Chapter 8
Kane
"You asked her to marry you?" Zee asks, seeming shocked.
I frown, realizing belatedly that I should have done all that better. Alyssa wasn't ready for it. It's not like I've ever proposed before.
"Sort of. I asked her for eternity," I grumble while gripping my head. So stupid.
It seemed so romantic at the time. Now I feel like a complete ass. No wonder she said no, or well—postponed saying no.
"Dude," Zee chuckles out, "You're supposed to buy a ring first—chicks expect the works."
I groan, dropping my head back so I can stare at the ceiling instead of Zee's mocking expression.
"I know. I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that," I say while bringing my eyes back to meet his.
The roaring and banging below reminds me I need to soundproof the fucking basement. Even as a mindless red moon beast, Amy recognizes and loathes the very mention of the girl I love. She can kiss my fucking ass.
"When are you going to buy one?" Zee asks, letting his teasing tone disperse and make room for his supportive friend mask instead.
It's about time.
"I already got one. Today. After that stupid fucker showed up and took her out to meet the widows."
The very mention of that damn dark user pisses me off. I can't stand him. He's constantly going on about Alyssa as if she's his. She's mine, damn it.
I take a deep, cleansing breath, refusing to allow my anger to surge. I wish they'd hurry up and get back. I hate the fact she's even with him.
"Hello?" Zee gripes, waving his hand in front of my eyes, sounding exasperated. "The ring? Where is it?"
"It's here," I murmur, digging it out of my pocket. "I thought I'd get something together for her tomorrow night. I know there's supposed to be a red moon, but I thought she and I could grab a hotel room for just one night. One night."
I sigh out, feeling weighted by all the disasters surrounding our lives. Zee studies the ring, looking confused. I'm sure he expected some extravagant diamond.
"Dude, you know you have money, right? Why'd you buy the girl a mood stone?"
I laugh. He has no clue what this is.
"This isn't some generic piece of crap you buy out of a ring machine. This is the real deal. It's been blessed by a chanter. It'll actually shift colors with each mood she has— like her eyes. Except this will be all the time. I thought it was a little more personal," I say, shrugging. "It cost a hell of a lot more than any diamond."
Zee laughs and shakes his head, as I smile down at the small ring that will fit her finger perfectly. I pray she says yes. She was hesitant before, but she didn't technically say no. She loves me. She's just scared.
"Damn, I wish she'd—"
A gush of dark specks invade the house, interrupting me. Gage materializes amongst the specks, looking like he just lost a fight with an ogre. His clothes are tattered, his bottom lip is bloody, and he seems breathless.
"What the fuck?" I blare, looking around for Alyssa to magically appear. "Where the hell is she? Did the widows do this?"
I start to punch him when he doesn't answer right away, in an attempt to snap him out of his deep thought, but he finally responds.
"It wasn't the widows—it was Alyssa."
Cold prickles climb over me, sinking deep into my core. "Alyssa? Did this?" Zee asks before I can.
"Yes, and I have no idea where the fuck she went after she left me unconscious."
"Back up and start over," I growl. "What did you do to her?"
The venom that glistens in his eyes lets me know he hates me just as much as I hate him. I let my night stalker eyes come to life as a warning not to fuck with me. He doesn't cower like he should, but he does finally cede.
"I didn't do a damn thing. She got sick while we were with the widows, so we left. She passed out, I carried her to the car, and I was on the phone with Drackus when she came to and fucking lost it.
"She hit me with a shot of power that was so massive it flipped the car. Shocked the hell out of me. I climbed to my feet, worried to death she was dead, but she was perfectly fine as she stalked toward me, acting like she wanted to rip me in half. I asked her what the fuck she was doing, only to see she her hair turn black and her eyes turn silver. Silver!"
All the oxygen is stripped from the air. She really is a descendent of Freya. A goddess by right. But this can't be happening right now.
"Silver eyes?" Zee asks, but I ignore him as I move on to the real problem at hand.
"She can't have silver eyes yet, Gage. She's mortal. She's not—it's not possible. She still bleeds like a human."
I'll spare him the details of why I know that. I'm sure he doesn't want to know how soft her flesh still is beneath my fangs when she offers herself to me, and how freely it runs through me just before I take—
"They were definitely silver. And she was pissed at me for reasons I have no clue about. Alyssa was gone. Nowhere at all to be found inside the thing that took over her body."
That infuriates me. "It's still Alyssa, you fucking idiot. She's not a thing. She has to learn to control the beasts."
His snarling response is quick, verging on becoming a challenge. "I didn't call her a thing. I called this possession a thing. She can't control it. Freya couldn't control all the pieces. Her eyes rarely went silver, and when they did, it was because she lost it under the—"
His voice trails off because we both realize how fucking stupid we've been. "The red moon," I grumble while considering slapping myself. "And Sierra can't track her while she's fucking crazy. What about her phone?" I ask, hoping he can track her that way.
I didn't think about the fact he would have already done that if he could have.
"This phone?" he snarls, pulling her phone from his pocket and tossing it to the table by the wall.
"Shit," I gripe while running my hand through my hair. "I have to go find her."
"I've been trying for over an hour to find her. It's pointless. We'll just have to wait until morning—when she's herself again."
He flops down to the couch and scrubs his hands over his face over and over. If I had been there, I could have stopped her from doing this. I brought her back the last time. Albeit, she wasn't quite so destructive last time.
I glance out the window as headlights pull up. Dice. Now is not the time. How did that asshole even find this place?
"Zee, get rid of him," I grumble, motioning to the incubus in his car.
"Sure. Then you can tell me what the hell the two of you freaks are talking about."
He rolls his eyes, acting pissed for being out of the loop, but this is Alyssa's secret to tell, not mine.
"She wasn't careful. I hope she hasn't fucking exposed herself. I've got to find a way to help her subdue that part of her," Gage says, acting as though he's going to be the one taking care of her.
"First of all, she doesn't need to subdue anything. It's part of her. Pushing it down, denying it—it'll hurt her in the end. I know that personally. She has to learn control it."
He scoffs something too low for me to hear fully—something about night stalkers coaching witches on how to be monsters. Fucking dick.
"No matter what you say," he grumbles, "this isn't Alyssa. Being this...creature will surely destroy her. I won't let you decide what's best. If she contains it the way Freya did, she'll be powerful without being a monster. She'll never forgive herself if she hurts someone."
I glare at him, ready to rip his head from his shoulders. How dare he! He doesn't love her. If you love someone, you love all of them, not just the parts that are easy to love. You love the good, the bad, the extremely fucked-up. You don't tell them to pretend to be something they're not. You don't try to change them. You accept all of them, encourage them to be comfortable in their own skin—especially in our world.
"Alyssa is stronger than you're giving her credit for being, damn it. Freya might have been strong, but she was a ticking time bomb because she isolated the sections of her like they were categories, never allowing herself to be at peace with what she was for fear of becoming one of the underlings in her species. Had those creatures learned control, they too could have been just as amazing as Alyssa will be."
He has no faith in her, yet he claims to love her. He's no good for her. He'll drag her to the pits of hell with his good intentions. I pray she never goes back. Please, God let her marry me and stay the fuck away from this judgmental ass.
He turns his cold gaze back to meet my unrelenting glower. "If she kills, it will draw the darkness out and leave it in control. Maybe you want her to be some demented killer, but I don't want to see her lose herself to the darkness within."
I lunge after him, but Deke is suddenly restraining me. I forgot all about him even being here. Shit. He heard all that.
"Fighting isn't helping," Deke barks, holding my arms behind me.
I could easily rip free, but he's right. If I fight with Gage, it's just going to put more burden on Alyssa. I hate dilemmas. I'd really love to thoroughly kick the dark user's ass.
"Where the hell were you?" Gage growls, sneering at Deke who has now overheard everything.
"With the girls. I try to stay close in case Sierra breaks free. Stop looking at me like that. It's not like I haven't already figured out Alyssa is more than a meager witch. Her eyes flip the hell out pretty regularly. I admit, this is—confusing, possibly a little overwhelming, but Kane is right—she needs control."
Deke's eyes lack the conviction of his tone. He's only siding with me because he would never go against me. He too believes Alyssa should contain her darker gifts. Unbelievable. Do they not know how amazing she is? She can do this. She can be the goddess instead of the monster.
"You're both fucking idiots," I hiss, ripping free and walking away, ignoring the frown Deke offers me.
Gage looks confused by my words, since Deke took my side, but I know my friend better than he does. If Deke knows, it's only right I talk to Alyssa about telling Zee. Zee will be on our side. He'd better be.
It's starting to feel like it's just me and my girl against the rest of the world—they want to wrap her up in a straightjacket. They're condemning her for being different because of the mistakes others have made in the past. I can only imagine what will happen when others find out –people who don't give a damn about her. They'll kill her. Or try to. I sure as fuck won't let it happen.
I rarely use my secret powers no night stalker should possess. But I'll break free hell's wrath if they fuck with her.
Deke walks up behind me, patting me on the shoulder. "Sorry," he murmurs under his breath.
"Just shut the hell up," I mumble, staring out the window as Zee argues with Dice.
I can't hear the words, but I can see the incubus throwing his hands around angrily as the argument becomes heated. Alyssa has been driving him crazy since he first learned she was immune to his charm.
A smug grin comes to play on my lips just thinking about that. It's washed away when I think of that first day. So many times she kissed me after our divide, and it was all I could do to pull away each and every time. That day—I barely let her go.
I thought it was just her kissing me. I wanted to kill that slimy dick for forcing her against me and crushing another piece of my soul with false hope.
Nothing has ever hurt so much as learning she was a witch. Not because she was a witch, but because I thought I had just been a pawn in yet another scheme to draw out Castine. So many people have tried using me in the past. Being Castine's favorite was horrible enough. Having my life stalked by numerous fey just so they could get close to her made it all the more like hell.
When I thought Alyssa was just like the rest of them—it hurt worse than any physical pain I had ever felt. I wish—damn, I wish I had just talked to her, listened to her all the times she tried telling me the truth. My stubbornness and pride nearly cost me the only girl I've ever loved, but I'll be damned if I ever lose her again.
A dark storm brews in the distance, drawing all of our attention to the road that stretches into the thick woods we're surrounded by. My heart flutters, knowing the reason behind this unusual storm.
"It's her," Gage says, coming to stand beside me, tensing and reeking of fear. "I'll go to her."
"The hell you will," I snap. "You're fucking trembling inside. She doesn't need to taste fear. Predators drink it up, revel in their prey's terror. Her darker side will look at you like a toy to play with. You need to leave. I'm not afraid of her."
He narrows his eyes, clenching his fists when his hands begin to shake from anger and fear.
"I'm not afraid," he lies, acting as though he can fool me. "It's me. I'm the one who is meant for her. Only I can help her stop this shit."
"You'll only provoke the darkness. With you, she'll feel in-control and powerful. With me, she'll want something, I'll give it to her, but I'll keep the upper hand. This is how you play the game. You don't know the first thing about teaching someone to deal with the demons that come with the thirst for blood."
"You don't get to—"
I lose it. Before he can finish that pointless statement, I've unleashed my hidden power, knocked him against the wall, and dropped him to the ground. He writhes for a breath of air until he passes out. I release him from my unseen hold before I accidentally kill the stupid fool.
Deke groans, rolling his eyes. "There will be hell to pay for that later. You can't keep showing a Somage member how strong you are. It's a game of fire. You're going to get fiercely burned."
As the trees begin to bend and bow, I turn my attention back to the storm coming toward us with dark hair and glowing silver eyes. Damn, she looks like she's been up to something she'll regret.
She's less than three-hundred feet away now, and Zee and Dice have stopped arguing long enough to gawk at her in disbelief.
"I'm not worried about the Somage, Deke," I mutter, listening to his jaw try to unhinge as he stares at the deadly beauty stalking toward us with the sexiest strut I've ever seen. "I'm worried about my girl."
I step out onto the balcony of the stilted house, and I stare down at the precious gem the world fears. Dice stumbles backwards, drenched in horror, but Zee just tilts his head, seeming unafraid. His naivety is his saving grace because he doesn't understand the importance of the silver eyes she shows so boldly.
Now Dice—Dice is in trouble. I can smell his fear from here. She'll eat him alive. Not literally—hopefully.
Deke follows me out to the balcony, wisely not making a sound, as she lifts her hand to reveal her powerful symbol. The red and blue swirl around her palm, becoming a strong show of dominance when Zee's eyes glow blue, his fangs slip out, and he drops to his knees. Dice's eyes turn a glowing green and mix with swirls of red as he also drops to the ground.
Both mine and Deke's eyes change as our fangs slip free, exposing us, but we don't crumble. I suppose that means her symbol is strong, but it doesn't offer pain if you're far enough away.
"Fucking shit," Dice groans, gripping his side.
Her delight in his pain shows when she unveils a deadly, twisted grin, and then she flings her hand out, sliding Dice across the ground and slamming him into a tree before pinning him down with her fierce power.
Her symbol slinks back down into hiding, releasing our inner selves, but I keep my night stalker eyes in place of my green ones. I have to show her I'm not afraid of her—because I'm not.
Considering I fucking hate Dice, I don't know whether to cringe or gloat when she pushes out more power and flips him into the woods. His yelps of pain and shock echo through the trees, making me feel vindicated for choosing such an isolated home.
Her eyes turn to me, and her dirty vixen's grin sneaks up as she licks her lips. I don't hide my daring smile as I drop from the balcony, landing on my feet with a thud. I begin walking toward her as she moves to meet me.
"There you are," she murmurs in a seductive tone that makes me almost fall at her feet to worship her.
She's exuding succubus right now, and her eyes change from silver to mix green and red as proof. They're not mood-stone eyes—they're displays of power. How did I not see this sooner? Freya couldn't do that. Alyssa can truly encompass all the creatures, making her far more powerful than Freya ever was. She can learn to control it.
Her lips crush mine as her hands slide up to tangle in my hair. Damn, she tastes so good. I grip her under her ass and rip her up from the ground to wrap her legs around my waist. I want to be as close as possible right now.
She smiles behind the kiss, proving that's exactly what she wants as well.
"Tell me I'm yours," she breathes into my mouth, making my night stalker side roar with pleasure.
Fuck yes, you're mine. "You're mine," I murmur without hesitance, tasting the excitement in her mouth as she kisses me with more need, more desire.
I walk up the steps, blindly making my way back into the house to prove to her just how mine she is. I don't know the first thing about the creature goddess part of her, but I do know how she came back to reality last time.
She wasn't this far gone last time though. I may have to work a little harder. A twisted grin slips over my lips as my scandalous mind goes to work, and I feel her mimicking my smile when she tastes my need for her.
"I love you," I mutter, wondering if that will be enough to break the spell she's under. It doesn't. However, her eyes do stop swirling with green and red and return to silver.
"I love you, night stalker," she says, grinning bigger.
After spending centuries hating the monster I am, I'm surprised to feel excited when she calls me that, loving me despite the evil that lurks deep within. She loves all of me, regardless of the fact she was raised by one of the lightest witches there is.
"Eternity is yours," she mutters, breaking my heart and sending it soaring at the same time.
If she wasn't under the influence of her creature goddess, I would completely unravel at the seams from that promise. But she is, so it hurts to know she'll probably recant that later, if she even remembers it at all.
I step over the dark user who is still out-cold, lying on the floor. She doesn't even offer his limp body a glance, meaning she's solely focused on me in this moment. Damn, that feels good.
The door slams behind us when we make it to my room. Her breath becomes an aphrodisiac, making me hungry for more—which I didn't think was possible. I pull her shirt over her head with one hand, letting her help me quickly toss it aside. Her bra becomes collateral damage when I break it in my clumsy attempt to remove it.
We crash to the bed, becoming a tangled web of limbs and unkempt desire. It's perfect. She's perfect.
I pull back to start jerking her pants free, letting a slight moan fall through my lips when my eyes feast on her glorious body. Definitely perfect—flaws and all. The magical veil she keeps over her scar has dropped, exposing her past torment.
She doesn't have to hide that scar from me. She doesn't have to hide anything. I love her—all of her.
She's beautiful even with it marring her smooth skin. It makes me want to rewind time and be there when she needed someone. I'd love to be lurking in the shadows when he tried to attack. I'd make him a cautionary tale to anyone who threatened her.
Her hungry lips steal me away from my thoughts, and I smile when I realize I'm bare between her legs. She used her magic to peel me out of my clothes without me even noticing—sneaky vixen.
"Take me. Claim me," she murmurs softly, relinquishing all control, surprising me.
I was expecting to war with her a little about who was dominant. I didn't expect her to offer herself to me so willingly. Maybe I was wrong about the way we need to train her.
My hesitation is scolded by a deep growl in her throat, almost making her sound like a werecat. I look to see the forest green in her eyes and the catlike pupil that has formed. Shit.
"I said take—"
I interrupt her by slamming into her, making my breath catch in my throat as my eyes roll back in my head. Christ. She feels too good. You'd think I'd be used to her body by now, but I think it only feels better every time.
A strangled, excited moan escapes from her perfectly full lips when I start my rough, owning motions. If she wants to be claimed, I'll gladly be the one to claim her.
Her animal instincts are in overdrive, making her act like prey and predator at once—submissive and dominant, alpha and beta. It's exciting and terrifying to see her so strong and vulnerable at the same time.
She grips me tighter, forcing each thrust to go deeper when she angles her hips in a way that damn near forces me to find my release too soon. I devour her lips, trembling when her delicious tongue slips into my mouth and demands my full attention.
She breaks off the kiss and jerks me down to be closer to her, making my thrusts a little more shallow, and offering me the chance to last longer inside her. Thank fuck.
My head rests beside hers, giving me an opportunity to kiss all the way down her neck. She pulls me closer, making it obvious what she craves—my bite.
A grin spreads over my lips as I continue to own her body while leisurely kissing her neck, denying her the erotic pain she desires.
"Please," she almost whimpers, making me groan with so many twisted fantasies running awry.
Her begging me to bleed her—it's every night stalker's dream come true. My blue eyes have never died down, so there's no need to call on them. My fangs, however, slip free, eager to draw her blood. I salivate at the very thought of taking her this way—a way that proves her trust in me on so many levels.
What that does for me? So damn much.
My fangs bear down on her soft, incredibly exquisite flesh, and she moans as her nails dig into my back. When the skin breaks, too many wild sounds escape us both. She pulls me closer, begging me to take more as I suck against the intoxicating wound. She tastes like heaven each and every time. I have to be careful. Her blood is so damn addictive. The blood of a creature goddess has to be so much stronger than a mere witch's.
I thrust in harder as I break free from the bite, lapping up each sweet drop of her blood that trickles down her neck. I hear the wound closing, as I run my tongue over the last bit of her red stream.
A shot of hot pain mixed with ecstasy shocks me, and I look to my shoulder to see her fangs—her fangs—buried deep inside my flesh. What the fuck?! Her eyes burn blue as she drinks me in, making me feel as though I'm being rushed and choked by the strongest aphrodisiac there has ever been.
Seeing night stalker eyes on my beautiful witch is the hottest and most disturbing thing I've ever seen. So many conflicting emotions run through me, drowning me with the incoherency of the voices inside my head.
She pulls back, smiling as she licks her lips. Her sexy fangs scrape against her tongue, and I almost lose all my ability to hold myself up. I rip her up and flip us, forcing her to take the lead on top, and then I revel in the way her hips start moving against mine the second she seizes control.
A droplet of my blood wavers on her lip just as she tosses her head back. As her head falls back down into place, the blond strands start taking place of the dark ones—slowly weaving their way back into dominance.
She slows her rhythm, looking lost for a minute, but she jerks me to her, forcing me to sit up as our bodies start colliding again. Chatter from outside the room becomes distracting, but my beautiful witch uses her powers to start the music, drowning everything out.
As a cry falls through her lips, I lose my restraint, climaxing with her as my name flows like a grateful prayer through her lips. I kiss her hard, removing the last drop of my blood from her lip before she has time to dwell on what just happened.
She pants against my face and lets her forehead rest against mine when she's forced to break away from the kiss in order to breathe deeper. I don't know what to say or do just yet. I'm curious as to how much she even remembers.
"You okay?" I ask, worried.
Sweet sweat taints her blond hair, but when it was dark, it was completely dry. Is she going immortal when she's like that? It shouldn't be possible to flicker between the two. Of course, it's hard to rule anything out with her.
"I...think so," she murmurs shakily, slowly finding a rhythm to her erratic breathing. "I got sick at the widow mansion, and then I woke up here, in your arms, in the middle of that incredible sex. I'm not complaining," she chuckles, "but how did we end up like this?"
Shit. She has no clue.
"You sort of...um..." How the hell do I tell her she just went goddess on Gage and then went missing for a while?
Her smile falls as realization sweeps in without me having to explain. Tears water up in her eyes, and she shakes her head, doing her best not to fall apart. I don't hesitate to pull her to the bed, wrapping her up in my protective embrace and kissing her hair. I wish I could just make it all easier for her, somehow.
"What happened?" she says in a hoarse whisper, doing her best not to crack like glass.
"Short version?" I ask, hoping she'll accept it.
She nods and rolls over to bury her face in my chest, while wrapping her leg around my waist. She's so precious like this—curled up in my arms. I wish we could just disappear from the world—that we could stay this way forever, instead of worrying daily about what hell is going to break loose next.
With a quick breath, I highlight the events of the evening, making light of the situation, praying she won't start panicking the way she did last time. A few tears spill down her cheeks as terror strikes her, but I kiss her quickly, reminding her I'm here for her. She doesn't have to face this alone.
I run my hand down the curve of her waist until it rests on her hip, waiting for her to say something.
"Is Gage okay?" she finally asks, wiping away her escaped tears.
"He's in the living room. He's fine. I did more damage than you," I grumble, dreading the way she's probably going to bite my head off for that.
"Why did you—"
A loud banging on the door cuts through the sounds of the music, making Alyssa jump a little from the startling unexpectedness of it. "Get out here!" Gage yells, sounding furious.
I roll my eyes. I know he's pissed because I've got her and he doesn't. I don't rush through the motions. I take my time, leisurely dressing at my own pace, as Alyssa pulls out a robe I bought for her.
I offer her an encouraging smile as she ties it into place, running her hands along the silk fabric that is so lucky to be touching her skin.
"It's going to be okay," I murmur softly, walking over to take her hand in mine.
"Kane! Now, damn it!" Zee yells, sounding panicked.
I pull Alyssa to me, suddenly finding urgency in my steps. What the hell is going on?
As soon as I walk into the room, I'm met with several pale faces. This can't be good.
"What?" I bark. They were in a hurry to get me out here, but now no one wants to speak.
Deke takes a weary breath, deciding to be the one to break the silence.
"Alyssa was seen tonight by humans while using her powers. Dray is out doing damage control the best he can, but we don't know how many saw her. If the councils find out—"
"They'll have to go through me first," I growl.
When she trembles next to me, I pull my girl closer, offering her stability against her wobbly stance. When she threatens to collapse, I scoop her up and cradle her against my chest before sitting down on the couch with her in my lap.
"How did this come about?" I ask, gently stroking Alyssa's hair as she holds back her fear, trying to look strong in front of everyone.
Dice shakes his head, still bleeding from Alyssa's attack. "A radio station was talking about the freak storm, and a caller came on the air, claiming they saw a girl force the skies open for the rain to spread while chanting a spell. She used her magic in front of people, and God knows how many saw. You should've told me sooner. I could have been helping you."
"They know?" she squeaks, making me wince.
"You showed yourself, babe. Dice is old enough to know the rumors of silver eyes. Deke overheard. Zee—"
I look up, letting my voice trail off. "I told him," Gage mumbles, gripping his head before turning his gaze to my shaking girl. "Do you remember anything—anyone who might have seen what happened? We can do damage control. People think they see paranormal activity all the time. They've got shows on it. We can write this off as a bunch of crazy talk if you can point us in the direction of the witnesses."
She shakes her head and quickly wipes away the few tears that have fallen. "I don't know of anyone. I don't remember anything since the widows."
"Nothing?" Gage asks, looking back to me, telling me with his eyes what he can't say with his mouth in front of her.
I tighten my lips. He wants me to say he's right—that we need to teach her to lock away who she is and try to only use the parts of her people aren't afraid of—the less dangerous parts. I refuse. She needs to be comfortable with all of her. It's the only way she'll ever overcome the darkness.
Dray appears in the room, forcing a knot in my stomach. I dread what he might say. His dark hair sweeps his brow as he collapses to a chair.
"Drackus will have my balls in a vice if anything like this ever happens again," he grumbles, and I visibly relax in my seat.
"You found them all?" I ask, feeling even better when he smirks.
"I got most of them—enough to keep anyone from believing in things they know nothing about. The councils won't know it was her unless they dig deep. They might send the Somage to investigate," he says, pausing as he looks toward Gage, "but I don't think they'll delve into it very far."
Gage smirks, nodding knowingly. "Something tells me the Somage won't find a damn thing."
I want to roll my eyes or pop off something sardonic, but I put my own feelings toward the dark user aside since he's going to come in handy. Alyssa sighs, her body going limp against me as the relief settles in.
"Well, I'm guessing everyone knows her secrets now," Dray says, leaning forward and gauging the room.
"The girls don't," Zee says, motioning toward the howling beasts calling to the red moon from the basement.
"They couldn't hear?" Alyssa asks, proving how new to this world she still is.
"Not while under the influence of the red moon," I answer. "They understand names and certain words, but they don't retain much when they shift back."
"Good," she mumbles. "I don't want Amy knowing. She'll fucking love it," she says, whispering the last part so low that I don't think she wanted anyone to hear it.
Her lips pucker like there's a bitter taste in her mouth, and I hold back a sigh. I know she still questions this stupid thing linking Amy to me. I hate it—fucking hate it. I wish I'd never met Amy. If there's a way to prove to Alyssa I'm never going to be with the lycan bitch, I'll find it.
"I love you," I murmur against her forehead when she leans into me more.
She lets free a genuine smile when she feels comforted by those three powerful words. At least I can do that much. I'll tell her as often as she needs to hear it.
"I love you," she utters softly, kissing my chest as she snuggles against me.
Gage's jaw clenches as he grinds his molars, but he doesn't vaporize from the room like he normally does when she shows me any sort of affection. Damn. I was looking forward to him being gone.
"Let's get some rest. We still have Thad's memorial tomorrow," Gage murmurs quietly, letting his eyes only gaze at the floor and not us.
The spell of temporary relaxation Alyssa had is broken with the reminder of her friend's sad fate. I'm starting to wonder if Gage didn't deliberately do that to crush the moment between us. If he did, that's low—even for a dark user. Even at my cruelest, I wouldn't have done such a thing.
"Aye," Dice says, yawning. "I've had my ass thoroughly kicked, so a night of rest will do me good."
His eyes move to Alyssa, expecting an apology, which she doesn't offer. She doesn't know what she did to him. I intentionally left that out.
He frowns when he realizes she's oblivious, and his eyes come to meet my warning ones. I shake my head once, letting him know not to bring it up. I'll tell her eventually, but not now—not tonight. The fact she hurt Gage was upsetting enough to her. She doesn't need to know she hurt Dice, too.
She stands first, and I follow, snaking my arm around her waist and feeling the thin sheet of silky material that covers her body. As soon as we're alone, I'm startled by her pulling me down to kiss her.
Her kiss is needy, not hungry. I'm not sure what's going on, but I pull her closer, letting my tongue slip in and tangle with hers before picking her up and dropping to the bed with her in my arms.
"Thank you," she murmurs when she pulls back.
"For?" I ask, still reeling from that powerful kiss I want to go back to.
"For being here for me—again. You—it's like you—I don't know. I don't deserve it. You have no idea how harshly I've judged the bitten fey, especially night stalkers. I don't deserve to have you—someone who is so understanding of the monster I really am."
A few tears creep out despite her attempts to restrain them, and I wipe one away with my thumb before kissing her softly. Her robe has fallen open enough to show me her veil has resumed, covering the scar that goes deeper than the surface.
I stroke the smooth skin that holds a tragic secret, and then I lean down, kissing her there. Her breath hitches for a minute and she stiffens, but not because she's scared of me. She's insecure because of what that son of a bitch left behind.
"I'll always be here, Alyssa. I've told you that before," I murmur before dragging my lips up her neck in a slow, sensual motion.
Her chills make me feel rewarded by telling me I've said or done something right. Her fingers start running through my hair as she lets me continue tracing the line of her jaw with my lips.
I smile when I see her smiling with her eyes closed, relaxing completely under the promise of my words and the love in my touch. She's mine, just as I'm hers.