24- Pause

                                    

                                          
The word died on my lips, my mouth still open but nothing coming out. I blinked at him, then recoiled like he'd slapped me. "No."
                          
"Two-"
                          
"No!" I snapped. "I wasn't serious. I didn't think-"
                          
"Uh, Mel?" Aiden's unsure voice sounded on the other side of my door.
                          
"I'm fine." I called straight away. The last thing I needed was Kas feeling Aiden's fear and using it against me.
                          
"Uh...okay..." He said like he was just completely lost. He probably was. I was.
                          
Kas disappeared and I thought he'd gone out to the living room, but then he appeared on his knees in front of me again. His hands took mine and I jerked them out of his grip. "Please, anything you want." He begged, bringing his hands together almost like he was praying.
                          
A wet gleam lined his unsettling eyes. The twitch of his nose told me he was fighting the show of emotion, even though I could clearly see it and feel it. One tear escaped down his cheek.
                          
"Ugh," I groaned, letting my head fall back. "Fine-"
                          
He jumped up to his feet, already pulling me into a hug.
                          
"But-" I forced out against his shoulder as he squished the life out of me. "you do everything I say -when I say it."
                          
"Done-"
                          
"I can end this any time."
                          
"Of course."
                          
"And you owe me."
                          
He nodded fervently against my hair. Touching him in this form gave me a cold tingle up my spine that had me trying to lean away from him. He was still the physical manifestation of fear and even I wasn't immune to it.
                          
A heavy knock on the front door pulled my attention to the real silver aura bristling in agitation.
                          
Kas pulled away, still holding my upper arms close. "Uh oh," He grinned, then winked.
                          
"Don't-" He blinked out of existence while I was scolding him. "-do...that. Dammit."
                          
I sighed my frustration, but it didn't do anything to calm me. When I opened the door to my room Douglas was already pulling me to his side and scanning the room.
                          
"Who was here?" He asked in his voice. It felt perfect coming out of his mouth.
                          
I wrapped my arms sound him and nuzzled my face into his shoulder. "The Boogyman, but he's gone now."
                          
He shifted to look down at me and I felt his confusion, but he didn't say anything as he guided me forward enough to close the door. When he did speak, he sounded less than happy. "You smell like him." His face pressed into my hair where Kas' cheek was a minute ago. He took in a long breath. "I don't like it."
                          
I didn't like it either. I wanted to smell like him. Like the product he used to keep his hair under control and the oil he used to keep his beard soft. Like the musky, masculine scent I was taking in from the crook of his neck. The scent I could only smell when I was pressed right up against his skin. My tongue came out and licked him there, where I'd bit him earlier in the loooong day.
                          
His head angled away on instinct, showing me his throat. Offering it to me. Trusting me.
                          
I nipped him lightly and a visible shiver ran through him. His hands slid up from my ribs to my elbows, to my upper arms -matching the light bruising there- then his gentle hands cupped my cheeks. He leaned in, closing his beautiful eyes. He froze.
                          
His hands shook with the effort of not hurting me. "Did he kiss you?" He asked, barely controlled.
                          
I grimaced. "Um...technically, I kissed you and it turned out to not be you."