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“You want her to be able to protect herself?” Viggo shot back. “Then she can train with us.”
I wasn’t sure whether Viggo was arguing because he really thought I needed to learn how to defend myself better or just to get under Zan’s skin even more. Either way, his words only enraged Zan further.
“She doesn’t need to fight,” Zan snarled, his chest heaving. “She has me. Whoever tries to get to her will have to fucking go through me.”
I stared at him, my body buzzing with so many emotions that I couldn’t fucking think straight. Even with all the things Zan had been keeping from me, how could I deny that he cared about me? How much, I wasn’t sure. But his reaction to Pax touching me? He couldn’t fake the anger that was rolling off him in waves.
Pax brushed dirt off his shirt, shooting Zan a pointed look. “I’m right, and you know it. Even if our father doesn’t think it’s possible, what you just did proves it is.”
Zan’s eyes finally landed on me. His jaw was clenched tight, and his stare was almost quizzical when I met his gaze. Then he glanced back at Pax, looking much calmer than he’d been a few seconds ago.
“It proves nothing,” Zan grumbled, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I’ll be back later.”
It was almost like he was avoiding eye contact with me before he spun around and walked away. The darkness swallowed him up moments later, and I was going after him before I realized it.
Viggo stepped in my way. “He needs some space, Kali. Come on. Let’s go home.”
“What were you talking about?” My eyes swung to Pax. “What did all that prove?”
Pax hesitated. “Not for me to say.”
I lifted my chin, pushing my shoulder into Viggo as I shoved past him. “Then I’ll go ask Zan.”
Viggo grabbed my arm. “You don’t even know where he went.”
I knew exactly where Zan was going. That realization had my pulse thudding unevenly. I shouldn’t know Zan that well. Shouldn’t be able to guess what he was thinking or doing.
“Let her go,” Pax said quietly. “She’s probably the only one he’d admit it to.”
Viggo rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go with her. That little show proves she needs one of us to watch her.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not standing right here,” I snapped, my eyes flashing with annoyance. “I can handle myself. I have my entire life.”
“She’s not wrong,” Pax murmured, coming closer. “She’s strong. Maybe not compared to us…but against regular vampires? She has a chance.”
Even if that was meant to be a compliment, the resignation in his voice ruined that. Viggo glanced at his twin with questions in his eyes before he looked back at me.
“Really?” Viggo mused with a small grin. “Then maybe I’ll spar against you next time so I can see for myself.”
“I don’t think we should try that again,” Pax muttered. “Not after seeing how Zan reacted.”
“Point taken.” Viggo motioned for me to start walking. “Let’s find Zan so I can go find something to eat. I’m fucking starving.”
I strode forward, ignoring his last words. He wasn’t talking about human food, and I didn’t bother to ask how he was going to feed. Pax had an entire freezer of blood bags that he usually drank from. But Viggo enjoyed blood straight from the vein. Though, from what I could tell since being here, he usually chose humans willing to let him feed, like Dee. Zan…I’d barely seen him feed. When he did eat, it wasn’t when I was around.
I headed down the empty street, hearing Viggo’s footsteps behind me. I didn’t need him to lead me to Zan, but I was sure my argument wouldn’t change anything, so I stayed quiet as I moved toward the edge of the city.
Chapter 18
Zan
My legs hung over the edge of the pier, and I stared at the dark water beneath me. My mind was racing, my chest tight as Pax’s words repeated nonstop. My ears perked up at a distant noise, and I lifted my head, searching the cliff. No one else was ever out here, but I scanned the area, trying to figure out where the noise had come from. The darkness of the night had no bearing on my sight, and I frowned when I didn’t see any movement.
I continued to stare at the trees as my thoughts nearly swallowed me. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d fought my brothers, and it had always been with Viggo. Pax was never one to instigate anything. And he didn’t this time either. It was all me, and I was still trying to wrap my head around what happened.
Quiet voices had me whipping my head toward the stairs, and I caught sight of Kali and Viggo. My stomach twisted, and I pushed out the noise of the waves breaking so I could hear them. Kali was searching the beach for me, her human sight useless in the dark, even with the moon out. Viggo looked straight at me, giving me a shrug, as if it hadn’t been his idea to come out here.
“He’s on the pier,” Viggo told her. “You think you can handle yourself the rest of the way?”
