Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(43)

When I was sure that it was as safe and secure as I could possibly make it, I shifted back into wolf and made my way back to Ky's house. I instantly wished Shaz were with me. Being out beneath the stars with my white wolf at my side was something I really needed right then. As it was, being out there all alone made me feel very small and insignificant.

I felt a strong sense of relief upon re-entering Kylarai's backyard. It had been quite some time since I'd truly felt lonely, but in that moment, I felt it stronger than ever.

It ate at me that I had no idea what Arys was up to or where he was. The side of me that was hurt and saddened wanted nothing more than to seek him out. The night was fading away, and I knew it wouldn't be worth it to start searching for him now. Where would I even begin?

It bothered me much more than I cared to admit. I felt like nothing was in my control. It never had been.

As far as I knew, Shaz was heading to his own place after work unless I asked him to come over. It was tempting, but I felt like some time alone may be best. I needed to organize my thoughts and decide what to do about everything I was facing.

All I really wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed though I wasn't sure that sleep would ever come. I hadn't had the slightest hint of regret regarding my decision to blood bond myself to Arys. Now, I wasn't so sure.

Chapter Eleven

It was noon when I first ventured up the stairs from my basement bedroom. After returning home from Kylarai's, I'd tossed and turned fitfully until I finally gave up on sleep and read a book all night. It did little to quiet the insanity running laps inside my mind.

The first blast of sunshine through the living room window burned my eyes. They instantly began to water, and I blinked furiously. It stung like a bitch. The touch of the sun caused my skin to tingle almost painfully.

I stumbled into the bathroom, nearly blind from the tears running from my eyes. I closed the door and turned on the light. It was like instant relief from the agony of the sun. I wasn't a vampire, not yet anyway. This was totally unfair.

I wiped my eyes with my hands, not at all surprised to see that my tears were tinged red. They'd been bloodier than this though. Washing my face with cool water, I waited until the pain in my head subsided. The burning of my eyes had caused an instant headache.

My hands shook as I splashed the cold water on my face, and I felt faint. I focused on taking deep breaths. It had been a while since I'd felt this bad. In fact, even when Arys and I had first bonded our power, the results didn't make me feel this bad. My stomach cramped and rolled. For a moment, I thought I was going to be sick. It had to have something to do with him shutting me out. I was sure it was his absence causing the strong vampire reaction in me. I hated it.

Leaving the bathroom was just as painful. Squeezing my eyes shut against the bright light, I rushed back down the stairs into the sanctity of my bedroom. I didn't come up again until the sun had descended in the sky.

After a brief phone call with Shaz, I got ready to leave the house. I had one destination in mind. Good or bad, I didn't care. I was going to The Wicked Kiss. I wanted to see if Harley knew of Arys' whereabouts. If not, maybe he could help me pinpoint it.

This disappearing act of his was getting old fast. I was more than over it.

Dressed in a long black skirt that flowed softly around my legs and a deep red corset of the softest velvet, I looked much better than I felt. I wore smoky gray eyeliner and blush to mask the paleness of my skin. It didn't work, but it was an attempt. Using bobby pins, I secured my hair up with several loose tendrils falling down my back. I figured if I didn't find Arys tonight, then at least I knew he was missing out.

I didn't tell anyone where I was going, not even Shaz. I didn't want him to worry.

Instead, I left him a note in case he stopped by after work and found that I wasn't home.

Even though I didn't want to, I stopped by Arys' house again, hoping against hope that maybe he would be there. I shouldn't have been surprised to find that he still hadn't made his way home, but I was. The disappointment was heavy and painful.

Why was he doing this? Was it just to punish me or was this something bigger than that? I was starting to get the feeling that Arys had issues that I had never been aware of.

Whatever they were, I'd pushed him over the edge.

I didn't go through the back door when I got to The Wicked Kiss. It didn't feel right.

It was creepy and unwelcoming. It wasn't as if I were a VIP member or anything. So I strode through the front door of the club with only one thing on my mind: to get to the bottom of this mess with Arys. By avoiding me, he was only making matters worse for both of us.

There was no hesitation when I pulled the doors open. The bouncer at the door didn't stop me, as he once had, to ensure that I wasn't carrying any kind of weaponry. I breezed by him, ignoring the girl next to him at the cash register, who stared after me with shock when I didn't pay the cover.

The lobby was in a quiet little hall, separated from the main club area by a set of double doors. Once I yanked those doors open, the loud music and myriad of scents hit me. I paused, momentarily hesitant. I drew a substantial amount of attention right away, most of it from the vampires that mingled amongst the human patrons, seeking their next willing victim.

Lucky me, most of them knew who I was and didn't bother to approach or harass me.

The one vampire that did have the balls to wave hello from his place buttering up a blonde across the room was Shawn. He'd helped me out once when I was here looking for Kale, and because of that, he was on a safe list that many others would never be on. He was under my protection, and therefore Arys'. I knew I could count on him to come through for me in the future if it was needed, which could be soon at the rate I was going.