Page 44 of The Secret of Pain

"Love you too. Text me the address, and I'll drag that pair out tomorrow. We'll get your talisman back."

"Thank you. Really."

"Anytime," I say as I hug her and then head to the truck outside where I'm met with two surly Hunters sitting in silence.

"I don't want to hear anything about nearly getting myself killed. Can you please save your lectures for tomorrow? I really do just want to sleep."

"I'm staying at your apartment tonight, to keep an eye on you. Blood loss—" Creek starts.

"Is no joke, yeah, Fallon gave me the speech already. It’s fine by me, you can take the spare room. It's not like you haven't before. But no lectures," I cut him off and he nods while Colt sits, stewing in whatever is up with him.

We drive in silence until Colt pulls up at my apartment. "See you tomorrow, Colt."

"I'm not around tomorrow, little bit. But I'll see you in a few days. Try and stay out of trouble?"

I roll my eyes and hug him around the chair. "I'll try."

He grumbles at me, so I smile at him, because I know it’ll poke at him, and climb out of the truck as they fist bump.

Jeez, they’re such bros sometimes.

Creek joins me on the pavement before we head into my building. I try to shove away the awkward feeling that envelops me at being alone with Creek in my apartment. Stupid fucking memories. What use are they when they just make my life harder?

"Are you okay?" he asks me softly as he shrugs out of his jacket and kicks off his boots. I perch on the edge of the couch and undo my boots, my cloak already in the laundry basket after the whole “using it to try and staunch the blood from my arms” thing. That’s what I get for not wearing it because I was too warm. In the future, I'll suffer the heat it gives and protect myself.

"I'm fine, just kicking myself about tonight." I shrug, only half-lying.

"Remy, don't. It was your first hunt in this life. Your memories aren't all back, and we weren't expecting there to be anyone there, not really. Especially not three older Dracul. Even if they were rogues, age, in this case, means strength. The older the Dracul, the more skilled they are. They're faster, stronger, more ruthless, more battle worn. Those ones tonight, felt old. Not ancient like the original family lines, though most of those are now dead or in hiding, except for the head of the Dracul of course. You have nothing to berate yourself about, Remy. You handled yourself way better than I did my first hunt." He smiles at me, and I try not to read anything into it or about how my name sounds on his lips. Just because in that memory he said he loved me, when he kissed me…

I bite my lip to stop the tingling feeling, and I realize I should really be listening to him rather than staring at his mouth.

"My first hunt, I nearly got the Hunter with me killed. We came across a mated pair of Lycans in a killing frenzy, and I froze. It happens. Knowing these things exist and facing them are two very, very different things."

"Thanks," I smile at him, suddenly feeling the need for a cool shower. I’m not sure what it is about him, but there is something. Maybe the look in his eyes, the protective stance he has, or maybe I just really need to get laid, but everything about him right now is making me sweat.

"I'm going to grab a shower and then head to bed. You know this place as well as I do—help yourself to whatever."

He nods, his gaze roaming my body, his eyes heated but then turning cold when he sees the dried blood on my arms again. "Night, Remy."

"Night, Creek."

* * *

"So, remind me why we're heading into a known nest of Dracul? Not even rogues, with no backup and no idea as to how many are in there?" Creek hisses, and I smile at him. We're hidden in the shadows as we creep up on the abandoned hotel.

"Because Fallon saved my life, and she asked us to." I roll my eyes at his bitching. He's been grumbling about this since I mentioned it to him this morning, as if he'd thought I'd just forget Fallon's request.

"We should have come with Bauer, especially with Colt out of town."

"Bauer has his own shit to deal with, and I'm not going to leave a powerful Witch’s talisman in the hands of some Dracul." I shrug and move forward, pulling myself up over the wall at the perimeter.

"Yeah, yeah. Still stupid. Mom or Dad could have come with us," he grumbles, but I ignore him.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. We're not here to kill anyone. In and out."

"Yeah, I know. No killing unless necessary,” he says rolling his eyes playfully, then his look hardens. “They're not rogues, but they're still Dracul, Remy. Do not think you can trust them."

"I'm not an idiot, Creek. Stop treating me like a child. You don't have to come in with me." He grunts at my declaration, but I'm this close to leaving him outside anyway. I've had enough. "Well then, shut up and back me up already."

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