Scarlett: (GxG)

Chapter 13

The ride was quiet. She'd gotten into the car without her shirt, not that there was much left of it. I could tell she'd tried to wipe most of the blood away but it still permeated the inside of the car. Coppery sweet.

I wanted it...

I tried to get thoughts of Deacon's assault out of my head but thoughts of how warm that man's blood was when it pumped into my mouth were fighting to replace it. Neither images were good for me, not with her so close.

It started raining the moment we both managed to duck into the house. I figured if the roof needed patching this was one way to find out. Shrugging out of my jacket I tossed it into a pile. I was half way through unbuttoning my shirt when I realized I still had my weapons strapped to my bare skin beneath.

"Are you alright?" She asked behind me.

I looked at her over my shoulder. Her makeup, once expertly applied, now streaked down her face. It made it impossible to know what was blood and what was lipstick. My new urges had me wanting to lick it all away.

"I'll be fine."

She stepped closer and I moved a step further away.

"Were you afraid of me back there, when you found me?" I asked.

Tonight her bra was white and simple, no lace, no frills. A few droplets of crimson stained the straps. Even though I noticed I tried my best to keep my eyes on her face, regardless of the height difference.

"It wasn't being afraid of you,"she said, trying to wipe at her mouth with the back of her hand, "More like afraid of what you could do."

I couldn't argue with that.

No matter how much I tried she wouldn't get in the shower first. When I felt as if she was about to toss me in herself, I finally caved.

The water was hot. I felt like it was scorching my skin as it ran down my marked flesh, turning the water pink at my feet. The day's events flashed in front of my eyes and I couldn't believe half of what I saw. Anders' empty apartment, my daggers, the terrified faces of kidnapped shifters... When Scarlett's bloody face tried to push to the forefront of my mind I forced the heavy stream of water into my face, as if that would help get rid of it. After channeling Lady Mcbeth and scrubbing the dried blood out from under my nails, I got out of the shower.

With a towel wrapped around me I gathered my clothes, doing my best to hide the weapons I'd worn beneath them all. Even now I knew that this secret would be almost impossible to keep from her while she was literally sleeping across the hall. But after she'd watched me almost rip out a man's throat, would the daggers be that much of a shock?

In my room I caught my reflection while the rain pounded against the window behind me. Wet hair clinging to my naked body, I saw a glimpse of her, the young woman I'd once been. It was brief, perhaps just a few seconds at most but it brought me closer to the mirror. My eyes were different. It was subtle. Perhaps no one would even notice at all except for me and maybe my father, but I could tell they appeared a little colder. I placed my hand between my small breasts and felt the thrum of my heart that had served as a warning earlier before I'd allowed myself a taste and then to truly feed. She wasn't coming back, I assured myself. I was in control. Not the hunger.

My thoughts were cut short by a flicker of the lights. I picked up my straps and daggers and tucked them under a crate of books I'd yet to unpack. A crack of thunder had me jumping out of my skin. I nearly tripped while attempting to pull my robe out from my drawer as I knew what was going to happen next. The lights went out just as I was tying it around me. Peeking outside I could see that the whole street was dark.