September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(37)

His actions grew frenzied. The pace of his thrusts quickened. He exuded anguish, which mingled with his total adoration to create a dizzying blend of emotion. Arys was at war with himself.

The vampires in my life were very intent in their insistence that they couldn’t be trusted. The shitty part was that they were right. Vampires in general were unpredictable and dangerous. It didn’t change the way I felt though.

“I am yours. Claim me.”

The fight went out of him, and he gave in to the unholy need to spill my blood. His fangs pierced my flesh with vicious aggression, forcing a small cry from me. Arys caught the crimson flow on his tongue. I fell headlong into the dizzying wave of power that crashed through us.

Being there with him feasting upon my body, I couldn’t shake the tiny voice warning me that he could not be trusted. It felt both right and wrong. We were made to exist together in a state of perpetual give and take. But when would that all come crashing to a halt?

Arys licked and sucked at my punctured vein. A low, sexy groan in my ear sent a tickle down my back, and I laughed softly. He raised his head to look at me with my blood smeared on his lips and fire in his eyes.

He searched my eyes, seeking something, condemnation perhaps. “Will you promise me one thing? After it’s all said and done, when you’re vampire, promise you’ll forgive me.”

“Arys,” I said, touching his face. “That’s not necessary.”

“I’m serious. I need you to do this for me. Just say the words. Even if you don’t mean them.”

There was a hardness in his gaze that struck a nerve within me. He was projecting a tough shell, trying to keep me from seeing how vulnerable this was making him. He could hide his true emotion from anyone else but never from me. I felt his fear as if it were my own.

I nodded and pressed my lips to his. “Ok. I promise. And I mean that.”

Satisfied with my answer, Arys rolled over to lie beside me, burying his face in the nook of my neck so he could catch the last few drops to slip from the wounds. His arm was tight across my middle.

I cuddled in close, stroking a hand through his disheveled hair. There was so much he wasn’t saying, but he didn’t have to. I recognized his worry, his trepidation at what was to come.

His worry was mine too.

Chapter Ten

“Don’t let her out of your sight tonight, please,” I pleaded with Kale, glad we were on the phone so I didn’t have to look into those beautiful eyes. “I know she says she’s fine, but she isn’t.”

Kale sighed, a heavy dramatic sound just for my benefit. “Fine. But she’s going to be pissed.”

“I would take over for you, but I’m going with Willow to look for the scroll. Or maybe we’re just going on a wild goose chase. Hell if I know.” I clutched the phone tight so I could hear Kale over the noisy din of The Wicked Kiss.

I sat at the bar alone waiting for Willow and sneaking glances toward the back hall where I waited for Arys and Jenner to emerge. Grudgingly I’d agreed to allow Jenner to feed from the willing victims at the club. I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t very well have him killing in my city. The FPA didn’t need more shit to pin on me.

Shaz had got an early start on searching for the scroll, insisting that he’d be able to cover more ground alone. His argument had been that he wouldn’t be as closely monitored by the demons as Arys and I. I had agreed though I suspected that avoiding vampires and The Wicked Kiss had been his true intent.

“We should join you,” Kale volunteered. “It’ll give Jez a reason to go out. She’s been lying on the couch staring at the television since we got to her place.”

“You don’t have to do that. Take her to a movie or something. And make her eat something healthy.” It was a poor attempt at keeping them busy, but I didn’t want to risk either of them over this.

“Why don’t I let her decide?” There was a pause as Kale relayed my plans to Jez. I could hear her voice muffled in the background. Then Kale spoke again. “She wants to help you. Where should we start?”

I eyed the liquor bottles stacked behind the bar and licked my lips. Not tonight. I needed to be alert and fully functional.

“We’re all splitting up. Why don’t you two take the south side since you’re there already? Check in with me in a couple of hours, unless you find something. Not that we even really know what the hell we’re looking for.” Frustrated, I twisted a lock of hair around a finger, shooting glances toward the back. What was taking them so long back there? And did they really need to go together?

“I had my suspicions about this too,” Kale said, sounding so much like the calm, cool Kale I used to know. It was uncanny. It was also an illusion. “Still, Shya didn’t start to really look for this thing until Lilah was bound and almost out of the picture. It’s got to be worth finding.”

“Yeah, I know. I just think there’s got to be a better way. Someone has to know something.”

“Well yeah, Lilah did. And now she’s gone.” Kale turned away to speak to Jez who was whining about needing a drink. “I have to go wrestle a wine bottle away from this wild cat. Talk to you in a bit.”

An icy cold sensation stabbed through me, sharp and sudden, giving way to the familiar pang of bloodlust. The rise of vampire hunger hit me fast and hard, without warning. “Right. Talk to you later.” I ended the call before Kale could detect the breathlessness in my voice. It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.