Trina M. Lee

by Alexa O'Brien Huntress Series Book 1-4 Box Set (Retail)

  I was confused by his words. All I could think about was reaching to touch the lock of dark brown hair that fell in his eyes. As I remembered the taste of his blood, I licked my lips seductively. “Kale…” The word fell on a hushed whisper, and I knew that he was mine if I wanted him.

  “Don’t do this,” he pleaded, and I could feel his resistance crumbling. “I’m trying to stop you from making a huge mistake here. Don’t draw me into another one. You know I can’t deny you.”

  Jez came to stand nearby, careful not to get too close. I concentrated on Arys, on his cold blue energy raging inside my mind. ‘I’m going to self-destruct before I can begin to have regrets.’

  It was strange, knowing I could share my thoughts with him and finding that I could also shut him out. I wondered if I would ever get used to it. Arys could feel my edgy emotion, yet he could only know what I revealed to him. There was something very reassuring in that.

  Wrapping a strong hand around my wrist, Kale jerked me upright and pulled me to my feet. He didn’t let me go, though. As much as it killed him to touch me, reaching right into my personal energy, he did it anyway.

  The blood hunger didn’t leave me, but I was in control now that Kale had stepped in. He was an amazing friend, one that I owed dearly. Despite that, the sinister vampire essence within me couldn’t help but want to toy with him. The look he fixed me with insinuated that he wasn’t new to this game. Of course not. The guy had centuries on me.

  “Cut it out, Alexa. Don’t you understand that you’re playing with fire?”

  “Why? What am I doing?”

  “You know damn well what you’re doing.”

  Kale and I faced off, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. Regardless of how wrong I knew it was to continue down that path, I didn’t want to stop. However, I did know what I was doing. I couldn’t help but think about what Jez had said at dinner. Kale had been seeing me in his dreams, unable to escape his attraction to my power. Knowing his history and his dependence on The Wicked Kiss, I knew I couldn’t be just another power hungry female that would use and abuse him. He’d had enough of that in his past.

  It actually hurt to deny the many hungers and urges commanding me. Yet, it wasn’t as if being a werewolf hadn’t been much the same in its own way. This was just a new kind of pain. I was able to make it back to the office without eating another silver blast from Kale.

  Arys’s presence lingered in the back of my mind, but I didn’t acknowledge it. It was still too strange, and I didn’t want to share my thoughts with anyone. Jez laughed and joked as if I hadn’t been ready to bite into her jugular vein, already brushing it off like no big deal. I wished I could roll with the punches as easily. Although, it was refreshing to have someone in my life who could so simply shrug it off, knowing it wasn’t worth altering her life. I could learn a lot from Jez’s take on things.

  Despite her attempts to loosen Kale and me up, the tension between us couldn’t be dismissed. I watched the clock tick past one am in the kitchen of our office building. Jez wasted no time closing up her office and heading for the door.

  “Since I have made it through yet another night without facing certain death, I will be celebrating by sipping wine by a crackling fire with a smoking hot redhead.” She announced. “I assume you two will be out of here right away?”

  I knew what she was really asking. Was it safe for her to leave us alone together? All I knew was that it was safer for me to be alone with Kale at that moment than with her. The cut on her head wasn’t critical, but the blood drying there was taunting me.

  “Yeah, I won’t be here much longer.” I gave her a look, one of those that women share, which enables them to have an entire conversation with others present, with no more than the right expression. Without batting an eye, she quickly bid us goodnight before sashaying to the exit.

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kale was waiting for us to be alone. He had something to say. I leaned against the small kitchen counter and considered but then abandoned the notion of feigning nonchalance. Why bother? He would see right through it anyway. So instead, when the door had closed behind Jez on her way out, I looked at Kale expectantly.

  “How’s Kylarai?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. A moment later, he uncrossed them and stuck his hands in the pockets of his black leather duster. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself.

  I could see by the look on his face that he already knew about Ky and Julian. I could attribute that to Jez and her willingness to talk. He really wanted to know though. There was no faking the concern in his eyes.

  “Are you really asking how she is, or are you asking about him?”

  “Both.”

  That was fair. “She’s good, although, I’m not sure that she’s really happy. I don’t think Kylarai really knows what she wants right now.”

  “I heard Shaz kicked his ass.” He didn’t have to say Julian’s name, and I understood why he chose not to.

  I nodded and thought back to that night. It had been an intense scrap. “Hell yeah, he did. It’s been a little awkward at home since. Shaz and I have been spending a lot of our time at Raoul’s.”

  “If he hurts her, I’ll tear him to pieces.” Kale promised with a glint in his eyes as if he was hoping to get a shot at Julian himself.

  “He’s all yours.”

  Kale studied me, and though his gaze was heavy, I didn’t flinch beneath it. I merely waited calmly for him to speak. I knew him well by now, and it wasn’t hard to tell when he had something to say. When his eyes fell to my wrist, I knew he was thinking about the night in the car when he’d bitten me. Though the bite was long gone, I had to resist the temptation to rub the place where it had been.

  He looked away before he spoke, as if suddenly intrigued by the pattern on the linoleum. “I understand why you made the choice that you did, but do you really think it was the best option?”

  “Honestly,” I replied. “I don’t know. It feels very surreal right now. If I didn’t bond myself to Arys, it would have been anybody with enough power to force me.”

  Kale nodded, his gaze coming to land on me again. I felt the weight of his analysis as he truly studied me. “It’s going to change you, you know. Tonight … that kind of thing isn’t going to end, even if it gets easier to deal with.”

  That wasn’t really what I wanted to hear though I couldn’t say I was surprised. “Thank you. For being there and making sure I didn’t do anything stupid. And, for intervening at The Wicked Kiss.” What else could I say? Kale was bush beating, and we both knew it.

  “That gossipy little leopard told you, didn’t she?” He gave me a knowing look, and I had to laugh. He knew Jez just as well as I did. “Well, whatever she said, I’m sure it was exaggerated.”

  “Was it?” I raised an eyebrow, my smile fading. “She told me that you’ve been dreaming about me, Kale.”

  He didn’t appear upset. If anything, he’d fully expected her to tell me. When at last he made direct eye contact, it was forced, as if he didn’t trust himself to look at me. Nervous energy trickled from him to tease my senses.

  “I’m sorry.” His face crumpled, and he looked ashamed. “It was bad enough after I took your blood, but then we killed that she-wolf together … I kissed you … and everything went to shit.”

  As his agonized energy marched along my skin like red ants on their way to a picnic, I picked it apart to determine what it was made of. Kale was filled with regret and more than enough guilt for both of us. Despite the urge to soothe him, I bit back my response when he slowly crossed the small kitchen until he stood before me.

  I looked back and forth between his brown and blue eye, entranced by the difference. This was so much more than a power trip between two friends. He was getting something from me that he hadn’t had in years, possibly more than I even realized. Though I knew that, his next words shook me to the center of my being.

  “You have awakened something within me, Alexa. Something
that has been cold and buried for decades, centuries. It’s dark, it’s deadly, and I have only known one other who could ignite within me the sensations you do.”

  He didn’t say who because we both knew and to mention the one who made him could bring out the predatory side of Kale that I’d encountered in the car. I was all for avoiding that at all costs. Like the last time Kale had made a confession to me, I didn’t know what to say. So, I said the first thing that came to mind.

  “What is it that you want from me, Kale?” The urge to touch him played with me. “Let’s just be straight up here. Friends or not, there is something bigger that we have in common. And, if we can just talk openly, it will be a lot easier to deal with.”

  “I don’t know.” His answer came quickly, suspiciously so. “The things that I want from you are new to me. It doesn’t feel right.” He actually looked embarrassed. “You’re a friend, almost a little sister that I drag into trouble. I’ve never wanted you like this before.”

  The heat in his dazzling gaze had me tingling with adrenaline. My heart jumped, and my lungs deflated of air. I’d be nothing but a filthy liar if I tried to say that I hadn’t wanted him the night we’d kissed. I had wanted to devour him.

  “I understand what you mean by that better than you might assume. Most of the time, I feel like I’m being pushed along by this tidal wave that I have very little control over. It seems to have the snowball effect, getting bigger and bigger by the day.” A sigh escaped me as I said to Kale what I never said to Arys or Shaz but probably should. “I’m afraid it’s going to consume me, and I’ll be a total maniac, feeding off the blood and energy of everyone I love.”

  Kale chuckled humorlessly and nodded knowingly. “It’s not all bad. Not when they’re willing.” He flashed fangs at me, and I shivered when he added, “In fact, it can make the transition a little smoother.”

  “I’ll bet.” A swirl of undead power spiraled like a tornado inside me. My next words came unbidden. “Is that an offer?”

  The atmosphere thickened and pulsed, much as it had the night of our strange kiss. I felt that shift in my brain, the one that brought the vampire power alive. A teasing smile graced my lips. I felt Kale’s hunger like a storm coming on the wind.

  He took a step back and then another, each one looked like it was killing him. Instinct commanded me to advance on him, to back him into a corner. Would it really be so wrong? I just wanted a little taste.

  “If I do what I want to right now, I won’t be able to let you out of this building without bleeding you.” His eyes were wide as panic gripped him. “You barely even feel like a werewolf anymore. Without your wolf scent, I would think I was in this room with a vampiress. A damn powerful one.”

  That was unsettling. I held myself in check, the warmth of my wolf balancing the cool undead urges. It was a constant battle inside me. I had to get out of there, or we were both going to lose the struggle for control.

  “I’m going to go before we do something we really regret.” Pushing away from the counter, I aimed to fly past him on my way out of the room. When his hand snaked out to grasp my arm, jerking me to a halt, my power instantly reached to touch his.

  Like with Harley, there was no bonding. That was with Arys and no other, which was defining all on its own. Yet there was no escaping the way my power sought to taste his, feel it and draw it into me.

  “Wait,” Kale gasped, his voice low and strained. Whatever it was that he craved from me, it had him trembling. I could have stopped him. His control was pushed to the limit, not mine. “There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. Remember that.”

  Pressed against him, the scent of leather toyed with my sense of smell. His eyes held hunger, but they also possessed a wealth of knowledge and genuine affection. I allowed myself a moment to enjoy touching his exhilarating aura.

  “I will. Probably sooner than you’d like.” I managed a friendly grin as I disentangled myself from him. I paused to give his hand a squeeze. “I’ll tell Kylarai you asked about her. I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

  I adore Kale. He is easily one of my most favorite people. But, he had a longing I couldn’t begin to dream of and something in me spoke to that yearning need. As I headed for the door, I felt the weight of his gaze upon me. It would be best to avoid feeding those hungers, for both of our sakes.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The house was quiet when I slipped in through the sliding door. I was glad to see that the railing had been fixed and looked better than ever. No thanks to Arys of course. Shaz got the credit for taking on the task.

  Kylarai hadn’t been around when I’d come by the house to go for a much needed four-legged run in the forest. It had been quiet, and when I’d first stepped into the house, it hadn’t felt like my home anymore. My belongings had slowly been disappearing, taking up residence at Raoul’s. I had been putting off moving my furniture. Raoul’s place was fully furnished, and I hadn’t the need to do so. It also made me feel like I wasn’t completely leaving the house I shared with Ky.

  The rush of sexual energy slapped at me when I came inside, pulling my robe closed around me. I padded down the hall towards my room to get dressed when the hush of murmurs and whispers carried to me. Aw, crap. Maybe I could change fast and bail out before I had to hear much more.

  Despite closing the bedroom door behind me, I could still hear Julian’s animal rutting sounds, and it creeped me right out. They clearly hadn’t known I was here or hadn’t expected me back for some time.

  I got busy jamming my legs into my jeans in a desperate attempt to get dressed and get out. Pulling a t-shirt over my head, I headed for the door with my robe in hand so I wouldn’t have to keep wearing Raoul’s. I slid my feet along the hardwood floor so that I made not a sound on my way out.

  Today they were going at it like bunnies, but three days prior, they had been having a shouting match in the kitchen when I’d arrived. It really was none of my business. I wanted Ky to be happy, but I was starting to appreciate having another place to call home. It was evident that she was enjoying my absence in her own way, as well. Since the beautiful stretch of forest was outside her back door, I would likely be here often enough regardless of where I spent my nights.

  I took a moment to admire my car as I approached. After two days in the shop, the damaged driver door was now good as new. My smile turned into a glare when I noticed how close Julian had parked his SUV to my Charger. There was no way he could have gotten out without dinging it with his door. I stalked around it angrily until I was sure that he hadn’t scratched my car. It was the principle of the thing.

  Raising my face to the fall night air, I inhaled deeply. I couldn’t detect anything, but I knew I’d picked up a trace of Zoey’s scent while running. I hadn’t seen her though. Raoul’s daughter had crossed my mind recently. I’d been asking myself if it would be a bad idea to track her down and try to communicate with her. If that was even possible. One could only guess as to the state of her sanity. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should seek her out … one day anyway.

  When I turned onto Raoul’s street, my heart soared at the sight of Shaz’s little blue Cobalt parked in front of the house. Would my heart ever stop fluttering in anticipation of seeing him? I hoped not.

  Arys and Shaz both had a key to the house, but they rarely came by at the same time. Since Halloween night, when we’d formed the blood bond and the three of us had been intimate not once but twice, they didn’t spend much time in close quarters.

  I pulled into the driveway and ducked into the garage where Raoul’s Jaguar was parked. I made it a habit to check over the property regularly. I couldn’t afford not to be careful. I paused to run my hand over the smooth black finish of the expensive car. I hadn’t driven it yet, but I intended to use it for my evening hunting excursions. It wouldn’t stand out like a bright red beacon the way the Charger did.

  Surveying the cold, damp garage, I was again enveloped with the feeling that I was right where I w
as supposed to be. I was greeted by the heavenly scent of dinner when I entered the house. Shaz called out from the kitchen, and I smiled to myself. He was simply amazing. If the scent of chicken and baked potatoes indicated anything, I was in for a treat.

  When he met me at the entry to the kitchen, he held a glass of red wine in one hand and a single long stemmed red rose in the other. Though it was simple, it was easily the most romantic gesture I’d ever received. My heart melted, and I blushed.

  “You rock my world, wolf boy.” I accepted the wine glass and took a grateful sip before pulling him close for the hot kiss that I craved. Shaz didn’t get many nights off, and I tried to take advantage of every one. “You take such good care of me. Thanks for fixing the railing at Ky’s. It looks great.”

  He teased me by tracing the outline of my lower lip with his tongue before dipping it inside my mouth to taste me. I pressed against him, careful not to spill the wine. When at last he pulled back, he raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Ky’s? Have you officially moved out, or are you still on the fence with that?”

  “I’m not sure. I do know that being there when she and Julian are going at it is a nightmare I don’t want to face again.”

  Shaz chuckled and pressed the rose into my hand. I followed him into the kitchen, watching with admiration as he attended things on the stove. The temptation to rub the soft petals on my face was too strong to resist, and I gave in happily. It was less than an hour later when we were lying in those petals on the living room floor before the fireplace.

  I pulled a throw blanket off the nearby sofa, and we got comfortable in front of the blazing flames. I couldn’t help but flash back to a time when I’d lain naked in this very spot with Raoul. I couldn’t deny how much I missed him, even as I shoved the memory from my mind.

  Shaz fed me dessert from a platter of strawberries and chocolate sauce while I played with his near white locks. The night couldn’t have been going any better. So of course, it had to get worse. When Arys projected his thoughts to me, it was loud and clear, setting off a domino effect reaction in me.