“You don't have to sit here. Not if it’s going to cause trouble for you.” I offered weakly.
Hart placed his fork on his tray. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it.
Remi sighed. “She’s just worried.”
Jae and I shared a look but wisely said nothing. Hugo, sensing the tension, decided to change the subject.
“I felt some fear through the bond last night, but couldn’t find you.” Hugo's gaze was soft. “Why didn’t you tell me that someone had trashed your room?”
I stabbed a sausage link and ate it. “It’s not a big deal. I probably left the window open, and a raccoon got in.”
“A raccoon couldn't open a drawer and shred all of your underwear.” Hugo's voice grew hard. “You’d tell us if someone was causing you trouble?”
I snorted. “What? Apart from the Summoner, who wants to kill my host?” I said sarcastically.
Hugo's gaze did not waver.
“What’s this?” Remi asked, his emotions carefully guarded. I explained about the state of my quarters and my anger at seeing Frankie's belongings destroyed. I stopped speaking when I realized that my voice had risen and attracted the attention of several people. Remi's eyes grew harder and harder with every word. Boiling with anger. Jae rubbed my shoulder, and Hart shoved a fork loaded with eggs into my mouth when I took a breath. It was like having burly mother hens.
“They even took my hairbrush!” I said, covering my full mouth with my hand.
Remi stood up abruptly. His fists were clenched. He excused himself with a few clipped words, before marching over to Alicia. He bent down and whispered something to her. A few seconds later, they both left the Mess Hall without another word.
“What was all that about?” I wondered.
Hugo, Hart, and Jae shook their heads, wearing identical looks of befuddlement. Shaking off the weirdness, I finished my food and shifted backward on my chair. Uncomfortably full.
“Three O'clock,” Hart said plainly, and the other men tensed. I opened my mouth to inform him that it was still the morning when Gary approached our table. Red-faced and shaking, the canteen worker looked like he didn't know whether to shout or cry. He only had eyes for me, even though Hugo, Hart, and Jae watched him like a threat.
“What is your problem?” Gary demanded loudly, spit flew from his mouth and landed on my cheek. My nose scrunched as I wiped my face.
“Huh?”
“My room has been searched seven times!” Gary shrieked. His shrill voice made my ears hurt. “I know that you had something to do with it. Call off your dogs!” He waved his hand to towards my soulmates.
“I'm so confused right now.” I turned to Jae, ignoring the hysterical man. “I thought everyone’s room's got searched this week.”
“They did,” Hart answered instead, his eyes bored into Gary as if he wished the man would melt into the floor.
Gary swallowed, but then rallied. “Not seven times!” He bit back.
“Maybe you're just a shady character?” I offered, with a timid smile.
Gary threw his head back and shrieked before grabbing Remi's breakfast tray. He wrenched the yellow plastic away from the table, letting the bottle of blue Gatorade fall to the floor with a bounce. Gary swung for my head. I arched backward, but the edge of the tray still rammed into my nose.
Hugo wrestled the canteen worker to the floor. My upper lip grew moist, and I pressed my fingers to my mouth, pulling them back bloody.
“I'm bleeding,” I said numbly.
Hugo had restrained Gary on the floor, the snarling man had gone limp and was shaking his head, claiming he had no idea what was going on.
Jae gripped my fingers and pulled me out of my chair. “Let’s go to the infirmary.” He suggested.
I began to protest, but Hart shook his head minutely and glanced at the Nephilim. Jae hid it well, but he was upset. If going to see Dr. Dan would make him feel better, I could make the small sacrifice. I craned my neck as we walked away; Hugo had zip-tied Gary's arms behind his back.
Hart reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of Kleenex. He handed it to me so I could staunch the blood dripping from my nose. My eyes watered with the sharp pain before it melted away. Thank the Seven Hell’s for Demon healing. I'd seen human-speed healing, and it looked tedious.
“How big are your pockets?” I asked in wonder. Hart shrugged. Jae surged in front of us, a man on a mission.
“Cargo pants,” Callum grunted as he held the door open for me. A wave of cold air and the smell of medical disinfectant hit me.
I took the bloody tissue from my nose. “I’m good. Let's go.”
Jae rounded on me with intense eyes. I had never seen him so serious. “You’re seeing the doctor.” He told me before his phone chirped in his pocket. He fished out the device and swore. “I have an appointment. Watch her.” Jae told Hart, pointing at me like I was an errant child, before disappearing in a whirl.
I glanced at Hart. “What was that about?”
“His mother refused to go to the hospital when she got cancer.” Hart watched Jae's retreating figure. “He takes his health very seriously.”
“But his mom was such a...” I trailed off, searching for the word.
“Abusive, strict, unaffectionate woman?” Hart rattled off dryly, his jaw ticked.
“Yeah.”
“Sometimes we love people that we really shouldn’t,” Callum said.
“Like your family?” I wondered. Callum gave a short imperceptible nod. “Are you going to tell them that you've found your wolf?”
Hart snorted, and that answer was enough.
Dr. Daniel rounded the corner of his office, snapping his gloves over his outstretched hands. His eyes scanned my body for injury before resting on my bloody face.
“Sit down.” Dr. Dan said. No brotherly greeting. The man needed to work on his bedside manner. “Corporal Gardiner is a grown woman. She can be examined without an escort.”
“You've got this?” Hart eyed the door reluctantly. I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll survive,” I said. I was rewarded with a tiny smile. When the towering werewolf was gone, Dr Dan started to clean up my nose and check for concussion and other human problems.
Without a word, he readied a needle and rolled up my sleeve. I jumped a foot in the air. “What’s that for?”
“Vitamins.” He replied shortly, the needle was already halfway depressed and emptied into my arm when he grunted the word. A wave of dizziness made my head swim as I stood up.
“You’re good to go.” Dr. Dan had already turned away, more interested in his computer screen than watching me leave. I thanked him with a salute and was on my way. Frankie's brother needed to get laid.
I'd gone back to my room to change clothes, but instead I passed out on my bed. Mouth open wide, drool, and everything. I startled awake when someone brushed my hair away from my face. I batted them away like a cat playing with a laser.
Remi chuckled as I rolled over and stretched; the sound was a deep rumble that I wanted to wrap around my body like a warm blanket.
“I like that.” I smiled sleepily with my eyes closed
“Like what?” He asked, sitting on the end of my bed.
“When you laugh.”
Remi sobered, his hand twitched before he pulled it slowly away from my face. “Good sleep?” He asked.
I shrugged. “No dreams.”
“Is that strange?”
“For a nightmare demon? Yeah.” I sat up and rubbed my head. Remi winced when my hand caught in a tangle. I swore.
“Let me,” Remi sat up and reached into his pocket. He positioned my head and began to brush and section my hair.