As I fill him in, his familiar scowl reappears. “He got out of work today so he could stay home with you and Eli, then goes off gallivanting around the city instead? What if someone had attacked the house while we were gone?”
He isn’t really asking me, just venting his frustrations, yet I answer anyway. “Then I would have called Cai to come melt some faces? He’s off work today too.”
The stiffness in his muscles returns with a vengeance and he kicks off from the wall, stalking closer to me while looking thoroughly pissed off, bracing his palms on the edge of the bed while glaring at me. “You don’t need to call the damn newblood. We can keep you safe.” He seems to catch himself and pulls back, sitting on the foot of the bed. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so hostile, I just,” he tapers off, groaning and scrubbing a hand down his face.
My heart is hammering, but not from fear like he thinks. It’s probably not healthy, but I’ve long since accepted that I’m a hot mess. Who wouldn’t develop major crushes on the men that rescued them? Especially when they are genuinely good guys; sexy, sweet, and caring is just the cherry on top. I know nothing can ever come from it, but a girl can daydream in her fluffy rehabilitation center before having to deal with reality. Heaven knows I’ve earned a reprieve, so if that means adding another thing to a therapists’ wet dream list of syndromes? You won’t find me complaining.
“It’s fine, really. I’m grateful for everything you guys have done for me. You don’t need to be uncomfortable in your own house trying to be someone you’re not.” He gives me a strange look, so I press on. “Don’t try and water yourself down for anyone. If you can’t be yourself around them, that’s their problem, not yours. I owe you guys everything for getting me out of that hellhole.” I start tapping my finger on the blanket, dialing back my animation a bit before I get too carried away.
“You’re an angry guy, Kaiden, but I know when it’s directed at me or not. You don’t need to wear kid gloves around me. All I hope for is that you make an effort not to sneak up on me or catch me off guard, but it’s not like I’m in a position to ask for any special favors. My issues are mine to deal with, and those hang ups aren’t your problem. I’m already more grateful than you can imagine, so don’t spit on that gift by making it seem like it was all...fake. Because when I look back on this time when I’m running, I want it to be a real memory, okay?”
He looks livid; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He’s cut off from his tirade when Kahl comes home, rapping his knuckles on the open doorway and eyeing Kaiden suspiciously.
“Everything alright in here?” he asks coolly, the most level headed of the three.
Kaiden gestures at me. “Kins left and she was hobbling around the kitchen when I came home.”
Kahl’s eyes rake over me from head to toe, assessing for new injuries. I can’t help but wonder if I come up lacking in his eyes. Dark hair that reaches a few inches past my shoulders, though far cleaner than I’m used to, and blue eyes that are harder than I remember. But ultimately, I imagine all he sees is everything I’m not.
One of them.
“Then I suppose it’s a good thing I was able to convince Ben to come to the house to remove the cast when he’s done with his shift today,” he declares diplomatically.
He’s the only one they trusted enough to ask for help when they hauled me back here, but even then, they had the doctor do everything in the house as best he could. Not like they could exactly waltz a human through the doors of the hospital and expect to keep it quiet. Everyone might not hate my kind for simply existing, but enough do. That type of pain and hatred doesn’t just vanish over time. It festers into a deep-seated belief system that’s passed down through generations, teaching people resentment as soon as they can walk.
My stomach tightens with anxiety, but I stuff those feelings down before they can get out of hand. I knew this day was coming, but I still let myself get attached, allowed my delusions to get carried away.
It’s going to be fine. I’ve got this. They’ll probably even give me some food and a weapon before dropping me back in the wild.
Because that’s all I am, aren’t I? A little bat with a broken wing that they never meant to keep because I’m a dirty, potentially rabid animal; not a pet.
Plastering a fake smile on my face that I’m sure comes across as more of a grimace, I give them a thumbs up. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 2
Kahl
