Page 54 of Caelum

“She’d run for the hills,” Eren said drily. “She isn’t like other girls.”

“How do you mean?”

“If you ask her what a penis is, she’ll give you the dictionary’s definition of it. I don’t think she knows what it looks like or what it does.”

“So? I’ve seen her with you. She cuddles into you all the time.”

“That’s true,” Stefan agreed thoughtfully. “But it might be the first bit of affection she’s had in her entire life. Why wouldn’t she leap at it with both hands? I’ve never been cruel to her. We’re all very kind and gentle with her and help where we can. She feels safe with us.”

“She isn’t safe, though, is she?” I pointed out, glaring at him. “If you get killed in Aboh, then she’ll suffer for the rest of her life without you.”

He scowled at me. “I won’t die over there, douche.”

“That mark looks like it happened yesterday,” I retorted. “You can’t tell me it isn’t affecting you in the ring. I saw you with David. He almost got the better of you yesterday, and he can’t fight for shit.”

Stefan grunted. “He was a Hell Hound yesterday, and I was a Vampire. I got blood after the fight when I realized how weak I was.”

“You shouldn’t be taking blood from anyone other than Eve now,” Nestor pointed out.

“I know.” Stefan grimaced. “How can I explain that to her, though? She’s still using the bags of blood Lori gives her.”

“She doesn’t know we take from the vein?”

“I think she has to because the books will instruct her that way, but I don’t think that’s enough to make her seek a vein.”

I shook my head at him. “We’ve been given the biggest weakest link ever.”

“Only for the moment,” Eren retorted.

“Why are you defending her? You know I’m right!” I ground out.

“Because when you hang out with her and stop fucking judging, you’ll see that she’s nice.”

“Nice?” I felt my mouth work at that and knew I was doing a great impression of a goldfish. “Nice?Because that’s going to save our asses from the Ghouls, right? Her baking them fucking cookies and hugging them when they get hungry.”

“Don’t be a dick, Dre,” Stefan grated out. “Just because I haven’t claimed her doesn’t mean I don’t feel the bond. She’s mine, and I won’t have you disrespecting her.”

I ground my teeth, clenching my jaw as fury ricocheted inside me. It was to our bad fortune that my Were was out to party today because I knew, with another word that pissed me off, I’d be ready to smash their faces in.

They knew how close to the edge I was, but I also noticed that they didn’t back down.

In the short time they’d known Eve, she’d wormed her way into their defenses, and I didn’t appreciate that because it made me feel like I was left out in the cold.

A knock sounded at the door just as I was getting myself back under control. Because the Were was there, right at the surface, I could scent who was hovering outside like a goddamn bad smell.

“It’s Eve.”

My tone was bland, and I was proud of that because I wanted to snarl her name.

I watched as Stefan dragged on a shirt and winced as the fabric settled against his marked back. Once he was covered, he called out, “Come in.”

The door popped open a faint inch and Stefan laughed. “I’m decent, Eve. Wouldn’t have called you in if I weren’t.”

When she peeped around the door, her cheeks were bright red as usual. She looked like a cherry, one that had been dosed in isotopes, so she was lit up like a Christmas tree all the time. Her eyes gleamed as they darted around the room’s occupants, and her bun was no longer neat as a pin butmessy. Enough so that I saw the chestnut glints in her hair—not that I wanted to notice that.

“Is this a good time?”

Her hesitance, though polite, put me on edge, especially as she gnawed on her bottom lip as she stared at my chin when her gaze passed over me.

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