Forget About Midnight (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #9)(6)

“Not a chance in hell,” he muttered. Betrayed by his actions, Falon shoved a hand into my hair before burying his face in it. The scent of him almost brought me to my knees. This was an experiment in self-control like none other.

When he offered me his neck, the test really began. Caught up in the pull, I wanted desperately to taste him. My lips grazed his flesh. I ached to sink fangs. A flick of my tongue over his jugular made him tense. The weight of Kale’s gaze was heavy upon us.

Falon wanted it. Despite the aggressive way he clutched my long locks and the murmur of expletives, he desired my bite. I was certain then that it had been a mistake to ever take his blood in the first place. By merely knowing that I could have it now, should I want it, I was able to resist.

I pulled back, studying Falon at a dangerously close proximity. His pupils were slightly dilated, but he was aware, unlike a human victim. Then I realized, he was a willing party here. Falon had the power to resist me if he really wanted to. He simply didn’t want to.

“And you said I need to be put on a leash,” I snarled, giving him a shove that made him stumble backwards. “How’s that for control? I didn’t take what you were offering.”

I felt pretty damn proud of myself. It was the first time I’d battled the urge and won. I knew it had only been because he’d wanted it, but I considered it a victory anyway. It was a strange flip in circumstances to have someone long for my bite rather than my blood. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It brought Shaz to mind. Would my bite mean more to him than any other part of me now?

“You,” Falon hissed, pointing a finger at me, “are a bitch.”

I nodded with a small smile. “A bitch who just managed to resist your blood. Give me some credit.”

Falon didn’t glare or rant or bitch slap me with power like he could have, though his expression was absolutely vicious. “I am not a game for you to play. Never try that again. Or you and I are finally going to face off.”

He vanished, leaving me to ponder such a promise. It was intriguing. I didn’t doubt that Falon could kick my ass, but I was certainly curious about how that would play out.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Kale said though the amusement in his lovely eyes didn’t match his scolding tone.

I shrugged, turning away from the body in the grass. Falon’s warning about the FPA had shattered the illusive glow, and now I just felt irritated.

“Why not? It was fun. You would have done it.”

“Yes, but I’m not the one he’s so torn up about.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot Kale a warning look to tread carefully.

He held up both hands in surrender, fighting a laugh. “Not a damn thing.”

Kale caught me up in his arms and kissed me. His embrace felt familiar. Comforting. His kiss conveyed so many unspoken words. I wanted to linger there, to discover them all.

We broke apart before the heat of the moment could rise. My head felt muddled, like my thoughts were battling for dominance. It was confusing. My calm moments often were.

“I want to leave.” My gaze fell upon the crumbling angel statue. It was watching me. At least, it felt that way.

Following my gaze, Kale stared at the aged stone. He couldn’t see it the way I did. Or if he did, he gave no indication. With a hand on my back, he gently ushered me from the yard.

Falon had brought news that forced me to remember that I had family and friends out there. In the real world. It made me face the fact that I couldn’t hide from them forever.

Silently, I cursed the fallen angel. He had no right to interfere, no right to remind me of who I was supposed to be. Who the hell was he to talk? He had turned his back on his calling.

I wasn’t really mad at Falon. He was just a convenient outlet for my own self-loathing. I’d already hit my high for the evening. The low had come crashing in, ripping the rug from beneath me.

Losing myself in the thrill of the kill was more than typical newbie behavior. It was my way of escaping the things and the people that I had to face. It was safe inside insanity. I wanted to stay there. Yet, I knew that wasn’t an option.

I still had a purpose. It hadn’t ended with my death. I had a sinking feeling that it had only just begun.

Chapter Three

We ended up back at Kale’s house before long. Staying on the streets wasn’t safe, not if the FPA was tracking me. Fear hadn’t registered much for me recently. It did now. The memory of the FPA lockup remained sharp.

They could find me if they tracked my phone, which I had no intention of ditching for a burner, but I didn’t think they would come after me at Kale’s house. It was a residential area, and as clueless as the government op could be, I didn’t think they were that stupid.

There was nothing wrong with Kale’s house. It was a decent size without being big, just one floor and the basement. It wasn’t home though, and when we were both trapped beneath its roof during daylight, the tension quickly grew unbearable.

I’d been sleeping in the basement bedroom while Kale took the master bedroom on the main floor. I often lay awake most of the day, wishing I could go home, aching for my other half. But I just wasn’t ready.

“You can have the shower first.” Kale stuck the key in the lock and shoved the door open. I followed him in, painfully aware of the sudden shift in the atmosphere. With an awkward shrug he relocked the door and added, “If you want.”