Chapter 6
Restoring Bonds
Staring out the window, I watch for any signs of life next door. It's so dark out tonight, not even a glimmer of a moon. The lights are on all over Kane's house, but no one is in there, at least not that I can see.
My heart aches for Kane. Sierra's magic potion proved to be pointless, and Gage has been standoffish since my fainting spell at Kane's a week ago.
Kane isn't in his room, hasn't been since that day. I'm sure knowing that he was just next door to me made him sick enough to just leave. This random mark on my wrist has grown to be more defined, looking like a tattooed symbol.
"Hey," Gage says as he joins me in his room. "What are you doing in here?"
I look down, too ashamed to tell the truth.
"It's getting worse," I sigh out, and then the bed shifts as he sits down beside me.
"Your wrist? I've been doing all the research I can to figure out what that means. I'm still trying to figure out when you got it."
"My wrist concerns me, but that's not what I was talking about." My eyes find his again to show him whatever bizarre color is in place.
Since the whole ordeal with Kane, my eyes have flipped random shades nonstop. His eyes glance out the window, and then they meet mine.
"You mean the bond?"
"Yeah. I need to do something about it. I know you don't want to, and as much as it pains me to say, I'm just going to call Thad."
His eyes slant in a confused and a slightly angered turn.
"Why do you assume that? And I would drag you away from Thad while you kicked and screamed your protests before I let him put his filthy hands on you."
I would at least try to laugh, but this is all becoming too much right now. It's definitely taking its toll on me.
"You've been avoiding me since that day at Kane's. This is actually the most we've talked. I don't blame you. What I asked wasn't exactly fair. Has anyone called about my new house?"
"No, no one's called, and, Alyssa, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been reading the book you brought in an effort to find out what that damn mark on your wrist means."
He sounds a little angry, but I'm too distracted by the burning pain inside me to acknowledge it. I just nod, turning my gaze back toward the window once more before standing up.
"I'm tired. This is draining me. I'll see you tomorrow."
He breathes out heavily through his nose, his lips pressed in a thin line, and I feel his eyes on me as I walk out. When I reach my room, I fall down onto the plush bed to let my tears drip without fear of being seen.
My knees curl to my chest as my whole body burns. I feel like I've got a fever at this point. If I've ever been more miserable, I can't remember it.
As I'm weeping softly into my pillow, I feel eyes on me. With a jolt, I whip around to see Gage standing in my doorway, his shirt absent, and his eyes burning into mine.
My fever only grows as my eyes rake over his perfect lines, sexy symbols, and his mouthwatering lips.
"What?" I murmur while quickly wiping my eyes. "Is something wrong?"
He vaporizes, leaving me confused until he suddenly appears on the bed beside me. I don't have time to question anything before his lips find mine, quenching the thirst I've had for so long.
My phone rings, but I completely ignore it, not giving a damn about who wants to chat right now.
While moaning involuntarily, my tongue dances with his to learn he's gotten a new piercing I haven't noticed... oh boy. The stud in his tongue feels smooth inside my mouth, and the grip of his hands feels as needy as mine.
He falls between my legs jerking me tightly to his center as the sound of his zipper resonates in my ears. My hands tangle in his hair, while the slick skin of his erection slides against me when his pants push down just enough to free it.
He slides my small pajama shorts to the side as the tip of his perfection grazes my sex, making me gasp.
"Are you sure about this?" he murmurs against my lips before devouring me and pressing himself almost inside me, making me squirm beneath him in anticipation.
"Definitely." My words come out in a gasped whisper, but that's all he needs.
He rips my shorts down, and then pulls my shirt over my head before he lowers his mouth to my bare breasts. His tongue dances along the edge of my nipple before drawing it fully into his mouth, and I grip his hair too tightly as I try to pull him up.
"I can't handle foreplay right now," I gush out like an eager fool, but it hurts too much to draw it out.
His lips ravage mine in that instant, and he lines himself up, ready to surge in and end my misery.
Suddenly, the glass to the front door shatters, and we hear the screams from outside.
"Alyssa! You have to get out of here!" Sierra's voice blares.
"What the fuck?" Gage gripes while standing up and jerking his pants back into place.
I only thought I was hurting before. Now I know the true definition of tortured.
Flicking my wrist, my clothes appear on my body as Gage helps me to my feet. We walk like normal people to go investigate the infuriating disruption.
"What's going on?" Gage harps, scooping me up before my mortal feet touch the broken glass surrounding the doorway.
He carries me outside, and his touch burns through me, making me crave his taste all the more.
"I'm sorry, but your barrier wouldn't let me in. I had to shatter the glass so you could hear me. You have to get her out of here. Castine is coming, and damn she's coming with a vengeance. She's got Kane."
White noise buzzes in my ears, a heavy mass presses against my chest, and my heart sinks to the ground as Gage stands me up. I look at her in shock, my lips quivering instead of spilling out the words I want to say.
"How?" Gage urges.
"He went after her the night after the two of you were at the house. He read something that prompted him to rush. He was going to wait until tonight when there was no moon, but whatever he read made him run headfirst into a trap. We can't find him, but we just got word she's on her way here - for Alyssa. She'll use her against Kane."
"If Castine has had him that long, he's dead," Gage counters, rushing back inside.
No. Please God, No. Don't let him be dead.
My tears well up, but Sierra counters his claim, offering me a little reprieve.
"He's not dead. Castine loves a drawn out, sadistic death. Whatever she has lined up for him, Alyssa is part of it."
"Fuck," I hear Gage growl from another room. "I won't let that bitch touch her."
"Do you still have that book?" she asks hopefully, and I cringe.
"No. I gave it back to my aunt so she could return it along with another book we made copies of."
"Shit," she murmurs while gripping her head.
"Sierra can come in," I almost whisper, and then I wave my hand to reseal the shattered glass to the door.
I push it open, and she follows me inside, staying directly on my heels as I start throwing my stuff in a bag.
"That book was supposed to help him, not hurt him, damn it," I gripe, shoving more shit into my bag than it can hold.
"I don't know what he read. I've been trying to figure it out, but he deleted all the pictures Zee took with his phone.
"He went after her alone, but he wasn't ready. He fucking knew he wasn't ready! She masked their scents, and I can't track them. Amy and Zee are out there trying to see what they come up with. I came back to warn you. If she needs you, I don't want to think about what she has planned."
I swallow hard, doing my best to process what she's saying. Then Gage steps up.
"Where was she seen?" he asks.
"Alyssa's old house. It won't take her long to track you here. Mask your scents. I have to get back to Deke. He's called in Dray to see if he can help us track down Kane."
She's gone before we can say anything else, and Gage pulls my hand to his lips, leaving a soft kiss behind.
"Alyssa, whatever you do, don't use your magic in front of Castine," he says, his nerves slipping free and rattling his usual composure. "It's highly unlikely she knows you're a witch, or she wouldn't have waited this long. Mortal witches are her favorite cuisine."
He starts pulling me behind him, and I shiver against the chill of the air that settles around my skimpy attire. The toasty house has been tainted by the cool night, and now we're heading back outside where the frost has already started to cloak the ground.
At least the frigid air is icing my raging, messed-up hormones right now. Gage pulls me to him. I feel the cool touch of his lip ring as he kisses my forehead on the way to the car.
"I can feel you shivering. I swear I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. You know that, don't you?"
I smile, my fingers interlocking with his as he opens the passenger door for me.
"I'm shivering because I'm wearing a shirt with teeny-tiny straps and a pair of shorts in the cold air. I know you won't let her get to me without a fight."
He tilts my chin up and his soft kiss finds me just before his tongue slips through my parted lips, surprising me with the unexpected arousal. The metal in his tongue is as warm as his delicious mouth, and I let a small moan free as he grips me tighter. Before I know it, he has me pressed against the car beside the forgotten open door.
My legs slide around his waist, and then he releases a strangled groan, as he drops me back to the ground. His whole body protests his actions, and I cling to him.
"We'll pick this back up when I've got you somewhere safe."
My mind falls to Kane. Even though he's the monster who enjoys ripping me to shreds, I still love him. What's worse, I want to find him. I can't let Castine carry out whatever foul plan she has in store. I know it's just this stupid bond, but I'll give my life to save him.
Disgusted with myself for exuding more concern than he deserves, I duck into the car. Gage shuts the door, and then he materializes in the seat next to me to crank it up and make the engine roar as he squeals out of the garage.
He pulls his bag out of the backseat as he uses his powers to steer the car. I smile when he pulls out a jacket and hands it to me.
"Here," he says, moving his eyes back to the road
I smile appreciatively while tugging it on, and then his phone rings. He waves his hand over it to put it on speaker.
"Yeah."
"The blond lycan chick just showed up at my house and told me to get lost before Castine shows up and forces me to tell her where Alyssa is. What the hell?" Thad grumbles.
"Just do as she says. I'm taking Alyssa as far away as I can get her right now. Castine has already been to her house, and we're about to drink scent maskers. If she hasn't yet discovered you're next door, she'll figure it out soon. Meet us in Edgebrook. I'll call you when we get there."
"That's not too far away."
"No, but it's a start. I've got some friends bunked out there. We'll need some help."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll call Drackus and tell him what's going on. He might have some insight to share on Castine."
Gage frowns, glancing at me once. "Don't tell him-"
"Believe me, I won't. He'd kick my ass for letting you hang around. Especially if he knew how close you've gotten with his daughter."
Gage sighs and then ends the call before pulling my hand in his.
"Why are you so opposed to letting my dad know you're helping me?" I ask, too intrigued to ignore it any longer.
He turns a sharp curve, never once pressing the brake, and we slingshot into the next one with the same overexerted velocity. I grip the door so tightly that my hand almost cramps. At that very moment, I decide to fasten my seatbelt.
After a breath, he finally murmurs, "Your dad likes me, but he doesn't want me near you. He's worried about your decision to join the light, but he doesn't want you joining the dark either. He thinks I would bear influence over you and push you into a decision you should be making for yourself."
That strikes me as odd.
"First of all, I've already chosen light. I practice light magic, though technically I'm not immortal. I realize until I choose light in my immortal form I can always shift sides, but why does he think you would change my mind."
"Because I'm... it's a long story. Let's just leave it at that for now. Your dad reads too much into old prophecies and such. At the moment, we've got more to worry about than that."
He squeezes my hand as a show of encouragement, but I don't like the feeling he's holding back. I lean into him, and decide to make the air a little lighter. All of this gut-wrenching intensity is tying my stomach in knots.
"When did you get your tongue pierced, and how are you getting pierced? I thought your skin was too strong for mortal stuff."
He laughs lightly at my random shift of subject.
"I got it done the other day, and there are ways around our tough exterior. Besides, these aren't just for looks. They have a function, too."
"What possible function could a tongue ring have?"
He lets his laughter choke out, and I instantly feel the burning sensation a fool feels after asking such a ridiculous question.
"Well, let's just say the next time I have you to myself, I'll show you."
I squirm uncomfortably, and he slides his hand to rest on the inside of my thigh. My heart pumps almost loud enough to hear.
"Seriously though, they all do different things. Though it looks like a small spike, the one in my eyebrow is actually a key. I have to have it in order to get into the Somage meetings. The one in my lip is solid silver, and as you know, silver is always good to have on hand. The one in my tongue is actually a hidden piece of a spell, should I ever get desperate. Where I chose to put it is purely for your benefit."
My fever returns, and I debate on whether I should even attempt to comment. His devilish tongue doesn't need any extra help delivering divinity. I can't help but be curious though.
"What will you be getting pierced next?" I ask in an effort to shift the subject again.
He smirks as his eyes flash a shade of mischief my way.
"You really want to know?"
I swallow hard as my mind searches through all the scandalous places he could choose and settles on the only one I can think about. My eyes involuntarily flash down to his tightening pants, and before I know what's going on, he gasps.
"Your eyes just flipped through about twenty shades of red and green."
I sigh as I close the traitorous oddities, and then I recline back.
"Stop fucking with my head, and they won’t do that so much."
He laughs as though I've just made the most hilarious joke ever heard.
"Really? I'm fucking with your head? I think we should hurry up and get this out of our systems. I don't have time to take another dip in the lake."
He's joking, but I can tell it's simply to lighten the mood. I shouldn't feel so comfortable with him, but he makes it impossible to feel any other way.
He pulls out the scent masker, and I turn up my nose.
"Mine's probably worse than yours," he says with a chuckle. "I'll stop and get you something to drink to wash it down."
Thank goodness.
He pulls into a gas station and leaves the car running as he steps inside. I watch him with an appreciation I shouldn't have. When I peel my eyes away, I gasp to find a woman sitting in the driver's seat beside me.
I never heard the door open or close, I never felt her eyes, and I never saw so much as a blur. But she's here - her jet black hair swishing below her shoulders. Her long red dress seems odd, considering the temperature, but I'm wearing a short pajama set, so who am I to judge?
I swallow hard as I stare at her, watching her blood-red painted lips turn up in a crooked smile. It's her. It has to be her.
Her appearance is misleading. The seductive beauty she holds hides the monster beneath. She looks to be in her early twenties, but I've read about her living as far back as medieval times.
"He's a cute little boy," she says with her velvety smooth voice while her eyes point to Gage who is sifting through the drinks at the cooler. "Come quietly, and I won't hurt him... yet."
She really doesn't know I'm a witch, or she'd know Gage was something from our world as well.
"How did you-"
"Find you?" she laughs out. "Easy, my girl. That mark on your wrist is mine. The second you gave yourself to my Kane, you belonged to me as well. Now get up. Step out slowly and walk over to that black car."
She motions to a darkly tinted vehicle just next to us, and I tremble as I put my hand on the door handle.
"One word, one scream, and I'll tear his throat out in front of you," she growls, her eyes once again pointing to the clueless dark user heading to the counter.
If this was any other night stalker, I'd definitely scream for my dark user ally, but this is Castine, and she's immune to my powers just as she's immune to Gage's. I've seen how ineffective Gage was against Kane, and I've seen my killer ex wield power he shouldn't have. Castine is even stronger. I don't stand a chance.
I slowly walk over to the sedan, and she follows me into the car that is driven by a glowing blue-eyed ally of hers.
"Drive, Jess. We've got what we came for," she says once we're tucked inside.
I stare out the window after hearing her command, and my eyes fall to Gage as he walks out with a smile, assuming I'm still waiting for him. I see the horror in his face when he notices I'm gone, but before I can witness his meltdown, we're turning.
"Why do you want me?" I squeak out, my nerves selling me out and stripping away my falsified persona of composure. "What are you going to do to me?"
She giggles in delight about something, and then she brushes her dress as if she's trying to remove a piece of lint.
"Sweetie, I'm not going to do anything to you. I'm going to leave that to Kane."
She managed to make me cringe twice with nearly the same breath. I hate being called sweetie. I wish I could tell her Kane will never hurt me, but I know better. I've heard his threats without her influence.
I scratch at the mark on my wrist that seems to be burning while I'm so close to her. It's red instead of black as it has been. I gasp as I stare at it.
"You shouldn't have bound yourself to him. It made it almost too easy to find you once you felt betrayed. Betrayal is what activates it. Little by little, it grows stronger, finally becoming visible, and then it leads me to its host."
She seems so smug, so proud of herself. I want to rip her sadistic head from her shoulders.
"What's Kane going to do to me?" I ask while swallowing hard.
She smiles, her eyes turning black, something I've never before seen on a night stalker. It's enough to send the terrified prickling sensation from my head to my toes.
"With your death by his hands, the bond he broke between us will be restored. If I kill you, I still lose him. If he kills you, he's still tethered to me enough to keep him from doing something foolish once again. I don't want him dead. But you... Your death is something I look forward to."