The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(26)

Her face lit up then, and she beamed a grin at me. “I know. I love you for worrying about me. You’re like the younger sister I never had.”

“And you’re like the tough-ass older sister I always needed to throw my boyfriends around.” I had to laugh when I pictured her stepping in between Arys and Shaz the other night. I wish I could have appreciated their surprise at the time.

“We have to stop them from fighting, Alexa,” she said suddenly, and I paused, my coffee partially raised to my lips. “Julian and Shaz, we can’t let them do this.”

“I know.” I nodded and thought back to Shaz’ fierce intensity when he spoke of beating Julian’s ass. “It’s going to be f**king ugly. Shaz refused to listen to me last night.

He insisted it’s something he has to do as my mate.”

Kylarai looked worried; her food, once again abandoned. “And, I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I’m sorry … Julian isn’t the easiest person to understand, but he is a good guy underneath it all.”

“Well … I hope you can talk some sense into him; otherwise, we’re going to have one hell of a furry mess to clean up.”

“I’ll do my best.” She searched my eyes then, a shadow of doubt passing in her stormy gaze. “But, if they won’t listen to reason, if they still fight, we can’t let it go too far. We have to be ready to split them up.”

I was pretty sure I knew what she was saying. “Don’t worry, Ky. I’ll be more than happy to blast them both on their asses.”

“I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

It never ceased to amaze me how she had such a sweet, gentle nature that could unleash into a frenzy of murderous rage at a moment’s notice. I was counting on her to use that to our advantage if necessary when those boys went head-to-head. And, I could feel it in every part of me that without a doubt, they would.

I moved about the kitchen, tidying up the counter and starting the dishes. I was looking forward to a quiet night alone. Shaz was bartending tonight and judging by Kylarai’s perfectly done makeup and hair, she had plans.

After Ky disappeared to her bedroom, re-emerging in a stylish black cocktail dress, I considered getting dressed. With a questioning brow raised, I asked, “What are you all dressed up for? You look gorgeous, by the way.”

“Thank you. Julian and I are going to dinner.” She had the decency to blush and look guilty when she said it. “I won’t be home until morning. Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Nope. Shaz is working, and Arys is, well, being Arys most likely. I’m going to lie around, watch movies and be thankful that I haven’t had to hunt down any vampires all week.”

The vampire activity had been reasonably quiet in the city recently. Of course, that could just be the calm before the storm. In all honesty, I love what I do. Hunting rogue supernaturals was necessary. Somebody had to do it if we all wanted to keep our secrets.

I had a hunger for the hunt and kill that made me a natural for the job. Having partners, like my friends Kale and Jez, alongside me made it a lot more fun than when I worked alone.

“You haven’t done that in a long time. I’m sure you need it.” I watched as Ky gathered her things together to leave. She leaned in to give me a quick embrace before turning to go. “Enjoy the quiet time. It’s good for the soul.”

After she left, I stood in the quiet kitchen, listening to the sounds of the clock ticking and the fridge running. Slipping through the glass sliding doors to the backyard, I was pleasantly surprised to find the night wind to be particularly warm for October. A run would be really nice right now. Just thinking about it brought an itch to my limbs and muscles as the need to stretch out and become wolf grew quickly.

Running alone isn’t something I do often. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I didn’t have Kylarai or Shaz with me. It was kind of a group activity. So imagine my surprise when the first time I do head out alone in a long while, I run in to Zoey Roberts. I hadn't laid eyes upon her since the night she murdered Raoul. Though, that's not to say that she hadn't occupied my thoughts since then.

I was trotting along, minding my own business as I savored the crisp freshness of the night breeze. I rounded a bend in the trees that led to the small forest clearing where several of us meet to run on the full moon. The black wolf caught my eye immediately, my mind conjuring a memory of Raoul. She just looked so much like him. My heart leaped, and for just a moment, I thought it was him.

Then her scent reached me, and the instinctual need to kill was back. Despite everything, I had to lay the blame somewhere, and though Raoul was dead, his vindictive offspring wasn’t. A snarl erupted from me, unbidden and unexpected, yet welcome. What was she doing, so close to my house? This was my turf, not hers.

We stared at one another across the distance that separated us. She looked a lot better than she had the last time I’d seen her. How she’d managed to escape death was beyond me. Her once blood-matted fur was now long and silky, the color of sin. The one feature that set her apart from Raoul was the eyes. She had cerulean blues rather than ebony orbs.

I was glad that the similarities only went so far.

I waited, not blinking an eye, but she never came any closer. The seconds ticked by increasingly long. How I kept my feet planted is a mystery to me. Maybe it had something to do with the sudden memory of the challenge in Raoul's eyes as he lay dying, allowing Zoe to kill him. He had been willing to do anything to give her the vengeance she felt entitled to, regardless of my feelings, my need for vengeance.