Forget About Midnight (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #9)(5)

“The FPA has been following you. Little sis is cleaning up your mess. Even as stupid as you can be, you must know that won’t end well.” Falon glared when he realized I was ogling his jugular.

“Wait. So am I smart or stupid? You’re giving me mixed messages.” I forced my gaze back to his and smiled, certain that it looked as creepy as it felt on my face.

Falon wasn’t impressed. “You’re going to end up in lockup. Is that what you want?”

His reasoning was valid. I agreed wholeheartedly. The FPA lockup was a nasty place. However, I still questioned his motives.

“Why though? Why do you care if I end up there? I’d think you’d be happy with that.”

“Look, you childish little idiot, if you get yourself locked up, then everything we both did to stop Shya will have been for nothing. Now is not the time to act like a horror-movie monster. Get your shit together.” Falon paused as if concocting another round of insults.

I noticed that he still hadn’t answered my question. “Are you trying to give me some guidance, Falon? That’s so sweet. I didn’t think you still had it in you. You know, with you being fallen from grace and all.”

Falon scoffed and shook his head of fair hair. “Consider it a warning. You’re a Hound. One of the last. Don’t f*ck that up any more than you already have.”

There was no understanding him. Falon was an enigma. I wanted to figure him out, but every time I thought I had, he threw me another curve.

“I really don’t understand you,” I said, my gaze on his but my mind on what lay beneath the surface of his skin. “But I’m going to figure you out, Falon. Because I know that you don’t want me to.”

His bark of laughter was loud, shattering the relative calm. “That’s never going to happen. It’s strange that finding out what makes me tick means so much to you. I’m going to have fun with that.”

“As am I.”

We stared at one another until it grew awkward. Such a bizarre relationship we shared. We were nothing really. Not friends nor allies, not even really enemies. I didn’t know where I stood with Falon. He was a mystery that way.

Finally I stuck my hand out. Antagonizing one another had become a vicious game we shared. But I was mature enough to set that aside, to take him seriously for a moment. “I’m sure you didn’t do it for me,” I said, “but thank you. For getting Shya out of my way like that.”

Falon hesitated just long enough to make me think he would refuse my hand. Then he took it, fast, like he had to force himself. There was a coolness to his tone when he said, “Don’t make me regret it.”

I wasn’t going to make any promises I didn’t know I could keep. I opened my mouth to say as much, but the warmth of his hand in mine stole my voice. The sound of his heart reverberated in my ears.

Power snaked up my arm. Falon’s power had once knocked me on my ass, but things had changed since then. I was up for the challenge now. Licking my lips, I considered the many ways I could enjoy this.

The fragile barrier between control and desire shattered. Holding tight to Falon’s hand, I pulled him closer. I went for his neck, knowing that if I could taste his blood he would be all mine.

“You crazy bitch.” Falon shoved against me. He flung me off with a few choice curse words. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe some time in lockup would do you good.”

“No,” Kale broke in, reaching to hold me back. “That place would break her. She’d never be sane again.”

“She isn’t sane now. Might have to put a leash on your Hound there, Kale.” Falon smirked, but I saw the glint in his eyes. He would have played my game if we’d been alone. Try as he might to deny it, Falon was affected by me, perhaps even more so now.

“She’ll be fine,” Kale snarled, his hand tight on my forearm. “There’s a bit of a learning curve. She’ll master it.”

I laughed. Not because they amused me in any way but because I was about to turn the tables on them. They thought they could control me with a denial and physical restraint. They didn’t know what they were dealing with.

Werewolf strength was vastly greater than that of humans. The vampire’s strength was even greater still. Coupled with my twin flame power, it took very little effort to pull free of Kale.

“I’m right here, you *s. Don’t talk about me like I’m not.” Raising a hand, I flung Kale across the yard. Then I turned on Falon with the same hand, letting my power wash over him.

He liked it. I knew from experience, and I also knew that he hated that he liked it, with a deep rooted passion. I liked that part.

“Don’t pretend you don’t want it just a little.” I sauntered closer to Falon, my gait as teasing as my tone.

He regarded me with contempt though it lacked depth. Already he was influenced by my darkness. It made me a little giddy to see how my power had grown upon the turn. I might never be on an even playing field with people like Falon or Shya, but I might actually stand a chance now.

“You’re completely f*cked up, you know that? I think you’re closer to being a demon than I am. You need help.” Falon wasn’t one to go down without a fight. Even as he leaned in to me, he cussed me out.

I nodded, beckoning him closer with a finger. “You’re right. I’m a twisted bitch. But you kind of like it, don’t you?”