Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(37)

Kale shook his head. “No, you don't understand. How can I explain this? I'm not at all surprised to hear that. For a vampire, the only way we can fully feel everything that a person has to offer is to consume them. Arys feels that way because you are so strong and independent. He longs to have all of you and tasting your death, absorbing all that you are, is the only way to do that on the deepest level possible. It doesn't mean that he actively wants to kill you. In fact, I'm sure it's the exact opposite. He's afraid of losing you.”

Whether it was the coffee, the fresh air through the open window or the calming talk with Kale, I was starting to feel stronger, more in control of myself. His dark power still taunted me, but it was a tease, not a need.

“It sounds like I should be coming to you for the answers I need rather than Harley.

Your insight never fails.”

“Oh, I don't know about that. I think I'm the last person you need to be placing your faith in. I can barely control myself half the time.” He chuckled, but it lacked humor.

“You see everything for what it is, so clearly. I wish I could see past the fog and tangled webs. It feels like I'm walking in circles, always coming back to the same point as if I never made any progress at all.” I sipped at the hot coffee, focusing on the taste as it warmed my insides, such a simple pleasure that had nothing to do with bloodlust or vampire power.

Kale nodded in agreement, and a comfortable silence fell. There was barely an hour until sunrise. He'd have to head for home soon, and so would I. As much as I would love to bury my head in the sand and feel sorry for myself, I had other things to deal with, like unwelcome wolves hunting down my dead lover's daughter.

The sound of his leather jacket moving was familiar and comforting when he reached for my hand. I tensed, ready to pull away, but nothing happened. The slightest sensation of heat could be felt through my palm, but the energy lay quiet and still. He squeezed my hand gently, reassuringly, before letting go.

“See,” he said. “Not every action has to be about the power inside. With the right frame of mind, it just is what it is.”

Why did I get the feeling that meant more than he was letting on? My woman's intuition warned me to tread carefully. Kale's touch had been warm and soothing. I found myself wondering if I'd be thinking along the same lines if Jez or Ky had squeezed my hand. I doubted it.

“Thank you, Kale. For dragging my ass off that guy and for listening. You're easy to talk to, and it always really helps.” I smiled at him in the dimly lit interior.

His heavy gaze was shadowed, but he returned my smile with a grin that revealed fangs. “Hey, no worries. That's what friends are for.”

I knew right then that there was something more, something he wasn't saying. It didn't matter. Nothing was going to ruin this relaxed moment. In the past half hour or so I'd spent with Kale, I had gone from raging animal to unsettled but collected.

“We can head back to my car now,” I offered before draining the last drop of coffee from my disposable cup. “You don't want to cut it too close getting home before dawn.”

“You're sure?”

“Of course. I can't rely on you to listen to my woes if you're a pile of ash and dust.

Oh God, the thought is horrid. Let's go.”

Our conversation was light and casual as we drove, but I knew the calm illusion would shatter when I was alone with my thoughts again. Shaz would no doubt be curled up in my bed when I got home. Though I wasn't looking forward to repeating my tale of woe, I couldn't wait to wrap myself around him.

As much as I adored Kale, I was glad when I was finally back inside the safe, secure confines of my own vehicle. I had spent the entire night with one vampire after another, and it had been damn exhausting in every possible way. I ached for Shaz' heavenly scent of pine and wolf, needing to reacquaint myself with the power of the earth.

The power of the undead may live within me, but I was alive. Perhaps it was time that I stop letting the current of life sweep me along and really start living.

Chapter Nine

“There is no way that I'm not smashing that guy right in the face when I see him.”

There was a spark of fury in Shaz' jade green eyes. He'd been ranting and raving about Arys since I filled him in on the details of the night before.

He'd been sound asleep in my bed when I got home at the crack of dawn that morning. All I wanted to do was slip in between the sheets with him and slumber. We'd woken some time after noon, and over coffee, I told him everything about my visit to Harley and the resulting run in with Arys.

I sighed and gave my head a shake. I smiled though. I loved that he wanted to protect me. However, I did not want to see Shaz and Arys come to blows again. There's no way it would end as well as it had the first time.

“I love hearing you say that,” I laughed softly. “But, I also know that Arys is really hurting. He's so confused. And, I can't help but feel like a super bitch. If I were him, I wouldn't want me anywhere near Harley, either.”

“You deserve answers, Lex. I don't love the idea of you walking right into a potential trap either, but I trust your judgment. And, I love you. I want you to be able to master the things inside you before they take over who you are.” He tossed a sincere look my way as he moved about my bedroom, getting ready for work.