she’d expected. “Okay.” She released him. “Go ahead. Act like I’m being unreasonable, like I have no right to ask.” The mattress joined the growing pile, tossed with a tiny bit of temper. It slid across the narrow room and rattled a plastic chair. “I didn’t want to tell you it was possible,” he admitted, his voice full of spiky edges. “Not until I thought you’d want to come with me.”
“Then that’s what I want to hear.” She clenched her hands into fists. “The truth, Gabe, that’s what I want.”
“I’m strong.” The bedframe was metal—solid enough, until he wrapped his fingers around the back and the base and began to bend it. “Most halfbloods are. Most are stronger than me.” The metal creaked under the force of his hands. If most were stronger than Gabe, most scared the hell out of her. “I—” Those same hands had touched her gently. “Okay.” The frame snapped. Gabe didn’t look at her as he tilted the frame up on its side and began the same process with one of the legs. “We get good shit and bad shit. At least this can be useful.” Marci stared at the rent metal for a moment and squeezed her eyes shut. “How do you do that? Make me feel like I should apologize even though you actually were an ass?”
“Because of what I am.” The words were quiet. “It’s not the same as leaning. Not active, or anything I can stop. People want to trust me. They don’t have to trust me, but they want to.”
“I want to.” She spoke without thought and instantly regretted it. “Let’s just get out of here. This lockdown is driving us both crazy.”
But he didn’t move. “The truth,” he repeated. “Did you think about what that means? That’s part of the reason you trusted me when I dragged you into this room. I didn’t force it on you, but I didn’t warn you about it, either.”
And it was, undoubtedly, part of the reason she’d accepted his mark. “No, you didn’t warn me, but I’m not simple, Gabe. I know there’s something drawing me to you, I just…need to know you’re not doing it on purpose.”
He didn’t smile. “If it were on purpose, you’d notice. You’d know.”
“Because I wouldn’t be able to control myself?”
“Because some little part of you would be screaming for it to stop, no matter how eager I told you to be.” His fingers tightened around the makeshift lever until she knew the metal must be misshapen. “I marked you. I’m not going to let anything hurt you. Not even me.” She covered his hand again. “Open that door, and let’s split. We can talk about it all you want once we get to your place across the river.”
Gabe blew out a breath and offered her a half smile. “Get your stuff. Even if I can spring it, I might not be able to hold it for long.”
It didn’t take long to gather their supplies. “We can stop by a supply closet.” Marci shoved the last bottle of water into one of the bags. “If you think we need to, I mean.” He was already working the piece of metal between the doors, every movement slow and methodical.
“No. Speed is more important. I have plenty of emergency supplies laid in.” She looped the bag over her neck and picked up another piece of metal from the broken bedstead. She positioned herself across from Gabe, on the other side of the doors, and met his gaze. “Ready?” Instead of answering, he began to exert pressure, the muscles in his arms flexing as he strained against the weight. Marci did the same, pulling in the opposite direction, though she may as well have been trying to move the wall itself. Nothing happened, nothing budged.
Nothing.
Then the door groaned, and Gabe snarled and redoubled his efforts, struggling until the muscles bunched in his arms and shoulders and his face turned red.
A hissing sound filled the room, followed by a sharp crack as the doors flew open. Marci went sprawling and crashed painfully into a nearby chair, though she managed to regain her balance and
“Then that’s what I want to hear.” She clenched her hands into fists. “The truth, Gabe, that’s what I want.”
“I’m strong.” The bedframe was metal—solid enough, until he wrapped his fingers around the back and the base and began to bend it. “Most halfbloods are. Most are stronger than me.” The metal creaked under the force of his hands. If most were stronger than Gabe, most scared the hell out of her. “I—” Those same hands had touched her gently. “Okay.” The frame snapped. Gabe didn’t look at her as he tilted the frame up on its side and began the same process with one of the legs. “We get good shit and bad shit. At least this can be useful.” Marci stared at the rent metal for a moment and squeezed her eyes shut. “How do you do that? Make me feel like I should apologize even though you actually were an ass?”
“Because of what I am.” The words were quiet. “It’s not the same as leaning. Not active, or anything I can stop. People want to trust me. They don’t have to trust me, but they want to.”
“I want to.” She spoke without thought and instantly regretted it. “Let’s just get out of here. This lockdown is driving us both crazy.”
But he didn’t move. “The truth,” he repeated. “Did you think about what that means? That’s part of the reason you trusted me when I dragged you into this room. I didn’t force it on you, but I didn’t warn you about it, either.”
And it was, undoubtedly, part of the reason she’d accepted his mark. “No, you didn’t warn me, but I’m not simple, Gabe. I know there’s something drawing me to you, I just…need to know you’re not doing it on purpose.”
He didn’t smile. “If it were on purpose, you’d notice. You’d know.”
“Because I wouldn’t be able to control myself?”
“Because some little part of you would be screaming for it to stop, no matter how eager I told you to be.” His fingers tightened around the makeshift lever until she knew the metal must be misshapen. “I marked you. I’m not going to let anything hurt you. Not even me.” She covered his hand again. “Open that door, and let’s split. We can talk about it all you want once we get to your place across the river.”
Gabe blew out a breath and offered her a half smile. “Get your stuff. Even if I can spring it, I might not be able to hold it for long.”
It didn’t take long to gather their supplies. “We can stop by a supply closet.” Marci shoved the last bottle of water into one of the bags. “If you think we need to, I mean.” He was already working the piece of metal between the doors, every movement slow and methodical.
“No. Speed is more important. I have plenty of emergency supplies laid in.” She looped the bag over her neck and picked up another piece of metal from the broken bedstead. She positioned herself across from Gabe, on the other side of the doors, and met his gaze. “Ready?” Instead of answering, he began to exert pressure, the muscles in his arms flexing as he strained against the weight. Marci did the same, pulling in the opposite direction, though she may as well have been trying to move the wall itself. Nothing happened, nothing budged.
Nothing.
Then the door groaned, and Gabe snarled and redoubled his efforts, struggling until the muscles bunched in his arms and shoulders and his face turned red.
A hissing sound filled the room, followed by a sharp crack as the doors flew open. Marci went sprawling and crashed painfully into a nearby chair, though she managed to regain her balance and
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