Alexa O'Brien, Huntress 09 - Forget About Midnight

by Trina M. Lee

  Our one and only night had been a rushed, wild, and relatively brief encounter. It had replayed in my memory more times than I’d care to admit.

  The first few nights after the turn had been difficult. Not only was the blood hunger at it’s worst, I had been desperate for comfort in any way I could get it. More than once I’d thrown myself at Kale, and each time he’d resisted, refusing to so much as kiss me in such a vulnerable state. My first day as a vampire had been spent in his arms. But since, he would only touch me when riding the high of the hunt.

  After the first few kills, I’d started to come back to myself. I was different, but I was still me, somewhere deep down. And I still wanted Kale. However, what I wanted was so rarely what I needed.

  Slow and sensual sounded fantastic… for another time. What I wanted right then was a mad, passionate frenzy of lovemaking that would leave us both disoriented and spent.

  Kissing with vampire fangs was tricky. I bit Kale’s lip, murmuring an apology as I flicked my tongue over the blood that welled up. Metallic and tangy, it tasted like an explosion of honey-drenched power.

  Laughter echoed around us. Falon announced his arrival with a malicious chuckle before he appeared. Kale and I both jumped up, like we’d been caught doing something sinful.

  I smoothed back my hair and squared my shoulders, doing my best to appear composed. “Maybe I should just give you my phone number, Falon. That way you can annoy me from a distance.”

  The fallen angel stood there smirking, his arms crossed and his silver wings spread wide. I hadn’t seen him since the night I died. Even though it had been for his own selfish reasons, he’d come through for me that night.

  “Get a look at you two,” Falon said, silver eyes shining with dark amusement. “It didn’t take long for your reign of terror to begin. This is just some weird vampire initiation phase, right?”

  “What do you care?” I asked. “I doubt you came to talk to me about my recreational activities.”

  Kale was quiet, but he looked guilty as hell. Instant buzzkill. Falon studied us, assessing the sudden change in mood.

  “Actually, I did.”

  “Shya didn’t send you?” I found that hard to believe.

  Falon scoffed. “Do you really think he would trust me again after what I did to him? You’ve got to know him better than that by now, wolf.”

  My heart clenched when he called me that. It used to insult me that he refused to call me by name. Now, it made me want to cry. So many people saw me as a hybrid or a vampire. It meant a lot that Falon still saw me as the wolf.

  “Have you seen him? Do you know where he is?” I didn’t want to know, but I had to ask. Shya was no quitter. He wouldn’t forget the vengeance he owed me, nor would he forget that I still owed him.

  “No. I assume he’s licking his wounds on the other side. Regrouping. Whatever he’s doing, he’s keeping a low profile.” Falon paused, and his smile faded. “Eventually he’ll come after us both. Be on your guard, Alexa.”

  I nodded uncertainly. Shya’s wrath was something I knew I didn’t want to see. My mind raced. “How does the other side work exactly? Is there anything we can do to trap him there?”

  Falon frowned in thought. He wandered through the yard, stepping over the body in the grass, coming to a stop near an old stone birdbath.

  “The other side is the realm beyond the physical. It’s where the spirits dwell. Those without bodies and those who manifest unnatural bodies dwell there. The only way to keep him there is to find a way to prevent him from crossing over into the physical realm.” Falon ran a hand over the crumbling statue. “Even if we could pull that off, which we can’t, it would only save your ass and leave mine on the line.”

  “And that would be a problem?” I expected the glower he shot my way. The middle finger that followed was a surprise that made me snicker. “I’m kidding. Sort of. There’s got to be something we can do. Otherwise we’re sitting ducks. What’s stopping him anyway? Why hasn’t he already come for us?”

  Falon peered into the stone eyes of what appeared to be a broken angel as he spoke. “I don’t think he’s ready to deal with me yet. Shya’s a plotter. He likes to take his time. But if there’s anything keeping him away from you, that’s Willow.”

  The sorrow I felt at that name penetrated deep. A night hadn’t passed when I hadn’t had a moment of panic, wondering where he was and if he was ok. He had saved me. I was forever in Willow’s debt. Taking my darkness had made him a demon. It had allowed me to keep the balance of light and dark rather than being consumed by the dark entirely. Though my mental state was now divided in a severe Jekyll and Hyde manner, without Willow’s sacrifice I would just be the Hyde.

  “Willow,” I repeated, softly to myself. “Just how powerful is he now?”

  Falon hesitated before saying, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “Have you seen him?” Kale asked, his curiosity evident. Or was that fear?

  “No.” There was an awkward silence. Falon sneered at the broken angel statue before turning back to me. “Anyway, we’ve gotten a bit off topic. None of this is why I came so, if you’ll stop with the chit chat, I can get to the point.”

  I frowned, wanting to grill him further about Willow. Knowing it was useless to try to nag info out of Falon, I motioned for him to say whatever he’d come to say.

  Falon gestured to the body before pinning us with a hard stare. “This shit has got to stop. You,” he pointed at Kale, “should know better by now. And you,” his angry finger swung my way, “are smarter than this. Do you think this kind of behavior comes without consequence?”

  His tone bordered on annoyed, and it was just so ridiculous that I burst out laughing. My emotions had been running on overdrive since the turn. Now was no exception.

  “Am I missing something here?” I asked. “Since when do you care what I do? Not that it’s any business of yours.”

  Kale didn’t share my humor. He stood there with arms crossed, his face disturbingly expressionless. Falon merely waited for me to stop cackling. It dawned on me that he had just complimented my intelligence, and for some reason that made me start to take him seriously. I sobered slightly though the blood high made it difficult.

  “Are you quite finished?” Falon’s eyes glinted with disdain. A few paces brought us face to face so he could give me his holier-than-thou stare. “You do not have the luxury of acting out like a fledgling vampire. Not with the reputation that you have. Do you have any idea how many eyes are on you right now?”

  I heard him and understood his words meant something, but my gaze dropped to the vein in his neck. I fumbled for a response. “Other than yours? Why don’t you enlighten me, Falon?”

  The subtle but constant hum of his angelic power made my skin tingle. It was mesmerizing. I’d never been able to feel it before, when I was alive, unless he actively used it. The scent of his blood was sharp and familiar. The taste of it lived in my memory, and oh, how that lovely aroma taunted me. I didn’t need to actively breathe to function though the action was automatic. My senses were heightened to an extent even the wolf had not possessed. Falon’s angelic blood smelled sinful and divine. I wanted to breathe it in, to tease myself into a taste.

  “The FPA has been following you. Little sis is cleaning up your mess. Even as stupid as you can be, you must know that won’t end well.” Falon glared when he realized I was ogling his jugular.

  “Wait. So am I smart or stupid? You’re giving me mixed messages.” I forced my gaze back to his and smiled, certain that it looked as creepy as it felt on my face.

  Falon wasn’t impressed. “You’re going to end up in lockup. Is that what you want?”

  His reasoning was valid. I agreed wholeheartedly. The FPA lockup was a nasty place. However, I still questioned his motives.

  “Why though? Why do you care if I end up there? I’d think you’d be happy with that.”

  “Look, you childish little idiot, if you get yourself locked up, then everything
we both did to stop Shya will have been for nothing. Now is not the time to act like a horror-movie monster. Get your shit together.” Falon paused as if concocting another round of insults.

  I noticed that he still hadn’t answered my question. “Are you trying to give me some guidance, Falon? That’s so sweet. I didn’t think you still had it in you. You know, with you being fallen from grace and all.”

  Falon scoffed and shook his head of fair hair. “Consider it a warning. You’re a Hound. One of the last. Don’t fuck that up any more than you already have.”

  There was no understanding him. Falon was an enigma. I wanted to figure him out, but every time I thought I had, he threw me another curve.

  “I really don’t understand you,” I said, my gaze on his but my mind on what lay beneath the surface of his skin. “But I’m going to figure you out, Falon. Because I know that you don’t want me to.”

  His bark of laughter was loud, shattering the relative calm. “That’s never going to happen. It’s strange that finding out what makes me tick means so much to you. I’m going to have fun with that.”

  “As am I.”

  We stared at one another until it grew awkward. Such a bizarre relationship we shared. We were nothing really. Not friends nor allies, not even really enemies. I didn’t know where I stood with Falon. He was a mystery that way.

  Finally I stuck my hand out. Antagonizing one another had become a vicious game we shared. But I was mature enough to set that aside, to take him seriously for a moment. “I’m sure you didn’t do it for me,” I said, “but thank you. For getting Shya out of my way like that.”

  Falon hesitated just long enough to make me think he would refuse my hand. Then he took it, fast, like he had to force himself. There was a coolness to his tone when he said, “Don’t make me regret it.”

  I wasn’t going to make any promises I didn’t know I could keep. I opened my mouth to say as much, but the warmth of his hand in mine stole my voice. The sound of his heart reverberated in my ears.

  Power snaked up my arm. Falon’s power had once knocked me on my ass, but things had changed since then. I was up for the challenge now. Licking my lips, I considered the many ways I could enjoy this.

  The fragile barrier between control and desire shattered. Holding tight to Falon’s hand, I pulled him closer. I went for his neck, knowing that if I could taste his blood he would be all mine.

  “You crazy bitch.” Falon shoved against me. He flung me off with a few choice curse words. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe some time in lockup would do you good.”

  “No,” Kale broke in, reaching to hold me back. “That place would break her. She’d never be sane again.”

  “She isn’t sane now. Might have to put a leash on your Hound there, Kale.” Falon smirked, but I saw the glint in his eyes. He would have played my game if we’d been alone. Try as he might to deny it, Falon was affected by me, perhaps even more so now.

  “She’ll be fine,” Kale snarled, his hand tight on my forearm. “There’s a bit of a learning curve. She’ll master it.”

  I laughed. Not because they amused me in any way but because I was about to turn the tables on them. They thought they could control me with a denial and physical restraint. They didn’t know what they were dealing with.

  Werewolf strength was vastly greater than that of humans. The vampire’s strength was even greater still. Coupled with my twin flame power, it took very little effort to pull free of Kale.

  “I’m right here, you assholes. Don’t talk about me like I’m not.” Raising a hand, I flung Kale across the yard. Then I turned on Falon with the same hand, letting my power wash over him.

  He liked it. I knew from experience, and I also knew that he hated that he liked it, with a deep rooted passion. I liked that part.

  “Don’t pretend you don’t want it just a little.” I sauntered closer to Falon, my gait as teasing as my tone.

  He regarded me with contempt though it lacked depth. Already he was influenced by my darkness. It made me a little giddy to see how my power had grown upon the turn. I might never be on an even playing field with people like Falon or Shya, but I might actually stand a chance now.

  “You’re completely fucked up, you know that? I think you’re closer to being a demon than I am. You need help.” Falon wasn’t one to go down without a fight. Even as he leaned in to me, he cussed me out.

  I nodded, beckoning him closer with a finger. “You’re right. I’m a twisted bitch. But you kind of like it, don’t you?”

  “Not a chance in hell,” he muttered. Betrayed by his actions, Falon shoved a hand into my hair before burying his face in it. The scent of him almost brought me to my knees. This was an experiment in self-control like none other.

  When he offered me his neck, the test really began. Caught up in the pull, I wanted desperately to taste him. My lips grazed his flesh. I ached to sink fangs. A flick of my tongue over his jugular made him tense. The weight of Kale’s gaze was heavy upon us.

  Falon wanted it. Despite the aggressive way he clutched my long locks and the murmur of expletives, he desired my bite. I was certain then that it had been a mistake to ever take his blood in the first place. By merely knowing that I could have it now, should I want it, I was able to resist.

  I pulled back, studying Falon at a dangerously close proximity. His pupils were slightly dilated, but he was aware, unlike a human victim. Then I realized, he was a willing party here. Falon had the power to resist me if he really wanted to. He simply didn’t want to.

  “And you said I need to be put on a leash,” I snarled, giving him a shove that made him stumble backwards. “How’s that for control? I didn’t take what you were offering.”

  I felt pretty damn proud of myself. It was the first time I’d battled the urge and won. I knew it had only been because he’d wanted it, but I considered it a victory anyway. It was a strange flip in circumstances to have someone long for my bite rather than my blood. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It brought Shaz to mind. Would my bite mean more to him than any other part of me now?

  “You,” Falon hissed, pointing a finger at me, “are a bitch.”

  I nodded with a small smile. “A bitch who just managed to resist your blood. Give me some credit.”

  Falon didn’t glare or rant or bitch slap me with power like he could have, though his expression was absolutely vicious. “I am not a game for you to play. Never try that again. Or you and I are finally going to face off.”

  He vanished, leaving me to ponder such a promise. It was intriguing. I didn’t doubt that Falon could kick my ass, but I was certainly curious about how that would play out.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” Kale said though the amusement in his lovely eyes didn’t match his scolding tone.

  I shrugged, turning away from the body in the grass. Falon’s warning about the FPA had shattered the illusive glow, and now I just felt irritated.

  “Why not? It was fun. You would have done it.”

  “Yes, but I’m not the one he’s so torn up about.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot Kale a warning look to tread carefully.

  He held up both hands in surrender, fighting a laugh. “Not a damn thing.”

  Kale caught me up in his arms and kissed me. His embrace felt familiar. Comforting. His kiss conveyed so many unspoken words. I wanted to linger there, to discover them all.

  We broke apart before the heat of the moment could rise. My head felt muddled, like my thoughts were battling for dominance. It was confusing. My calm moments often were.

  “I want to leave.” My gaze fell upon the crumbling angel statue. It was watching me. At least, it felt that way.

  Following my gaze, Kale stared at the aged stone. He couldn’t see it the way I did. Or if he did, he gave no indication. With a hand on my back, he gently ushered me from the yard.

  Falon had brought news that forced me to remember that I had family and friends out there. In the real world. It made me f
ace the fact that I couldn’t hide from them forever.

  Silently, I cursed the fallen angel. He had no right to interfere, no right to remind me of who I was supposed to be. Who the hell was he to talk? He had turned his back on his calling.

  I wasn’t really mad at Falon. He was just a convenient outlet for my own self-loathing. I’d already hit my high for the evening. The low had come crashing in, ripping the rug from beneath me.

  Losing myself in the thrill of the kill was more than typical newbie behavior. It was my way of escaping the things and the people that I had to face. It was safe inside insanity. I wanted to stay there. Yet, I knew that wasn’t an option.

  I still had a purpose. It hadn’t ended with my death. I had a sinking feeling that it had only just begun.

  Chapter Three

  We ended up back at Kale’s house before long. Staying on the streets wasn’t safe, not if the FPA was tracking me. Fear hadn’t registered much for me recently. It did now. The memory of the FPA lockup remained sharp.

  They could find me if they tracked my phone, which I had no intention of ditching for a burner, but I didn’t think they would come after me at Kale’s house. It was a residential area, and as clueless as the government op could be, I didn’t think they were that stupid.

  There was nothing wrong with Kale’s house. It was a decent size without being big, just one floor and the basement. It wasn’t home though, and when we were both trapped beneath its roof during daylight, the tension quickly grew unbearable.

  I’d been sleeping in the basement bedroom while Kale took the master bedroom on the main floor. I often lay awake most of the day, wishing I could go home, aching for my other half. But I just wasn’t ready.

  “You can have the shower first.” Kale stuck the key in the lock and shoved the door open. I followed him in, painfully aware of the sudden shift in the atmosphere. With an awkward shrug he relocked the door and added, “If you want.”

  “Thanks.” The taste of blood had grown sour in my mouth. I was eager to cleanse myself of the remnants of the kill. If only I could scrub as deep as it penetrated.