by Reus, Katie
Chapter 19
Dallas barely made it out the front door and down the steps before she threw up her breakfast everywhere. Her mind was full of the images and smells inside that house of horror.
She was suddenly aware of Rhys next to her, holding her hair away from her face and rubbing her back as she emptied the contents of her stomach. The bright red from the strawberries she’d eaten covered the dead lawn in front of her, the splash of color macabre. As she finished, breathing hard, still bent over, he handed her a napkin. She had no idea where he’d even gotten it from—maybe from his bag—but she took it gratefully and wiped her mouth.
“Here,” he said as she stood, shaking.
She took the already opened bottle of water with trembling fingers and held it to her mouth. When she spilled it down her chin, he steadied it for her and held it to her lips.
As the cool liquid rolled down her parched throat, she focused on him. In that moment she saw real concern in his gaze.
“I want to get away from this house,” he said as she held the water at her side. “I don’t have any bars on my phone. I think it might be interfering with cell phone service.”
“The dome is definitely affecting your phone. I only opened it. I didn’t destroy it.” Her legs wobbled slightly as they strode toward where she’d ripped a seam in the wall of magic. By now, whoever owned this place would know that their magic spell had been tampered with.
Dallas doubted whoever had murdered all those people would come back now. The people inside were all dead and now their little hiding spot had been discovered.
Before they’d made it across the yard, King and five of his wolves strode through the ripped magic wall. He was the only one in human form. He took in her and Rhys with one visual sweep, looked around at everything else, then withdrew his sword.
She didn’t have time to react before he turned to stab his sword into the wall and ripped upward.
A shrieking sound, like thousands of bats screaming, filled the air. She winced as the wall suddenly dissipated in a sharp blast of sparks and colors. Holy hell. So that sword was apparently more than just a regular sword.
She tried to get the cap on the water bottle to twist it closed, but couldn’t manage it so Rhys took it from her. By the time he’d tucked it back into his bag, King was in front of them, his expression dark.
She shook her head before he could ask the question. “They’re all dead. All the humans and vampires inside are gone,” she murmured, as if he would have any trouble finding them. Wolves’ sense of smell was powerful. He and his packmates could probably smell the stench of death from out here.
“Don’t go anywhere,” he ordered before he hurried off, his packmates racing after him.
“They’ve been dead a while. We couldn’t have saved them,” Rhys said to her as he started gently swiping his thumbs over her cheeks. Comforting her.
That was when she realized she was crying.
“There were so many of them,” she whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to banish the images, but they wouldn’t go away. Something told her they would never go away. All those bodies, their skin carved up…the blood. The expressions of pain and horror. She shuddered.
“I don’t care what King says, I want to get you back to the mansion.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t want to damage your tool,” she muttered even though she wasn’t even angry at him. She was just angry at the loss of life. Still, she wondered if he truly saw her as a tool, a way to hunt down his sister’s killer.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Nothing. I’m just edgy and angry.” Angry at all the senseless death, senseless murders.
“You think I see you as a tool?” he pushed, not letting it drop.
She met his gaze. “Well don’t you? Thurman said that once we found the crest, we would find what you’re looking for.”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” he snarled, seeming to surprise himself with the words before he frowned at her again. “I just care about you. You’re pushing yourself too hard and I don’t know enough about your power level to know if it’s too much. If you’re going too far,” he snapped. “I don’t like feeling out of control. And you make me feel just that!” Breathing hard, he stared down at her for a long moment. “And for the record I really want to kiss you. But I won’t because King’s people are coming back outside right now.”
She stared at him in shock, especially as his last words registered through her foggy brain. He wanted to kiss her? She was really glad he hadn’t, because she’d just thrown up and that was gross. Not to mention…they were still too close to that crime scene. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. Before she’d even done that, he slid off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders before his arm followed. He pulled her close, tugging her right up against him as King approached.
She was thankful for Rhys’s presence, for his warmth and the solid feel of his muscled body as chills skated through her. Being so close to him helped ward off some of the cold, but it had seeped into her bones.
“You ripped open the magic wall?” King was watching her with a new respect now.
She nodded.
He blinked. “By yourself?”
She nodded again.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then frowned. “Do you know who did that?” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“No. I didn’t stay down long enough to check to see if there were any kind of signature markings or carvings. I’ll go back though.”
“No,” Rhys snapped out.
King gave him an arch look but didn’t say anything one way or the other before he focused back on Dallas. “We’ve caught their scent. There are at least six of them. I’m going to leave some sentries here to keep guard, but I’m going to hunt the killers down. Is there any way whoever created that wall will figure out you’re the one who ripped it open?” His expression was dead serious.
“I didn’t even know that was possible,” Rhys breathed out in horror.
“No. They won’t be able to figure it out. But only because I thought to put up a blocking spell before I tore it open,” Dallas said.
King breathed out a sigh of relief. The fact that he’d asked told Dallas that he knew a little bit more about witches and witchcraft than most people. Which shouldn’t be surprising, considering he was Alpha of New Orleans.
“Good. I want you to go home and get some rest. Or drink an entire bottle of vodka. Whatever will help you unwind, because you’ve been a huge help today. And I know how much energy it took to open that wall. I can’t believe you’re still standing. Go get some sleep.” He looked at Rhys. “I don’t need to tell you not to leave her side.” It was clear he was ordering Rhys, regardless.
“No, you don’t. She is mine to protect.”
King’s eyebrows raised only slightly, then he nodded and let out a loud whistle. Two of his trackers raced up to him, one male, one female. Then they all raced off, leaving the other two wolves standing guard at the house.
“I don’t think I can walk home,” Dallas whispered, the confession hurting. She hated being weak or vulnerable.
But Rhys didn’t hesitate. He scooped her up into his arms and held her close. “If I fly us back, can you hold on to my scales long enough to make it to the mansion? I guesstimate it’ll take me seven minutes max.”
“I can do that,” she said, but he still didn’t let her go even as he stepped onto the sidewalk.
“I don’t like any of this,” he muttered more to himself than her as he headed down the street, waiting until a car passed before he set her on her feet. “I’m going to shift forms in the street. Are you sure you’re okay to ride on me? Because I can carry you in my talons.”
“I’m okay, promise.” If it would only take seven minutes, she could hold on long enough to make it back to the house.
Well, she was almost certain she could. But if she fell, she knew he would catch her, regardless.
Dallas felt as if she was on autopilot as Rhys landed in the mansion’s front yard minutes later. She could barely pet Willow, who was chirping excitedly as she greeted them. Those excited chirps quickly turned to distressed sounds, and to her horror, Dallas started crying.
A wave of emotions cascaded over her and she knew it was because of the blocking spell she’d created before she’d ripped open that wall. Not to mention ripping the magic wall itself was something that normally took at least six witches at once to do. But she’d been so worried about what was behind it, had been terrified that people would be killed if she didn’t get inside the house fast enough. Turned out she’d been too late after all. And she was having a really hard time processing that. Those screams she’d heard had been their souls desperate to be free.
Rhys shifted to his human form immediately, completely uncaring about his nudity as he hooked an arm under her and scooped her up once again. He carried her as if she weighed nothing. She felt as if she could just close her eyes and float away into nothingness. The remnants of the magic dome skated over her fingers, arms and legs, making her want to take a shower. A really long one.
“We’ll be out soon,” Rhys said to Willow, who Dallas swore must’ve understood because her sweet girl made an affirmative sound and then flew to the back of the house as he hurried through the front door still holding her. “You’re going to take a quick shower because I know you want one,” he said as they approached the small guest bathroom nearest her room. He set her on her feet and continued. “Leave the door unlocked. I’m going to grab you some clothes from your room.”
She simply nodded because he was taking over completely and right now she liked it. It was nice to have someone in charge, to make decisions. She actually couldn’t believe she’d ripped that wall open by herself. She was just glad she’d had the foresight to block her identity.
Because whoever had created that wall was powerful. She hadn’t gotten a read on the magic, however. There had been no signature. But that in itself was telling. When there wasn’t a signature left behind, it meant the witch was powerful and smart enough not to leave one.
She wondered if whoever had created it had planned to come back for the bodies. Maybe, maybe not. If they’d planned to keep using that place to murder and drain their victims of blood, then it was highly possible they’d had eyes on it. So someone might know Dallas had done it anyway. And at that thought, another wave of exhaustion swept through her.
She rubbed her temple as she turned the shower on to hot. By the time she brushed her teeth, steam started to billow out in soft white waves. She began stripping off her clothes. Her fingers seemed to move at a snail’s pace, as if she was pushing through a thick fog. Suddenly the door swung open and Rhys was standing there, pants on, and a bundle of her clothing in his hands.
He stared in shock at her as she held her sweater loosely in her hands by her side. Her skimpy bra was all lace, barely covering her breasts.
He abruptly turned his back. “Ah, apologies. I thought you’d be in the shower by now. Do you feel strong enough to get inside by yourself?”
“I don’t know,” she said, not even caring that she was partially undressed in front of him. She felt like she should care but…couldn’t muster up anything right now.
He turned back around then and averted his gaze as he held out a hand. “Just hold on to me as you finish undressing.” He seemed to choke on the last word, his voice growing raspier.
“Did you mean what you said about wanting to kiss me?” She shoved at her jeans, somehow managing to get the stupid things off.
He made a strangled sound. “I really don’t want to talk about that right now.”
“Well I do.” Apparently she’d lost her mind. Now definitely wasn’t the best time but she felt almost compelled to ask him about it. And clearly all the synapses in her brain were misfiring. She felt disconnected from everything, her entire body trembling from the shock of all the energy she’d used in that sudden burst. Witches weren’t supposed to use their spells like that, but she’d had no choice.
He leaned around her, carefully avoiding any type of contact as he pushed the shower curtain open. “Get in,” he ordered softly.
His chest was rising and falling rapidly as he continued to look away from her. Dallas figured that if she pushed, she could get a reaction—maybe get him to kiss her. But yeah, that no-energy thing was real. She managed to step into the small enclosure, grateful for the warmth as the jets pounded down around her.
“Don’t worry about washing your hair or anything,” he murmured. “You just need to get warm because of your shock. Then you’re going to get some rest.” His deep voice sent delicious waves of awareness pulsing through her.
“You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Yes I do. And to answer your question, I meant what I said. I want to kiss you senseless more often than not.” And he sounded absolutely frustrated about that.
She wasn’t sure what to say as she grabbed her loofah and poured bath soap on it. She quickly scrubbed her body, and despite what he’d said she decided to wash her hair anyway. She knew soap and shampoo couldn’t wash off what she’d seen but she felt the overpowering need to get clean. As if her body was tainted by the evil and death in that house.
“No response to that?” His deep voice cut through the sound of the pounding water and her thoughts.
“I’m….” Hell. She didn’t know what to say. Couldn’t find the words.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t. My brain is just mush right now. But for the record, I’ve thought about kissing you as well.” A lot. But it didn’t matter right now. She was going to slip into unconsciousness soon and she needed to be in bed before that happened.
He made another one of those strangled sounds, then was silent. He was so quiet, she thought he might’ve left so she slid the shower curtain open and peered out only to find him still standing there, leaning against the dainty little sink, his gaze colliding with hers.
She quickly pushed the shower curtain back into place, making the hooks jingle on the rod. She knew she was close to her collapsing point so she finished rinsing her hair out and turned off the water. Before she could reach out to grab a towel, Rhys’s big hand slid behind the shower curtain, her little microfiber hair towel she used for her hair in his hand.
“Thank you.” She grabbed it, squeezed the water out of her hair, then wrapped it up in the towel. A moment later, he handed her a big fluffy towel for her body.
He really was thoughtful. He’d shown her in so many little ways that she could trust him. That he cared. It was…disconcerting.
Once she was dry and had the towel wrapped securely around her, she pushed the shower curtain open.
He had his back to her. “Are you okay to get dressed?”
She was tempted to tell him no, that she needed his help. But that felt wrong. “Ah, I’m good. You can just wait in the hallway.”
He hesitated, then nodded and stepped out, his movements jerky. “I’m not going anywhere,” he called out as the door shut behind him.
She tugged on the little sleep shorts and tank top he’d gotten her. He hadn’t gotten her any panties and she didn’t know if she should be glad that he hadn’t rummaged around through her intimate things. More likely, he’d just forgotten. At that thought she wondered if maybe he’d forgotten them because he didn’t wear boxers or briefs or…yeah, she couldn’t actually see him wearing anything like that. He likely just went commando. Her cheeks flushed as she forced herself to not think of what he wore or didn’t wear underneath his pants.
Though she didn’t want to bother with it, she combed the tangles out of her hair before braiding it into a long, damp rope. When she opened the door, Rhys was there, his gaze sweeping over her in semi-clinical fashion, but she saw the heat flare as his eyes landed on her mouth and then her breasts. Her nipples tightened underneath his scrutiny, but
he turned away abruptly. She told herself it didn’t matter. She wasn’t up to anything physical tonight anyway. She was likely to pass out on him mid…anything.
“I’ve already ordered food to be taken to your room.” Not waiting for a response, he stalked off in that direction.
She hurried after him on wobbly legs, but before she’d taken four steps he turned and scooped her up again.
“This is becoming a habit,” she murmured, curling into all his warmth. The male was so comforting and warm.
“A habit I don’t mind,” he rumbled in the deep, sexy voice she felt all the way to her core. In that moment she had absolutely no defense against him. All of her self-preservation was stripped away as he held her close, taking care of her.
Heat flooded between her legs as she curled into him. And he must have scented her need because he sucked in a sharp breath and made a sexy, low rumbling sound in his chest.
Once they were in her room, he didn’t stop until he set her on the edge of the bed oh so carefully. There was already a tray of food waiting for her. Hot soup, crackers, and three energy bars. Which she definitely needed.
“I wasn’t sure how much food you could eat right now, but you’ve got to get something in your stomach before you sleep. You’ll sleep better,” he added, as if he thought she might argue.
“Thank you for doing all this.” Exhaustion swept through her now, tugging her under, telling her to close her eyes.
“You don’t need to thank me for this. And you also don’t need to worry about Willow. I spoke with Aurora and she’s going to be keeping Willow company for the next few hours. She said they were going to do some flying lessons. Your girl is completely fine.”
She smiled as she leaned back against the headboard and settled the tray more fully in her lap. “You thought of everything.”
“I don’t know about that. And before you try to argue, I’m staying with you. Even if King hadn’t ordered me, I’m not leaving your side. I didn’t know it was possible for anyone to track you when you disturbed that magic wall.”