Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(52)

Kale listened attentively, showing no emotion or reaction as I spoke. His poker face was good, not so much as a twitch during the twin flame stuff.

“I shouldn’t be dumping this all on you. I’m sorry. It’s been pretty overwhelming.”

“Of course it has. That would be enough to break most people.” His head tilted slightly, as Kale regarded me thoughtfully. “You aren’t most people, Alexa. You can handle it. Besides, it’s all good news for the most part. Your sister is alive, and now you know where your bond with Arys comes from. You should be happy.”

My inner cynic wasn’t too quick to agree. From the look on Kale’s face, he didn’t find any joy in what I had shared. Still, a silver lining could be found if I could look beyond the gathering storm clouds. It didn’t all have to be bad. What I’d needed most was to get it off my chest, and now that I had, I was already feeling better.

“I will be happy. Eventually. Once the shock wears off.”

A rush of thrilling energy came up like a sudden rain, stealing my words along with my breath. Desire fueled the immense force. The muffled sound of a woman’s voice reached us. Shrieks gave way to cries of pleasure.

I shuddered, unable to refuse the call of such tantalizing energy. It piqued my interest, stirring my hunger to life. I did not want to react to it. Not here with Kale. Yet, I was pulled by a memory, knowing how easy it would be to blow the door down and devour the power of the vampire driving this dizzying wave.

I shook with the effort it took to hold myself together. I’d come a long way in controlling my power in past months. The hungers, the ache to wrap myself in the ecstasy of letting go… it seemed to grow by the day. As my power grew, so did my weakness. This double-edged sword cut deep. It was going to kill me; I could feel it in my soul.

“You’re dangerous like this.” Kale’s voice was low and rough.

Trying to keep my cool was a challenge. I eyed him curiously. “Dangerous for whom, exactly?”

The roar in my ears grew like thunder rumbling in the distance. Drawing on the energy humming freely around us, I let it sweep in and through me. Kale’s tension was palpable. He reached out to me metaphysically. The hypnotic pull of our hyped-up power mingled, dancing together.

“Dangerous for you if you keep that up.” His voice was low, a sexy murmur. A shock of electricity raced down my spine.

“I’m not doing that on my own, in case you didn’t notice.” I was always ready to devour him.

His energy moved over me, making my knees as weak as my will. I could feel his battle between intrigue and apprehension.

“I’m serious, Alexa. Be careful.” Heat emanated from him in waves. Fueled by emotion, his energy was dark and held the promise of violent passion.

“See what I mean,” I threw both hands up in exasperation. “Crazy. You, me. All of us. Just f**king nuts.”

Kale pushed away from the couch and came dangerously close. I backed up in response, trepidation driving my step. With the tornado of energy coaxing me to enjoy the promised delights, I was tapping some serious strength to resist.

“Crazy definitely covers it,” he murmured. His eyes were twin pools of absolute black. Only the barest trace of color was visible.

The sound of sex grew louder in the otherwise quiet hallway. Kale’s gaze went to my throat, lingering on the bites he’d left there. When his eyes once again met mine, the longing I saw in their depths was startling.

“I need to take off. Thanks for listening, Kale. I appreciate it.”

I shoved past him, my eyes on the exit. It seemed so far away. How did the hallway get so impossibly long?

“So soon? Come to haunt me like the ghost of a memory I can’t stop reliving and then leave me hanging?” His tone was low and deadly.

There it was, the dark side of Kale. The monster beneath the gorgeous eyes and friendly ear had emerged yet again. That evil, tormented side of Kale had led him to attack both Jez and me on separate occasions. Unpredictable and sinister, this creature was a result of several decades of torture at the hands of the one who’d made him.

Slowly I turned to face him. “We shouldn’t be alone together. Not like this. It’s not safe.”

“No. It isn’t.”

I never made it another step before Kale had me pressed up against the wall. With a hand on either side of my head, he stood painfully close but not quite touching. I couldn’t possibly slip past him without making it physical. Patience and restraint, I had to have them.

“Please,” I whispered, careful to keep my tone neutral. “Don’t do this. It can’t always happen like this. Let me go.”

He closed his eyes and pounded a fist against the wall beside my head in frustration. It was loud, echoing in the empty space around us. “Why didn’t you let him kill me? You could have set me free.”

When his eyes reopened, the pupils had shrunk down. In them, I saw pain.

I could offer him nothing. No words of comfort. No apology that wouldn’t be a lie. So, I shook my head sadly and didn’t say a thing. With a hand on the side of his face, I leaned in and brushed my lips across his.

Kale returned my kiss with a gentle passion that crushed me. Despite how dangerous he could be, I felt safe with him. Too safe. And, that made it risky.

With a ragged sigh, I broke off the kiss and said, “I’m setting you free now.”