Chapter 14
Fourteen
Damien
“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!” I snap as soon as I see Killien sleeping soundly on his freaking bed.
I can’t believe my own damn eyes.
He’s all sprawled on the small bed in a pair of boxers I’ve never seen before.
His angelic face is as relaxed as it can be, and he smells of fucking chamomile shampoo, out of all fragrances in the world.
What the hell is happening? Jacob and I have been searching for him for hours.
His bed was the very first place we checked, and he wasn’t here earlier.
Killien jerks awake and sits up, struggling to keep his eyes open. I’m raging, my blood boiling and my heartbeat loud in my ears.
“Oh, thank God . . .” Jacob sighs the moment he steps in, right after me.
I storm across the room, my footsteps loud on the creaky hardwood floors, and push Killien onto the blank wall behind his bed.
I trap him in a chokehold so strong his Adam’s apple bobs against the palm of my hand when he tries to swallow.
I’d love to have him like this for other reasons, but now’s not the time to let my dick get hard.
My eyes light up in rage as I stare at him. “ANSWER ME! WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GO?!”
My lips quiver uncontrollably as I tighten my grip around his throat. I’ve never been this angry at him in my entire life. He’s never given me a reason to be.
Tonight was the first time he left without saying a word. I don’t like not knowing where he went, and I don’t take kindly to being left behind. The look in his eyes is pure shock, and there’s a hint of fear underneath it that breaks my heart. But I ignore that, because I’m fucking pissed.
“Damien, calm down—” Jacob’s hand squeezes my shoulder softly, but I shake myself out of his touch.
That might have been a mistake, but I don’t give a fuck.
That’s how out of it I am. I can’t pay attention to him when Killien has basically destroyed my mind over the past hours.
Where could he have gone? What has he been up to?
Why did he snap and run away? He could have gotten into trouble, and nobody knew where he was.
I always know where he is, because he always tells me. Except tonight.
Killien lifts a hand and wraps it around my wrist softly.
He tries to speak through the chokehold, but can’t.
I loosen my grip, just enough to allow him to say something.
I’m so mad I might as well sink my teeth into him.
I wanna bite him hard and make it hurt. Or I might just stab him with my handy pocketknife.
“I’m sorry—” he whispers, so softly that my heart actually hurts as it skips a beat. I wanna kiss him, fuck him, and set him on fire for leaving me behind. How could he?
“Oh, fuck you, Killien. You better be sorry,” I hiss between clenched teeth. “We’ve been looking for you all night, asshole! How dare you leave me behind?!” I feel Jacob’s confused gaze burning the back of my head. I can’t be bothered by it, though.
Killien’s expression changes, morphing into the most heartbreaking sadness I’ve ever seen. His lips curl downwards and his eyes widen. He better regret what he’s done.
“I thought—I thought you wanted to be left alone . . .” he says, as tears collect in the corners of his eyes. I instantly feel like crying too. Motherfucker.
“Like hell I did!” A tear slides down his cheek as I let go of his throat. The relief of finally finding him safe and sound, after the worst night of my life, starts to sink in. “You never leave without me again, you heard me?”
An uncomfortable silence fills up the room. Killien doesn’t answer; he just looks back and forth between me and Jacob, who is still standing behind me. I probably shouldn’t have said that in front of him, but I can’t be bothered to care. Not right now.
Tonight has been an absolute nightmare. I was fucked out of my senses—which was great—but I was also reminded of who I truly want.
Every time Jacob tried to be gentle with me, I couldn’t help but think of Killien.
It was really hard not to imagine him penetrating me instead.
It mentally drained me. And then I was woken up to the surprise that the fucker had left without me, looking all distressed and shit.
“I’m sorry,” Killien says again. He pulls the bedcovers over his body, as if he’s just realized that he’s almost naked.
Something is off about him. He smells funny, and not just because of the shampoo, which is definitely not ours because we both hate that damn fragrance.
There’s a mixture of sweet vampire blood and sweat lacing his natural scent.
Almost like the smell of . . . sex. Has he been with someone else?
Is that what he did? Run away to get in bed with some human?
The single thought of it blurs my vision.
“I’ll be in the living room,” Jacob says, his voice low and maybe even defeated. He closes the bedroom door as he exits.
Killien’s bed creaks slightly as I sit on it and bury my face in my hands. I haven’t felt so distressed in my entire life, I swear. My ginger angel will be the end of me.
For a while, he does nothing but stare at the blank walls, as if he’s memorizing every inch of peeling paint. The tension in the room is so high that I think I’ll burst into flames. My eyes are still glowing, and I don’t think they’ll stop soon.
Jesus fucking Christ . . . I should have never fallen asleep in Jacob’s bed.
“Are you okay?” Killien asks.
“Not really,” I sigh, knowing pretty well that Jacob must find my reaction to this whole thing strange, and I’ll probably have to answer for it later. I can’t believe the roller coaster of emotions I’ve been through in a single night.
“I thought you’d prefer to stay with Jacob . . .” he repeats himself, and it enrages me. I would never choose Jacob over him, for fuck’s sake. Never. Not in a million years.
“What happened to you, Killi?” I ask, lifting my head up and turning to face him. The way he looks at me sends a shiver down my spine. It’s completely off, but I can’t seem to figure out what exactly it means.
“Your eyes are still glowing . . .” He goes silent.
“You thought I wouldn’t care that you disappeared on me?” I smile, but it’s all rage and disbelief. “I didn’t know where you went, or why, or with whom. I tried calling, and you never picked up either. I was terrified! Something bad could have happened.”
Killien frowns, as if he’s reminiscing the events of the night.
Is he high or something? I have no idea what is going through his mind, and it sucks.
I used to be really good at reading him, but right now, he might as well be a book written in Chinese.
My heart still aches at the way his brown eyes look sad as fuck.
What the hell is he thinking?
“I must have set my phone to silent mode—I never heard it,” he says, looking down at his own hands.
“Yeah, I suppose you did that without meaning to, right?” That sounded way harsher than I intended. Well, damn. It’s done, anyway.
“I’m really sorry . . .” Killien sighs. “Tonight has been a shit show—I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
His words make me shudder. He’s never so up-front about his feelings. Something really bad must be happening. Panic climbs up my throat, almost making me gag.
“Talk to me, Killi—” I grab his hand and squeeze it. The knot in my throat hurts and my eyes burn like hell. They must be glowing really bright.
Killien opens his mouth, then closes it again. His gaze stays on mine, and I can still see that horrible pain in him. What can I do to soothe it away? I desperately want to kiss him, but he’d probably freak out. And Jacob would definitely be pissed if he found us kissing too.
The bedroom door opens in a fast swoosh, and heavy footsteps storm in. “What exactly have you been up to, Killien?!” Jacob asks, with a threatening tone.
I turn around and glare at him. How dare he talk to my brother like that?
I’m gonna rip his beautiful cock off with my own teeth if he speaks to my ginger angel like that again.
“I went hunting . . .” Killien tries to pull his hand away from mine, but I don’t let him.
Jacob’s nostrils flare with rage. “Did you happen to forget to dispose of the bodies?!”
“What the fuck is happening?” I stand up, still holding on to Killien’s hand for dear life.
“Come and see for yourself, honey.” Jacob storms into the living room, his boots loud on the wooden floors, and I follow him.
I don’t like the way he said that last word, and I’m gonna let him know. He doesn’t get to talk like that to my brother and then boss me around. Killien’s footsteps follow me, but he remains close to the bedroom door.
Jacob stands in front of the TV and points at it. My eyes widen as I stare at the blurred images of an alleyway full of blood and police officers. Jacob collapses on the battered sofa, running his fingers through his hair. He seems stressed, and I’m starting to understand why.
“Two bodies have been found in an alley in downtown Phoenix. We are still expecting more details from the authorities, but it seems like it’s a rather gruesome scene.” The news reporter speaks calmly, in that kind of monotone voice I hate so much.
Oh, for fuck’s sake . . . What have you done, brother?
I turn to look at Killien to find him leaning against the white wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. “Killi? Did you—?” I don’t finish asking the question, because it’s not even necessary.
He looks guilty as fuck. And hot too. He’s wearing only boxers, and my eyes drift away form his face, down his toned abs and the alluring trail of ginger hairs between them.
I struggle to keep my dick under control at the sight of him like this.
It’s rare for him to walk around in his underwear; I never get to see so much skin.
My gaze lingers on the many freckles on his shoulders, which become lighter as they trickle down his arms.
“Why the fuck did you do that, Killien?!” Jacob is downright freaking out.
I’m torn between calming him down and going to my brother.
But I know that if I go to Killien, it will make things worse.
So, I sit next to Jacob and place a hand on his knee.
Whatever keeps my eyes away from my brother’s naked body seems like a good idea right now, since I can’t stop thinking about how delicious he looks.
Jacob doesn’t push me away, but he looks at me like he’s really pissed.
“No one saw me,” Killien says calmly. “There are no cameras in the area. I’ve hunted there before many times.”
“But why did you make such a mess?” Jacob tries to get up but I stop him. Fortunately, he doesn’t insist. “We’re not supposed to leave evidence of our killings, Killien. This is serious.”
“They aren’t going to figure out it was a vampire, Jacob.” My brother’s tone shifts into something dark and threatening. A particular one I haven’t heard in a long time: condescending. The same he used on our parents during our last weeks at home.
“How are you so fucking sure?” Jacob looks at me as if he expects me to back him up.
There’s no way in hell I’m siding with you, darling . . .
“Wait, calm down,” I say. “The scene is way too bloody for the humans to even consider a vampire being responsible—”
Jacob cuts me off. “Even if they don’t figure that out, they could still come after your brother, honey!”
Ugh. If you call me honey like that again, I’ll cut your tongue out.
“They won’t, I promise,” Killien says. He stares at Jacob with repressed rage. Of course, I’m the only one who understands that look in his eyes. He’s really pissed, but I’m not sure why. I hope it’s jealousy, though.
“You better not drag Damien into your bullshit, Killien. Or, I swear to God, I’ll make your life miserable, understand?” Jacob threatens.
Oh, hell no.
Hell fucking no.
My eyes widen and light up immediately. He did not just threaten my brother. I huff out a nervous laugh as rage coils up my spine like fire. The deranged smile on my face seems to take Jacob by surprise, because he moves away from me.
“What did you just say?” The corners of my mouth twitch.
“Let it go, Damien,” Killien sighs, as if he’s not bothered by the offense. But I am. Fuck, yes, I am.
“I understand that you’re upset—” I lick my lower lip to keep it from trembling. “I do, seriously. But you don’t get to come in here and threaten my brother. We’re in this together, and no one gets between us. No one.”
I can almost see the light in Jacob’s eyes fade away.
My words don’t sit well with him, naturally.
Not that I care in this moment. I’m fuming.
He might be really handsome, and the best fuck I’ve had so far, but he’s not allowed to threaten Killien.
I’m not letting anyone get in between us, no matter what.
Jacob stands and glares down at me. He’s hurt, yes. And I’m not sorry.
“You two are . . .” he hisses, but can’t seem to find the words to finish his sentence.
The urge to stab him is strong. I want to take out my pocketknife and put it to good use.
It’s been a while since I fought someone, and this seems like the perfect moment to let my violent demons out to play.
But I don’t let that happen, of course. I know that it won’t be worth it in the end, so I just stare back at him and say nothing.
“Whatever—” Jacob snaps, grabbing his car keys from the wooden kitchen table and storming out towards the driveway. The front door slams shut behind him, peeling paint and dust falling off the wall and popcorn ceilings as the house seems to shake from the impact.
He’s pissed, alright. So am I. And I’m not going to apologize when it was him who crossed a line.
“Shouldn’t you go after him?” Killien asks.
“No.” I lean back onto the cushions and cross my legs and arms. “He’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, then fuck him.”