Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(105)

When Arys was least expecting it, I shoved his head against the floor and bounded for the bedroom. This time he didn’t catch me. I was spread out in the middle of the bed when he appeared, shaking a finger at me.

“That was a cheap shot.” He rubbed the side of his head. “Nice one. Now get naked so I can ravish you.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I was eager for intimacy, seeking to escape the upsets of the past few days. Hell, the past several weeks even.

Slow and sensual, our lovemaking possessed a passion unlike anything we’d shared before. In search of freedom from the future that claimed us, we clung desperately to one another. We moved together with the natural grace of lovers entwined deep beyond the physical realm.

I held Arys close as he adorned my face in feverish kisses. Nothing was going to take him from me. I had lost so much, but I would not lose him. If finding our purpose meant fulfilling that vision in Alice’s mirror, then maybe I didn’t want to find it.

Guilt racked me at the thought. I couldn’t deny my purpose, whatever it was. It was a key component of my existence. As trapped as I felt right now, ultimately it would set me free. If I had the courage to see it through...

I ran my hands over Arys’s body, savoring every part of him, the way he felt, his invigorating scent and the taste of him as he claimed my lips. I found heaven in his arms, the only place I felt I belonged these days. Dying by Arys’s hand wouldn’t be so bad, not in comparison to the many horrible alternatives.

Hours later, I slipped from the bed with the intent to make coffee. Arys was restless, tossing fitfully in his sleep. I ran a hand through his hair, and he murmured my name but never woke.

Glancing around for something to throw on quickly, I spotted a folded black t-shirt on top of the dresser. No sooner had I grabbed it than the achingly familiar scent of Shaz wafted up to assault me. I slipped into the shirt, biting my lip against the tears that threatened. No way. No damn tears.

So, he’d left me something filled with his wonderful, masculine wolf scent. Nothing worth crying over. Yeah, right.

I busied myself making coffee. I couldn’t sleep, so I flipped through the local newspaper, browsing the real estate section. With mug in hand, I took the paper into the living room and settled on the couch. Arys’s fallen sketchpad caught my eye.

Curiosity coaxed me to pick it up. I turned it over to find a pencil sketch of myself. My breath caught and I sputtered coffee. Arys had finely depicted me with eyes lowered and a half smile. My hair blew in an invisible breeze. What shocked me though were the two precise fangs peeking from beneath my lip. Arys had drawn me as a vampire.

It was startling to see even as a simple sketch. Wolf fangs were bigger, vicious and had taken years to get used to. This was different. Foreign. I didn’t like it.

I dropped the sketchpad onto the seat of the recliner, staring at it dumbstruck. I adored Arys; I’d go to hell and back for that man. Judging by everything I knew about twin flames, I likely would. But, this was too much too soon. This was one horror that I wasn’t ready to face yet.

Epilogue

“Alexa, it’s beautiful. It’s so open and spacious. Oh, look at the skylight! This house is a dream.” Kylarai strode through the house gushing. I followed along smiling and nodding.

It was a gorgeous house, no doubt about that. A large spiral staircase greeted us upon stepping into the foyer. Every room was massive and state of the art in terms of architecture and appliances. The backyard had a small fenced off pool and an elaborate lawn with room for a flower garden. It was a dream, alright, Kylarai’s dream.

She had accompanied me on my home buying excursion. I had decided to sell Raoul’s property to someone willing to rebuild on it. My time there was over. I was starting anew.

Arys and I could not co-exist for much longer within his small bachelor-sized bungalow. Bonded didn’t mean we could stand to be in each other’s space twenty-four hours a day. We each needed our own space. I had to find a place that felt like it could become home.

I was also working on a small condo apartment purchase in the city. Stony Plain would always be my home, first and foremost, but having a backup pad in the city seemed like a necessity since I spent so much time there.

A year had passed before I’d touched the money Raoul had left me. I was using it now to start fresh: a new house, a new part of town and a new attitude. Kick ass or die. I planned on kicking ass.

“I don’t know, Ky. It looks a little too picket fence-y for me.” I shot a friendly smile toward the real estate agent lingering nearby, ready to offer me several reasons why the place was perfect.

“But, it’s so beautiful.” Ky’s grey eyes sparkled as she took in the enormous kitchen with a vaulted ceiling.

I snickered and nudged her. “It would definitely be a nice upgrade from that little house you have now.”

“Would you like to see the upstairs?” The realtor asked. “I’m sure you will find it just as impressive.”

I jumped in before Kylarai could force me up the stairs. “No, thank you. Could you show me something a little less high-maintenance? Preferably on the edge of town if possible.”

A few minutes later, we were following the real estate lady across town in Kylarai’s Escalade. I caught her sneaking covert sidelong glances my way. Her brow furrowed, and she fiddled with the radio.

“Go ahead and ask, Ky. I know you want to.”