Blood Mates by K. Grey

none of them would be around. I wouldn’t have to worry about them. It should be fine to go then.”
    “Go where?”
    Ava swirled around when another gruff male voice spoke behind her. She had thought of just going, but she realized she had no way of going without asking Alfred to take her. She didn’t have her crappy car here. She saw Rhage standing there. He looked pissed off. Hell! He always looked pissed off.
    “Her friend Jill is hurt and asked Ava to come help her.” Alfred told him.
    “You aren’t supposed to leave the house.” Rhage told her. He hadn’t been able to sleep and suddenly he felt her concern. She was upset. He couldn’t ignore it. He
    Had to know if she was alright. He had laid there fighting the urge to get up, but then he couldn’t ignore it. Sloane had told him she had felt him. The knife wound and others things so he was trying to make sure he kept up a mental block so she wouldn’t feel anything else from him, but he couldn’t block or turn it off from her.
    “Yes... I know THAT, but Jill is my dear friend and she needs me.”
    “And you are supposed to stay safe and that means staying here. No leaving.” He grunted.
    Ava rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “It’s daylight.  I should be perfectly safe…. And let me rephrase it a different way... I’m going. I need to go help Jill. So either Alfred can take me or I will walk… end of story.”
    “Don’t be stubborn with me. I will win.” He crossed his arms over his chest meaning that was the end of it as far as he was concerned.
    Ava arched an eyebrow at him. “Really? Do I look scared to you?” she already had her cell phone in her back pocket and her shoes were on. He wanted to play bossy with her. OH! She never took orders well! Ask her fine, but don’t order her around like she was a child. She huffed and walked straight toward the French doors that led out to the porch. Rhage grabbed for her arm, but she darted away from him and outside. She didn’t stop until she stood in the sunlight facing him with her hands on her hips. Her foot tapped the wood planks on the porch.
    “Dammit!” he growled. He felt her determination and he knew she wasn’t going to give in.
    “What would it hurt?” Alfred asked him. “She is worried about her friend.”
    “She isn’t safe out there.”
    “She would be if you go with her…you could drive one of the SUVs and it shouldn’t take long. Right there and right back…” Alfred then raised his voice so Ava could hear him outside. “Isn’t that right, ava? Straight there and straight back?”
    “Yes… it shouldn’t even take an hour.” She said crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side.  Her foot was still tapping on the wood.
    “Fine!” Rhage knew she would indeed go on her own. She was too damn stubborn for her own good. “Let’s go to the garage.”
    “You can pick me up around front... I’ll be waiting there.” She turned on her heel and stormed off mumbling something along the lines of. “Pissy dumbass.”
    “I can hear you!” Rhage called out after her.
    “GOOD! Because you ARE a pissy dumbass!” she called back.
    Rhage looked at Alfred when he cleared his throat covering his chuckle.
    “Sorry…I’ll get the thicker leather jacket from the closet for you, Rhage.”
     
    Rhage drove the SUV from the garage and around the corner of the house. He clenched the steering wheel tightly. She was standing on the porch steps. He should’ve woken Lucien or Talon or someone else to take her. He should stay the hell away from her. It was the best thing for her and yet he didn’t wake anyone up. He took the thicker leather jacket from Alfred and donned on a baseball cap to protect his head. He had on leather gloves as well. The less he was exposed to the sun the better. Alfred also reminded him there was bagged blood in the cooler if he needed it.
    When he pulled up to the porch she hurried and opened the door. She slammed