Page 42 of Memories Like Fangs
My eyes snapped open to look down at a still-groaning Everett, and I snatched the shirt away. My nose was still bleeding, but I didn’t care. When I spoke, my voice rumbled like a growl from between my teeth. “Listen here,panocha. My cousins didn’t do this. This was the Blood Witch-Fae from before. If my family had been behind any of them, I would take care of them and they wouldn’t be my family anymore.”
“Yeah, right,” Everett snorted as best he could as he tried to stand up. “It was your fucking family that started all of this, wasn’t it? Your father killed Byrd’s mother, didn’t he?”
I laughed without a trace of humor in my tone while I shook my head. My nose audibly clicked into place, and it felt fitting,somehow. It was hard to not feel guilt over what happened. My father had killed Byrd’s mother that day over fourteen years ago. Her death led to Byrd almost dying, her father and aunt dying, and Byrd losing everything. It was a lifetime and a breath. I hadn’t held the gun or the knife. I didn’t spill the blood. But I came from the man who did, and sometimes—hell, alotof the time—that felt like enough to damn me on its own. My family started this. I didn’t argue with that. I couldn’t. That truth had teeth, and it bit me every time I tried to look away from it. Every time I looked at Byrd, I remembered who I was and who she lost. I would spend the rest of my life trying to come close to making up for it.
But, I would bedamnedif amanthrew that in my face like it was news. Like he’d found some hidden weakness and carved it into the open for the world to see. As if I hadn’t already been living with that wound that my father had caused me and so many others. Like I hadn’t been breathing through it, trying to make peace with a past I never asked for. I knew already. I knew all too well. This man didn’t get to weaponize my grief and guilt like it wasn’t already lodged in my chest like shrapnel, too close to my heart to ever be removed.
First, foremost, and always, fuck him.
“Tu no sabes mierda, perra,” I cursed. “I cannot, nor will I, atone for the sins of my father, especially when I don’t like that motherfucker to begin with and when my mate’s life is on the line. If you want to fight me, okay, but let’s do it after my girl is safe.”
“Your girl?” His laughter was full of malice and spite. “How do we know this mating bond isn’t some stunt for you to kill Byrd and sell her for parts later?”
“Everett Rian Leander!” Thompson shouted.
“Everett, that’s enough!” Talli cried out at the same time.
Their outcries didn’t matter because my fist shut him up better than their yelling.
I punched him straight in his dumbass face, feeling even more bones and flesh caving around my fist. It was stronger than his first punch, sending Everett back. My father loved this feeling. One of the few times he was genuinely happy was describing what it was like to feel bones break under your bare hands, to see the life of a supernatural leave their eyes knowing you were going to be rich even after the thrill passed. It all usually made my stomach roll. I hated the gore of fighting and hunting. The best part to me was knowing the scum of the earth, those who took advantage of others who didn’t deserve it, were being taken off this plane of existence.
At this moment, however, I liked giving this asshole what he deserved.
What was it that Byrd liked so much about him? He seemed like such a fucking dick.
I walked up to Everett as he was lying on the floor. I grabbed him by his tank’s collar. Under his beard, there was bruising from his actively healing jaw. His nose was flowing like mine had been, and both his eyes were black all around. Still, he met my eyes with a furious glare. Distantly, I heard the others calling out to us both, begging us to end this, but the Guardians were the ones who swooped in and told them that we needed to work through this.
They weren’t wrong, but I was about to finish this.
“I would rather break every bone in my body and drink the worst, most painful poison on this planet than ever lay a finger on Byrd in malice. I wouldneverhurt her. I wouldneverput her in that position. I haveneverkilled a dragon. Nat, Cole, and Cody, my cousins over there, haven’t either. Nor will any of us. We made a pact not to, a blood oath, a long time ago.
I want Byrd to be safe. You can question my family and our work all you want to, sure, but last I checked, you do the same work as me at the DSO. We just have different folks signing our checks. Don’t youeverin your motherfucking life question my love for Byrd, do you understand me? We are mates. Just as much as you and your witch over there are,ita conoesumadre.”
I threw him to the floor before standing up and walking toward my cousins. I could feel Everett’s glare on my back the entire time, but I ignored it. Talli and Thompson rushed past us to Everett to check on him. I wiped more of the blood from my face and turned away.
Cody whistled next to me. “Well, that’s some first impression to make on the future in-laws.”
I shot him a glare that made him throw his hands up in surrender as if I were going to punch him next.
Simone and Maisie came up then, stopping between us and Everett. Maise declared, “I would say that went about as well as could be expected.”
Cole came up next to Simone and hugged her. “I hope meeting your family won’t be as… eventful.”
Simone smiled up at him before standing on her tip-toes to kiss him sweetly. “Oh, don’t worry, Coco. It’ll be worse because it’ll be so so fucking dull.”
While he chuckled, she turned to me, maintaining that gentle smile. “You okay? I know you are healing already, but do you want me to clean up that blood for you?”
I shook my head. “Hunter’s blood doesn’t stain like human blood does. An evolutionary trait to make sure we leave no trace. See?”
I wiped away more of the blood from my nose and mouth. I didn’t need a mirror to know that most of it had been wiped clean from my face, but seeing Simone’s jaw drop helped.
“Wow, hunters just keep getting cooler and cooler.”
My lips quirked up at her admiration. Then, nearby on the Vault’s floor, I noticed spots of blood.Myblood. Despite it being my own, I could only see droplets of Byrd’s blood from the Blood Fitch’s shard in her thigh, like my past refusing to allow my present justbe.
Maybe Everett was right about one thing.
Maybe hunters really did only bring bloodshed.
