Anew

44

In the cabin, Tristan explained what happened to his brother.

Gabriel’s reaction was predictable; “We need to take Scarlet somewhere to keep her safe. Maybe she could stay at one of our other places, where no one can find her—”

“No, Gabe. We’re not taking her anywhere. What we need to do is figure out what the hell this is.” Tristan tossed the black headband onto the coffee table in the living room. “Whoever that guy was tonight, he was going to do something to Scarlet with that. We need to know what it is and what it does, so we can understand exactly what he was after tonight.”

Gabriel picked up the black band and examined it. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Neither have I. But it doesn’t look like something friendly.” He looked at Scarlet, standing scared and confused in her pajamas.

Gabriel wrapped his arm around her small shoulders and Tristan wanted to growl.

Leaving Scarlet to be protected by Gabriel was the last thing he wanted to do.

But when did he ever get what he wanted?

“Okay.” Tristan pulled his eyes away from Gabriel, and looked down at his bloody shirt. “I need to take a shower.”

“You need to see a doctor.” Scarlet’s voice was steady, which filled Tristan with confidence that she would be all right.

Tonight had been scary, but Scarlet could handle it.

She was tough.

She was brave.

Even if she didn’t remember she had it, her strength was still there, deep inside her. Which made him kinda proud.

Tristan inhaled slowly, trying not to sound like a jackass when he said, “I don’t. Need. A doctor.”

“But all the blood….” Scarlet’s eyes ran down his body, stirring something inside him.

Something forbidden.

He needed her to stop looking at him. He needed her to stop caring.

“You’re bleeding everywhere,” Scarlet said.

She didn’t remember how he healed, so it was only fair for him to remind her. His head gash was still bleeding so, instead, he yanked the collar of his shirt down so Scarlet could see a deep knife wound at the top of his chest, slowly closing up.

“Gabriel and I heal. Knife wounds, bullet wounds…nothing kills us. See?”

Well…almost nothing.

Scarlet took a step forward and looked up at his collarbone where his open flesh was mending itself in slow motion. Her body heat laid upon him as she neared and he gritted his teeth.

Scarlet’s eyes grew in wonder. “That’s…amazing.” Her breath feathered across the wound and nearly drove him to insanity.

In an instant, her eyes turned electric blue, brightening as she looked at his exposed collarbone, and sending alarm through his body.

Her eyes had been pulsing in and out of their supernatural blue color all night, flashing at Tristan and sending terror through his veins.

“Okay.” His released his shirt collar and took a step back. “Show and tell is over. I’m going to take a shower and rinse all this blood off.”

And, hopefully, wash away the fear, helplessness, and desire pouring from his core.

Without looking at Scarlet, he left the room and went downstairs.