by Adria Wade
I shrugged. “I’m only trying to understand you better.” He sighed and shook his head. “Well, mystery man, are you going to tell me or what?”
His lips curved into a smile. “Mystery man, huh? I kind of like that. To answer your question, I feed off sex. That’s what keeps me alive and strong.”
“And that doesn’t affect the person whatsoever?”
“No; it’s the energy from the sex I feed off. It’s not like I’m sucking their soul into me.” His brows furrowed as he shook his head, as if that thought was ridiculous.
I tried to read his face, searching for any signs of deceit, but there was none and I had no reason to not trust in his word. I shrugged it off.
“Now answer my question. Where did you go?”
“My father sent me away to boarding school.”
“Were you a naughty girl?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
He chuckled. “And you talk about me being mysterious. You aren’t very forthcoming when it comes to opening up either.”
“I don’t mean to be this way. My teenage years weren’t exactly the greatest. I would like to forget them if I could.”
“We all have bad memories…so, you’re okay now? Are you calm now that you have a little coffee in you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for saving me…again.”
“I’m sure it won’t be the last. Trouble seems to follow you everywhere.”
“Speaking of trouble, you’re in hot water with me, buddy.”
Taken aback, his mouth fell open. “What? After I just saved you?”
His reaction was priceless and I couldn’t help but to laugh. “You told me that Andie was dead.”
I smirked, and he mirrored my look.
“Just look at it as me doing you a favor. I was, anyway, before you rounded up your hunters and declared war. Now you have a maniac on your ass, out for your blood. You’re a fighter, though.”
“I did horrible. I really thought I was going to die.”
“Not on my watch.”
“About that…are you following me?”
“What? That’s ridiculous. You just continue to shock me.”
I pursed my lips as he looked down, all of a sudden interested in my warm, apple pie sitting in front of me. I smiled as I watched him, aware of the little flutter that grew in my stomach. He was okay.
“Are you going to eat that?”
I picked up my fork, my mouth watering as I took a bite.
“Really, what are the chances of you finding me and seeing that I was being attacked?”
“A good chance if I just so happened to be walking by, which I was. I had my eye on a woman and just so happened to glance in the alley and there you were.”
I felt a twinge of jealousy stir within. He had his eye on someone else. Why did it bother me? It wasn’t like we were dating.
“Okay then, so you’ve had a lot of women?”
With a wary look on his face, he nodded. “I’m not sure where this is going.”
I chuckled. “Nervous?”
“A little, but I have come to realize that you are quite persistent when it comes to getting answers, so go on.”
“Have you ever loved any of them?”
He stared at me as time ticked by, remaining tight-lipped for the longest five seconds it took for him to finally talk. I could have sworn I saw sorrow rush into his eyes, but just as quickly as I saw it, it disappeared. “No; I’ve never loved them.”
“Do you have a number I can call you from?”
He laughed. “I don’t do phones.”
“Who doesn’t do phones?”
“I’m a demon with powers. I don’t exactly need a phone.”
“So, if I wanted to see you or even talk to you then how do I get hold of you?”
“Why, do you want to see me more, Paige? Am I growing on you?”
I smiled then shrugged. “Maybe.”
He smiled. “If you want to see me more, all you have to do is say my name and I’ll hear your call.”
He leaned in, resting his arms on the table as he stared deep into my eyes, his lips twitching into a warm smile.
My brows pinched together and I suddenly felt so uncomfortable and insecure. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You have flecks of gold that surround your irises…it’s beautiful.”
I smiled as my cheeks warmed and a rush of flutters filled my stomach. He was sweet.
“Thank you…most men wouldn’t notice such little details. They usually just say you have nice hazel eyes.”
He shrugged. “I’m not your average guy. I notice everything, especially when it comes to you.” He smirked and sat back in his chair. “I wonder how Eli would feel about our little coffee date.”
My eyes widened at the mention of his name. Eli! I groaned on the inside as a twinge of guilt pinched my heart. How could I flirt with Silas, knowing that I was hooking up with Eli? What made matters worse was that my feelings for Silas were growing as well and I liked having both of them around. I was suddenly confused. How could I possibility have feelings for two men at the same time? This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I have to go.”
He stood the same time I did with a frown on his face. “You’re leaving because I brought up Eli, aren’t you?”
I ignored his question. “Thank you for treating me out.”
As I walked past him, his hand gripped my wrist, spinning me around to face him as my body collided with his. He lifted my chin and his mouth came down on mine. I couldn’t help the flutters that swarmed my insides from the touch of his lips. He slipped his tongue in my mouth, rubbing against my own as the tips of his fingers ran down the back of my neck and back, leaving traces of goosebumps upon my skin. When the kiss was broken, I was left dazed and even more confused than before. It was then that I came to the realization that my heart was out to break me. Left breathless, Silas took in air before releasing me.
“You’re a good kisser.”
So are you.
I forced a smile. “Bye, Silas.”
And so I walked away, leaving him with a smile on his face as he ran his finger over his bottom lip.
Chapter Thirteen
The darkness of the night that fell all around me sent fear swimming through my veins as I watched Byron drive off down the road, leaving me to face the long, dark driveway alone. I folded my arms and walked to Bram manor. My long, quick strides didn’t seem like enough to get me to the safety zone fast enough. My heart pounded and swished through my ears as I looked around, hoping that I wouldn’t see any blue eyes glowing back at me behind the bushes that lined the driveway. I was technically in hunter territory, which meant there were dozens of vampires hunting for their next meal nearby, and one of them could be Andie. With their speed, I knew I would be dead before I could even scream out for help. I had to get inside the manor where I knew, without a doubt, that I would be safe.
I rang the doorbell twice before knocking. I moved from one foot to the other, nervous and anxious to get inside. Hearing a loud crack behind me, I gasped and spun around. It sounded like a branch snapping. Someone could’ve stepped on it. Just as I turned to bang on the door, Taylor answered.
He gasped, shocked from my unexpected presence. “It’s a nightmare!”
The door came swinging closed.
“Hey, let me in!” I pounded on the door.
The door opened once more, and Chelsea answered this time. With a look of concern on her face, she quickly pulled me inside after seeing the panic on my face.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. “It’s scary out there now that Andie is on the loose.”
“Eli isn’t here, you know. He went to visit his parents. He won’t be back until later tonight,” Chelsea said.
“I actually came here because this is the only place I feel safe.”
With a look of concern on his face, he pointed to my skinny jeans, where they were ripped at the k
nees and stained with blood. “What happened to you?”
“I was downtown today to get away from you and Andie attacked me. Obviously, I was able to get away. I wanted to be somewhere where I knew I would be protected.”
Athena, Lucas, and Kyle joined us in the foyer.
With warmth touching his face, Kyle smiled. “Hey, Paige.” His smile slipped once he noticed the blood. “What happened?”
“Andie attacked her,” Chelsea said.
Taylor raked his hand through his hair. “I knew this was going to happen.”
Taylor and Athena shared a look.
“She’s not going to stop,” Athena said.
“When it comes to Andie’s kind, they can become obsessed over the smell of blood from a particular person and when they don’t satisfy that hunger, the urge to have it will always be there. It will grow and grow and will drive them mad until they have the blood they desire. She’s going to keep coming for you until she kills you,” Lucas said.
“Not if I kill her first,” Athena said.
My blood crazed best friend was running wild, waiting for the next opportunity to sink her fangs in me. She would’ve killed me tonight if Silas wasn’t there. She was so close to ending my life. Maybe next time she would succeed. It made me sick to my stomach.
“You’re okay though, right? I mean, mentally… getting attacked can really mess with you,” Athena said.
I nodded. “I think I’ll be okay.”
Taylor folded his arms. “Wait, how did you happen to get away from her? Fighting off a vampire who’s gone off her rocker isn’t so simple.”
“I had help.”
Taylor frowned. “It was the incubus, wasn’t it? Eli told me you were hanging out with him.”
“Why does it matter if I hang out with him? He hasn’t hurt me.”
“Yet. Eli told us what they are capable of,” Chelsea said.
“Plus, I took a few of them on at the club. They are brutal,” Taylor said.
“So are vampires.” I shook my head then went on. “You guys don’t even know him.”
“Paige, I don’t want to know him. Okay, I’m grateful that he was there to save you, but there has to be a reason why he’s doing it. I don’t want you around him, so stay away from him, or else,” Taylor said.
I folded my arms and glared at him. “Or else what?”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I will find a way to kill him.” He shrugged, confidence pouring from him. “I’m not even worried about him, because I know that Eli and I will do everything in our power to keep him from hurting you.”
I sighed. “I’m tired. I want to go to bed.”
Taylor huffed and shook his head. “Fine.”
“So I’m guessing you want to sleep in Eli’s bedroom,” Athena said.
I bit down on my lip as I contemplated whether sleeping in his room was a good idea. I did, but then I didn’t. I still didn’t know what to do about the situation I put myself in, but the more I thought about lying in his bed with his body so close to mine and his arm draped over me, there was nowhere else I would rather be. My longing to be with him ruled out any thoughts of avoiding him.
“You guessed right.”
“I’ll show you to his room then.”
“And I’ll be in the kitchen eating my yummy chocolate chip cookies,” Chelsea said as she rubbed her stomach. “Momma is craving some cookies.”
Taylor grinned. “Not if I get to them first.”
Chelsea gasped and placed her hands on her hips as Taylor took off toward the kitchen, laughing. “Taylor, if you touch my cookies, you’re dead!” She shook her hand and chuckled. “What a big douche he is.”
“You call him a douche a lot,” I said.
“Well, it’s not meant to be taken in a bad way. It’s more of an I really freaking love you even though you act crazy kind of douche.”
Kyle grinned. “It’s code for I love you.”
She smiled at him before making her way to the kitchen.
“Come on, you. Let’s get you settled in,” Athena said.
I followed her to the elevator. She looked down and began to laugh.
“What?” I asked.
“I just remembered the kiss Taylor and I shared. The elevator made me think about it.”
“Wait, you kissed my brother?”
“Well, we kind of had to. When things were a nightmare around here, we had to pose as drunk lovers who only cared about screwing in order to get by Asher Blaine’s guard to save Chelsea and…” She stopped. Her smile faded as a look of sorrow washed away every ounce of joy that she showed. “And Adam.” She sighed then continued. “The memories.”
The elevator dinged to life as it slid open and we stepped inside.
“Why did you have to save Chelsea and Adam?”
She pressed the button for the second floor. “I had an enemy who wanted me dead. She took the people that I loved the most to hurt me. Yeah, I’m very popular in the supernatural world, and I don’t mean that in a good way. They feared me, so that made me their number one target.”
“It’s better to be a huntress who is feared then it is to be a weak human who is unable to protect themselves from them.”
She smiled and nodded. “That’s actually what motivated me to become a huntress. I wanted to be the hero for the people who didn’t stand a chance against them. Sometimes, though, being a target and always having to watch your back, can get tiring. I thought that because I wasn’t a huntress anymore that they would forget over time, but I have come to realize that once a target, always a target.”
We stepped out onto the second floor, and I followed her down the hallway, turning left into a dead end hallway.
“Would you like some clothes, or do you prefer to wear Eli’s?”
I smiled at the thought of his clothes on my body. “I can wear his clothes.”
“Yeah, I figured. I do that with Lucas as well.”
She looked at me with her brows high. “So, you and Eli are a thing now, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess we’re getting there.”
“And you have an incubus as well.”
I knew where she was going with this. I was dragging two guys along.
“Oh, I see. You don’t trust me.”
We stopped at the door at the end of the hall.
“I just want to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt. Given your reputation and all. You’re way different than Eli is. He’s more mature and calm, whereas you still have some growing up to do and you’re a tad bit…unstable at times, so I’ve heard. We worry for him. He’s been out of the dating scene for a while because of his lifestyle. He hated the idea of bringing a love interest into this dangerous world we are a part of…until he met you. Just don’t play with his heart, okay? I’m the one that’s going to have to pick up the pieces.”
She opened the door and walked off.
I sighed as my heart ached. I didn’t want to hurt Eli. The thought of me breaking his heart filled my insides with dread and I was having second thoughts about our date. I turned out liking him way more than I thought I would. He slipped right through my shield, yet so did Silas. I was falling for two supernatural creatures who would stop at nothing to have me in the end, and it scared the hell out of me.
I went inside, using the light from the hallway as my guide to get to his bedside table and turn on his lamp. There was a book titled Game of Thrones lying on the table and I picked it up, intrigued as to what it was about. I wasn’t much of a reader, but it sounded like an interesting book.
I went to his dresser drawers in search for clothes and pulled out a black, long sleeve shirt. I stripped off my clothes and slipped the shirt on. I walked around his room, immediately drawn to the pin board on the wall. There were drawings pinned to the board with Eli’s name as the artist written in the corners of the papers. There were paintings of a sunset over the ocean with a pink and purple sky, the mountains, and portraits of his friends. He was actually really good. He had a leather
recliner chair sitting in the corner of the room right by his bookshelf, making it his own little reading area.
I heard a knock at the door and ran to the bed to cover myself up before the door opened.
“Paige,” Taylor said, peeking his head in.
“Yes, annoying brother of mine.”
He came in smirking and sat on the bed. “I wanted to give you something.”
“I suppose it’s not jewelry.”
“Yeah, don’t think so. Drop a hint to one of your boy toys and maybe you’ll get a nice, fancy necklace.”
I narrowed my eyes. They weren’t my boy toys. “What do you want, punk?”
He pulled a dagger from his back pocket and handed it to me. I noticed a black little button in the center. “This used to be Athena’s father’s dagger. She said you could use it for protection. There is a button on it that you press once the dagger is inside of the person and it will electrocute them.”
I nodded. “Okay. I hope I don’t have to use it, though.”
“Me either, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen. I want you to have something to protect yourself with. I can’t necessarily put you in a plastic bubble to protect you from harm.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Carry it with you everywhere, and don’t be afraid to use it, even if you have to use it on Silas.”
I frowned. “Sure thing.”
He leaned over and kissed my head. It was kind of awkward. Taylor pushed away from me after I started acting out. I wasn’t used to him being so nice.
“You kissed my head.”
“Yeah, so, I’m allowed. You’re my little sister. You’re a pain in the ass, but I love you regardless…I don’t necessarily have to like you, though. I just wanted you to know that I cared about you just in case I’m not there to protect you.”
I smiled. “Taylor, everything is going to be fine.”
“I hope so.”
I ran my hand over the blade, careful not to cut my finger. It was strange. Having this dagger in my hand made me feel less paranoid and afraid about Andie coming for me. It gave me comfort in knowing that I had a fighting chance when my life was being threatened.
