Page 55 of Guarded By Death

Pierce beckons me with one finger. I go to step toward him and Zack pushes me back slightly causing an unearthly growl to resonate low in Pierce's chest.

Zack raises his head to him, "You can't tell her what to do. You don't own her."

Pierce chuckles, throwing his head back. He narrows his eyes at Zack. "Oh... but I do." His voice is dark. He leans down to be eye level with Zack, placing his hands on his knees as if speaking to a child. "She is mine.”

Great.

With that, Zack's fist collides with Pierce's jaw. It doesn't do anything. Pierce just looks at him and laughs, manically.

He places his large hand on Zack's throat, suspending him into the air. "You need to learn your place in her life." He spits on the ground beside Zack, and Kayla cowers behind me.

I don't want to know what happens if Pierce loses control. I jump in between them, catching a glimpse of his clenched jaw and the looks of determination on his face. I shove his arm, but he’s too strong, I'm helpless. His skin begins to glisten as if a fog of gray is spreading around his body.

"Pierce! I swear I'll never speak to you again if you don't stop." I threaten, and he cranes his neck to look at me. Haunted jade eyes, flecked with black, swirling smoke stares back at me, no humanity in them at all. He looks terrifying, I whimper and take a step back. Kayla wraps her slender fingers around my arm as we step away from Pierce, who looks like a monster, and we’re the helpless girls in a horror movie.

He drops Zack, who crashes onto the ground, choking and gasping for air. Pierce runs to me, but I fall on the ground trying to get away from him. "Scarlett." His voice is soft now, his eyes returning to a shimmering emerald.

"No," I cry out. "You could have killed him!" The gray smoke subsides from his body and I watch him in terror.

I look over at Zack, his wide eyes on us.

He pushes hair behind my ear, "Baby, I would have known if he was going to die. I wouldn't kill your friend."

"That doesn't matter!" I can't catch my breath. "You looked like you were losing control!"

"I don't lose control," he assures me, but the panic is still deep inside of me.

"The problem now is that they're going to hate you!"

He scoffs, "I don't care if he hates me.”

"What about Kayla!" I shout, worried about my new friend.

He throws his hands up, "I've been watching you the entire night. I knew this had something to do with him when your heart rate thumped around midnight." He breathes out, "I was fine until he put his hand on you."

I sigh, getting off the ground with his help. "Why don't you trust me?"

"It's not you that I don't trust, it's him." He sighs, "He kissed you, Scar. How would you feel if someone did that to me?"

"I would be pissed, but it was one drunken mistake. I was going to talk to him tonight. You have to remember he doesn't have any recollection of kissing me and he doesn't recall me turning him down."

He nods, reaching out to cup my face, "I'm sorry I scared you."

I look at him in disbelief, not caring about any of that. I just need them to not remember this night. "Make them forget," I demand.

"I'll make him forget about you. That he likes you." He rubs his chin in thought and I shake my head. It's pointless.

"No. Just make him forget that you just acted like a caveman. I can make my own decisions. I'll tell him soon." I tap an impatient finger on my wrist.

He holds my face in his hands. "Sweetheart, youneed to understand where I'm coming from. You know as well as I do why he brought you here,” he growls.

I nod in understanding. "Yes, but I was about to tell him off, Pierce. He’s still my friend and you embarrassed him." I sigh, "I brought Kayla so we wouldn't be alone together out of respect for you." Biting my lip. "He told me something was wrong. I was worried something happened," I admit.

His eyes narrow. "Of course he did." He laughs, "And he should be embarrassed. You're taken. He shouldn't be putting you in that position."

I roll my eyes, “What do you expect when you act like this?” I inquire, and he lowers his head.

I gesture to my new friend who is staring at us in shock. Pierce grits his teeth before turning to them and placing his hands on each of their shoulders.

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