Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #1)(33)

“Worried. I had to force him to go home. He wanted to stay here until you showed up, but I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.” Ky shrugged and did her best to keep her expression neutral. “He was pretty torn up. He blames himself for setting you off.”

“You didn’t tell him about Arys?”

“Of course not.”

I slammed my hands down on the counter in frustration. The sound of wood splitting did little to soothe me. I generally accept my mistakes, but this time, I’d really blown it.

“Son of a bitch! When was the last time I did something so stupid, Ky?”

“Are you looking for a real answer or a fake “there there” answer?”

“Real.”

“It’s been a long time. Probably, the last time you slept with Raoul.”

Ouch. I’d asked for honesty, though. Count on a good friend to never let you forget the dumbest things you’ve ever done.

“Ok. So there have been things worse than this. I just have to find a way to work through it.”

Ky gave a scoffing laugh. “I’m glad you’re being so positive about it, but would you mind sharing with me why you tried to bleed Shaz? What the hell happened to you out there?”

With a long, shuddery breath, I told her about Arys’s memories and the insatiable bloodlust. Her expression never changed, but I felt the shift in the atmosphere. Was she putting herself on the defensive? A little part of me died when I realized Kylarai was afraid of me.

“Well, that sums it up,” she said when I’d finished. “You need to speak with a few different people. But, it’s up to you who is first on that list.”

Despite sunrise being just an hour away, I couldn’t sleep. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Shaz. Long after Kylarai had gone to bed, this time locking her door, I lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Maybe, Shaz was awake. I rolled out of bed and pulled on some jeans. I grabbed my car keys and neared the front door, when I sensed him, on the other side. He lingered as if afraid to knock.

Afraid he would leave, I pulled the door open quickly. He just looked at me expectantly. Instead of stepping inside, he reached out with a gentle hand. His fingers deftly brushed the hair away from my neck. Before I realized what he was doing, he’d tugged the strap of my tank top down and exposed the vampire bite in the hollow of my collarbone.

He sounded resigned when he said, “We need to talk.”

Chapter Ten

“How did you know?” I winced as the words came out of my mouth.

“Let’s just say, when I found Arys gnawing the legs off a dog, he took a moment to mention it.”

“What?” For just a split second, my heart seemed to stop. My mind had trouble making sense of what I just heard.

“Let’s go grab a coffee. I’ll explain in the car.”

I couldn’t believe what he told me, or at least, I didn’t want to believe. On his way home, Shaz came across Arys on a side street. He’d killed his neighbor’s dog, torn it limb from limb. According to Shaz, he’d exhibited all of the signs of a newly turned werewolf. He had been irrational and unsuccessfully fighting the urge to tear things apart.

“I’m not kidding you Lex. He had fangs on the bottom as well as the top. He blamed it on the two of you being together. I didn’t believe him.” Shaz risked a glance in my direction. “But, he told me the bite should be proof enough.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt guilty. This was not how I wanted him to find out.

“Is he ok?” I hated asking but I had to know. “I mean, did he hurt anyone?”

“He’s fine. I took him home. Other than the dog, I’m pretty sure no one was eaten.”

We went through the twenty-four hour drive-thru at the coffee shop, and then Shaz drove us down to the duck pond on the edge of town.

We parked but didn’t get out of his little Chevy Cobalt. The silence dragged as I struggled for words.

I stared at the large fountain near the center of the pond. I would have watched the sunrise from the bridge that crossed the pond, but unfortunately, I was lost amidst clouds of pain and uncertainty. The hurt Shaz tried to hide didn’t escape me. His eyes betrayed him.

“Look Shaz-,” I began. He cut me off before I could spit out another word.

“I don’t want your apology, Alexa, or whatever excuse you are going to offer me. You don’t owe me any explanations.” He looked at me with ice in his gaze, which chilled me to the bone. “I know I have no claim on you.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to explain what happened that night. I need you to know.” I didn’t say more than necessary. Shaz sat quietly and stared into me as I told him about energy bonding with the vampire. “Don’t mistake the point here, Shaz, please. There is no emotional connection between Arys and me. It was just the power.”

He blinked a few times before responding, and I wished I could snatch back those last words. “Just the power?” he asked. “You still have the mark from his bite, and you’re telling me it was just an energy exercise. No Lex, that doesn’t sound intimate at all.”

I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me, so I said as much in a bitter, sharp tone. I couldn’t please everybody, and I was getting tired of trying.

“You know I have feelings for you,” he yelled suddenly, and I sat in stunned silence. “I know you do. But, we are not together, and no matter how jealous I am, no matter how much I wish it was me in his place, I have no right to say so or act on those feelings.” He wiped his eyes to destroy his unshed tears. “But, God, I need you to know.”