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Look. Avid wasn't crazy.
A little loud? Maybe! But only because they weren't listening! Vampires were real, they were hunting the forests, and instead of believing him and taking precautions Pearl tried to break his first block of silver and everyone brushed off Scott's dark aura as a misstep.
But this…this, even he could admit, was not his finest moment.
Accusing Scott of murder the moment he realized Shelby was gone, only for her to turn up a moment before they went out to search? Yeah. He wouldn't blame anyone for not believing him on that.
But when he'd realized Shelby was missing, and he'd be the one to see them together, he'd be the one to leave her with Scott —
Ice-cold talons closed around his throat. He couldn't let it happen again. Not again.
"You owe me an apology."
Scott shifted his weight forward, back, just enough to make Avid flinch before retreating.
Shame and embarrassment welled up behind Avid's ears, hot as the sun. The townspeople around them shifted and muttered agreements. A fleeting glance toward Drift didn't help — she looked at him the way she always did: face wrinkled around the edges with concern, eyes shining with sympathy for someone who couldn't cope with a betrayal — and his shoulders climbed to his ears.
He'd really messed up. Even if there was something off about Scott — and there was, he had to prove that — he did owe him an apology.
"…Im…sorry." The mumbled words tasted like ash on his tongue as he shrank back.
"No, no." Scott stepped forward with the languidity of someone who had all the time in the world and was confident in that. Close enough to see a red shimmer when the torchlight caught his eyes, like blood in the river. Close enough to see the line of his smile quirk just slightly from condescension into smug.
Close enough for the tips of fangs to poke just over his bottom lip as he spoke.
"Properly."
"I'm fine." His partner smiled, canines poking just a little too sharp over her lips. "Better than ever, actually."
The talons around his throat choked tighter.
Not again.
Avid's eyes locked on Scott's, strangled terror meeting cool confidence.
"Go on."
Avid's breath swelled in his throat — then died on his tongue.
What was he going to say? "Scott's a vampire! Scott's a vampire! Guys, I saw his fangs!"
It would all sound the same to them. They wouldn't listen. Just more screaming from the paranoid hunter.
Avid swallowed the words like a rock. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay!?"
Scott's smile slipped into knowing satisfaction, a silent taunt no one else was close enough to see. "There we go. Now, was that so hard?"
And without a blink Scott turned away, calm and composed, like he hadn't set frostbite to Avid's veins. Avid dug his nails into his shaking shoulder like if he gripped himself hard enough, he could hold the crumbling pieces of himself together.
I'm watching you, Scott.
I won't let one of you take one of mine again.
Not again.