“He’ll kill her.”
Eva wasn’t sure who had spoken, keeping her attention on the man who was clearly the leader. Riley nodded, lips pursed as he backed up slowly, forcing the other Guardians to follow. As soon as they were a reasonable distance away she turned her back, pressing herself against Kace’s warmth. She wasn’t sure how long they waited, the sky above still dark when a burst of coloured light appeared beneath her palm. Kace’s transformation was instant, the beast one second and then the man another. He suddenly stood there, body slick with sweat as he turned quickly, ripping the t-shirt off her without a word.
“Hey!” she screeched. “Naked, remember?”
He didn’t even glance towards her as he reached under her knees, lifting her into his arms as he left the ruined fabric behind. He moved them quickly towards the house, his face carved from stone as he ignored the concerned calls from the Guardians, climbing the stairs quickly. She expected him to take her back to her borrowed bedroom, except he turned left down the hall, kicking open a door and stepping inside.
The bedroom was similar to her borrowed one, the bed on the opposite wall. It smelt of both Kace and dust, which she assumed meant he hadn’t stayed there in a while, everything undisturbed.
He kept moving to the bathroom, setting her down on the edge of the bathtub before turning to the large, walk-in shower. He quickly turned the water on, reaching for her hand as he pulled them both beneath the spray.
“Kace?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist as he placed his nose against her throat, taking in a deep breath as the water cascaded over them. The warmth in her chest intensified, and she relaxed into his hold.
Eva reached up to stroke his jaw, ignoring his flinch. Carefully he shifted back, watching her with such predatory intensity she couldn’t tear her gaze away, his silver irises slowing returning to dark forest green. Without a word he grabbed the soap, lathering up his hands as he began to clean her skin.
“So,” she began, uncomfortable with his silence. “You turn into this big, fluffy creature? That’s cool.”
Kace blinked, but his expression remaining hard.
“Is that… normal?”
Kace remained silent, meticulously washing along her skin as he removed every speck of blood and dirt. When he got to her hair he gently tugged her head back, his fingers brushing through the strands.
They were beneath the water a while, long enough for the tension to be released from his body. When she reached for the soap, placing her hands across his chest did he shut the water off.
“I’ll get Kyra. She can…” He cleared his throat. “I need to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
He ignored her question, offering her a large, white towel. “My brothers will be able to keep you safe.”
“Kace? Where are you going?” Wrapped in the towel she followed him into the bedroom, and then into the walk-in wardrobe. Eva hesitated at the wall of knives, and the little pile of what looked like grenades. “Tell me what’s happening.”
Muscles bunched in his back as he grabbed a pair of leathers, pulling them up with a single tug.
“Kace!”
He spun so quickly she let out a squeak, his expression dark. “I’m not your fucking babysitter, Eva. I’m busy unless you want my cock.”
“Excuse me?” Eva’s mouth gaped. “Fuck you!”
His mouth twisted. “You already have, Sunshine.”
Tears prickled her eyes, but Eva refused to let them fall. “You’re such an arsehole.”
“An arsehole who has shit to do.” Kace stormed past her, collecting a black t-shirt and a few knives along the way. He paused with his hand on the door handle, his head turned so all she saw was his profile. “I told you I wasn’t your hero. So don’t expect me to be.”
Chapter29
Kace
Kace couldn’t believe how hard it was to leave, his beast tearing at him inside to go back to her. But he wasn’t safe, that had been blatantly clear when he lost control, and she was clearly attached to him because of her trauma, replacing one monster with another.
Fuck.
He had promised himself he would never find a mate, never bind himself to someone when he was so ruined, and yet now it had happened withher,the one woman who subdued his beast he knew he could never let her go without tearing himself apart.
