“Who’s on a big one? Kace?” The warmth in her chest seemed to crackle, tightening as she watched the shadows in the lightened windows move. “Is he okay?”
“’Is he okay,’ she asks,” Lucy said, replicating her higher pitched voice. “Of course he’s not okay, it’s Kace. Also, congratulations, you didn’t puke after your first drift.”
Eva stared at him confused, arms crossed to cover her exposed breasts through the gaps in the shirt.
“You know, teleport? You were in the bedroom and now you’re… do you know what? Never mind.” Another crash, louder than before and his head snapped to the side. “Fuck it, you’re on your own. I’m not dealing with him, he’ll try to eat me like last time.”
Lucifer returned his red eyes to her, an almost apologetic gleam in them.
“Have fun with psycho boy. Don’t die.”
“Wait!”
He disappeared in a burst of smoke, just as a snarl sounded close.
Eva turned, Kace’s beast crashing through the front door, leaving it splintered into pieces as he tore across the grass towards her. He moved with such speed she struggled to track him, and after a single blink he had curved his larger body around her own as he turned to face the Guardians.
“Eva, don’t move!” one of them barked as they crossed the space in powerful strides, his hair long and blonde with just a hint of pink.
Cookies,she thought. He loved her cookies. He held a gun in a tight grip, and she saw red. “Don’t come near us!” She instinctively reached back, stroking her fingers through the fur on his nape.
Six men stood across from them, their expressions a mix of horror, anger and a touch of sorrow.
The blonde who loved cookies whistled, stepping to the side. “I’ll distract him while you guys get Eva to safety.”
Kace growled as he leaned forward on his paws, sharp, serrated claws piercing through the wet earth.
Eva tightened her grip on his fur, tugging. “Kace, you’re okay. We’re okay.” She noticed his ears flick towards her, but he still remained facing the men, showing them his fangs. Up close she noticed little sharp bristles along his back, laying parallel to his spine.
“Oh fuck!” Riley stepped closer, and Kace tensed as if ready to strike. “They’ve bonded.”
“Now this is entertainment!” Lucifer chuckled from a safe distance away. “Does anyone have any popcorn?”
It was the one with the scar down his face that replied. “She was bleeding.”
“I was feeding!” Eva shouted, frustrated.
“Riley, can we get him back?” Xander asked the dark-haired man beside him. “Or is he too far gone?”
“I don’t know.” The man named Riley cocked his head, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “If we all back off, he’ll calm down.”
“Kyra’s going to kill me if he hurts her,” Xander said, hand tightening on a knife.
“Stop talking like I’m not here,” Eva snapped, stroking her hand down Kace’s side in what she hoped was soothing, calming strokes. “Kace won’t hurt me.”
The Guardians looked between one another, disbelief marking their expressions.
“He won’t,” she growled, only for Kace to tense beneath her palm. Steadying her tone she continued her strokes. “Kace is fine.I’mfine.”
Sort of, anyway.
Riley gritted his teeth. “Eva, he’s…”
“You need to trust him,” she interrupted, meeting every single pair of eyes, finishing with Riley.
“You can’t be serious?”
“He hasn’t been this bad in a while.”
