The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(47)

After much contemplation, I pulled away from Arys and turned to go. He walked me to the door; my body reacted to his as he shadowed my movements. Just being in the same room as the smoldering hot vampire stoked the fire inside me. It also caused my power to rise to a dangerously uncontrollable level, especially when the blood lust was strong.

“See you in a bit.” I fought back an unexpected wave of nausea and kissed him quickly on the cheek. I hurried down the front step to my car, eager to get away from him so that I could think. It wouldn’t make the blood hunger stop, but his presence was feeding it.

I started my car and pulled away from the curb. It was still early. I planned to go back home before heading to the Lounge. Kylarai had been home before Shaz and I had left the house. I’d had time to fill her in on my visit from Harley while she ran around getting ready for another date with Julian. Was I a bad friend for wanting that whole, sordid relationship to dissolve? She was my best friend, and I adored her. I wanted better for her.

I was singing along to an Ill Scarlett song as I crossed town to my neighborhood.

Passing one of my neighbors, I raised a hand in greeting. When I turned the corner on to my street, my expression froze on my face. A black SUV that I recognized as Julian’s was parked in front of my house. Why did I get the feeling that this was just the beginning of a bad night?

Chapter Ten

I made a face of disgust to nobody at all as I turned the doorknob, letting myself into the house. Kylarai’s laughter rang out, tinkling like wind chimes, and Julian’s low murmur came in response. I let the door slam shut behind me, a little harder than necessary, but I wanted to make my presence obvious right off the bat.

I was hoping that I could bypass the living room where they sat and escape down the hall to either the kitchen or my room. The square layout of our house had the hallway running past every room as it continued around the house. It wouldn’t be all that hard to sneak past the entry to the living room, would it? Hopefully, Ky would know better than to stop me.

Unfortunately for me, the voice that called to me as I hurried past the living room entry was not Kylarai’s. I cringed when Julian’s low, husky tone caught my attention. His hurried, loud whisper of, “Alexa!” had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I shuddered and turned towards the living room, unable to resist as Arys’ blood lust rode me.

I appeared in the doorway suddenly. Kylarai actually jumped, which I found both odd and surprising. Crossing my arms over my chest, I mustered my best bored expression and said, “What do you want?”

Julian held up both hands in a mocking show of surrender. The smile that played along his lips was more than a little malicious. I stared at him and instantly saw him as prey to be hunted and bled. I think I may have licked my lips as the sound of his steady heartbeat alone suddenly outweighed any other sound in the room.

My eyes went to Kylarai. She was curled up against the corner of the sofa, sipping from a steaming mug. He sat next to her, an arm slung loosely about her shoulders.

Though he attempted casual, there was no missing the way he looked me over. I’d caught him doing just the same thing at Raoul’s once. That time it had appeared sexual, this time it was the sign of a wannabe Alpha wolf sizing up the competition. I smirked openly at him.

“I’m not here to get into it with you, Alexa. I just want to spend some time with my girl here.” Julian nodded at Kylarai, and I had to fight down the bile that threatened to rise up in my throat.

“Then why did you call my name when I tried to successfully ignore your wretched presence?” I felt Kylarai cringe more so than I saw it since I was staring down the pathetic excuse for a werewolf beside her.

“Alexa,” she piped up, her voice gentle as she tried to draw my attention to her. “I didn’t know you would be back tonight. Is something up?”

I studied her for a moment before replying. She wore a long, black robe and had her long bob pulled back into a ponytail. Her grey eyes were filled with anxiety. I hated that she was caught in the middle of all of this.

“No, not at all.” Though I looked at Ky, my senses honed in on Julian, sharper than before. “I just had some time to kill before I head to Lucy’s. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Her ponytail bounced as she gave her head a vigorous shake. “No worries. It’s your house, too. We’re just watching some silly ass Freddy Krueger movie on the Scream channel. Want to join us?”

Julian seemed to await my response as if he thought I might really say yes. I couldn’t resist the urge to look at him, his scent tantalizing my blood hunger as I did so. It seemed to grow stronger when our eyes met. The spice and pine of Were blood assaulted my senses, and the wave of demanding bloodlust rocked me. It was all I could do not to cross the room dividing us and bleed him.

“No,” I replied, a slight shake to my voice. I swallowed hard; confused at the way I was reacting to Julian. “I won’t be here long. You won’t even notice me.”

I turned to leave the room before the growing, sickening hunger could affect my choices. Julian cleared his throat, and I knew he was going to speak before he did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten. I was not going to murder him in my own house.

“I just want to say something quickly, Alexa.” When I turned back to face him, he wore a serious expression. “The whole thing with Shaz … no hard feelings, ok?”