The Complete Tempted Series

by Selene Charles

  “Why not?”

  His look was piercing, the blue eyes looking almost black in the darkness. “Adam would know. He’d know. The queen wouldn’t be so stupid to be right under our nose.” But he didn’t sound like he believed his words.

  She shrugged. “I think you should keep an eye on her, just in case.”

  Running his palms down his thighs, he nodded. Heaving himself to his feet, he looked down at her as he walked back to her window.

  Gripping the windowsill, he stared at her for so long she became aware of just how loud the room actually was, from the breaths they took to the ticking of her art deco wall clock.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  Stomach a quivering mess, she nodded.

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

  The shuffling of feet snared her attention and made her jump. Her father was waking up. “Not here,” she whispered. “My dad won’t—”

  But when she turned back, Cain had already left through the window.

  A second later, her father knocked on the door. “Flinty, are you talking to someone?”

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she scrubbed her face and shook her head. “No. Talking to myself, can’t sleep.”

  “Want some hot milk?”

  She smiled that he remembered. Whenever she’d have a nightmare as a child, he’d always bring her a mug of hot milk and tell her it would chase the monsters away.

  Getting up, she opened the door. His hair was sleep tussled, and a hint of a beard whiskered his cheeks.

  “Sure, Daddy.”

  He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

  Tomorrow she’d figure out some way to ride with Cain so that her father wouldn’t see.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Flint yanked the curlers out of her hair, deciding for once she’d try to do something with it other than pull it back in a messy ponytail. Her hair flounced around her shoulders in soft waves as she gripped her stomach, trying in vain to squelch the nerves threatening to make her lose her bite of toast this morning.

  Her green knitted top made her hair look even redder. Frowning at the mirror, she touched the pale skin under her eyes and ran her finger along the bridge of her freckled nose.

  Things had changed and she couldn’t help wanting to look her best.

  She glanced at her wristwatch. Cain was probably going to show up any second now.

  “Flinty!” her dad cried and she dropped the glass she’d been holding into the sink. “Your friend’s here.”

  He sounded chipper and not at all growly like yesterday.

  Not a little curious, she yanked her book bag onto her shoulder and headed toward the front door.

  Janet waved cheerfully at her. Flint frowned, scanning over her shoulder.

  “Umm…”

  Dressed in a baggy navy-blue sweaterdress, leopard tights, and furry boots, Janet was a strange sight in more ways than one. “Tell you later,” she whispered in Flint’s ear as she hugged her.

  Walking up to Flint, her dad clapped her shoulder. “Show tonight. Will you bring her to the circus, Janet?”

  “Sure, Mr. DeLuca,” Janet chirped as the black sprays of hair encircling her head like a peacock’s plume bobbed. “But we’ve got plans.”

  “Plans?” Flint shook her head.

  “The dresses, remember?” Ja winked.

  “Oh, yeah… the dresses.” That they’d never set a date or time to go shopping for. Janet was up to something.

  “You gonna do the show tonight?” Her father wasn’t looking at Flint.

  Janet shook her head. “Night off, strained my calf muscle. So is it cool?”

  Flint glanced at her dad and smiled.

  “Yeah, sure.” He hugged her. “Now hurry up before you’re late for school.”

  “What was that all about?” Flint asked the second they were well out of earshot.

  Janet rolled her eyes and then stopped, all playfulness gone. The girl looking back at her suddenly seemed ancient, immortal. Crazy clothes or not, she was not someone to be messed with, and she was pressing the hardness of that gaze into Flint like steel.

  “What the crap, Flint!” She smacked her arm.

  “Ow.” She cried and rubbed her throbbing arm. Tiny she might be, but the little Asian demon-ghost packed a wallop when she wanted to. “What was that for?”

  “I told you to stay away from Cain, didn’t I? Do you have any idea what you’re doing, what you’re getting yourself into?”

  They were walking past the bus stop, heading toward the busy road.

  “I’ve tried. But… I don’t know, it’s just…”

  “Crazy? Obsession? Insane? Stupid?”

  At the last one, Flint frowned, hurt that Janet would go there. “I don’t expect you to understand, because I’m not even sure I do. But I can handle myself.”

  Stopping, Janet grabbed her arm. “Look, I’m just gonna tell it to you straight. I’m his guardian—all I’ve ever wanted is for him to be happy. But I’ve seen Cain in a way I’m not even sure he’s seen himself. All I’m saying is be careful and don’t try to be the martyr. Don’t think you can save him. And when he blows it, run. As fast and as far as you can.”

  “Why aren’t you even giving him a chance? Why does everyone think he’s going to lose it like that?”

  “Because he’s berserker, it’s what they do. And I like you—you’re my first human friend, and I’d like to keep you around for a while. That’s all.”

  Pulling Janet into a hug, Flint said, “He’s stronger than you think.”

  Then she stilled. He was here. Pine and moonlight. Smiling, she turned.

  Cain leaned against the side of his car with his hands in his pockets. Something that looked almost like a smile played along his lips. “You said your dad didn’t want me around.”

  Pulse thundering so loud in her ears she’d barely heard him, Flint nodded mutely.

  He didn’t move closer to her, but the weird thing was happening again—the one where the world dissolved into a tunnel of light and white noise around them. He was wearing jeans and a black leather motorcycle-style jacket. His hair blew in the wind, reminding her of an Abercrombie & Fitch model.

  He was gorgeous and looking at her like he thought the same thing about her.

  “Gimme a ride to school, I missed the bus,” Janet said after a bit.

  Crazy, but for a second Flint had completely forgotten about her. Rolling her eyes, Ja tromped toward the car, grumbling under her breath about “disgusting” before getting in and slamming the door shut behind her.

  Cain chuckled. “I guess she warned you off and you said…”

  “To trust you.”

  A bright luminescence covered his eyes before they dissolved back to the familiar blue, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he grabbed her book bag off her shoulder.

  At some point she must have walked toward him.

  His large hand lingered on her upper arm. “Like the hair, princess.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t do it for you, caveman.”

  He snorted and then opened the car door for her.

  She could be cool, act like his nearness didn’t bother her. Didn’t threaten to send her heart into cardiac arrest. That Cain was just another guy. A good-looking one with an awesome car who just so happened to have major Hulk issues every once in a while.

  No big deal, right?

  His car smelled like him. It was everywhere, anywhere, she turned. Even the strap of the seat belt smelled like him when it snicked into place.

  The car started moving.

  “Your girlfriend and I are going dress shopping tonight,” Janet said without preamble.

  Flint jerked, staring dead at Cain’s face. Girlfriend? Had Janet actually called her that? They weren’t that. Right?

  Holding her breath, she waited for Cain to correct her, but he grunted instead. “When will you be done?”

  He wasn’t looking at Janet.

  Fighting the u
rge to grin, Flint shrugged and placed her suddenly trembling hands under her jeaned thighs. “No idea. Didn’t even realize we were doing that tonight.”

  Jaw flexing, he glanced away.

  Surely Cain knew what they were going dress shopping for. Not that Flint wanted to push the issue or anything, but was he ever going to ask her?

  “You’re not going alone.”

  “Duh.” Janet rolled her eyes. “Rhi’s coming too.”

  He glowered. “You know what I mean.”

  “Oh yeah,” she said snippily. “I heard you, I was just ignoring you. Don’t forget that Rhi and me, we’re pretty bad-a, don’t need boys, especially not the ’roid-rage kind.”

  Flint pulled her lips in, trying hard to hide the smirk. It was kind of funny to see Cain get some of his own medicine.

  Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he said, “I’m glad you find this funny, princess. But if I don’t go, you don’t go. Period.”

  That pissed her off. Made the hot Italian temper flare. She was so not one of those girls and he’d better learn it quick.

  “Excuse me, I’m right here: (a) you’re a fool if you think you can stop me, and (b) I’ve seen Rhi turn hive into powder, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be just fine.”

  Red pinpricks circled his irises and she patted his arm slowly, up and down, like one would a feral dog with its hackles raised.

  “Cain, listen… I think this is kind of your caveman and wildly misplaced way of telling me you’re worried about my safety—”

  His nostrils flared.

  “And it’s sort of… sweet?” She shot Ja a look.

  Janet smirked and held up her hands as if to say “it’s all you, babe.”

  “But I’m just going to the store. A crowded mall to shop for a homecoming gown. Nothing is going to bother me there, and if they do I’ll scurry away like the good little monkey I am.”

  She grinned, fluttering her lashes in what she hoped was a sexy smolder and not an “I’ve got a lash in my eye and look like an idiot right now” kind of way.

  And instantly she felt the heat, the tension gathered in his arm dissolve. He laughed. “You’re killing me.”

  “Yeah, well…” She studied her nails. “You love it.”

  Giving her that slow, secret smile of his that always made her toes curl and her stomach heave, he finally said, “You fishin’, princess?”

  It took a second for his meaning to sink in. With a disgusted huff, she smacked his shoulder. He laughed and looked back at the road. They were almost to the school; streams of cars and yellow buses filed into the parking lot ahead.

  “Oh, so gross. Berserker flirting. Somebody save me before I hurl.” Janet moaned from the back seat.

  “Whatever.” Flint slouched in her seat, but not before she stuck her tongue out at him. Then her stomach growled loudly. She hadn’t really eaten breakfast.

  With a cocky smirk, Cain reached into his pocket and tossed her a candy bar. King size.

  She snapped it out of the air. “I could kiss you!” She ripped the wrapper open and groaned with delight as chocolate and caramel slid down her throat.

  “Well, Cain, now you know what you need to do if you want to get a little sum-sum from her. Box of candies and she’s all yours.” Janet snorted.

  “Yeah, I’ll remember that.” His deep voice purred, and if she hadn’t been so hungry, she might have been embarrassed, but she was starving, so she licked her fingers and ignored them.

  Once they’d found a parking spot, Janet hopped out. Cain grabbed Flint’s forearm. “Wait,” he said, just as she was ready to get out.

  “Hmm?” She frowned, tucking the empty wrapper into her pocket.

  His look was serious, his eyes incredibly blue. “You look really pretty today.”

  She smiled as warm heat slipped through her tummy. “What, you mean I didn’t turn you off with my candy fetish?”

  Chuckling, he shook his head as his fingers toyed with her sleeve. “It’s kind of cute actually. I like buying you candy.”

  Heat rose in her cheeks, and all she could do was smile. Hard. Like, getting a charley horse in her cheeks kind of hard.

  “I’m not going to the dance.”

  It was like someone blowing out a candle; all that heat and fire was gone in an instant. “What? Why?”

  Licking his lips, he shook his head. “I haven’t forgotten the hive, or the fact that they’re still gunning for you.”

  “I haven’t been attacked in a while, Cain.”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean anything. They’re patient and plotting. My gut tells me they’re going to try something that night. I need to hunt. Me and the guys.”

  Hurt didn’t even begin to describe how she was feeling at the moment. She crossed her arms.

  “I’ve already asked the girls to keep an eye on you.”

  “You what?” she exploded.

  And yeah, maybe she shouldn’t have. But she was getting sick and tired of being treated like a pathetic, puny china doll who couldn’t do jack for herself. He was only trying to watch out for her, but it was homecoming, and call her pathetic and stupid or whatever, she wanted to go with him. Not stag.

  “My mind’s made up. I’ve got to keep searching. I need to find the queen.”

  “And what about what I told you? Katy?”

  “I told Adam, and we’re keeping an eye on her. If she moves, Adam will know, but I gotta tell you I don’t think it’s her. We would have seen the signs already. She’s human, princess. Same as you.”

  Why did the way he’d said it make it sound like some sort of an insult? Her spine stiffened.

  “And what if somebody asks me?”

  He inhaled deeply, staring out the windshield. “Then I obviously can’t stop you. It’s not like we’re dating, right?”

  Ouch.

  Just when she thought they’d moved beyond all this crap, here he was acting like the ignorant dork she’d first met.

  “You know what, you’re right. We’re not dating.”

  The muscle in his jaw tensed and his fingers dug into his lap hard enough to make the knuckles turn white. But she wasn’t going to apologize. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, then so be it. She was sick of not knowing, of all the games. She had a right to live her life and have fun.

  “I like you. A lot. But I’m not doing this with you, Cain. So you either grow up and decide what exactly it is you’re doing with me, or leave me alone.”

  Getting out of the car, she slammed the door behind her, hating that her heart ached and that a huge side of her wanted to get back into that car and scrub the past five minutes from their lives. Things had been so good.

  “Umm.” Janet pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “Just heard that. Totally wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but ouch. You okay?” She rubbed Flint’s arm.

  Flint shook her head, fighting back tears, and plastered on a smile. “He’s right, we’re not even dating. He never said anything, or promised me anything, or…” Her voice shook.

  Janet shook her head. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen Cain act with anybody the way he does with you. In the car, when you touched him…” Her lips quirked. “Just be patient.”

  Flint stopped walking. They were at the steps that led into the school. A group of kids were hanging out on the stairs, and some were behind it as they sneakily tried to smoke a quick cigarette.

  “Weren’t you the one who told me to stay away? So why are you giving me dating advice now?” Flint rubbed her forehead as suddenly every nerve in her body tingled with a warm rush of awareness.

  Cain’s scent lit up her senses like a firework. He walked past them without looking back. But she couldn’t peel her gaze away from his back as he walked up the steps and disappeared beyond the doors.

  Janet’s tiny hands fluttered as she threw them up into the air. Her golden bracelets jingled with the movement. “Yeah, I know. What’s wrong with us, right? But you’re my friend, and I just want to see you s
mile. He likes you. I just don’t think he wants to, which is why he’s acting the way he does. I know I keep giving you crap about staying away, but it’s because of stuff like this. He’s different. He’ll come to this in his own time, or never. And maybe that’s not so bad.” Her eyes pleaded for Flint to understand.

  But she didn’t understand. She hurt. And it sickened her that she should still care. He’d never pretended to be anything other than a jerk; she was the one with the problem. Expecting him to be something other than himself. She shook her head.

  “Hey girl!”

  The voice brought a smile to her face, lifting her sour mood immediately. Turning, she had just enough time to brace herself for impact right before Abel barreled into her, picking her up around the waist as he twirled with her. The cast was off his arm now, and he only wore a sling.

  “Your arm.” She swatted at his chest.

  “Is fine. It’s healing quick. Like crazy quick. Mom’s been giving me one of her Frankenstein concoctions, and the bone’s already mended.” He frowned at his arm as if he couldn’t quite believe it himself, then he flexed his fingers and smiled before picking her up again to swing her around.

  Yelping, she slapped his chest, very much aware that he was definitely starting to get muscle. Obviously the change was coming quick. Cain had healed quickly from the bruises too. “Put me down.”

  His face shone with laughter. “Missed you yesterday.”

  “Umm, okay.” She smoothed her clothes out when he finally set her down, realizing he’d yet to say hi to Janet.

  Shoulders slumping ever so slightly, Janet waved. “I gotta jet or I’ll miss my class.”

  Abel grinned and waved, then hooked his arm through Flint’s and led her up the stairs. He looked nice today in jeans and a soft cream sweater. He was definitely thicker in the face and chest too. Still skinny, but not the stick she’d first met.

  His dimple was in full relief when he turned his face toward her. “Look.” He stopped them before they walked through the door. The first warning bell rang.

  “We gotta go, Abel, or we’re going to be late, and I can’t afford to piss off Mr. Wickham anymore.”

  He looked her up and down, his molten brown eyes sparkling. “You look really great today, Flint. Green’s a good color on you.”