Page 35 of Silverproof Damsel

“You’re not healing as you should be, Remi,” Winchester muttered with a worried look. “You should be healed by now.”

“She’s mortal,” Sig pointed out with his gaze softening on me. “It’s always taken her longer than the rest of us to heal.”

Sig’s assessment forced my stomach to churn with uneasiness. No one other than Winchester knew I’d been forced to become immortal by my mother. She hadn’t told the others. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t trust them enough, or if she wanted to keep the information to herself.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I blew on my tea. Winchester brewed my favorite—cinnamon chai with a dab of heavy cream for texture. Sipping the heavenly drink slowly, I considered disclosing the other troubling issue I’d discovered today.

I’d tried healing myself as I normally did. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The moment the hot curling iron touched my flesh, it left only an angry red burn mark. Foregoing mentioning it to them or adding to their long list of topics I’d already created, I set my teacup on the coaster and leaned back.

Fire healed me. Heat sealed my flesh together from injury. Only, it wasn’t doing it anymore. It left me anxious and uncertain about the changes I was experiencing. The hot iron should’ve been enough to lance the wound. It would have stopped the pain altogether. Why wasn’t it working?

“You’re certain he’s coming? He doesn’t seem to be in a rush to retrieve you, Trouble,” Siggy said, then sat beside me on the Chesterfield. “Is it possible that it was merely a dream?”

Shrugging at his question, I chose to remain silent instead of tossing out a guess. Between the oppressive feeling of beinghunted, combined with worry over Rhys’ impending arrival, I was about to throw up.

If Rhys appeared tonight, would he leave without shedding blood? He’d threatened to make me an only child. If I thought his threat was credible, I wouldn’t have asked him to retrieve me. It would put a huge wedge between us if he murdered my family.

With a quiet breath, I leaned my head against Siggy’s shoulder. Exhaustion overcame me, but it wasn’t from sleep deprivation. It was bone deep exhaustion that weighed on my soul. As if I’d aged twenty years since yesterday.

“I’m over waiting for this asshole and his entire entourage to show the fuck up,” Ruger stated as he leaned against the wall, dropping his head back. “This has been the longest day of my fucking life—” A knock had his head lifting, then turning toward the door.

“Romeo’s here, Juliet,” Sig announced in a jovial tone.

My heartbeat began thundering in my chest, beating like the wings of a bird trapped in a cage. Heat flushed up my neck, slowly climbing as nervousness shot through me. Ruger looked to Winchester for direction. She gave it with a simple nod of her head.

“Bets on the number of assholes he brought with him?” Sig asked, grinning mischievously as he lifted his arm, placing it over my shoulder.

“My guess is an entire fucking army,” I responded softly, worry tightening my stomach into in anxiousness.

I didn’t entertain his question, choosing to place one hand over the other to conceal the trembling in both. Sweat trickled down my neck as I struggled to rein in my frayed nerves.

“Calm down, Remington,” Sig whispered against my ear as Ruger opened the door. “You don’t think we took precautions against what you’re imagining unfolding inside your head?We’ve not lasted this long to be taken out by the blade of a Van Helsing. Not even the head of their house.”

His scent entered the room long before him. Rhys’ dark outline hung in the doorframe with the moonlight at his back. The savagery he oozed forced a shiver to shoot down my spine. When he didn’t move further inside the entrance, I sensed him sizing up each of my siblings.

Knowing he was calculating how hard they’d be to kill caused uneasiness to wash through me, threatening to force me onto my knees, pleading for their lives. I couldn’t fathom the thought of losing another sibling tonight or ever again. Biting down on my tongue, I tasted the coppery tang of blood, using it to center myself.

“I’m here for my girl.” Rhys’ dark, deadly tone caused my insides to twist into a knot. Chewing my lip, I watched as Ruger stepped forward, knowingly blocking Rhys from entering.

Not waiting for an invitation, Rhys strode forward, slamming his shoulder into Ruger’s. Air became trapped in my lungs as I shot up from my seat, uncertain how either man would respond. Rhys turned, his darkening stare daring Ruger to say something.

Ruger, of course, didn’t disappoint. “Kept Juliet waiting long enough. Didn’t you, Romeo?” Rhys’ head tilted, as if he expected more. Ruger’s icy-blue stare thinned, a cocky smile stretching over his mouth.

“I’d have been here earlier, but you have a pest issue outside your home,” Rhys hissed as his jaw clenched, waiting for Ruger’s reply.

“Yeah, but you see, since we’re not technically a house, we’re unable to do anything more than defend our lives. Your rules, if I’m not mistaken, Romeo,” Ruger returned, crossing heavily tattooed arms over his wide chest. “We intend to stay around to ensure Remington is safe and tended to properly. I don’t imagine you’d allow that if we started breaking your rules.”

“You’d be correct. She won’t need you anymore. I’ll ensure both her safety and comfort. Feel free to get the fuck out of my town.”

Rhys dismissed Ruger, moving past him to enter the room where I waited. Cole, Acyn, and another man pushed through behind him. Dressed in a midnight blue suit, Rhys looked more like the head of a mafia than the alpha of an immortal house. Dark tresses were mussed, and he had a light dusting of a five o’clock shadow covering his jawline.

He entered the room as if he owned it, then seated himself without waiting for an invitation. Cole flanked his right, and Acyn took the left. Mikel, who glared as if he’d rather slaughter us than be standing here at all, stood at his back.

Mikel was the eldest of the Van Helsing children. Older than even Rhys. I’d never been able to rid myself of the chill his image inside the mansion had sent racing down my spine. Even now, I felt a similar reaction to staring into his chilling stare.

“Hello, Love,” Rhys purred with a smug smile playing on his mouth. Rhys’ eyes slid to Sig, dark head tilting as he systematically sized my brother up. Sig tugged me closer, leaning over to kiss me on the temple. “Is that supposed to piss me off? I know your sister inside and out, carnally. She’s not the type to indulge in incest.”

“I—” I stammered at what he’d stated. He wasn’t wrong, but how had he gotten the impression of that from the chaste kiss to my temple?

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