Blood Magic by Laken Cane

Chapter Twenty-Four

I wasn’t sure where to stash Zach. I had one spare bedroom, and that belonged to Lucy. I introduced them and then gave him a quick tour of the place. My injuries from Adam Thorne had already begun to heal so thankfully, Lucy did little more than give me a narrow-eyed glance. “I don’t have another bedroom,” I told Zach, “but you’re welcome to the couch.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t even a pullout. “I’ll pick up a cot for you tomorrow.”

“The couch is good.” He continued to keep his face expressionless, and I wondered if it was such a habit that even if—when—he came to trust his freedom again that he’d be able to lose that habit.

I found him a pair of soft, old sweatpants, a short-sleeved white t-shirt, and a pair of thick white socks, but that was the best I could do. They’d fit him well enough because he was around my height and thin, though he’d likely put on some weight pretty quickly if he stayed near Lucy long enough.

He took his clothes and disappeared to take a shower, probably the first one he’d been allowed in weeks, by the look of him.

“He’s so…hurt,” Lucy whispered. She shook her head. “You and your strays.” Then she grinned. “Not that we aren’t all grateful. Isn’t that right, Ash?”

He wagged his entire body and grinned, and I remembered the pitiful shape of him when I’d taken him off that chain. He was still learning to be a dog, but he’d come such a long way. I stretched out on the floor and for the next fifteen minutes, I played with my little pittie. He was good for my stress.

I got up when Zach came out of the bathroom. His freshly washed hair was indeed a dark blond, and in fresh clothes, he almost looked like a new person. Until I saw his eyes. A single shower wasn’t going to take the darkness in his stare away.

I wanted to know about his life before. He’d learned to fight somewhere. I wasn’t going to ask though. It was too soon. He’d tell me when he was ready.

As usual, Lucy had the table groaning beneath the weight of the food she’d prepared, and for a few seconds, the skinny former human slave stood in the kitchen doorway and just stared. The scent of coffee, bread, and meat was strong, and my stomach began to complain loudly.

“Lucy knows I like to eat a lot,” I told him, laughing. “Have a seat and help yourself.”

He walked slowly toward the table, his stare darting from the food to me and Lucy before he pulled out a chair and sat down. That he’d been starved was obvious, and likely food had been used as a reward and punishment.

His blood would have been better had he been healthy, which meant Axton was simply a sadistic, controlling asshole.

Hoping he’d lose his discomfort, I filled my plate. “You want a beer or coffee?”

“Coffee,” he said hoarsely. He stared down at his plate but didn’t reach for the food.

Lucy began chattering about her day, telling him about everything from her new tattoo to Ash to her job, busily ladling food into his plate as she talked. When it held more food than he could probably eat in a week, she sat down and slipped Ash a tiny piece of meat. “Eat up,” she told Zach.

And we both went out of our way to not look at him when he finally began eating. He ate quickly, keeping his head down but his stare constantly roving, as though he expected someone to leap out of the shadows, steal his plate, and then punish him for daring to eat in the first place.

It was one of the saddest things I’d ever seen in my life.

When we’d finished eating and sat back in our chairs—me with water, Lucy with wine, and Zach with more coffee—he seemed more relaxed. Lucy told me that she’d met a guy at the bakery that morning, and he was taking her out the following night. “Wish me luck,” she said. “There was some major chemistry. I’m hopeful that he’ll be agreeable to future hook-ups and not be all, “Oh, Lucy, let’s do things like hold hands and be exclusive.” She sighed, disgusted. “Why is it so hard to find a decent guy to sleep with?”

And maybe because she thought he’d find it complimentary, she eyed Zach. “You wouldn’t be—”

“No.” Then he tried a smile, but it didn’t get anywhere near his eyes. “That was the best food I’ve ever eaten. Thank you.”

She reached across the table to pat his hand, but he pulled away before she could quite touch him. “That’s okay. You’ll be okay,” she told him, in the ensuing awkwardness.

He said nothing.

I shoved back my chair and stood. “I’m usually awake most of the night and sleeping half of the day,” I said. “I don’t know how to keep you from your…needs, but I’m not going to tie you up.” I waited for him to meet my stare, and then I continued. “You gave me your word. I’m going to trust you.”

He nodded. “If I get to the point where the need becomes too much for me, I’ll ask you to restrain me. Right now…” He stood with me. “As I said, I’ll kill myself before I give in.”

“You can do this,” I said weakly. I really sucked at being a cheerleader.

He simply stared at me, his face blank. “Have you ever begged for your own torture? I’ve been through it before. I know the signs, and I’ll let you know before it gets bad.”

Lucy sat with her hand to her chest, worried, but not sure what we were talking about. She just knew it was nothing good.

“Come on,” I told him. “I’ll get your bed made up.”

“You need to know,” he said, as he watched me tucking the sheets into the couch. “The magic inside me is still there. I feel it lingering. When it begins to fade, that’s when I start to get…feral. I crave it, even though the blood bond he forced between us gave him power as it leeched mine away. I was a slave, but his human servant…she’s a slave as well, only she doesn’t realize it. She’s a woman who worships him. She doesn’t look dangerous, but she is.”

I paused in my bed making to stare at him, surprised not just at his admission, but because he was opening up. There was a reason for it—I was nearly certain he needed me to know his enemies because he expected them to pay us a visit.

“And you’re afraid she’ll come for you when you’ve weakened, or send someone to try to take you?” I asked.

He shook his head. “She’ll come for you. Axton will blame you for what happened tonight. They’ll come for you, Kait. You should be ready. I won’t be able to help when I’m in the throes of…withdrawal. Be ready.”

I nodded. “I always am.”

I finished making his bed and told him goodnight, then hesitated at the doorway. “You’re free here, Zach. At any time if you want more food or something to drink, or…” I shrugged. “Just whatever, feel free. My house is your house.”

I left him there, standing by the couch and staring at me, unsure.

But I believed he’d be okay.

Three hours later Lucy woke us up, her screams bringing to life bad things inside both of us—I just happened to have the good fortune of being used to her.

Zach, not so much.