VEE

Once inside, Xander heads to the kitchen where he reaches into an overhead cupboard and pulls out an impressive-sized box, containing enough supplies to run a small hospital ward. "Nurse in a former life?" I joke.

"If I was, I'd have better equipment." I eye the sealed packets in the first aid kit as he rummages through. "If you're hurting, I can call Joss. He has anaesthetic properties."

"I'm fine. It’s a graze, Xander. You’re overreacting."

"I’m supposed to keep you safe," he says in a low voice again. "I’m not supposed to injure you."

I agree to lying on the sofa, when that’s clearly not necessary either, confused by his intensity. If hurting me is a big no, then why try hand-to-hand combat? "You didn’t do anything deliberately."

"My temper took over. I shouldn’t lose control around you." Xander kneels on the floor holding a folded white cloth and puts a small brown bottle on the carpet. "Let me see."

I pull my shirt upwards, exposing the side of my back. He sets down the bottle and cloth, then his long fingers move along my skin. He avoids touching the cut, but sets my skin alight.

"That’s a pretty nasty graze. Didn’t you feel it happen?"

"I guess I was oblivious in the heat of the moment. Fight, I mean." His steady look contains the hidden Xander, and I attempt the same. Oh, you know, because you sitting on top of and almost kissing me phased out everything but the thought of how your lips would feel.

Xander on his knees in front of me? I laugh to myself.

"What's funny?" he asks.

"You're being friendly."

"I am friendly. When I want to be." He reaches on the floor for the small bottle, unscrews and tips the clear liquid onto a white cloth.

I've heard from the other guys how an innate desire to protect me overrides everything. I'd suspected Xander's personality interfered with that need, and I was merely a necessary link in the chain. I'd convinced myself that, to Xander, I wasn't someone to be protected, instead that he wanted me out there, doing whatever I'd been created for, straightaway.

I was wrong.

Xander moves his head closer to my body, and I jerk as he wipes the cloth over the cut.

"Omigod, Xander!" I half shriek as the skin stings.

"Jesus, Xander!" calls a voice, and the lounge door slams shut. "Seriously, you have a bedroom if you're going to be such a hypocrite."

I sit, my shirt falling back down and see a thunderous-faced Heath watching.

Xander sits back on his haunches. "Huh?"

"I... fell and grazed myself. Xander's fixing me up."

Heath's mouth opens. "Oh. I just heard you and saw him with his head—"

"I have my clothes on, Heath," I interrupt. "You have one hell of an imagination."

"I couldn't see properly from the doorway. Guess I jumped to conclusions."

Xander laughs loudly. "If me and Vee was even a possibility, do you think we're stupid enough to do that shit where you guys can find us? Surely you and her stick to your bedroom."

I shove Xander in the shoulder. "I haven't been in Heath's bedroom. Only Joss's."

Xander's eyebrows shoot up. "With Joss in the bed?"

"Yes." Crap. "Not like that. Ask Ewan."

"He was there too? Both guys and you in Joss's bed?" Xander mock gasps and places a hand over his mouth. "Verity, you shock me."

I poke my tongue into my cheek and lean forward, my face almost touching his. "Why? Did you want to be there too, Xander?"

"Are you for real? You had a threesome with Joss and Ewan? Man..."

"No! Not even close," I reply.

"Yeah, if it were me I wouldn't be sharing you." He moistens his lips and looks at my mouth. "I'd be enough for you on my own."

"What's he saying, Vee?" asks Heath. "You look pissed off."

I shake my head and stand. "Can I just say something? I get that this is a weird situation between the five of us, but drop the snarky attitude, Xander."

"Honestly, not my problem if you want to share yourself, but leave me off the list. I don't share my girls."

"I'm not being shared," I snap. "I'm not a thing. I make my own decisions."

"So you do want a threesome?" asks Xander. "Or more?"

"No, I do not. But we all know this is complicated. You're the one who’s annoyed with dancing around subjects. I'm being straight up about how I feel."

Xander looks over at Heath. "How do you feel about your girlfriend telling you she wants other men?"

"And there I was thinking you weren't an asshole today. Are you listening to anything I say here? I'm not his girlfriend for a start."

"Oh yeah, I hear you loud and clear." Xander stands too. "But we're not all under your spell, sweetheart."

"No?" I step closer. "Really?"

He leans in to whisper, "I'd happily take you to bed and fuck you, but that's it. Things would be out of my system, but you'll want more."

"Sure," I whisper back with a disbelieving snort.

"Why not try me and see?" he hisses.

His challenge elevates my heart rate as much as his fierce words. "Maybe one day I will."

A slow smile snakes across Xander's face as he steps back. "Maybe if everybody gets this sex bullshit over with, we can drop the tension and get on with our job." He turns to Heath. "Speaking of which, we need to debrief about the activities at The Warehouse last night, and I need full details about what you and Joss found on your hunt."

At the mention of last night, I drop my challenge.

"We didn’t find anything, Xander. I told you," replies Heath.

"Don’t care. Things to discuss. Meeting. Five minutes." He shoves the cloth and bottle at Heath. "You finish helping, Vee. I’ve more important shit to do than this." Xander strides to the door, passed his brother, and I blink in confusion as he heads out.

Heath rubs his face. "That escalated quickly."

"War? Escalated quickly? Are you surprised?" I'm stunned by his whiplash-inducing change in attitude to me. One minute he's concerned and helping me out, the next... this. The man cannot handle anybody disagreeing with him. Talk about attitude.

Heath crosses towards me and cups my cheek. "What happened exactly?"

"Xander was showing me some self-defence and I fell."

Heath frowns. "He should be more careful."

"I like that Xander doesn't treat me as if I'm fragile."

"Vee, how many times do I have to say this? I think we're programmed to keep you safe, somehow. Even Xander; I bet he’s feeling like shit right now. Probably why he’s so pissed off."

"But I have powers; you don’t need to look after me." A memory from last night flickers across my eyes, and I blink it away.

"But you don’t understand or control them yet."

"Yet. But it's a balance. I want the opportunity to show I'm capable of being your equal and I’m not a delicate girl."

Heath smiles and cups my cheek, placing a soft kiss on my lips. "I'm still going to treat you like one, sorry."

I grit my teeth against more unwarranted fussing. Until I can prove otherwise, their attitude to me won't change. Following my experience last night, I need to get my hands on a demon and show the guys what I’m capable of. I'll figure out exactly how powerful I am; then God help anybody who tries to harm me again.