The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(74)

One step closer, and then Harley stopped. The hunger in his eyes was hypnotizing.

“He loves you, and you are bound to him. It now has everything to do with you. You make him more than a vampire. More than I am.”

I watched Harley take yet another step toward me. He was backing me into the corner between the couch and the bed. As if I were prey. I planted my feet, refusing to move another step.

“Are you going to hurt me then? Is that your big revenge?” Damn my big mouth and quick tongue. Why did I not know when to shut up? I felt the blood drain from my face as instinct told me to brace.

With a ferocious, animal-like sound, he lunged at me. I reacted by blasting him with power that burned my hands with its intensity. He barely raised a hand to deflect it before taking me down so that I hit the floor hard. He was on top of me, trapping me with his weight.

“Can you imagine dying in my arms as I drink your life away?” Harley pinned me effectively and glared down into my face. It was impossible to shield his energy, to prevent it from mingling with mine. A sexual glow enveloped me, and I wanted him to keep talking.

“It would be too easy,” he purred in my ear. I bit my lip to keep quiet as I shook my head furiously from side to side. “Why don’t you give me a challenge, Alexa? Show me what it is that you have with my vampire.”

His reference to Arys was enough to break the spell, and I focused on driving power into him as hard as I could. The force sent him reeling twenty feet or more until his back slammed against the wall near the door. I was on my feet in one leap, following the burst of power with another. As soon as his touch fell away, so did the desire.

His laughter was richly melodic as he regained his composure. My attack hurt him; I could sense it. However, it seemed to drive him at the same time.

I yelped when his power hit me before he did. I was ready for the physical impact, but the metaphysical caught me in a moment of poor preparation.

Harley’s icy hand closed around my throat, and he slapped me hard with the other one. The side of my face stung, and I tasted blood. His eyes were completely insane, like he’d slipped into another state of mind.

“That’s right, wolf. You can’t hurt me. You have power, alright, but I have experience. Something that you are obviously lacking. Anything you throw at me, I can easily use to my own advantage.”

I fought hard, slashing out with a clawed hand. He easily met each of my efforts with one to outdo it. His grip on my throat allowed me to breathe but held me immobile. Panic caused my heart to beat so hard I thought it would burst. My instincts had me fighting for my life, but my every struggle was feeding his fire. Even though I knew this, I couldn’t stop.

“Oh, I can certainly see what made you so appealing to Arys. There is just so much fight in you. Irresistible.” Hooking a foot behind my ankle, he tripped me so that I fell heavily against him. Harley’s arm went around my waist and releasing my throat, he tilted my head to bare my wounded neck.

He leaned down to taste my bitten neck again, and I gagged when the unwanted desire came back with a greater impact. I wanted him so bad physically, but mentally, I knew it was all false.

I moaned in both pain and pleasure when his tongue probed the edges of the wound.

I was desperate to make it stop. Right then, I would have rather been dead than loving Harley’s unbidden touch. My power ached to taste his, to draw it into me.

I couldn’t resist as I opened myself up to him metaphysically, drawing in what he was giving off. It was sweet like butterscotch and seemed to coat my insides in warmth. It felt amazing, like a spiritual experience made flesh. And, I hated that I loved it so much.

“Do you feel betrayed by your body, wolf? Does it sicken you that I can command you despite the fact that you are more powerful than I am?”

Through my desire-induced haze, I fought to make sense of what he’d just said. How in the hell could I possibly be more powerful?

I knew that my reaction to him was driving him further into insanity. However, I could not alter the beat of my heart or prevent the flood of fear that claimed me. I was running a series of options though my mind. If worse came to worse, I’d fight as dirty as it gets. And, he’d be sorry he tried this.

My entire body was buzzing with an electrical charge. I was ready for anything. The crazed vampire pulled back, looking down at me with surprise. “My God,” he breathed.

“Your eyes … they’re his.”

I didn’t count on the extreme enjoyment that was written all over his face. I was learning very quickly that Harley was the type of guy that would laugh all the way to hell.

“I love it!” He exclaimed enthusiastically. “I never would have dreamed this to be possible. Nothing living should have the kind of power that you have.”

His comment was not so different from what I’d already been told by Arys. The evil shining like a dark light in his eyes made my stomach hurt. Even if I managed to hurt him, it would likely have the opposite effect and would only serve to empower him.

“So I’ve been told. And though I may not know as much as you do, I am always willing to learn through action.” My fingertips sparkled with deep blue energy laced in gold. I knew when I slipped into a different mindset that Arys’ influence was strong in me.

I smiled ruthlessly, waiting for Harley to decide how this was going to play out.

Feeling trapped, the wolf in me was fiercely aggravated at his attempt to dominate me.