Blood Eternal by Toni Kelly

around herself, making a poor attempt to fix the scraps left of her shirt and cardigan. “I’m sorry I left. I wanted to see Rome.”
    Her movements and words left him revisiting the image of men tearing at her clothes. She could not blame herself. If he weren’t an animal confined to night, it would be different, but to think about being human served no purpose. “Christ, Savannah, what if I had not reached you in time?”
    “I know.” She turned away.
    “Forgive me. I speak in anger. Do not blame yourself. This is their fault.” And his. He took off his blazer and turtleneck then handed the latter to her. “Night cools. Put this on.” He huffed. She’d made him into a mother hen.
    She accepted the clothing and turned around to slip it on. Her scars glowed bright beneath the dim light of dusk. His gut clenched. What exactly had she been through? Even more so, why did it matter?
    “How did you find me?” she asked.
    “What does it matter?” His insides trembled at the realization he might not have gotten there to save her, to prevent those men from going further. “As is, I might not have made it in time.”
    She bit her bottom lip as if she wanted to object. “You made it here, that’s what matters.”
    He could not face her, did not want to acknowledge the tear tracks on her face.
    “Luke?”
    Hands on his hips, he paced. “What, Savannah?” She jerked at his tone, and he cursed his inability to control his emotions. “Is there something wrong?” he asked, his tone gentler.
    “What happened to your hands and forehead?”
    She concerned herself with him? He wanted to be honest with her but she would never understand. “Do not worry about me. I am more worried with how you are doing. What can I do to make you feel better?”
    “Can you carry me...like the night after Blood Bar?”
    He stilled. Was she serious? Did she actually want him to touch her after what those men attempted to do?
    She stood, chin lowered and face averted. His turtleneck dwarfed her small frame, making her appear more delicate.
    “Are you sure?” He moved forward, slowly and purposefully, hesitant in case she changed her mind.
    Her full bottom lip quivered, drawing his attention to drops of blood at one corner. She exhaled softly. “Please, I— Don’t make me ask again.”
    “Shh.” With one arm wrapped around her back, he scooped her up, cradled her to his chest. She weighed nothing. “I have you, pet. No one will hurt you now.”
    “Thank you.” She rubbed her cheek against him. “I don’t think you’re as bad as you believe yourself to be.” Her whisper caressed his throat.
    He bent his head and brushed his lips along her hairline. “I wish you were right.”
    * * * *
    Savannah lied to herself. Technically it wasn’t a lie, simply a choice not to speak the truth aloud. Her attackers had realized it too. Their eyes had widened with fear as they’d watched Luke. He was different. Faster, stronger. His scent drifted to her nose as she buried her face against his chest.
    Right now, she didn’t care. Angel or demon, god or minion, he was her savior. He carried her through the city back to his apartment building, refusing to let her walk.
    “Please,” she said. “You can’t take the stairs. Eight flights of stairs is too much. Put me down, we’ll take the elevator.”
    “Not a chance. You asked me to carry you, did you not?”
    “I didn’t mean for you to walk up eight flights. I’m fine. I didn’t hurt my legs.”
    Luke sighed. “Look, I know you do not like the elevator. Let me carry you.”
    She didn’t protest any further. Couldn’t, when his bottomless gaze held her captive. He carried her up through the stairwell then down the hall to his front door. He shifted her in his hands to open the lock, fingers shaking as he fumbled with the keys. The lines between his brows grew pronounced. She’d never seen him this agitated.
    “Please, Luke. Tell me what’s wrong.”
    “Damn key.” Slipping his