The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(80)

The chill that ran through me at Harley’s calmly spoken words almost hurt. I didn’t like being spoken of like a possession. An object. A power source.

“You never learn, do you my friend?” Arys’ reaction was nothing like Shaz’. He merely regarded Harley with a look filled with scorn and pity. “I’m sorry it always has to be this way.”

He wanted to say something else; I could feel it. With a glance at Shaz and me in the doorway, he shrugged his wide shoulders and turned his back on the vampire that made him.

Chapter Eighteen

The sound of water running upstairs was the only noise in the large house. Shaz had gone to clean up, leaving me alone with Arys. We sat on the bed in the guest room downstairs. After calling Kylarai and Jez to tell them I was alive and at Raoul’s with the guys, I had gratefully kicked off my painful boots.

Worry nagged at the forefront of my mind. The entire trip home, I had been plagued with anxiety and questions. So many questions. What was I supposed to do now? I was a vulnerable, tasty power source with no true protection from a vampire powerful enough to force me into submission. Harley was that powerful. And, how many others?

If he didn't come for me again, which I knew he would, then who would be next? A chill shot down my spine, painful in its intensity. I had to make a choice. One that would enable me the protection that I currently lacked. It was just so huge. It was my whole life.

I didn't know what to do. I'd never felt so lost.

I didn’t have any clothes at Raoul’s so I had been forced to settle for one of his robes. Arys had fetched it from the bedroom closet. I still wasn’t comfortable going into his bedroom. The robe smelled faintly of Raoul, but it was soft and cozy so I snuggled into it anyway. After leaving The Wicked Kiss, I had just wanted to be here, in this house. It felt right.

Arys sat close but not quite close enough to touch. He was kicking himself, guilt riding him hard as he blamed himself for what Harley had done tonight. Try as I might, I could do nothing to console him.

“I wish you would stop being so hard on yourself,” I said, reaching to touch a bruise near his eye. “None of this is your fault.”

He gave me a studious look, long and hard. “And, I wish that you would start being a little harder on me. When did you get so soft, Alexa? You’re usually such a hard ass.”

I frowned and pursed my lips. “Thanks, I think. But, I’m serious.”

“Yeah, so am I. He hurt you and your wolf. Because of me.”

A sound in the hallway caught our attention as Shaz rounded the corner. He paused in the entry, an anxious look on his beautiful face. I hadn’t noticed the water in the shower had turned off.

He was clad in only a pair of grey track pants from a stash in Raoul’s bottom dresser drawer. His skin was exceptionally white, making the vampire bite stand out starkly red in contrast along with the facial cuts and bruises from fighting. The mess of white hair on his head stood up in every direction. I found it as endearing as it was sexy.

I held a hand out to him, beckoning him to come to me. After a fleeting look at each of us, he slowly made his way across the room. Going down on his knees before us, he threw his arms around my waist and put his head in my lap.

A glance at Arys revealed a mask of guilt where his enticing grin should have been.

His eyes were fixated on Shaz, and for once, there was no animosity behind them. Call me crazy, but I got the strangest feeling then that the vampire had the urge to touch the head of soft platinum hair resting on my thighs.

The moment should have been awkward, and I kept expecting it to be. Yet, it wasn’t.

It felt strangely peaceful despite the fact that we all seemed to be waiting for the weirdness.

I stroked the side of Shaz’ face as I scrutinized the cuts and bruises from his round with Harley. It could have been much worse, but he still looked pretty damn rough. Arys sat tensely beside me. Arys broke the silence first.

“I should have let you kill him, Alexa.” Regret, so much regret, filled Arys, and there was nothing I could do to ease that ache.

“No, you shouldn’t have. You have your reasons, and you don’t owe me any explanations.”

“He’s right, Lex,” Shaz’ voice was so low it was almost inaudible. “He shouldn’t have stopped you.”

I opened my mouth to protest but was interrupted by Arys’ velvet smooth chuckle.

“This is one time I agree with you whole heartedly, wolf. Let’s make a note of it. It may be the only time.”

To my surprise, Shaz laughed lightly, and there was a strange sense of camaraderie between them. I was reminded that they’d obviously had their time alone together lately while saving my ass … twice.

Arys shifted closer on the bed so that he could slip an arm around me. The touch of both my wolf and my vampire brought forth a flurry of memories as I flashed back to the sensation of both of their hands on me in the same moment. I flushed with heat and prayed neither of them would notice.

“I’m sorry,” Arys said before daring to briefly lay his free hand on Shaz’ bare shoulder. “I know it’s my fault for what he did to each of you. There is no excuse for what happened tonight.”

At first, Shaz was silent, and I assumed he was trying to keep quiet because he had nothing nice to say to that. I leaned into Arys, resting my head against his.

“Nobody is blaming you for Harley’s actions, Arys. He is his own person. Albeit, a disgusting and pathetic excuse for one.”