Hunted (House of Night #5)(19)

"Aphrodite, I was not makin' a move on you. That's just stupid," Stevie Rae said.

"I'm just letting you know. I'm also letting you know that I'm breaking this damn Imprint the first second I can figure out how."

Stevie Rae sighed. "Don't do somethin' that's gonna hurt either one of us. I've had enough with stuff hurtin' for a while."

I'd been listening to the exchange between them with frank interest. I mean, I'd been Imprinted with my human boyfriend, Heath, so I knew something about being linked to a human through the magic of blood. I also knew something about breaking an Imprint--and it could be very painful.

"Zoey, is it too much to ask that you stop gawking at me!" Aphrodite burst out, making me jump guiltily.

"I'm not gawking," I lied.

"What ever. Just stop."

"An Imprint is nothing to be ashamed of, my beauty," Darius said, putting his arm around Aphrodite gently.

"It is weird, though," Stevie Rae said.

Darius smiled kindly at her. "There are many types of Imprints."

"Well, ours is not the drink-your-blood-and-have-sex-with-you type," Aphrodite said.

"Of course it is not," Darius kissed her on her forehead.

"Which means you can sleep in here without being freaked out," Stevie Rae said.

"And again I say hell no. Plus, I'm going with Darius. I'll be on duty with him," Aphrodite said decisively, raising her half-empty second bottle of wine in a weird, drunken salute.

"Darius has to guard the entrance to the tunnels. He doesn't need to be takin' care of your drunk behind," Stevie Rae told her.

"I. Am. Going. With. Darius," Aphrodite repeated slowly and stubbornly. "She may come with me," Darius, said, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile. "I'll get a sleeping bag for her. I do not believe she will be much trouble, and I like to keep her close to me."

"Not much trouble?" I said. Stevie Rae and I raised our brows at him. I swear his high, chiseled cheeks blushed just a smidgen of pink.

"He must be thinkin' of another Aphrodite. One we don't know," Stevie Rae said.

"Come on," Aphrodite said, getting unsteadily to her feet. "I know where they keep the stupid sleeping bags. Just ignore them." She gave us a hilarious attempt at a scowl, which turned into another manly belch, grabbed Darius's hand, and staggered from the room while Stevie Rae and I laughed.

Before he ducked under the blanket, Darius spoke over his shoulder to Erik, who I'd almost forgotten was still lingering in the room. Almost.

"Erik, get some sleep. I will wake you for the second shift."

"Sounds good. I'll be..." Erik hesitated.

"Dallas's room is just down the tunnel from here. I'll bet he wouldn't mind if you roomed with him," Stevie Rae said.

"Okay, that's where I'll be," Erik said.

Darius nodded. "Priestess, would you check the bandages on Stevie Rae's wounds? If they need to be changed--"

"If they need to be changed, I can do it," I interrupted. Hell, I'd already helped shove an arrow through her chest. I could certainly change a Band-Aid without freaking.

"Well, if you need me, simply have a fledgling--"

The warrior's sentence was cut off as Aphrodite jerked hard enough on his hand to pull him from the room. Then she stuck her head back through the doorway. "Good fing night. Don't bother us." And she disappeared.

"Better him than me," I heard Erik mutter as he watched the blanket swing back into place. I made no attempt to hide my smile. I was glad Erik wasn't still interested in Aphrodite. Er u " wik met my eyes. And slowly he smiled, too.

Chapter Seven

"No, you two go on. Catch up with the others. I'm just gonna sleep," Stevie Rae said as she curled onto her side, moving gingerly.

There was a grumpy "mee-uf-ow" and a chubby little orange ball of fur padded into the room and jumped up on Stevie Rae's bed.

"Nala!" Stevie Rae scratched the top of my cat's head. "Hey, I've missed you."

Nala sneezed in Stevie Rae's face and then made three rotations on the pillow beside her head, lay down, and started up her purr engine. Stevie Rae and I grinned at each other.

Okay--SPECIAL NOTE: Duchess, Jack's yellow Lab, is an anomaly. Stark brought her with him when he transferred to our school from the Chicago House of Night. Then he died. Jack adopted her. Then he un-died, but was obviously not himself, 'cause the first thing he did was shoot an arrow through Stevie Rae. Hence the fact Duchess is still with Jack. Plus I think the kid's really getting attached to her.

Anyway, when the group of us escaped from the House of Night, our cats, plus Duchess, followed us. So seeing Nala making herself comfortable added a comfy, homelike touch to Stevie Rae's room for Stevie Rae and me.

"You and Erik go on. Get a shower or what ever," Stevie Rae repeated sleepily as she cuddled with Nala. "Nal and I'll take a little nap. Oh, you can catch the rest of them if you go out, turn left, and then keep circling to your right. The entrance to the depot is by the room where we keep the fridges."

"Hey, Darius said I should check your bandages," I reminded her.

"Later," she yawned massively. "They're fine."