him, muttering the same thing over and over. “He can’t... He can’t…”
“Who can’t?”
“Him.”
“Who’s him?” Red asks again, turning his palms to aim the light at the stranger’s shoulder. There’s definitely something there.
The man doesn’t answer, slamming his eyes shut and looking away.
Red very carefully places a hand around the man’s wrist, pouring his healing magic into him.
“Did the coven do this to you?” Red asks again. It’s a pointless question, when I just told him I saw him on stage with the shackles, but Red must be trying to connect to the guy.
To my surprise, the man nods.
“Are you afraid of them?”
He nods again, his whole body shaking. “They c-can’t f-find me.”
Red looks over his shoulder at us, then says, “You should come with us.”
It’s the wrong thing to say.
The man bolts down the alley, past Red and me. Kaine seizes him around the waist, twirling him around to see his face. Faster than a heartbeat, Kaine lowers his voice and says, “Stop.”
The stranger stops immediately, but his body is still trembling.
“He’s been marked,” Red says.
“What’s that mean?”
“Hell if I know, but he’s not safe. If the coven did this, there’s a reason.”
Kaine barely even blinks before bending to look the guy in the eyes. “Stay calm. Go home with the shifter.”
I clench my teeth. I hate that he’s using compulsion on the guy. Glancing down, I get a better look at the man’s left shoulder and my stomach sinks.
Red was right. He’s been marked with some kind of brand.
What the fuck?
Kaine keeps one hand around the guy’s arm as we walk back.
My skin is crawling with the need to go. I rub the back of my neck. “I’m sorry guys, but I really need to get to Evan.”
Jasmine nods. “Of course. Ro, Ivy. Go with Jericho. We’ll meet up with you shortly.”
Before I turn to leave, Jasmine pulls me in for a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Tell Evan to hang on for us.”
Her comment startles me, yet it fills me with more of that odd sense of belonging. They really do care.
I pull away. “See you soon.”
34
EVAN
Something warm covers my hand as I stir from sleep, and a strange ultra-clean scent fills my nose, making my head throb. Or maybe that’s from something else. Because it’s not just my head that hurts. It’s my entire body. Every bone and muscle aches as if I’ve been run over, shattered, and put back together.
