Add in the fact that none of the other men in the house smell even remotely appealing? It’s clear that my control problem isn’t centered around blood in particular, it’s just hunger based. And sure, that hunger might stem from the need to eat, but it’s more... the awareness that something is missing and desperation to fill the void.
On the beach, I was instinctively seeking the most immediate form of relief and desperate. Now, the knowledge that I could take any of my mates aside and feed if I needed to is a balm to my soul as much as the marks branding my skin.
I’m not worried about losing control and attacking the strangers around me, because the only thing I’m missing in my life is Beck. So if I were to snap and maul anyone, it’d be him.
Carrick sliced his finger opening a box earlier and I barely even batted an eye. Sure, I jerked my head in his direction and Kasen came barreling into the room like he thought he’d need to intercept me, but I simply... didn’t care. I was aware of it, sure, but it was no different than when I used to walk past a restaurant and something smelled good, but I was on my way to do something else and kept going.
“Son of a bitch!” My eyes fly open at Kasen’s shout, just in time to see him fumbling to catch a can of paint.
He drops the plastic bag he was holding that goes tumbling to the ground in a clatter, but it frees up his other hand so he can snatch the can out of the air... Too enthusiastically in his haste and the sides crunch in, the lid popping off and white paint exploding over him, Carter, and the hallway like a bomb went off.
There’s a heavy beat of silence before Beck throws his head back and laughs, the others emerging from throughout the house to see what all of the racket is about. They get just as big of a kick out of it as Beck, and while their laughter is contagious, I see the same resignation on Carter’s face that’s on Kasen’s, knowing it’s going to be a bitch to clean.
Rising to my feet and getting closer for a better view down the hall, I cringe, but consider it a blessing in disguise. It might take hours to clean up, but better than hauling any more heavy-ass boxes. I already have enough grout under my nails to redo the bathroom, so may as well add some paint to the mix and pretend it’s nail polish.
“I’ll help, where do we start?”
Carter uses the can and his hand to scoop as much of the huge puddle on the floor up as he can, starting at the worst of the mess. “Back of the truck is a package of rags in an empty bucket if you want to grab them, and there should be some dish soap in the kitchen. Not ideal, but the more we can clean up before it dries, the better, and we’ll go from there.”
Nodding, I head towards the door, Malcolm already in motion to accompany me. It may be a pretty abandoned area on the edge of the city, most of this block under construction with only a few families already moved in, but no one is about to let the resident vampire out of the house unsupervised. The door’s already wide open, and it’s a short jaunt to the small moving truck in the driveway a stone’s throw away.
When we reach the truck, Malcolm offers me a hand as I start up the ramp, more out of courtesy than necessity. It helps us pretend that it takes two people to grab some rags instead of acknowledging the awkward situation of me requiring a babysitter.
Kasen’s voice whispers,“Don’t think of it like a babysitter, think of it as being so important that you require a bodyguard. And honestly, gorgeous, that isn’t a lie. Are you going to try and deny that Malcolm wouldn’t have assigned you a bodyguard anytime you left Drake Enterprises without him no matter your species? You know better than that.”
“What’s with that look?” Malcolm asks with a smile, waiting at the opening of the truck as I grab the bucket and new package of rags from the back.
“Just Kasen pointing out that you’re controlling and obsessive, but in a hot way so I should consider myself flattered,” I tease.
I make it partway down the ramp before he’s grabbing my hips and lifting me off, not removing his hands as he sets me on my feet. “Seems like a perfectly reasonable assessment to me.” Amusement dances in his eyes as he looks down at me. Lifting one hand to tuck a stray wisp of hair behind my ear, he asks, “Growing tired of me already?”
“Nah, Kasen’s right.” Rising up on my toes, I press a lingering kiss to his lips.
“Eh-hem.” A throat clearing behind us makes me jump back, but by Malcolm’s smug smile, he was well aware of Kasen appearing in the open doorway, dripping paint on the front step as he pulls off his shirt, wadding it up into a ball and tossing it in the yard. “Hate to interrupt, but watching paint dry isn’t as boring as they claim in this scenario.”
Grimacing, I jog inside. “Sorry.” Without even an attempt at subtlety, I rub myself against him as I shuffle past into the house.
He narrows his eyes on my face, but being coated in paint lessens the intimidation he was going for. “You did that on purpose.”
Grinning, I walk backwards towards the kitchen. “One hundred percent. You can’t be mad at me for getting distracted if you are too.”
As he shakes his head, sighing with a smile, I turn and set the rags on the counter, filling up the bucket with soapy water. Tossing three into the bucket, I return to the hallway. The guys already rinsed off their faces while waiting for me, but even a scalding hot shower isn’t going to get them clean at this point. Kasen sets to work on the walls while Carter and I tackle the floor. My jeans stick to my legs from the cloudy water, leaving a starchy layer behind on my skin that’s got me longing for the penthouse simply for the sake of the bathtub. I’m grateful this place is far enough along that it has running water and electricity, but there’s no way in hell two of us are squeezing in the tub here when I can’t even stretch out by myself.
The scent of paint and sweat saturate the air, but something cuts through it that has me scrunching up my face, trying to place it. I’m absolute shit at mental shields, so Kasen picks up on my confusion instantly, Malcolm not far behind since I have no reason to block him out right now.
Tossing his rag back in the bucket, Kase swipes an arm over the sweat on his face before flaring his nostrils. Instantly, his eyes darken and his head whips to the front door. “Scarlett,” he warns. “Go upstairs.”
Every muscle in my body tenses, and I remove my earplugs while stretching my senses to their limit. Simultaneously, I take a few silent steps in the direction of the stairs, because I’m not an idiot. If Kasen says to go, there’s a damn good reason. It could simply be that if I’m out of sight, it’ll keep things civil with whoever showed up, but more likely, I’d bet it’s a case of it’s harder for him to concentrate if I’m underfoot and he’s trying to watch meandthe intruder.
“Scarlett?” My breath hitches in my lungs, eyes closing as everything crashes down around me with the sound of my brother’s voice, knowing I’m absolutely fucked.
“I didn’t even recognize his scent.”
“You were human the last time you saw him, angel, so it’s no surprise,”Kasen gently tells me, though his voice is strained.“But he’s-”
“-not alone. I know.”
I’m rooted to the spot, resigned for the long overdue confrontation. If he’s here, it’s because he knows exactly where I am. Hiding upstairs won’t diffuse the situation; if anything, it’ll make it worse. If he traveled halfway across the country to find me, he isn’t going to just walk away because a few guys tell him to shove off.
