Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(34)

Now, Shaz had done it for me.

“She loves both of us,” Arys spoke softly, sounding lost in thought. “She needs us. You more so than you’re willing to believe.”

“She can’t be with both of us. Not in the long run. It will come down to you or me. Or possibly neither. Can you handle that? Do you even let yourself think about it? Or are you so lost in the fantasy of finally finding her that you’re blinded to reality?”

I bit my lip, unable to accept the words spilling from Shaz. I was expecting Arys to react with anger. He didn’t.

“Of course I’m not blind to reality,” he said solemnly. “I’ve been aware for a long time that you may be the one she chooses. You offer her security. I offer her pain. But, it’s too late for one or the other. She is joined to us both. If you can’t accept it, you’ll have to be the one to walk away.”

Shaz didn’t hesitate before he retorted, “Goddamn you’re a conceited bastard. I know Lex. She may love us both, but she knows how f**ked up this all is. That’s why she runs to Kale. He’s her escape. From us. From being caught in the middle of something bigger than she is.”

“Settle down, pup. She has a purpose, and you are part of it. You both need to stop seeking with others what you should be finding with each other.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why isn’t it?”

That was my cue to announce my wakefulness. It didn’t take much for those two to go from chatty to snarky and aggressive. Better to stop that before it started.

I made my way down the hall, making noise as I went. They both looked up expectantly as I entered the kitchen. Shaz held out a steaming cup of coffee, which I gratefully accepted.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, gesturing to the soup and sandwiches on the table. What a lifesaver. He knew just as well as I did that Arys’s house was no place to find decent food.

“Surprisingly well, all things considered.” I sipped from the steaming cup, closing my eyes as I savored the caffeine making its way through my system. Such a simple joy.

I made short work of the coffee and sandwiches. I was ravenous and stuffed myself while ignoring the shocked look Arys wore.

“So,” he began when I had finished. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

I shrugged, glancing down at my lack of proper attire. “I don’t have much of a plan. Find something decent to wear. Go pound some information out of any vampire I can get my hands on. Somebody has to know something.”

“I washed your things. You don’t have much here. It’ll do for tonight.” Arys pointed toward the laundry room off the front porch. “I’ll come with you to hunt down some info. Shaz is going to The Wicked Kiss to see what he can find out there.”

I knew what that meant: Shaz was going to see if Bianca knew anything. I had already considered and then dismissed her as a suspect. She wasn’t behind the hit, but there was always a chance she knew who was. The thought of Shaz going right back to her didn’t sit well with me.

“I see. Well,” I fumbled for the right words, or even a good poker face, but came up short. “Ok then. I’m going to call Jez and Kale. Maybe they can help.”

I busied myself with the few clothing items I was fortunate enough to have left at Arys’s. Along with the sooty clothes I had left in the bathroom, I had a whole outfit. A pair of yoga pants, a black tank top and even a set of mismatched bra and panties would get me through until I could hit up a store for a few things.

Thankfully, I had started leaving a toothbrush at Arys’s house ages ago. As for makeup, it was meager. The black eyeliner and lip balm in my bag didn’t give me much to work with. Nothing was going to erase the stress from my features or hide the darkness in my eyes. I was hunting tonight. Pretty could wait.

When Shaz was leaving to check on Coby, I could barely bite my tongue. Knowing he was going to seek out Bianca tonight was driving my wolf into a frenzy. Or, maybe that was just me, the woman, the vampire and the wolf. Insanely jealous.

He left me with a tender kiss and the promise to touch base with me soon. I had several messages on my phone to return, including one from a panicked Kylarai. She was understandably upset about the fire. However, that made telling her about Coby go much smoother.

“I’m so glad you’re ok.” Her voice wavered. Her worry was heavy on the line. “What can I do to help?”

“Stay safe. And, maybe expect to have a few girls’ nights in the near future.”

“If you need me at your side, Lex, don’t hesitate to say so. I’m your beta. I mean it.”

I didn’t want to bring danger to Kylarai’s door by involving her. “I promise I will bring you into this if I need to. Until then, it’s safer for you to avoid catching the wrong person’s attention.”

It was hard to put Ky’s mind at ease. She was so used to looking out for us. She couldn’t protect me anymore. Not from Raoul when his deceit came back to haunt me nor from the vampires that wanted me dead now.

Arys was waiting near the door when I finished on the phone. My car keys dangled from his index finger. On the surface, he was completely composed and in control. His dilated pupils and excited energy indicated otherwise.

“How are you feeling?” He asked casually. What he really wanted to know was, if the bloodlust was rising, could I handle it?