Chapter 3
Awkward doesn't begin to describe it
My head is pounding as though I've drunk an entire bottle of tequila and washed it down with whiskey. I'm not sure what's worse, the headache or the memories.
I groan as I think back to my unexpected dance with Kane and the dirty minx I was on the dance floor. I would have fucked him despite all the people surrounding us. I'm almost thankful he hates me right now. I wish I could hate the damn liar who tricked me into falling in love for his own twisted purpose.
Then I think of Gage, and I get a little sick. Not only was I some wretched fool throwing myself at my killer ex, I'm also the slut who touched two men in one night. Oh damn. Gage... his tongue... my body... oh no.
If he hadn't stopped me, I would have fucked him without hesitation. Stupid Fey bullshit. I hate our world right now. From this moment on, I'll do my best to stay away from a succubus and an incubus, especially when they're together.
With heavy reluctance, I open my eyes to feel Gage's bed beneath me, my dress still on, and my panties still absent. What a night.
I glance out the window to see straight through Kane's bedroom. I get sick when I see him standing shirtless in his room, talking on his phone, completely unaware the girl he hates is living just next door.
He's laughing, acting as though he's completely past us. I suppose that's easy to do when he just fell in love with me enough to break a damn bond.
I slip off of Gage's bed, all the more thankful this isn't my room. With light steps, I make my way out, but a shrill pitch escapes my lips when I see Thad sitting at the bar in the kitchen.
He's smiling as he shovels another bite of cereal in his mouth.
"Good morning. How's the walk of shame feel?" he teases.
My face floods red, and I frown as I think of how incredibly misleading this must look. Though we did do... a little bit of stuff, we never actually went all the way. Damn, that sounds so ridiculous. This is still a walk of shame because I'm a slut.
"Why does it feel like I've got the hangover from hell when I only had one drink?" I ask to shift the conversation.
He smiles bigger as he takes another bite. His devious grin isn't lost on me. I can tell he's savoring every second of my discomfort.
"Because it is the hangover from hell. As a mortal, if you're subjected to the seductive release by the two lovely creatures who owned that home, you will wake up with one hellacious headache. That is, if you don't get sated. Obviously, the little dark bugger didn't come through last night."
He sort of came through, though I was far from sated. This sucks.
"Where is he?" I ask, my whole body shifting from side to side uncomfortably.
Thad grins bigger, his eyes sizing me up.
"He's taking a dip in the lake. It's his fifth one since the two of you got back."
That's odd. "Isn't it a little too cold to be swimming this time of year?"
Thad's laughter could deafen a town right now. He coughs on his mouthful of cereal and pounds his chest lightly as he tries to catch his breath. I'm a little confused by his seemingly odd outburst.
"He said the shower wouldn't get cold enough," he coughs out before roaring out his laughter once more.
Oh damn. Humiliation is just flowing in right now.
"Ah. On that note, I think I should go get a shower of my own. I suddenly feel even dirtier than I did when I woke up."
His cackles reach a near feminine pitch as he struggles to catch his breath. Just as I turn to leave, Gage materializes in the room with his back to me while drying off his hair.
I stare at the perfect contours of his golden skin. His navy blue trunks hang low enough to reveal just enough to make my mouth water. His tattoos are just as sexy as they were before, though they shouldn't be.
Shit.
He turns to see me, and he bites back a shy grin as he drops the towel over a shoulder.
"Glad to see you're awake. How's the head?"
The lines of his stomach and chest look even better than the ones on his back. I stare, unable to look away or even blink as tiny trails of the lake run down his still damp body.
Hurting even more now. How frigging awkward can this get?
"Um... it hurts. Any aspirin?"
Just ignore it happened, and it'll be like it never did.
"I'm immortal. We don't usually have aspirin on hand, but I do have something that'll help."
He doesn't acknowledge anything either, which makes Thad act all the more interested. His dorky grin is etched all the way across his face as his eyes go back and forth between Gage and me. I half expect him to grab a bag of popcorn to better enjoy the show.
Gage grabs a cup and then he pours something in it before sticking it in the microwave. He keeps his back turned to me and watches the glass inside as though it's far more fascinating than the awkward tension in the room.
Thad continues on with his cereal, his shit-eating grin never budging as he watches in silence.
Finally, the microwave beeps its climax and Gage pulls out the piping hot contents. He crosses the distance between us, since I'm struggling to move. I can smell it from here, and my nose wrinkles up.
"It's not as bad as it smells," he chuckles out.
I sip it warily, hoping he's telling the truth, and I'm pleasantly surprised as the unknown nectar slides down my throat with a far less bitter taste than smell. Gage watches me, his body tensing from our close proximity, but I keep my eyes on the dark, tea-like liquid in front of me.
"Oh," Thad chirps. "I forgot to mention I grabbed these on the way out."
I glance up with Gage as Thad pulls out a silver pair of panties and starts waving them around like a lasso.
I spew my drink through my lips and drench the floor as Thad cackles again. Gage covers his laughter with his hand as he walks off shaking his head.
I glare at the taunting changer as he tosses my panties to the bar and gives me a wink. I rip my underwear away from his mocking gaze and close them in my fist before rushing away from the humiliating morning.
Gage is sipping on a cup of coffee when I emerge from the safety of my room. I've hidden out for as long as I can, and now night has descended upon us. I have to face him sooner or later. We can't live in the same house if we let this hang over our heads.
"Hey," he says as he looks up.
"Hey, can I join you?"
He motions to the open spot next to him, and I very slowly make my way to his side, my whole body tense with uncertainty.
"I assumed this was coming," he murmurs softly, stifling a grin.
"Um, I just wanted to apologize," I mumble while sitting down. "I know I sort of... Well, I didn't exactly-"
"Hey, it's all good. It's not like I was in control either. It took more strength to stop it than I care to confess. Just forget about it."
Seeing his lip ring makes me think of how good it felt in my mouth. His lips felt so good, and his tongue... oh, his blessed tongue. I don't even know where to start with that.
His eyebrow cocks up as he catches my scandalous thoughts darkening my already jaded aura, and my eyes widen in realization.
"Don't make me jump in the lake again. That water is like ice," he jokes while glancing back down to his tablet in his lap.
My cheeks stain red, so I focus my attention on his screen as he shifts from page to page. I realize it's Sierra's journal, and the page he's reading draws my attention.
Amy is struggling with adapting to our world. Her sire was apparently very strong, and his darkness is embedded deep within her. She only responds to Kane, and he's done helping her out.
After losing Alyssa, he's been focused on one thing, and that's killing Castine before she can touch him. That foolish witch is good with trickery, I'll give her that. In all the many years I've known Kane, he has never been duped until now.
Deke is worried what will happen with Amy if we don't keep stopping her rampages. The day she finally kills someone, we could possibly lose the sane girl we love. She'll never forgive herself, and he believes the darkness will consume her.
The rest of us accepted our fate long ago, but Amy is still clinging to her mortal values. She doesn't realize we've all made terrible mistakes, and she's not in the frame of mind to handle such a thing.
I pray Kane is successful in killing Castine soon. Maybe then, he'll resume helping us out with our wild little girl.
I stop reading as Gage shuts off the screen. He leans back and wraps his arm around my shoulders when he sees a tear slip free from my eyes.
"Hey, don't start all that. I suck at the emotional stuff."
I let a small laugh free as a couple more tears drip out of my leaky eyes. I wipe them away, and before I know it, I'm leaning against the dark user who is pulling me against him. I curl into his lap, though I know it's a bad idea to be so close.
I just ache for comfort. Whatever this weird bond is I have to Kane, I have to find a way to be rid of it. I almost wish Gage had just fucked me and freed me last night when it wasn't a conscious decision. I wouldn't have felt so guilty, and we could have resumed our friendship without it being as awkward.
As sexy as Thad is, there's no way in hell I'm letting that man-whore help me out of this, and I shouldn't risk giving myself to a dark user. But I damn well ached for him last night.
My head rests on his chest as he runs his fingers through my hair, and then his hand comes to rest on my side as his soft lips find the top of my head.
"It's the bond. It's making it hurt more. It's only going to get worse if you don't do something about it."
I feel so stupid right now. I'm crying over a broken heart given to me by my sworn enemy, and my other enemy is comforting me. I'm apparently a foolish mortal with a death wish.
I realize all girls go through a "bad boy" phase, but this is ridiculously insane.
"I'll figure it out. Until then, I just have to stay away from him. The sooner they have my house ready, the better. I want to go see my mom tomorrow, so that will be some bit of a reprieve."
"Why not tonight? I can drive you, and we don't have anything else going on."
"I don't think the light will be too crazy about me bringing in a dark."
He laughs a little, and then he nods.
"I guess I temporarily forgot we were on opposing sides. I'll just drive you near there, and then you can take my car the rest of the way. I'll grab us a couple of hotel rooms, and you can meet me there when you're done."
I look up, suddenly seeing him as something more than just forbidden fruit on the tainted tree.
"You'd do that?"
He shrugs, as if he's confused by my question.
"Of course. Go grab a bag. We'll leave as soon as you're done."
I smile, and without thinking, my lips find his, tasting the cool steel of his piercing once again. He grips my sides, and then I quickly pull back with my hand over my lips.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't-"
"It's fine. It's going to be that way until you get the night stalker out of your system. I think I can handle a few random hormones popping up. Just be careful around others."
He laughs a little, and I sigh as I stand to my feet. I hope that's the only reason I just did that. I really, really hope that's why.