ini

wenty minutes after we arrived, and seeing it

aint color spread gradually across his skin. Then his scent sharpened into something sweeter and heavier, enoug

blood had soaked through the fabric near his ribs. Every passing minute made his scent stronger until the penthouse n

ed for

ately. "What are yo

doctor,"

st that pain flashed

dical help,"

gers," he

ded harder than if he had shouted them. I look

ons, questions created records, and records led back to tonight. Once rec

set the

he panic easing from his expres

elieved that someone simply respected a boundary. Anger hit suddenly and hard, dir

oment later. His knees

t, he trembled hard against me, and I realized immediately that it was not fear shaking through hi

fingers felt warm and unste

y my hands were still holding him. Maybe all of it. Carefully,

him slowly. "I'll help

ace, gone quickly enough that I

elf think too hard about how warm his body felt or how badly his scent was a

," I m

ine," h

of his shirt, and Theo went completely still benea

hts low," I said quie

nd exhausted. "You liter

shirt carefully over his head

gear hiding him, Theo looked softer too, in ways nobody else had probably ever been allowed to see. Freck

not meant to think it. T

mediately. "Don't look at

hat?" I

feel sor

the league. At the fact that Theo had survived this a

ou," I said finally, reac

*

ugh to make concentration difficult. Theo kept leaning subtly toward me every time I touched him, sm

ediately, his breathing steadied an

" he admitted

eat?"

The suppressants. The hiding."

t weak," I

make something twist in my chest. "Y

fully. "I've never seen anyone hold

thing cracking open just slightly be

itted. "About what I am. No rela

ords made the weight be

ong?"

rve of his mouth. "S

e should have to survive untouched be

*

in crossed sharply over his face.

d directly into me and buried his face agai

nst my chest. One hand closed loosely against my shirt like he needed som

ep him close. D

m. His breathing steadied first. The trembling eased after it. Rain blurred softly a

inst my throat. "I'm

hat?"

. "You shouldn't ha

brushed near his hair. "Don't say

had finally fallen asleep when he spo

you first

ompletel

you ever looked at me. I just got reall

ftened as exhaustion finally dragged him under. His grip loosened gradually against my shirt until sleep pu

ht wake him. Then, quietly enough that only I h

ase

. He was already asleep. But even asleep, his fingers still held on