The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(12)

“I can just imagine,” he muttered but said nothing further. Leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, he waited for me to open the door.

I swallowed hard as butterflies set to flight within me, their wings beating hard against my ribcage. I don’t like my two lovers being in the same room for any great length of time. In fact, I go out of my way to ensure it rarely happens.

The moment I turned the door handle, a delicious tingle coursed through me. I felt guilty when my heart raced in anticipation, knowing who was on the other side.

Arys stood on the front step looking irate and out of place with Kylarai’s decorative flower arrangements. His jet-black hair was a stylish mess, as usual, and the angry look he wore only served to enhance his sex appeal. A black t-shirt and blue jeans may have looked casual on anybody else, but it hugged him like a drool-worthy second skin. He gnawed lightly on the metal ring that glinted off to the side of his lower lip, one of a handful of piercings he had.

“Alexa.” He strode inside so fast I had to step out of his way to avoid getting run down. “What were you doing at The Wicked Kiss?”

The vampire didn’t even glance at Shaz. His midnight blue eyes bore into me, making me uncomfortable. With the barest twitch of his fingers, the door swung shut behind him.

“What do you mean? I was there to see Kale.” As my defenses kicked in I added,

“What’s it to you, anyway?”

The look he shot me was incredulous, and he flashed fangs to emphasize it. There was less than two feet of space between us. I resisted the urge to take a step back.

“What’s it to me? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You should have told me that you wanted to go in there.” It was then that he caught sight and scent of my injury.

Capturing my arm in his tight grasp, he brought it closer for inspection. “Kale did this.

Why?”

For the second time I retold the events of my evening. When I finished, Arys dropped my wrist and swept past me into the living room. He had to pass Shaz in the process, giving him the slightest of nods.

“Why did you let her go there alone?” Arys suddenly rounded on the fair-haired wolf with a blazing heat in the depths of his hypnotic stare. “Have neither of you the slightest inclination as to how dangerous, not to mention stupid, that was?”

My skin began to prickle in response to him. Though I was quickly losing my temper, a part of me enjoyed it.

Shaz merely cast Arys a look of utter disdain. “Oh, please. That’s like asking why the sky is blue. It just is. And, so is Alexa. I’m not her keeper, and neither are you.”

“No,” Arys retorted. “Just the one that feeds her fire and makes her a desirable target. As the one who claims to love her, you do a poor job making it apparent.”

“Hey!” I tried to step between them, but Shaz came away from the doorframe fast, angrily stepping up to glare into the vampire’s face.

“I’m not the one endangering her here, pal; you are.” They both ignored my attempt to get their attention as they stared into each other with a fury I could taste like bitterness on the back of my tongue. Shaz’ voice took on an edge I rarely heard from him. “Don’t ever speak to me about love. You don’t have a clue what it is if it doesn’t come with sex and blood. All you are to Alexa is a parasite. A f**king parasite that has done her more harm than good. Never speak to me again about love or protection. You’re clearly out of your area of expertise.”

The tension in the room was thick enough to suffocate. I realized that this situation was quickly spiraling out of control. It was only a matter of time until these two tore each other apart. I was hoping it wouldn’t be here and now.

“Excuse me.” I had to raise my voice to get their attention, but neither risked taking their eyes off the other. “I am not someone who appreciates being treated like an object.

This is going to stop, or I’m through dealing with either of you.”

It wasn’t a big threat, but one that had me shaking as it spilled from my lips. Unable to think clearly, I stormed from the room through the adjoining entry to the kitchen. My intent was to leave the house through the sliding glass doors into the backyard. From there, I just wanted to drop to all fours and run like the wind.

Before I could clear the kitchen, a cool hand gripped my elbow and whirled me around. Arys’ intoxicating scent of cologne and hair products hit me, and my stomach muscles clenched in response. As mad as I was at him, the power that we shared had a mind of its own when we were together.

“Don’t you see how worried you had me? There are so many vampires in that place that would never pass up a chance to hurt me by hurting you.” His voice had softened, but the storm in his eyes didn’t cease.

“I know that. I figured it out within minutes of my arrival. Although, if you’d bothered to mention it to me before, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.” I pulled my arm from his grasp but didn’t turn away. “So don’t come in here and talk to me like I’m a child to be coddled. And, you do not get off talking to Shaz like he’s a footstool.

Got it?”

Arys clenched his jaw; his hands tightened into fists. “You are so frustrating, wolf.

Have it your way … as usual.”

That last little shot really picked at me, but I’d save the response I had for a time when it was just the two of us. His comment wasn’t missed by Shaz, though, who frowned from where he stood.