Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

chapter forty-one: In Which He Is Her Sense of Security

The metallic smell of blood clawed at his nostrils.

His fangs pierced through the flesh of his lips and he stood gripping the car keys in his fist, searching for the source of the blood. Damon wouldn't be back for another two hours because he was driving Elena out of Mystic Falls. No one else had the keys to their home except-

"Ria."

Stefan sprinted across the yard and into the house, throwing the door open as a dozen scenarios ran through his mind.

The Guild.

The Mikaelsons.

Kai Parker.

He came to a halt in the kitchen- she was cradling her left hand as blood pooled around her on the floor.

As if caught doing something wrong, her eyes widened in fear and she scrambled away- trying and failing to hide her hand from him.

"I didn't do it" she stuttered.

He couldn't hold back the smile on his lips. In a second he had a wet cloth and a bowl of warm water, holding her arm and wiping off the blood.

"This is why I can't leave you alone," he scolded her but Stefan could never stay angry at Ria for more than a few seconds.

Maybe it was her personality or maybe it was her round-doe eyes or maybe it was both, but his anger vanished when she looked up at him with timid eyes and a pout on her lips.

Ria dropped the cloth into the water bowl and ran her hands over each other. The cut healed instantaneously.

Stefan ruffled her hair and pulled her into his arms, "I don't care about your healing powers. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Why, because Elena would kill you?"

A point was to be made; despite his original affections for Elena and his original indifference towards her spit-fire of a cousin, Stefan truly and honestly cared for Ria. But this feeling was different from anything else he had ever felt before.

If killing a stranger would ensure his brother's life, he would do so in a heartbeat.

If letting go of the love of his life would ensure her happiness, he wouldn't think twice.

If turning off his humanity would save his family and friends from a grave threat, he'd put them first.

The one thing he wouldn't do, however, was lie to Ria even if the truth would kill her.

This is the essence of the respect and care he held for her.

He would rather tell her the truth and risk losing her than cloak her in oblivion.

"Well?"

Stefan rolled his eyes at her snarky reply matched with a smirk, "Something like that. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Ria," he pressed. "What were you up to in the hour I was gone?"

"I found a dragon."

He blinked twice and remembered how many times he fell for her wildly imaginative stories. Last time it almost cost him his red Porsche at a car auction.

"I'll be in my room," He mumbled turning around to leave.

"No, no, no," she gripped his arm and tried to keep him in the room. "I was trying to cook dinner but I couldn't find the cutting board and the knife was really sharp and- stop laughing!"

Stefan caught the rag she threw at him and playfully hid behind the table when she glared.

"I'm not laughing."