by Amanda Carol
Abby summons the air element and tosses the targets at Aria, who still hits every one with deadly accuracy.
We finish up as everyone else walks down into the clearing. It’s time for Aria and Declan to use multiple powers at once. This means that everyone needs to be here. Declan volunteers to go first. Kat steps forward and summons a large rock up and tosses it at him. He uses air and deflects it. Zayne shoots a fireball at him, and he summons water to put it out. And it goes on for a while until it’s Aria’s turn.
With Knox and Bennett standing next to me, I’m less likely to jump in and help her. Grace creates a massive water ball, and throws it at Aria, who jumps and rolls out of the way, but the water comes flying toward us. I get ready to move out of the way, but it veers off to the side and lands with a splash right next to us. I glance at Aria, who smirks. Then she turns her focus back to Kat, who summons a half a dozen sticks into the air and lunges them at her. She waves her hand using air and sends them soaring into the targets.
Abby steps forward and uses air, which sends her flying backward. I feel Bennett and Knox take a step toward me, preparing to hold me back if need be. I don’t blame them; I almost attacked Zayne once for throwing a fireball and accidentally burning her. But I know better now.
Air is the hardest element to work against. When she gets up, Abby tries to hit her again, but Aria uses it to her advantage, using air to stop her, creating a vortex. They let up and let the vortex dissipate. Then Zayne steps forward and creates a fireball. He throws one at her, so she uses air to knock it out of the way.
Wrong move. The fire ball goes crashing into a tree and sets it ablaze.
“Shit!” Aria shouts as Grace goes over and puts out the flames. “Damn it! I should have used water instead.” Her shoulders sag as everyone gathers in.
“Don’t worry about it, dude. You were doing great. You didn’t let it hit you, so there’s that,” Kat places a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll get it next time. Just remember that water is fire’s enemy.”
Aria shoots her a look before smiling at her.
“Alright, I’m headed to go brush and feed Sparkles. Bye, guys,” Kat says.
Aria hesitates a moment. “Hey, Kat! Can I come with?”
“Sure. The more, the merrier. Sparkles loves the attention.” Kat shrugs as she waits for Aria, who is coming to me.
Even all sweaty, she’s still the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. She stands on her tiptoes, no doubt about to kiss me on my cheek, but I turn my head and she kisses my lips instead. She smiles and kisses me once more before skipping off to Kat. I feel the pull, so I open the link.
See you later, babe, she thinks to me as I watch her leave.
I swear she’s swinging her hips on purpose. I can feel my dick starting to stand at attention at the movement. But then Grace’s high-pitched squeal makes them stop dead in their tracks. It also saves me from an uncomfortable walk back to my cabin for a cold fucking shower.
“OH, MY GOD!” Grace is staring at her phone, smiling. “OH, MY GOD!”
Knox walks over to her and peers over her shoulder. She angles her phone to show him; he starts to chuckle and kisses her head.
Kat and Aria make their way back over to us.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Aria asks, concern lacing her tone.
“Chasing Ghosts are coming here this Friday night!” Grace grabs Knox’s shoulders and shakes him. He starts laughing before he wraps her in his arms and kisses her head. “This is so bloody exciting.”
“I’m sorry but who are the Chasing Ghosts?” Declan asks before taking a swig from his water bottle.
“They’re an all-girl band from the UK. And they are amazing!” Grace squeals again.
Abby loops her arm through Aria’s. “They are actually pretty good. We should all go together.”
“Hell yeah!” Declan holds his hand up to Abby, who high-fives him.
Knox runs a hand through his hair. “Do you really think that’s such a good idea?”
“Of course it’s a bad idea. But that’s never stopped you before, Daredevil.” Bennett chimes in. “We could all use a little fun.”
I reach for Aria and she willingly comes to me. “What do you think, baby? Should we break a few rules?”
I wrap my arms around her, then I lean in to place a soft kiss right on the sensitive part of her neck. She turns her head so our gazes lock, glancing down at my lips briefly then returning her eyes back to mine.
“Absolutely.” She smiles before quickly kissing me.
She pushes her ass right into my cock and tries to scurry away, only I hold onto her tighter. I pull her back just so she can feel what she does to me.
What only she does to me.
She stiffens as I lean my head back down and place another soft kiss on my favorite spot on her neck.
Tease, I use the link to tell her since there are people around.
I hear her giggle softly before I let her go. Reluctantly.
“Y’all think you can get off Friday night?” Abby asks as Zayne comes over.
Their eyes lock for just a moment too long. Abby blushes, turning away, and I catch Zayne’s eye. He shrugs as I quirk a brow. Huh. Never would have guessed that would happen.
“Damn straight, we can.” Bennett says. “Kai and Jasper owe us one.”
“Sweet. It’ll be just like old times.” Zayne smacks Bennett’s hand.
“Kat, you want in too?” Declan asks Kat.
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I’m meeting a bunch of friends for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. But you guys go and have fun.” Kat waves goodbye before heading off with Aria and Abby.
We say goodbye to Knox and Grace, who tell us that they’re going to head into town for a bit. The rest of us decide we want to hit the workout room.
The rest of the week goes by with no signs of Ronan, Isabella, or any other vampire. My father is not happy with us going out tonight, but I don’t give a fuck. We’ve all been working and training nonstop and we need a night off to blow off some steam.
The girls are at Abby’s cabin getting ready while the guys are at my cabin. I break out the whiskey and we have few shots before Aria uses the link to tell me that they’re ready. We take one more shot, then meet up with the girls.
We are waiting outside talking when the girls emerge from the cabin. My breath hitches in my lungs as Aria steps out onto the porch.
Holy fuck.
She’s wearing a short, lacy black dress and her platinum blonde hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders, passing just below her breasts. She’s got on black heeled ankle boots, that make her legs seem like they run on for days. Smokey eye shadow makes her green eyes stand out more. Then my gaze lands on her lips.
Fuck me.
She’s wearing red lipstick.
And now I’m imagining those ruby red lips wrapped around my dick. She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. I groan inwardly. It’s going to be a long fucking night, and she’s never leaving my side.
She’s mine.
Like what you see? I hear her voice in my head as she walks down the steps toward me, putting on her amulet.
Everyone else is forgotten. She’s smirking as she reaches me. I’m to stunned to speak.
“Your eyes are doing that glowy thing,” she whispers, grabbing my shirt and, tugging me closer. Her fingers play with the buttons as our eyes lock.
“Are you two finished eye-fucking each other?” Bennett says, right as I’m about to claim her lips.
He has the worst timing.
Aria chuckles as she reaches for my hand and laces her fingers with mine.
Bennett smiles as we approach everyone. “It’s about damn time. I was about to get the hose.”
I narrow my eyes at him, and he laughs. Aria, Declan, Ciera, and I take my Impala, while everyone else piles into Knox’s Suburban.
The drive to the venue doesn’t take long. I let them out at the front while I go to park my car. I make sure to park in t
he furthest spot possible. If I find a ding in my car, I’m going to be pissed. I walk in through the front door after showing the bouncer my ID and immediately spot Aria.
Every single guy is checking my girl out. One guy in particular is making it blatantly obvious. When he makes a grab for her, a growl forms low in my chest. She politely pushes him away, but he makes a grab for her again. This crowd is too fucking thick, making it hard for me to get to her.
Fucker.
Aria, I growl to Bennett through the link.
His eyes lock with mine before he turns and wraps his arms around her. He says something to the asshole, and he backs off. Aria glances up at Bennett and narrows her eyes.
“You know I could have taken care of him?” I hear her say as I finally reach them.
“Yes, Blondie, I know. But I wasn’t doing it for you. I needed to calm your wolf down.” Bennett kisses the side of her head before removing his arm from around her.
A look of understanding crosses her features as she looks at me.
“Don’t worry about him.” She places her hands on my face. “I’ve dealt with much worse.”
I know my eyes must be flashing bright blue because she laughs softly before pulling me down so she can kiss me. The anger that I was feeling not even a second ago evaporates as her lips meet mine.
I groan, grabbing her waist as she throws her arms around my neck, running her fingers through my hair. I hear her soft moan over the music. I contemplate taking her back to my car before she pulls away, smiling up at me.
Yeah, tonight is going to be a good night.
Hunter grabs my hand and pulls me to the bar for a drink. He looks hot tonight. Something about a man in plaid gets me all hot and bothered. His jeans sit low on his narrow hips. He orders a rum and Coke for me and whatever beer is on tap for himself. I sip on my drink as we make our way back to where the others are.
There’s house music playing before the band comes on. Abby and Zayne have hit the dance floor. He twirls her before grabbing her waist and pulling her close. She throws her arms around his neck as they move together in perfect sync.
Bennett is surrounded by women and he’s loving it. I catch his eye; he winks before turning his attention back to the woman who is grinding up against him. I search the floor for Declan and spot him just as a song by The Chainsmokers comes on. Ciera leans in and says something to Declan and he grabs her hand to lead her off the dance floor. The light hits his amulet, making it sparkle in the night. Luna came over earlier and told us we needed to wear the amulets to keep us safe while we’re away from the Compound. I remember her mentioning in the meeting that we needed to wear them if we ever left the safety of the Compound. I spot Knox and Grace huddled close at a small table off to the side of the room and Hunter leads me over to them.
“Hey, sweetie!” Grace shouts over the music. “I’m tiddly!”
I quirk a brow. “Tiddly?”
“Right, it’s British for tipsy. I forgot you guys don’t use that word here.” Grace takes a gulp from her drink. Her English accent is more prominent when she’s tipsy, or “tiddly,” as she puts it.
She holds her glass up. “Cheers!”
I clink my glass with hers and smile as I take a sip. I’m almost out of rum.
I frown. Then a glass magically appears in front of my face. I look over and see Abby beaming at me.
“Drink up, me hearties! Yo-ho!” she says in a horrible impression of Jack Sparrow.
I laugh, taking the glass from her and setting my empty one on the table. I love rum, and Abby knows it.
“Yo, who wants shots!” Bennett appears, holding a tray of shots for us.
Hunter and Knox both decline, as they are the designated drivers.
Bennett hands a shot to the rest of us. “Bottoms up, bitches!”
I tip my head back and feel the liquid burn on the way down my throat. Oh boy, I’m starting to feel it now. I lean into Hunter, breathing in his scent, cedarwood and ocean. He wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me closer. I look up at him, our gazes lock. He smirks, showing off his right dimple. I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him, but he meets me halfway.
I will never grow tired of kissing this man. He takes my breath away.
I feel his tongue swipe across my bottom lip once before taking it between his teeth. I inhale sharply as he pulls away, leaving me wanting more. So much more. He chuckles softly as I narrow my eyes at him.
Then the emcee comes onstage to introduce the band. Grace screams and runs off toward the front of the stage, dragging Knox along behind her.
“Sorry, Hunter, but I’m stealing your girl!” Abby grabs my hand, leading me onto the dance floor.
Hunter trails behind with Bennett and Zayne. We come up to Ciera and Declan. He wraps his arms around her as they both face the stage.
“You guys ready to jam tonight?” Storm, the lead singer, says into the microphone.
I know she’s the lead singer because Grace has been showing me pictures of them and playing their music nonstop all week. Abby was right; I do like them. It’s like poppy rock and roll music.
The drummer with bright pink hair, Trix, walks on stage, taking her seat behind the drums. A girl with long red hair comes on stage, picking up the bass. I think her name is Aurora. Last but not least is the guitarist, Ashley.
“Right. Well, we’re Chasing Ghosts. Now, let’s rock!” Storm yells and the crowd goes wild.
I can hear Grace scream as Trix starts them off with a fast-paced song. Abby and I jam along, jumping to the drum beat and singing along at the top of our lungs. The boys are laughing at us, but I don’t care.
They transition into another song, a slower-paced song. They have a keyboard player come out for this one. I think his name is Daniel, and according to Grace, he’s dating Aurora.
Zayne grabs Abby’s waist and they start dancing together. I smile at them before turning around to Hunter. When our gazes lock, everything around me stops. There is heat in his stare, igniting my blood. He slowly takes a step forward, clasping both of my cheeks before brushing his lips against mine. I rest my hands on his hips as he deepens our kiss. It’s not urgent; it’s soft and sweet. Like he’s taking his time, tasting me. Like we have all the time in world. Then the song stops, and he pulls away, resting his forehead against mine.
You are the moon to my wolf. I hear his husky voice in my head as he uses the link to communicate.
My heart swells as I lean in to kiss him once more before excusing myself to use the restroom. Abby offers to come with me, but I assure her that I’ll be fine.
Of course, I think I may be slightly more than tipsy, but I’m not quite drunk. There’s a group of drunk girls hovering by the sinks, touching up their makeup. They leave right before I finish, and I’m left alone.
At least, that’s what I thought.
A stall door opens. I glance up at the person in the mirror and my entire body locks up. My heart pounds against my ribcage.
It’s the girl in the painting.
She smiles sweetly at me through the mirror before coming up to the sink next to me to wash her hands. I try to act as calm as possible. I need to get out of here. I need to get to Declan.
“That’s such a pretty dress,” she says. Her voice is creepily sweet.
I reach for a paper towel before turning to face her. “Thank you.”
I smile and toss my paper towel in the trash. When I go to step around her, she blocks my path. I clench my jaw and ball my fists.
“I like your necklace, too.” She reaches for it, but I smack her hand away.
Every bone in my body is telling me to get the hell out of here.
She quirks a delicate brow. “That wasn’t very nice, Aria.”
I stop breathing. She knows my name.
“How rude of me.” She smirks, putting her hand on her hip. “I’m Isabella. I think it’s time we finally met.”
I go to throw a punch, but she quickly catches my wrist. She wraps her other hand around m
y neck, pushing me against the wall. I’m struggling to pull air into my lungs.
“Try anything like that again, and your friends die,” she whispers low into my ear before releasing me.
I try to use the link to get Hunter, but something doesn’t feel right. I’m somehow blocked from using it. I can hear him, though.
I cough and breath in precious air.
“What do you want?” I ask in between breaths.
“I want you to come with me. Try to warn your friends or that handsome boy-toy of yours and they will be dead faster than you can get to them,” she threatens.
I’m not going to try calling her bluff. If she’s anything like Ronan, then I know she’ll follow through with her threats.
“Okay,” I concede in a shaky voice.
“Good choice. Now, when you leave, there’s a door that leads out into the alleyway to your right. Use it.” She smirks, stepping aside to let me pass.
I ball my hands into fists at my sides, wishing I wasn’t wearing this damn amulet so I could at least set her on fire. I slowly walk past her, following her instructions. I glance out on the dance floor. Declan is smiling at Ciera. Abby is dancing with Grace while the guys are chatting off to the side. I see Hunter laugh. A sob starts to form in my throat. Refusing to let the tears fall, I straighten my shoulders and turn right, not looking back.
I open the door to the alleyway and step outside into the warmth of the night. I look around and see nothing. Then something hard hits me on the back of my head and I’m knocked out.
Aria? I hear Hunter’s panicked voice in my head. Baby, where are you?
I try to use the link to tell him what happened, but I'm still blocked. Then I remember.
The amulet.
It binds our powers so we can’t use them. I try to reach for it to take it off, but my arms aren’t working. I slowly blink my eyes open, looking up. My arms are chained above my head and my bare feet hardly touch the ground. I glance down and find that someone’s changed me into shorts and a tank top.
I shiver.
Please tell me you’re okay, Hunters voice echo’s in my head. Aria, please.
