Chapter 286: Keep your eyes off of my man
The others in the room remained frozen since the weight of what Rhys was feeling filled the room. Kellen couldn’t even find it in himself to tell him to tone it down. Kellen knew he was fine, but he couldn’t exactly dictate how Rhys should feel.
So he just held him as the man slowly stopped shaking. Kellen also didn’t like seeing him like this, but Kellen could feel how Taylor was hovering nearby, anxious to get to him.
"Rhys, you need to let Taylor have a look at me. I feel it’s just a bruise, but she needs to make sure. I also strained my other wound." Rhys backed off immediately at Kellen’s softly spoken words. It was so quick Kellen’s body almost lurched after him, and Rhys and Taylor had to put their hands on him to prevent him from falling.
"Fuck. Sorry." Rhys muttered, his yellow gaze still bright, but slightly dimmed. Kellen reached up, running his fingers through his hair, watching as Rhys closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"It’s okay. I’m fine now. You just surprised me." Kellen told him softly, feeling as if he was gentling an animal. Kellen would never tell him that either. It would go against his argument that Rhys wasn’t a monster, and he knew it. But all Espers were kinda...animal-like? At least that was how most Guides viewed them.
Taylor approached from the side, her eyes glowing green as she scanned Kellen carefully, repeatedly, making sure nothing was wrong.
"I told you this was dangerous." Taylor muttered, and Kellen honestly couldn’t remember her telling him that. She glowered at him when he gave her a confused look. "In my head. I definitely told you not to do it. I knew you weren’t going to listen, so I was saving the lecture for after. I hate that I was right. Damn it Kellen. We’re still short Guides, and you’re going to do this shit? Your leg is so swollen, and the bruise is..." She shook her head, sniffing as her eyes watered. "Without that protection, it might have...done some real damage." Kellen grinned.
"You saw how it didn’t even go through the Field Guide Uniform, right? I would have been alive, that’s for sure." Kellen gave her a thumbs up and Taylor’s face twisted.
"Shut up. Just because it didn’t tear through the fabric of your uniform doesn’t mean it couldn’t have done some serious damage. Your ribs, or heaven forbid, your lungs could have been damaged. You’re very lucky that the Captain was so insistent on those bullet proof vests. It wasn’t, at least, I don’t think, it was a normal D.E.C. weapon." There was one way to check that.
"Hill." Kellen called, and Hill jerked. She glanced at Kellen, before looking at Rhys.
"Yes Kellen?"