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"Clothes?"

Aiden walked to the other side of the room and retrieved a tan tote "Penny didn’t have the key to your aparts" He handed the bag to me and then said, "We’ll wait outside"

Dorian was still standing by thebut turned and without a word, he and Aiden left the roo up I was alone and the tension was gone I sucked in a deep breath, holding it for ato clear the rest of the fuzz froan to disrobe Digs ned by elves, and all of the clothes were organic The shirt I slipped out of the bag was a beige off-white color with the words Mother Nature loves you in green print with a bloo as it coveredout of the hospital Before slipping the shirt overfor a bra and underwear I found the underwear, no bra I suppose Penny didn’t knowone with hter and tried again Still, a bra did not appear Daht Or ht now That was the option I was going with I’d had one, not yet

I finished dressing and looked down at ainst the thin cotton of my shirt It was unusually cold in the hospital, and even colder outside Penny hadn’t broughtthe friction would ease the suckers back down

"Gwen?"

My hands dropped and I turned to see Dorian s "Don’t let me interrupt"

Heat warmed my cheeks

"Here" He shrugged out of his leather coat and walked over to entle hands he draped the coat around

"Thanks," I breathed, turning to look up at hiratitude of his rescue or the soft co I reached out to hi his neck as I pressedainst his chest, inhaling his scent intoaway froet my nipples doasn’t nearly as bad as the hus I had for Dorian, needed to feel the comfort of his arms around me, and he rejected me I cleared my throat and erased all emotion fro the tote bag over my shoulder, I walked past Dorian and out into the hall Aiden was leaning against the wall and looked up at er? A one before I could analyze it further

I walked over to hi odd aroundup," Aiden stated, standing up straighter He looked down the hall, then back to n one of iveyour back" Dorian stepped into the hall "Someone that I trust," Aiden finished

Dorian didn’t say anything which I found out of character for hi in the opposite direction, ar What the hell rong with thes if I declined "Thank you, and not just for that…for the blood too"

Aiden cupped my face, his eyes pained and full of questions he wouldn’t voice It was te to reach out to him and let him hold me like he had done so hts, he dropped his hands and turned to leave I watched him walk ahile my feet itched to run after hi that just because I was feeling vulnerable didn’t ether As painful as it was I allowed those ood ones

"Ready?" Dorian asked holding out a pair of white slippers to ether alked down the hallway and out the front doors The icy chill of the earlyair stole my breath for a second We headed down the brick ay tothe road Dorian’s pace was a little faster than ave me a view of his back When we reached the car he went around to the driver’s side, unlocked the doors and slipped inside I didn’t expect men to open doors for naling so my confusion and pain, I opened the door and slipped inside

Chapter Five

Heartless black eyes peered into h my bones His smirk revealed the pleasure he took froht the edge of the blade as if shining a spotlight on the weapon that would endit with efficient swift hands like some sideshow at a circus Only I didn’t clap and cheer for his show