She took a cautious step forward, and panic bloomed on Sebastian’s face. He flicked his gaze beyond her to where the crowd watched, before it bounced back to her again. His body began to tremble, and Alice’s heart broke all over again at the sight.
“I won’t hurt you,” she whispered. “Not ever. Let me hold you, Sebastian.”
He made another one of those agonized screeching noises and despite every instinct flaring, each one demanding she cover her ears and flee, she held her ground. Sebastian twisted, trying to avoid her, but Alice twisted with him, ensuring that when he stepped forward, it would always be toward her.
It was quite possible that her trust in him was misguided or warped by her feelings, but it was a chance she was willing to take.
Her arms felt as if weighed down with the worries of the world when she opened them wide again. Before Sebastian could do anything more to avoid her, Alice pressed her body against his and tucked him into her grasp. The cool scales brushed against her skin, her eyes closing at the sensation. She’d been right. He was so very solid but not scary at all.
He flapped his wings frantically at first, not quite struggling to get away, but his displeasure so very evident in their rustling. At last, when he must have realized she wasn’t going anywhere, he settled. His chest expanded and fell against her, the heat of his breath warming the skin of her neck.
Gray called to her, his voice low and urgent. “Can you get him to go with you outside?”
Alice nodded. “I think so.” To Sebastian, beneath the hearing of everyone surrounding them, she said, “I’m here with you, sweetheart. Nothing can make me turn my back. Nothing will get me to leave. The way I trust in you, for a little while trust in me. I’ll take care of you, I promise.” As she spoke, she took a tentative step forward, at once relieved when he allowed himself to be led. With every step, her own fear seeped away.
The remains of his pants clung to his legs as they walked, but she held no illusion that they wouldn’t crumble around him before long. He’d grown in size everywhere, and the clothing just couldn’t stand up to the change. By the time they stood before the Escalade that Kemp—or was it Connell?—had brought to the front, Alice had a very healthy view of scales that ran across his lower abdomen and covered the tops of his thighs. She didn’t dare look between his legs...she just couldn’t.
Arm outstretched, beckoning him, Alice backed into the open door of the vehicle. Drew already sat in the driver’s seat, the anxiety on his face probably mirroring her own. It didn’t help that a crowd hovered at Sebastian’s back, watching their progress. Fortunately, the twins and Cicero formed a barrier between him and the mass of people too stupid to run, or maybe too scared to.
Her heart thundered as she crouched in one of the backseats, waiting for Sebastian to come inside. What they would do with him once away from everyone’s prying eyes was something they’d have to figure out later. Right now, she focused on the terrifying premonition that he’d turn and attack the very people he’d been sworn to protect. And if it came to that, he wouldn’t survive the retaliation.
Sebastian put one foot on the inner console, and Alice held her breath. His hand brushed over a headrest before he paused. The once-blank expression on his face tightened, a frown growing in its place.
“Hey, honey,” she called. “What’s wrong?”
The groove between his brows deepened as his gaze darted between Alice and the interior of the car. His entire body stiffened, and she felt him start to withdraw before he actually started backing out.
“Fuck, what’s he doing?” Drew whispered.
“Sebastian? Bast?”
He stared at his hand, curling those horrible claws in before stretching them again. His gaze shot to Alice then swept over the car’s interior.
“I don’t think he wants to come inside here,” Alice whispered back. Did he think it was too small to hold his bulk, maybe? Admittedly, it would be a tight squeeze, but he would fit. “Come on, Bast. Come inside with me.”
A low growl rippled from Sebastian before he withdrew completely, obviously intending not to comply.