Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment) (61 page)

“Sneaky,” she murmured, turning and starting towards the door on the other side.

Her movements were hesitant, like a newborn calf learning to walk. Every step was placed hesitantly and with great caution. Maybe it was because she hadn’t walked in so long or was it because her body felt so alien she wasn’t sure how it operated?

In the doorway, she paused and peeked out.

Octavian came up behind her. “Everyone is anxious to see you,” he told her. “We’ve all been so worried.”

She glanced at him from over her shoulder. “What happened to me, Octavian?”

He knew he should wait, but the words were leaving his tongue before he could stop himself. “You were bitten by a strigoi.”

She looked down at her hands. “Am I strigoi now?”

He nodded. “Duncan, the strigoi that attacked you, we found him in Siberia. We got his blood and…” He swallowed hard, so afraid of her reaction.

“Why did I need his blood?”

“Riley!” Octavian was saved from answering when Gideon walked out of the back of the house and caught sight of her. In three quick strides he was in front of her and scooping her up into his arms. “About time you woke up!” He gave her a hard squeeze before setting her down and searching her face. “How are you?”

“Hungry,” she murmured, looking uncertain.

“Whoa!” Gideon took a step back, hands up to ward her off. “This Caster is not donating.”

Her face broke into a wide smile that made everything inside Octavian hurt. She laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Gideon gave a nod. “Good. You do that.” He glanced at Octavian. “Where we going?”

Octavian shrugged, completely at a loss for an answer. His mind didn’t seem to want to work as properly as it should. There were blank spots all over the place. All he could think was that his Riley was back and she was okay, while another side insisted she was going to hate him for what he’d done.

“Well, Mom’ll want to see her,” Gideon supplied. “And the others. Come on.”

He slipped an arm around Riley as though it were the most natural thing in the world to do. It didn’t seem to even bother him that she had fangs and glowing red eyes. But then, Gideon had never been fazed by much.

They began walking away, leaving Octavian to follow a few paces back, feeling useless and out of place. By the time they reached the parlor, Gideon had managed to vomit everything Octavian had hesitated to. It was both an annoyance and a relief.

“Riley!” His mother dropped the book she’d been reading onto the sofa and bolted across the room to yank Riley into her arms. “Darling, we’ve been so worried!” She drew back, smoothing Riley’s hair off her face and peering determinedly into her eyes. “How are you? Does it hurt anywhere? Are you hungry?”

“Mom, brakes,” Gideon teased. “You’re going to give her word lash.”

His mother giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m just so glad to see you’re all right.”

“Where are Dad and the other two?” Gideon asked, poking his head inside the room and looking about as though expecting Magnus to be hiding in some dark corner. It wasn’t a far stretch, but unlikely all the same.

“Your father’s downstairs with Magnus doing inventory. I haven’t seen Reggie,” she answered before turning her attention on Riley once more. “Why don’t we start with a nice hot shower? You’ll feel much better once we can get some of the sweat off.”

Riley nodded. “That does sound nice.”

Smiling, his mother hooked her arm through Riley’s and guided her back towards the stairway without glancing back at the other two. But Riley did. She turned her head and met Octavian’s gaze for a moment before she was propelled out of sight.

Gideon turned to him. “What are you doing?” he asked, taking Octavian off guard.

“What?”

He jerked a blond head in the direction their Mom and Riley had taken. “Why aren’t you following?”

Octavian frowned. “She’s taking a shower.”

A pale brow arched. “From what Magnus has told me, I don’t think there’s anything you haven’t seen.”

“Magnus has a big mouth,” Octavian muttered. “Besides, what if she doesn’t want me there?”

Gideon frowned. “I don’t understand the question.”

Exasperated, Octavian rolled his eyes. “It’s my fault she’s here. I couldn’t protect her. What if she hates me?”

For several long heartbeats, Gideon just stared at him as though Octavian had just asked him an extremely difficult question.

“What?” he demanded when Gideon continued to gawk at him.

“I’m trying to figure out if I should punch you in the head, or just smack you.”

Octavian shoved him.

Gideon rocked back on his heels but remained upright. “I’m serious. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I’m trying to be the responsible brother here and knock some damn sense back into your thick skull.” He waved an arm in the direction the women had gone. “That girl is crazy about you. Heaven knows why, but she is. I don’t think there’s a damn thing in the world you could do to make her not love you, and right now she’s scared and confused and if you pull away from her and hurt her, I will break your damn legs. So get your ass in gear and get over there.” He gave Octavian a hard push that made him stumble back two steps.

He glowered at his younger brother. “When did you get so bossy?”

Gideon grinned. “It’s a gift. Now get lost. I have things I need to do.”

“Like what?”

Gideon shrugged as he turned on his heels and strolled away. “I’ll think of something.” With a wave, he disappeared from sight.

Octavian remained frozen in place a moment longer before giving in to his heart and feet and finding his way to his mate.

His mother was alone in the room when he entered. She was rummaging through the dressers, muttering to herself as the soft rush of water spilled through the space from the slightly open door leading into the bathroom.

“Octavian.” She rounded on him before he could make his presence known. “Where is everything?”

Unsure of how to answer, nor did she seem to want one, he said nothing as she went back to opening and shutting the drawers until she found what she was searching for.

With a triumphant
ah-ha!
She held up a handful of white fabric. Carefully, she shook it out, folded it and set it on the bed. She walked over to the door.

“Riley? Everything all right?”

A moment passed before a response returned. “Yes, almost done.”

His mother turned to him, gave him a once over. “You should consider taking a shower when she’s finished.”

Octavian moved and sat on the corner of the bed. “I’m just glad she’s okay. I’ve missed her so much.”

She went to him and drew his head to her chest. She stroked his hair the way she would when he was a child. “I know.”

The shower was shut off, drawing them apart. Both turned towards the door simultaneously, waiting for Riley to emerge. Instead, there was a moment of absolute silence, followed abruptly by a piercing shriek and the distinct tinkle of shattering glass. Octavian was up and running even before the screams stopped. He burst through the door, prepared to take down whatever threat lay on the other side. What he wasn’t expecting to find was Riley huddled on the floor by the tub, sobbing into her hands. There were broken glass shards all around her from where the mirror had hung in the panel above the sink.

“Riley!” He snatched the towel off the hook and ran to her. His boots crunched on glass as he got to her. In a single fluid scoop, he bundled her up in the towel and then in his arms. “What happened?”

“I’m a monster!” Riley wailed.

That was all it took for Octavian to put the pieces together. His heart hurt in his chest. Carefully he carried her into the bedroom and sat on the bed with her cradled in his lap.

“Riley, look at me.”

She shook her head, burrowing her face deeper into his shoulder. “I’m hideous.”

“You’re not,” he murmured, lightly caressing the warm, soft skin on her arm.

“I have red eyes and fangs like some rabid chipmunk!”

It wasn’t funny, really, but he had to bite his lip to stifle the picture her remark conjured. He looked to his mother for assistance, but she merely shrugged helplessly.

“Baby, you know what a strigoi looks like,” he reminded her, picking his words carefully.

“Yes, but it’s different when it’s staring back at you through the mirror. How am I ever supposed to go out again?”

“You will learn to conceal your eyes and fangs,” his mother said comfortingly. “Strigoi have been living among people for eons. With modern technology, we can get you contacts for your eyes and you’ll just have to be careful when you speak or smile. It’s not so bad.”

Riley sniffled. She drew back just enough to push back her damp hair and peer at them. “Does this mean I’ll have to kill people?”

“No!” He and his mother said at once.

“No,” his mother repeated more gently. “We will help you control it.”

What little color the shower had conjured into her cheeks washed away. “But I’ll have to drink from people?” The disgust on her face reflected in the curl of her lips.

His mother shrugged. “We’ve been feeding you with blood bags, but the broken down components aren’t enough to sustain you for as long as it would if you drank from a living source.”

“Oh God…” she moaned, her complexion a disturbing shade of green.

“We can start with animals,” Octavian told her quickly, picking up on a thread of thought. “Once you’re comfortable and got the hang of it…”

“Can’t I just stick to animals?” she asked, hope glistening in her eyes.

“Contrary to popular fiction,” his mother said quietly, “vampires can’t live on animals alone. In a bind, yes, it will help, but in the long run, you need human blood.”

In his lap, Riley’s tiny body shuddered. He drew her tighter against him, hands rubbing the chill rising off her flesh. He drew back the damp curls off her shoulder and brushed his thumb over the curve of her jaw.

Riley jerked and would have tumbled out of his lap if he hadn’t caught her. Her head came up, eyes wide, her wet lashes forming star points around the almond contour. “You’re touching me.”

Slowly, he smiled. “Just noticed that, huh?”

She flinched when he raised his hand to her cheek. He paused only a second before he ghosted his knuckles along the curve. Her round eyes snapped to his, full of wonder. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Her hand trembled as she raised it and touched the back of his, tentative, like she was couldn’t quite trust her eyes. Her finger tips glided along his knuckles before sliding down his wrist to his forearm. Amazement parted her lips as her gaze dropped to his, tracing them in a way that made him want to give into the question in her eyes by finally tasting her.

“How…?”

“Why don’t we discuss that once you’re dressed?” his mother suggested, hurrying forward as though afraid they might start doing something she really didn’t want to be present for. “Octavian, why don’t you wait outside? Please?” she added sharply when he remained fixated by the look of desire in Riley’s eyes, by the silky texture of her skin and the intoxicating scent coming off every freckled inch of her.

Slowly, he untangled himself from her, set her on the mattress lightly and straightened. It took every ounce of his straight to move away, to not push her back, tug her free of the towel and touch every inch of her. She wasn’t helping matters, watching him with the same hunger he could feel building up inside him. He could read the want on her face as clear as though she’d spoken the words out loud.

“Octavian.” His mother touched his arm, nudging him in the direction of the door. “Riley needs to dress and get some rest.”

He knew Riley’s thoughts were as far away from either as possible, but he gave in, and allowed himself to be propelled from the room.

In the hallway, he slumped against the opposite wall. His head made a thudding sound as it struck the worn wallpaper. He closed his eyes. Damn it was going to be impossible to keep his hands off her now. It had been hard enough before, but there had been the little key point where she might die if he did that restrained him. Now… now there was nothing. She was his. He could touch her, kiss her… possess her. He could finally do all the things he wanted with her. No more wearing gloves and socks to bed. No more sleeves or sweaters. God, how was he supposed to keep from locking her up in the bedroom with all the sudden freedom?