Blood Ties

8

"I'm Nina and this is Accalia," Nina gestured to the both of them, not offering a hand but an easy-going smile.

"I am Rexton," He cleared his throat and scanned the area, brows furrowing at every detail of the house. "What is that?"

He pointed to a rectangular object and Accalia suppressed a laugh.

"That's a television. You can watch — er, movies and tv shows." She answered, awkwardly.

"What are they?"

Accalia looked to Nina for help.

"A performance that you can see through a screen," Nina responded airily.

Rexton looked bewildered at the explanation, but his focus changed as he brushed his hands along his clothes and he paled. "I apologise for the—the blood. I did not mean ..."

Accalia's breathing shallowed. "Would you like a change of clothes?"

Rexton's lips thinned into a smile and gave her a nod, his tousled hair curtaining over his familiar eyes. "Thank you."

Accalia turned and pulled Nina into her, whispering into her ear, "I'm going to give Lycus a call and get Rexton a change of clothes."

Nina's face contorted into refusal, gripping Accalia hard enough to make her stay. "I know I'm a lycan, but what on earth am I supposed to do with him? What if he bites me?"

Accalia looked back to Rexton who was immersed in the chandelier above him, counting the crystals with his forefinger.

Accalia fumbled for a response and she hastily blurted, "Offer him cereal. Kids like that stuff."

___

"You shouldn't have thrown him out the window, Rexton." Gabriel scolded.

Accalia couldn't get to her feet fast enough, but she swore she could feel the impact Lycus took when he was thrown out the living room window.

Nina's jaw was near the floor in shock and she clutched her stomach.

Tala ran to the window, peeking her head out. "Cadence is laughing at him — he's fine though," Tala stated.

Rexton with his fingers and his mouth opened, quickly closing. Did he recognise his strength? Did Lycus?

"Rexton, it's fine—he should have kept his mouth shut," Gabriel came close to him and gripped his arm in a reassuring squeeze.

"Erm, Gabriel," Tala spun around to the Alpha and pointed behind her. "Lycus is shifting."

Accalia tiredly sighed and staggered outside before everyone else, every shard of pain slicing into her back with a silent hiss.

Lycus should have shut his mouth, he shouldn't have suggested putting Rexton back in the coffin.

Shortly after Lycus left with the hunters, the healers came and restitched the wound Accalia tore open. They informed her it would be wise to not move too much, to rely on the source of her mate and vessel herself to him. Accalia remained perplexed by that, all she knew of their bond was whatever they felt separately, they felt it together.

Slamming the door open with a bang, Accalia stepped outside and shook her head at the sight.

"Shoot him if you have to," Accalia called to her brother who had a gun pointed directly at the back of Lycus's beastly head. "Maybe it will teach him a lesson."

Lycus's other side never ceased to scare Accalia. He was terrifying to the eye and the curse was designed to invoke that for everyone around him.

It felt so long ago now the last time she saw him, tearing bodies apart in pursuit to make her stay with him. She rolled her shoulders back uncomfortably at the memory.