Page 53 of Villains and Vengeance
‘Don’t you worry. I won’t,’ he huffs. ‘Feeding from an uncontracted human? Doesn’t matter where we are, or if no one else gives a shit what we’ve done, his honor will compel him to crucify us for this.’
He leaves, telling the arania that he’ll be back. Miraculously, Siggy lets him.
But when I go to the exit to step outside, she darts forward and pushes me back in.
‘Why doesheget to leave?’ I mutter.
She just stares at me.
I look through the bag that Jayce brought, finding more bread and some kind of cured meat.
I lay it out on top for Jules to have when she comes back, but she doesn’t return. I check my watch. It’s been over thirty minutes.
I go back to the door and open the flap.
‘She went to the river. She’s been gone a long time. I want to go check on her.’
Siggy stays where she is and just stares. I heave a sigh. Dumb, giant spider.
But then she moves backwards, giving me enough space to get out.
I could run again, but after what just happened, that isn’t an option that holds any weight. Something has changed, something big, and my thought processes are shifting with it. Running away from Jules right now feels like abandoning her and I’m not my dad. I’ll never do that to my female, not ever!
Is Jules my female?
I step out of the bunker and go in search of Jules, mulling over that question and not really coming up with a satisfactory answer.
I find her standing in the river in the dark, the inky water rushing around her. She’s not doing anything but staring at it.
A little light comes from an infinity flashlight resting on a rock.
‘Jules?’
She looks back at me blankly and walks slowly to the bank, stepping up into the dry sand of the shore.
‘I’m sorry I hurt you. I shouldn’t have done that.’
She nods a little. ‘You’re a supe,’ she says as if that explains everything and I frown.
‘I didn’t do that because I’m a supe,’ I try to explain, needing her to understand that I’ll be better, that I’ll never hurt her again. ‘I did it because I’m an asshole.’
She lets out a small laugh. ‘That’s for sure.’
‘Come back to the bunker. Have something to eat. We’ll talk.’
‘I don’t want to talk,’ she mutters, rubbing her face. ‘The truth is I should have gotten that over and done with a long time ago. I don’t know why I didn’t.’
I helped her get her virginity ‘over and done with’.
Ouch.
‘What do you mean?’ I ask.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ she says, walking past me back towards the web.
I notice her limping slightly and scoop her up into my arms, wondering belatedly if I shouldn’t touch her.
But she doesn’t struggle, she just looks bemused.
