Page 74 of Caelum

“Headfirst,” he confirmed. “I almost died myself. When I found out what happened, I wished I had. A few weeks later, dad dumped me in a facility and I barely ever saw him again before I came here. He blamed me, and…” He released a breath. “He was right to.”

I reached out, my hand covering his. “I’m so sorry, Reed.”

“Not your fault.” He shook his head in dismissal, but his hand turned and twined itself around mine. “I didn’t mean to get gloomy.”

No, he hadn’t. I could see that. He hadn’t spoken of his past to make me feel sorry for him. I could see that he hadn’t intended on discussing this at all! How? His cheeks were a blotchy color. Like his skin couldn’t decide on whether he should be pale from sorrow or bright pink from mortification.

He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’d best go to the gym. You be sure to stand up to these bitches, yeah? There aren’t many females around, so they tend to get their own way too much. Don’t let them push you over or stir the shit.”

Before I could say another word, he was gone, but I was left thinking of what he’d told me.

When I turned back and looked over at Stefan, I saw Becky had gone but he was glowering at me. Well aware he’d seen me talking to Reed, I just shrugged and called out, “Free world.”

When he grumbled under his breath, I had to smirk.

Free will in a free world rocked.

TWENTY

NESTOR

A sigh of relief escaped Dre when he grabbed a hold of Stefan’s forearm and dragged it to his mouth. As he slurped up the blood, Eren and I turned our focus on the TV.

It wasn’t exactly an uncommon sight. Once we found our people, our Pack, we tended to feed in-house, or if we were fucking someone, then they’d be dinner too.

It was as necessary as breathing on the days when the Vampire held full sway, so we chilled, not thinking anything of it as Dre fed.

“I thought you said she was with Merry,” Eren mumbled a few moments later, breaking into my concentration as I watched a documentary on sea lions and how their colonies were too large for their territory now. Not because the colonies were growing but because their territory was shrinking.

My stomach churned at the sight, the proof of what we were doing to our world with our excesses—creatures included—and it took a few seconds to realize what he was even talking about.

When I turned my head and saw Eve was standing in the doorway, her nostrils flared as she watched Dre snack on Stefan who was lying back to facilitate the feeding while dicking around on his phone, I sensed her Sin Eater was in charge. Only two species watched. The Sin Eater and thegouille, and mine would have recognized hers. That it didn’t told me which soul of hers was under control.

Or not, to be more precise.

Her eyes were wide, the bright gems glittering as she watched and assimilated the scene before her. I could tell that assimilation wasn’t a positive one and I had a feeling that was because it was Dre doing the feeding.

He hadn’t been awake that long but somehow, the tit had managed to alienate her to the max. I didn’t blame her either. Dre’s attitude made an armadillo look sexy. I spent half my time trying not to throat punch him as well.

“Eve?”

I whispered her name cautiously, trying not to startle her. She wanted to protect Stefan. I could sense that. But he didn’t need protecting—and then I thought about today. When she’d been in the library and we’d been hanging out close by. Definitely not studying, and only there to keep an eye on her when Becky had walked up and had begun flirting with Stefan…

FML.

It was evident to us all that Eve didn’t realize she’d claimed Stefan. She didn’t have a fucking clue. But her souls knew. And it was her souls who would fuck Dre up if we weren’t careful.

She didn’t respond to my hesitant calling of her name, but her eyes flickered over to me and back to Dre. Stefan had tensed and was watching Eve warily; Eren, too, was eying her like a rattlesnake about to strike.

Dre ignored me like the dick he was, but I reached over and smacked him on the back of the head. “If you want to be on that plane the day after tomorrow, then back the fuck off,” I ground out.

He sneered at me as he wiped blood from around his mouth. “I’m still hungry.”

“You’ve been gnawing on him for a while,” I argued, my gaze still intent on Eve.

Female creatures were far more deadly when provoked than their male counterparts. We rarely involved them in any of the heavy fighting, but when they were being antagonized as Eve was—Dre was now making a show of wiping his mouth and licking his lips—females would skin men alive if they saw the need.

And considering her Sin Eater was in session?

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