September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(34)

Time was running out. My death was fast approaching. I couldn’t waste precious minutes arguing with him. “I know you want to find a way to stop Shya, but no matter what happens with him, I am still facing death. Gabriel saw it. Again, tonight. So instead of finding a way to avoid it, you need to find a way to accept it. I have.”

My proclamation hung in the kitchen, an open challenge issued to my other half. Arys’s struggle was understandable. For over a hundred years, he’d known I would die at his hand. Though he tried to downplay it, I knew he craved my death as much as he feared it. If the tables were turned, I’d be losing my mind.

I dropped the knife on the counter and went to him. He was tense when I pressed in close, slipping my arms around his neck. “Please, don’t fight what’s meant to happen.”

“Is it though?” he questioned. “How can your death be something I simply accept as what is meant to be? I just can’t wrap my mind around it being a good thing.”

“You don’t have to. I don’t get it either. But I’m starting to figure out that the more I question things, the more questions it creates. The answers reveal themselves in time.” I kissed him, a soft press of my lips to his. The power humming within him teased my senses.

Jenner snorted. “Well, isn’t that downright disgustingly poetic?”

I pulled away from Arys, anger driving me. I grabbed Jenner’s hand and forced my fingers between his. My power might have been weakened, but it wasn’t dead inside me. It took very little effort to connect with his energy.

“I have more than enough *s in my life right now, Jenner,” I hissed, jerking hard on his aura. “If I have an opening in the future for another, you’ll be the first to know. Until then, keep your snarky comments to yourself, or I’ll be forced to do bad things to you. Got it?”

He gave a vigorous nod and tried to pull away. I held tight, willing to break his fingers if I had to. Finding his heady energy to be just what I needed, I drew it into me, sighing as it filled the depleted source inside me.

A strangled groan escaped Jenner. He stopped resisting and actually leaned into me. A cool breeze picked up, cloaking us in a blanket of power.

Jenner tugged on my hand in an attempt to bring my wrist to his mouth. With fangs bared, he went for the throbbing pulse. I hit him with a slap of power before he could pierce my flesh. It knocked him off the island stool, and both he and the stool hit the floor with a clatter.

I wasn’t done with him yet though. Running on instinct, I stood over him, preventing him from getting up. “Now,” I said, crouching down to meet his pale-blue gaze. “Why are you really here?”

Jenner blinked at me in confusion, then he spoke as if in a trance. “To help Arys. He’s my brother, and I do love him, despite our differences over the years.”

“You do realize he’s the one who insisted I enthrall you, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then stop acting like you have some vendetta to settle with me. You got off easy compared to some people.”

Staring into Jenner’s wide eyes, I felt empowered. Glamouring him hadn’t been my intent, but it was a nice side effect. As long as he was talking, I needed to make the most of it.

“Has Sloane come back yet?” I continued, pushing for whatever I could get from Jenner. “Do you know where she is?”

“No,” he said almost robotically. “She’s kept on the move because Arys has been around.”

“If she comes back, I want you to kill her.”

“Alexa, that’s enough.” Arys moved so fast his stool bounced from leg to leg but didn’t fall. He caught my arm and dragged me away from Jenner. “You can manipulate him because he’s yours. You have no right to abuse that.”

With both hands I gave Arys a shove. Rage exploded forth without the warning of a slow boil. “Don’t you dare talk to me about abusing power,” I shouted, my voice echoing in the otherwise quiet house. “You’re the most manipulative vampire I’ve ever known. You don’t get to make the rules and break them. It’s one or the other.”

Arys threw both hands up and backed away. “Calm down, Alexa. It’s late. You’re tired. We need to be united right now, not divided in conflict.”

“Why not? It’s the story of our entire destiny, isn’t it? The light and the dark, unable to exist without the other and yet doomed to eternal conflict and destruction. It’s got to make it easier for you to finally kill me.”

Arys clenched his jaw and swore. He continued to back away into the living room, as if afraid he would lose control.

I was as stressed out as he was. It was going to devour us. The best thing for me to do was leave. We both needed to calm down before things escalated. I removed the belt holding the dagger around my waist and tossed the Dragon Claw onto the couch. Then I headed for the sliding glass patio door before Arys could stop me.

“Don’t go,” he said, watching me with a pained expression. “Please.”

The wolf surged forward, beating back the essence of vampire clouding my thoughts and emotions. The beast demanded to be freed, and I longed to answer.

The sun had risen high enough to trap the vampires in the house. Only Shaz could come after me.

“Don’t follow me,” I pleaded, begging Shaz to heed my request. “I need to run. Alone.”