Chapter 5
Marking the Prey
"This is truly amazing," Gage says as he carries around the leather book on the deadly woman who might be after me.
I had to drive us back since he was enthralled by writings. Three days in the same hotel room hasn't done much for my aura issue. If anything, it's made it worse, since Gage is a complete gentleman.
I don't know if I want him to just lose it and take me, or if I'm glad he's using restraint. This is all so annoying and frustrating to the nth degree.
"Does it say how to kill her?" I ask while sitting down behind the bar.
"If it does, I haven't gotten there yet. I still can't believe I'm holding this. The light got all the best pieces of history after the divide."
I smile at his enthusiasm, and then I pull out the second book.
"She also gave me this. She told me I needed to be studying, but I think you might enjoy it more than I will."
His eyes widen as he stares at the book that seems more like a relic in its tragic state. His mouth falls open as he places one book down to pick up the other.
"This is so incredible. I've always wanted to read this."
He touches the pages of the old dusty book with the same caution someone shows a priceless gem. I watch with a smile on my face.
"Well, enjoy. The one on Castine is going next door."
I stand up to leave, but he grabs my arm.
"You can't go over there. Especially not alone."
"I have to. Zee's expecting me. If we both go over there, he might not trust me anymore."
"And you trust him?" he squeaks out in disbelief.
"Absolutely not, but I've got your phone number, and I'm not afraid to use it. I'll be fine. They could have killed me already if they had wanted me dead. They won't turn down information on Castine."
He sighs out, staring at me and knowing he can't stop me no matter how well thought out his arguments are.
"Be careful. Your aura is only getting more buzzed by the second. You might provoke the coven into attacking if you try to rush Kane. I doubt they'll realize what's going on. You have to either get it under control, or you've got to... well, give me permission to go ahead and bump up the schedule."
I swallow hard, but I shake my head. He's killing the seduction with his clinical attitude toward it. I'm starting to regret asking him to handle it at all.
"Kane won't be there. I'll be back," I mutter while walking out with the old book.
The door shuts behind me before he has time to object again, and I cross the short walk with my brisk strides. Zee is waiting as soon as I reach the steps of the deck.
"Are you sure you want to turn over a book like this to us? There could be consequences. Your kind doesn't take lightly to our kind having such things in our possession. If they find out you willingly brought this, they could do a lot of rather nasty things to you."
I stare at the leather in my hand, knowing Kane will most likely use it against me later on. I don't care. Though he's a monster and an asshole, I want him to have all he needs to know before running headlong into a fight.
"I'm sure. It might help. I haven't read all the way through it, so it may just be a waste of time. Regardless, the more one knows, the better. I need to get going before-"
"What's going on here?" Kane asks from behind as he joins us on the deck, his eyes narrowing at Zee.
Shit. He was supposed to be gone until nightfall. Damn it!
"Alyssa brought by a book that has quite a bit of information on Castine. She thought we might need it if or when we go after her."
Kane's jaw tenses, and my whole body goes almost numb.
"These conversations shouldn't be held outside. We need to exercise more caution than ever before."
Zee squirms after hearing Kane's scolding, and I explain for him.
"Zee couldn't leave because Amy's chained up and no one else is home to watch her. I came over to give him the book, since he's the only one who can apparently tolerate me anymore. He didn't want to let me in because we both knew it would upset you. Sorry. I'll be on my way now."
I step wide, making sure to stay away from him as I try to leave, but he steps in my path, blocking my escape. I look up, my mouth drying as I see the night stalker blue in his eyes.
"Don't leave until you've shown me how to open this book without it turning to dust. Yes, I know your witchy tricks. Thought you could fuck with me some more?" he taunts.
He doesn't seem anything like the man I thought I loved... the asshole I still do love.
"Actually, no. I lifted the spells permanently."
I walk over to take the book from Zee, and I open it to show Kane nothing is wrong at all. He tightens his lips, realizing he just judged my intentions wrong once more.
"Go in," he orders, looking over his shoulder, possibly for Gage.
"There's no need-"
"I said go in," he interrupts, sounding demanding in his insistence.
Zee looks at me with a thin line holding his lips. I doubt he'll do me any good. I might have finally pushed Kane too far.
I walk in without further argument, and he shuts the door behind him as Zee sits down on the couch just behind where I stand.
"What will they do to you for taking this out of the light?" he asks, surprising me a little.
"That's my problem. I need to get back. I've got my own shit to deal with right now. You're welcome, by the way."
I start to barge by him, but he stops me again, moving into my path.
"Answer the damn question. What will they do to you if they find out you brought this?"
He holds the book up, his eyes burning against me.
"I don't know. Like I said, don't worry about it. It's not like you really give a fuck," I growl.
His eyes flicker humanity for a fleeting second, and then the coldness resumes.
"You're right about that. I just need to know what to expect if they find out I have it."
This whole inquisition makes sense now.
"They won't do anything but demand it back, as far you're concerned. Their people receive-"
I feel dizzy suddenly, my whole body flaming with the torturous heat. The close proximity to him is growing painful right now. I only thought it was bad around Gage. It's excruciating around Kane.
"Alyssa?" Zee prompts, noticing my paling appearance.
"I'm fine. I need to go," I murmur while trying to push past Kane again, staggering in my attempt to walk a straight line.
"Finish your sentence before you go. Their people receive what?" Kane asks while pulling me back.
The skin-on-skin contact eats at me like a lusty demon. Without any regard for my safety or sanity, I'm suddenly hurling myself at him.
I shock the fuck out of him when I rip his head down to meet mine, and my tongue forces its way in before he can fully process what's going on.
He quickly withdraws with his hands gripping my sides.
"What the hell?" he asks as he stares at me.
But I pull him back down, devouring him with the passion I can't control. For a second, he returns the fueled, torrid attack, but he regains his composure and pulls back once more, holding me in place so I can't launch myself at him again.
I'm swaying like I did the night of the ball. It wasn't the succubus and incubus air that left me so fucked up, it was him. At least, part of it was him.
A ringing of a doorbell draws his attention. Thad is in front of the glass door, smiling like a boy with a secret.
Zee opens the door, but holds his hand up to stop his entrance.
"We're not hurting her. She just got-"
"She just got a little crazy? Yeah, we were worried about that. She doesn't need to be around Kane for a while, at least until she finally gets over her fear of intimacy. Just bring her to me. I'll take her home."
Kane tilts his head, his grip still firmly planted on my arms.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kane murmurs, sounding irritated.
Thad smirks, seeming amused by all of this. Jackass.
"Have you forgotten? Rule number one about being immortal, don't fuck a virgin. They bond to you. Until we can convince her to get over the idea of... well, you know, she'll stay bound."
Kane swallows hard, looking down at me a little differently.
"She'll go crazy without someone breaking it. I forgot all about that. I guess at the time I never thought it would be an issue, since I planned on being with her. As long as she had me-"
"Yeah, we know. As long as she had you, she never felt the painful withdrawals. Bring her to me. She needs to get away before she does something you'll punish her for."
Kane growls at him, and then he pulls my wrists to him a little tighter.
"I may not be with her, but I know better than to let anyone leave with someone ready to take advantage of a situation. Where's the other one?"
"Gage?" Thad chuckles out. "Believe me; she's in far better hands with me than with Gage. He's barely holding himself back, and her aura is driving every man in town crazy. Now hand her over like a good little fanged one. I've got to try and talk some sense into her, or I've got to douse her in the lake."
Kane tightens his lips, and suddenly Gage appears on the porch beside Thad.
"Figures you'd show up. I swear you're relentless," Gage gripes to Thad.
"I just need the extra help. The two of you have some special connection over magic. I need the upper hand," Thad adds, no remorse in his playful tone.
"You're one hell of a slimy son of a-"
"Stop!" I squeal, my head pounding as all of the blood in my body rushes up to gather in my temples.
Kane glances from me to them, and then I'm suddenly out, the night overcoming my senses as the world shuts down. I feel my eyes going through a series of random colors as I collapse.
The sound of bickering wakes me, and my hands slide around to feel the foreign bed I'm in. I rise to see the rarely-used guest room in Kane's home. I can't believe Gage hasn't gotten me out of here yet.
I realize the bickering is coming from Gage and Zee. As I near the door, I'm able to understand what they're saying.
"She's not some toy the two of you should be fighting over," Zee gripes. "The remedy Sierra has will help ease her... urges, so to speak, and she'll be just fine."
"We're not fighting over her, you ass. I'm not letting her drink anything from here. I don't trust you, and I'm not risking her life just because you say you have some unknown remedy the rest of us have never heard of."
"You're something else!" Kane scoffs. "Aren't you the least bit upset she gave her innocence to me instead of you when it's clear the two of you have been together this whole time?"
"You're a total fool," Thad interjects, cackling. "Gage and Alyssa aren't together now, nor have they ever been. Wouldn't he have already ended this nonsense if they were?"
I hear Kane let out a derisive snort, and then there are footsteps too quick for me to react to as he's suddenly in front of me, catching me spying.
"Care to join the party?" he grumbles, not looking me in the eye.
"I should go. This," I point between us, "is nothing but confusing. It's worse being here. Use the journal, and let me know when you're done so I can get it back to the light."
I try to barge by him, but he catches my hand, noticing a mark on my wrist that I've never seen before now.
"What's that?" I ask as he stares intensely at it, making my whole body ache for more of his touch.
His jaw clenches, and then he shakes his head.
"You need to get out of that house. Now."
"I already got out of that house. I'm sort of... right next door. Gage bought that house a while back, and we're staying there until my paperwork goes through for my new place a few towns over... in Edgebrook"
His eyes widen. Obviously, he hasn't noticed me over there, which is good.
"Unbelievable. It's like I can't get you away from me no matter how hard I fucking try."
The already shattered pieces of my heart break even more. A tear slips free, and I'm forced to look away.
"I'm trying."
"Try harder," he growls, and then he leaves so fast, he's a blur to my still mortal eyes.
Gage materializes in front of me, his lips thin. He doesn't have to say he overheard because Kane didn't use an immortal whisper when he cut me off at the knees.
"You ready?"
"I've been ready. I don't know why I'm still here. Why didn't you just vaporize me already?"
He frowns, and then he points downstairs.
"Zee refused to let us take you until you were conscious, since he thinks Thad and I are trying to take advantage. Personally, I didn't want to fight with anyone here, for obvious reasons. I kept an eye on you. Let's go."
Zee meets us as we reach the bottom of the stairs, and he hands me the book on Castine.
"I've made copies, took pictures, and made sure it's exactly as you brought it. You can go ahead and return it before you get into trouble."
"Thanks," I murmur softly, and then he tilts his head.
"Your eyes... they're... gold," he says in a bit of shock.
I glance in the mirror to see a color I've never seen before. I'm sure it stands for humiliation mingling with heartbreak.
"It happens. They shift from color to color."
"That's not normal," he says as he curiously studies me. "Does Kane know about this? It could have something to do with-"
"Her eyes have nothing to do with anything, Zee. Let them get out of here before I lose what little control I have left," Kane says while walking into the room, holding a clear glass full of red, thick liquid.
I shiver as I stare at it. How he hid this from me, I'll never know.
"What's wrong, Alyssa? Worried your blood is next?" he scoffs. "Go before it is."
Another tear drips, and Gage's tensed jaw becomes audible as his teeth grind together.
"You need to watch your mouth, Kane. I can promise you Alyssa is tied to people who would make Castine seem like a pleasant alternative," Gage hisses.
"Impossible," Kane murmurs as he turns to walk away.
I'm sick of the ache I feel to touch the bastard who has a heart as cold as the devil's. I head out, barging through the door, and then I consider taking a dip in the lake myself. Too bad I'm mortal. Hypothermia could actually kill me.