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I leaned into his hand, whimpering wistfully. Coming from him, it didn't sound like an insult.
ChapterTwenty-Six
CASTOR
When I had first started receiving infusions of vampire blood, it had taken months for me to feel any significant, notable changes. With the wolf blood, it was almost instant. I was tempted to ask Arrow if it had been the same for him, but even if I were willing to hear the bullshit he was sure to give me for it, he was a paladin, so it wasn't like there was a one-to-one relationship between our experiences.
He was the only one I trusted, though, and I knew Dr. Kelly would just tell me I was being paranoid, so for the most part, I had kept to myself. At least until I could make sure I wasn't going to end up being a threat to those around me.
I knew Renata’s feelings were hurt by my distance, and Eddie's reaction to my presence at the ceremony had confirmed he was, too, but that was easier to accomplish where he was concerned. Hell, it was hard to talk to him for five minutes without saying something that made him watery eyed, and that effect had only amplified lately.
At least my lingering hesitations about his transformation had been laid to rest. Whatever demonic force had possessed him the first time he transformed, it had clearly been exorcized. I wasn't going to take any chances, of course, but it was one less thing I had to constantly worry about. He still hadn't shifted on the hunt yet, which seemed like it would be the real test, but the truth was, I wasn't in any hurry.
The full moon would be coming soon enough, and I could deal with that then. That night, I was admittedly procrastinating by training Eddie, but the hunt had kept us busy enough lately that it was justified. There was still plenty left to teach him, especially now that I could go a bit harder on him without killing him.
It was still such a strange feeling, to be compelled to treat one of nature's fiercest monsters like a fragile toy made of glass, but Eddie was a walking contradiction. Gentle and fierce. Strong and frail. The very thing that had made him worth sparing was the thing that made him so difficult to train.
"Are you even trying?" I scolded, striking out again with my blade. We were still using the laito, not because it was necessary at this point, but because it was the only way to ensure that Eddy wouldn't hold back. He always denied it, of course, but he was a terrible liar. With me holding back as well, it made progression more difficult than it had to be, but only one of us had reason.
"Of course I am," he said, already breathless. Maybe he was giving too much blood. We were going to have to find an alternative, because him being our only wolf on tap and a hunter was not practical under even the best of circumstances. We couldn't afford him to be out of commission again, should another hunter require a full transfusion.
I set my jaw in irritation, finding patience more of a challenge than usual. Not that I was particularly gifted in that department to begin with.
"You're leaving your left side wide open," I said, deciding to point out exactly what was wrong since he seemed oblivious to it.
I stepped forward, and he looked like he was going to have a panic attack. I sheathed my own blade and came around behind him, taking his wrists in my hands.
"Hold it like this," I said, adjusting his grip. "That way, when you swing, you won't bring your arm back as far."
"Okay," he said, his voice breaking a little.
What now? Before I could ask what the hell his problem was, something caught my attention. Something about his scent, subtle but… different. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in, sniffing his neck where the scent was strongest.
His body tensed against mine, and his arms went limp in my grasp. "Father de Leon?"
"What is it?" I muttered.
He swallowed audibly. "Are you…sniffingme?"
I stepped back immediately, frowning. "Of course not."
… Was I?
Eddie just stared at me for a few seconds, a strange look in his eyes. For once, I couldn’t blame him.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," I snapped. "Just forget the swords for today. We haven't trained hand-to-hand in a while."
"Okay…”
I took a deep breath.Get it together, Castor.
As we began to spar, I soon realized that choosing combat in close quarters had been a mistake. Yes, Eddie was undoubtedly better at it, but not good enough to avoid getting pinned every few minutes, and he was close enough that his scent was playing strange games with my head.
What the hell was wrong with me? I didn't even know what it was about his scent that was different, or even when I had started noticing it to begin with. It was just his usual pleasant, woodsy smell with a tinge of something sweet, almost like honey.
The next time I pinned him, I didn't let him up immediately. I didn't want to let him up at all. He was on his stomach, and my body responded readily to the familiar position, memories of being buried inside him fresh in my mind.
