Page 32 of Body and Soul

I shrugged one shoulder, crossing to lean against the counter. “Yeah. Thanks for the clothes.”

“Of course.” Gavin slid the eggs onto two plates next to slices of buttered toast. “I sent Keres off on an errand. Figured you could use some space after... all that.”

My face heated at the reminder of what he'd walked in on. “Yeah, uh, thanks. And sorry you had to see that.”

Gavin handed me a plate and fork, his expression neutral but not unkind. “Keres can be a lot to handle, especially if you're not used to him. Are you alright?”

I shrugged, poking at the fluffy scrambled eggs with my fork. My face still felt hot, embarrassment simmering under my skin. But I appreciated Gavin's calm, no-nonsense demeanor. It made it a little easier to talk about what happened.

“I'm okay, I think. Kind of confused and overwhelmed, to be honest.” I shoveled a forkful of eggs into my mouth, buying myself a moment to gather my thoughts. After I swallowed, I asked hesitantly, “Is Keres always like that?”

Gavin leaned back against the counter, sipping from a mug of coffee. He considered me thoughtfully for a moment before answering. “Keres is the most primal of Shepherd's alters. He's pure instinct and aggression, without much in the way of impulse control or higher reasoning. When he wants something, he takes it.”

I nodded slowly, trying to absorb this information. It explained a lot about Keres's behavior, the way he'd come on so strong and intense right out of the gate. “So when he said I was his...”

“He meant it,” Gavin said simply. “In his mind, you belong to him now. He's claimed you as his own.”

“So what you're saying is, I should expect him to jump me again if I stick around?”

Gavin's mouth twitched, like he was suppressing a smile. “I'm saying you should be prepared for Keres to be... single-minded in his focus on you. He's clearly decided you belong to him, and he'll be aggressive in staking that claim.”

A shiver worked its way down my spine at the thought. I didn't know how to feel about being claimed like some kind of property. On one hand, it was all kinds of fucked up. I wasn't a thing to be owned. But on the other hand, a dark, secret part ofme kind of liked it. Liked knowing I affected Keres so strongly that he felt that primal need to possess me.

I pushed the thought away, not wanting to examine it too closely. “What about the others? Shepherd's other alters?”

Gavin took another sip of his coffee. “There are others—each with their own personality and role. Keres is just the most intense.”

“And you manage them,” I said, remembering what Shepherd told me last night. “Keep things under control.”

Gavin huffed. “I don’t control anything about Shepherd or his alters. I’m here to manage and assist. For example, since Keres is out today, my job is to make sure any appointments Shepherd has are rescheduled or otherwise handled. Luckily, school isn’t in session right now and he only sees patients a few days a week, so my job today will boil down to looking after you, mostly, and making sure you get adjusted.”

I nodded slowly, trying to wrap my head around all this new information. It was a lot to take in. I was still reeling from my encounter with Keres, and now I had to worry about a whole system of alters, each with their own agendas and personalities. It was dizzying.

Before I could ask any more questions, the front door opened and closed. Footsteps approached the kitchen and then Keres was there, a stack of mail in his hand. He paused in the doorway, his dark gaze immediately finding me and pinning me in place. I felt that same electric thrill run through me at the intensity in his eyes.

“I have successfully retrieved the mail,” Keres said, his deep voice seeming to vibrate in my bones. He crossed to the counter and dropped the stack of envelopes, but his eyes never left me.

“Thank you, Keres,” Gavin said calmly, seemingly unaffected by the thick tension that had descended on the kitchen. “Eli and I were having breakfast. Would you like some milk?”

Keres grunted, finally dragging his gaze away from me to glance at Gavin.

As Gavin poured him a glass of milk, I tried to focus on my food, but my appetite had vanished. I was hyper aware of Keres's presence, the heat and solidity of his body as he leaned against the counter a few feet away.

Shit, what time was it? I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be at the tattoo shop for my apprenticeship. Shepherd taking me in had thrown off my whole routine. Usually I'd be rushing to catch the bus across town.

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. 8:37. Fuck, I had to be there by 9:30 to help Cherry set up for the day. It was bad enough that I was going to have to explain to Cherry that I was moving out. The apprenticeship was the one stable thing I had going for me and I couldn't afford to screw it up by getting distracted by all this drama with Shepherd and his alters.

I cleared my throat, setting my half-eaten plate of eggs on the counter. “Hey, uh, I hate to eat and run, but I'm supposed to be at the tattoo shop in like an hour. I gotta get going if I'm gonna make it on time.”

Keres's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. “You're not going anywhere without me.”

“Keres,” Gavin warned, “Eli has responsibilities. He can't drop everything because you've decided to fixate on him.”

Keres growled low in his throat, the sound raising the hairs on the back of my neck. “He's mine. I'm not letting him out of my sight.”

I bristled at that, my earlier unease morphing into irritation. “Look, I appreciate you giving me a place to crash and all, but you can’t be with me twenty-four seven.”

“Why not?”

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