Bite Shift

33

Anyone who has ever driven home to face the consequences of their actions knows how quick that drive feels. Only, I wasn't a teen showing up after curfew. My poor choices were a bit bigger than that. I would have given anything to just get grounded and sent to my room.

I sat in the little Civic for minutes after turning off the engine. I just stared at the quaint blue house and the door that I knew I had to walk through soon.

Maybe I'll just go home and avoid him for now.

Yeah. Good choice Kate. Let your daughters see you in a ripped man's shirt. Good thinking.

Once out of the car, I slid my heels on and tried to smooth the skirt down. I ran my fingers through my hair and knew it was pointless. The binder was tight to my chest like a shield as I walked past those sweet little flowers, and towards my punishment. The sharp noise my heels made on the porch sounded deafening in my ears.

"Hold your head high, Kate."

My hand reached for the doorknob and turned it before I could register what I was doing. The door swung open and Rhys' back came into view. He was in the kitchen with wireless headphones on. He bounced his head up and down to something only he could hear. The click of the closing door made him turn. The bright smile on his face was replaced with something I couldn't quite read. For a second, I thought it was anger. Then, it transformed to worry. I didn't think anyone's eye could ever get that big. I leaned back against the wooden door and looked down. I didn't want to face the disappointment that would inevitably show up in those big, round eyes.

I heard the headphones hit the floor and was startled by his arms around me in a tight hug.

"Jesus, Kate. I was so worried. Are you okay? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

I was taken aback by all the questions and never thought that I may look like someone who was assaulted.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I'm fine."

I slipped out of the hug and headed for the couch. It looked so simple after the large sofa in Sorin's office. Thinking of the couch brought flashes of memory back to me and I felt my body react to the flashback. I pushed the images out of my head, dropped down to the couch, and looked up to face my punishment.

"I fucked up, Rhys."

He crossed the room and joined me on the couch.

"Be more specific."

"I had sex with Sorin. I'm so sorry."

The pause in the conversation stretched on for too long after that. The silence was the loudest thing I had heard all night and I was desperate to fill the air with words. But I knew I had to wait for him to talk. What he finally said, was not what I expected.

"It's my fault."

"Come again?" I responded. "How was it your fault?!"

"I knew that you had felt lust and that it was going to be strong. I knew it had to be met but I thought there would be more time. I guess, honestly, I didn't think that far ahead. I was so focused on everything else. I should have known that he would answer that need."

It was my turn to pause to think of what to say.

"This is definitely not your fault. I knew exactly what I was doing. I wanted to do it. I just didn't think about the after. Is this really bad? Did I make a huge mistake? Will he send me away?"

He looked up and I could see he was just a worried as I was.

"Honestly, Kate, I don't know. I rarely interact with him. I know him only from rumors and tales. Vampires call him a tyrant. I have heard that he is demanding and gets what he wants. His punishments are feared by all of us. I stay away from him and go only when called. I know he is a lover of women but have never spoken to one of the women he has been with. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to prepare for."

For the third time tonight, I thought I would vomit and swallowed to keep it from rising up. I had slept with the one person in the city that I should have stayed away from. Rhys had told me to say one thing and leave.

Why can't I listen?! What have I done?!

Hands grabbed mine and pulled me out of my thoughts. "Katie," he started.

At least I was Katie again. At least, he wasn't mad. But, frankly, scared is worse than mad.

"What is done, is done. You cannot change it. I say we focus on doing what he asked of us and finding the man killing those women. If we bring the murderer to him, he will be pleased, and may leave you to live out your time as you want to."

I had to admit, I liked the idea. I sat up a little straighter, empowered by the fact that we had a plan. It sounded like it would work. If we found the killer, he may leave me alone and I can stay here with the girls.

He may even move onto some other poor girl.

That thought hit me in my chest, changed my attitude and a cloud slipped over the new found joy. I didn't want him to move on. I didn't want to think of another girl in his bed.

You gotta let this one go, Katie girl. You played with a hornet's nest and got stung. But you'll live. Let it go and stay away. Don't let it sting you over and over.

"Let's get to work."

Rhys perked up. "I have been on the internet..."

I held up the binder and shoved it into his chest. He reached up to grab it.

"Case files. Those are police files on each murder. I don't know how he got them and I don't want to know but, he gave copies to us. I'll change and we will start going through what is there. I have to warn you though, according to Sorin, there is no pattern."

Rhys looked at the binder in his hands like it was a shiny new toy. "Well, I like puzzles and I won't say the pieces don't fit together until I try first."

"You get started and I will be back in five minutes." Standing up and looking down at my outfit, I remember the ruined clothes. "I'm so sorry about the lovely blouse you bought me. It was left behind. I will pay you back."

Rhys shook his head, already engrossed in the first page, and spoke without looking up. "No, you won't. Go change."

Walking towards the bedroom, I wondered what I had done to deserve him. I would never understand why he was being so nice to me or why he had chosen to save me.

I was so lucky that he was there when I was attacked.