Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(7)

“How can I talk when you're doing that?” I asked. When his fangs scraped along my sensitive flesh, the resulting quiver of heat throughout my body swept the concerns from my mind. It wasn't hard to forget my own name when Arys had his hands on me.

“Ok, let's talk after.” Capturing my lips with his, he thrust his tongue into my mouth.

The moist heat and the slightly bloody taste of him got my beast pacing impatiently inside me. I was on fire with the overwhelming power I'd called during my hunt earlier.

The need to expend it was strong, unbearably so.

If I waited to bring up my worries, it would be even worse. This wasn't going to be pretty, but it had to be done. I needed to be able to live with myself and the power at my disposal. It was nothing but agony, almost a physical pain, but I broke off the mind-blowing kiss and pulled back.

“Wait. Arys, I do need to talk to you. Something has been bothering me. I should just spit it out now.” I searched his ocean eyes, finding a flicker of awareness within their depths. He knew what was coming. I cringed inwardly.

He nodded, taking a step back but refusing to release me entirely. “This is more power talk, isn't it? The never ending search for answers.”

“What search?” I asked, a frown creasing my brow. “I haven't gotten any answers at all. I'd hardly call that a search.”

Arys gazed down at me, and my heart fluttered. He said nothing, waiting with a virtuous patience that I didn't possess. My skin tingled as his hands slid down my arms until our fingers were entwined. I expected him to argue right away or tell me I was being ridiculous. It unnerved me when he continued to watch me silently.

“I feel like I am barely in control of myself anymore,” I went on, hoping to sound casual when, to me, I just sounded scared. “I try to pull off something small, and it booms bigger than intended. Or, I go for the big bang, and it falls flat when I'm relying on it to be my defense. It's bullshit, Arys. Everything I hold inside me seeks to be the one in charge. If I don't do something about that, it's going to take over everything that I am.”

I realized how tightly I was squeezing his hands, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes never left my face. “You know I don't want this to be so painful for you.” He reached to brush my hair back before tracing the outline of my bottom lip. “I agree. There has to be a solution. Having this kind of power isn't natural for a mortal. But, it has lived in you for some time now, and I believe that you are more than capable of handling it.”

“That's just it, Arys. I don't know how to handle it. Obviously, you can only show me so much. It isn't the same for both of us.”

“Well,” he eyed me skeptically. “When you find that magical, all-knowing person you seem to think is out there, be sure to ask them if they know much about vampires that have a wolf trying to shred its way from their body every full moon.”

I pulled away from him completely, crossing my arms over my chest. Flashing him a look of irritation, I turned my back on him and paced the length of the room. “I know this goes both ways, but it’s funny how you always say shit like that, as if it's something you can pin on me. Let's not go back to the finger pointing. That could get ugly.”

I didn't have to look at him to know his temper was starting to simmer. I was easily the far shorter tempered of the two of us, but his energy prickled with a heat that could only be anger.

“I'm not blaming you for anything, Alexa. I think you want me to, though, because it gives you an excuse to be pissy and defensive. I'm just reminding you that you're not the only one that suffers.”

A frustrated growl rumbled low in my throat. Doubtless, he heard it from where he stood on the other side of the kitchen. “I know you suffer, too. Give me some credit for not being completely heartless. But, you have control over your power and abilities when faced with a dangerous situation. I don't, and it scares the hell out of me. I am not ready to die.”

“Die?” His tone dropped. Low, smooth as silk on bare skin, his voice seemed to stroke me somewhere deep down. “Your death is nothing more than a hindrance, an inevitable burden to be cast off when the time comes. If I didn't know better, I would say that you are regretting your hasty decision to bind yourself to me. Forever isn't looking so good now, is it?”

My temper flared, and I whirled to face him. “What's with the cheap shot? That's not fair.” It wasn't. Did I second-guess the choice I had made to form a blood bond with Arys? Of course, it was only natural. But, did I regret it? Never.

I stared at him, fighting to keep the emotion from my face. Running a hand through his perfectly messy hair, he didn't meet my eyes but instead glanced at the floor. “I'm an ass**le. That never should have come out like that. I'm sorry.”

For a moment, I wasn't sure what to say, but as long as he was feeling apologetic, I might as well throw it all out there. “Harley said that I was more powerful than he is. Yet, when things got crazy, I had nothing. He was still able to manipulate me because he knew my power better than I did. And, we both know how close that came to ending very badly.”

I sucked in my breath with a small gasp when the energy surrounding us grew sharp, almost painful as it reacted to Arys' emotions. His head snapped up, and the look he gave me was chilling. Aw, f**k.

“What are you saying, Alexa?” One foot in front of the other, he slowly advanced on me. I had the urge to take a step back. “Please, do not tell me you're getting at what I think you're getting at.”