When I made it back to the others, they were sitting around the fire, listening to Benji tell a joke. I sat in the seat next Alec again. He glanced at me. His eyes were nearly shut, but he still managed a smile before taking another swig from his beer.

“You were gone for a while,” he slurred as he reached out to drape an arm over my shoulder. I wanted to laugh, but held it in.

God, he was wasted.

“Was I?”

“Yeah. Thought I was gonna have to come look for you.” He released my shoulder in favor of placing his hand on my thigh. “I’m glad you came tonight. We don’t get to spend enough time together. Not as much as I’d like. I really like you. I mean, I really freaking like you.”

His words were sweet, but I chuckled at him nonetheless. “I really freaking like you, too.”

“Do you? Sometimes I wonder,” he said as his bloodshot eyes narrowed on me. “You seem distant, almost as though you’re lost in your own world. One I can’t join.”

I licked my lips, not knowing what to say. He’d hit the nail on the head. I was lost in my own world. All the time. Unfortunately, it was one he couldn’t join.

Had I really been that transparent, though?

“I don’t mind. Not really. All I want is to get close to you, Mina. As close as you’ll allow.” He leaned forward until only inches remained between us. His mouth barely brushed mine when he spoke again. “You’re like a freaking mystical creature, Mina Ryan, and I want to know everything about you.”

My heart stopped. Was he being literal? Did he know what I was? Alarm nipped at my insides. Suddenly, I felt as though I was treading in dangerous territory with him.

Alec leaned away, giving me space to breathe, but my lungs seemed to forget how. His gaze intensified and I knew the conversation wasn’t over yet.

“I’ve been fascinated by magic and mystical creatures, the supernatural world, since I was little,” he whispered before taking another swig from his beer. My throat grew dry. This conversation couldn’t be going anywhere good. “I don’t talk much about it because my mom hates anything supernatural related—she thinks it’s all devil’s play—but after what happened to my uncle, I’ve never been able to shake the feeling everything muttered about in this town is all real.”

Oh no. Shane didn’t need to hear any of this, and Alec didn’t need to continue with his train of thought. He might ask me a question I wouldn’t be able to answer. Not here. Not now. Maybe not ever.

My gaze drifted to Shane. He wasn’t paying attention to our conversation. Becca was doing a good job of occupying him with her lips. It was the first time I’d seen them look like an actual couple. Generally, Shane was too busy being moody.

When their kiss broke, Shane placed her knuckles to his lips in a sweet gesture that spurred a giggle from her and had me thinking he might be sweeter than I gave him credit for. Maybe this side of him was the one Becca and the others saw most often. Maybe I made his bad side come out. Or maybe we had more in common than I liked to think—we both had a strong desire to protect those we cared for.

My gaze drifted to Ridley and Benji. They were playing a game of war with the cards Benji had brought, oblivious to us.

“Have you ever wondered if it was all real?” Alec muttered, drawing my attention back to him. “There’s no way someone could make all that crap up, right? Vampires, witches, werewolves, fairies. I mean, someone had to see at least one of them along the line. Humans can’t have that good of imaginations. Not a chance.”

I squirmed in my seat. What could I say? What should I say? Alec leaned back in his chair and glanced up at the night sky.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I guess I’ve never given much thought to it.”

Alec’s head lulled to the side. His eyes were still bloodshot and glossed over, but his gaze was focused on me. “Oh, come on. You can’t be serious. You’ve honestly never—”

“Hey! Know what we all should do?” Benji shouted as he slapped a stack of cards down on the cooler between him and Ridley. “Go for a little nighttime swim in the lake!”

“Yes,” Shane insisted, surprising me with his level of enthusiasm for the idea. “A moonlight swim sounds perfect.” He tapped on Becca’s thigh, motioning for her to stand so he could get up. She giggled when he intertwined his fingers through hers and pulled her along with him toward the lake. Apparently, alcohol made Becca a giggly school girl without a thought of her own. I didn’t think skinny dipping was something she’d be up for if she were sober.

I debated for a second whether I should try to be her voice of reason or let her cut loose a little.

When she stumbled, tripping on a root, I knew she had to be hammered. Shane caught her before she hit the ground. His reflexes were quick for being so intoxicated. The two of them burst into a fit of laughter, and I rolled my eyes even as a smile stretched onto my face. Becca was having fun. She’d be okay.

Ridley caught my eye. Anxiety radiated off her. She wasn’t as drunk as the others. We were both cautious tonight, albeit for different reasons.

Alec wobbled to his feet and offered me his hand. I took it. The heat from his touch seeped through my body, making me ten times hotter than I already was. Maybe a dip in the lake would do all of us some good. Heck, it might even sober everyone up.

As the six of us made our way through the woods toward the lake, we made more noise than we probably should. For me, it was on purpose. I wanted Tate to hear us and slink deeper into the shadows. If Violet was still around, I wanted her to have another reason to head home.

Once the lake came in to view, Alec let go of my hand and jogged toward the water. He stripped as he went, leaving only his boxers on. Heat simmered up my neck and across my face as I took in the sight of him. The lean muscles of his back flexed in the dim light of the moon as he moved, and I found it impossible to look away from him.

“Okay, so I guess we’re going swimming,” Ridley muttered from beside me as she kicked off her shoes. Benji had already raced to the water and was splashing with the others.

I peeled off my shirt and tossed it onto the nearest pile of clothes. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“This may sound weird,” Ridley said as she slinked out of her shorts. “But I feel like if I don’t say something I’m not going to be able to enjoy the rest of my night.”

I shifted to glance at her. “Umm, okay.”

She licked her lips and paused in undressing to lock eyes with me. Her dark ringlets floated around her face as a gentle breeze swept through the air. It gave her an eerie, witchy vibe that sent goose bumps prickling across my skin.

“Again, this is going to sound crazy, but I’ve had a feeling all night that you need to be careful,” she whispered. “It’s a gut feeling something bad might happen to you tonight if you’re not. Now that we’re out here in the open it’s gotten worse. Just, be careful.”

“Okay.” Did she get the feeling I didn’t know how to swim? I did. Or was it something else?

“I know I sound nuts. You can write me off as being a mental case if you want after tonight, but I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t tell you what I was feeling and something bad happened.”

“It’s okay,” I said as I peeled off my shorts. “I don’t think you’re nuts, and thanks for the heads-up.” I flashed her a smile, but it was forced. All her woo-woo feeling stuff was starting to freak me out.

Tension melted from her face as she studied me. Was I the first person to take one of her warnings to heart? Maybe in the past people had treated her like a freak because of them. I didn’t think she was a freak; I only felt grateful she’d said something. It confirmed I shouldn’t let my guard down tonight no matter what.

I walked with Ridley to the water’s edge. The others were splashing around and laughing. Alec noticed me approaching.

“Come on in. The water’s fine,” he insisted as he treaded water. His eyes appraised me the way I had him seconds before. Heat bloomed across my face. Wearing nothing but my bra and underwear seemed more intimate and taboo than a bathing suit even though it covered the same areas.

I dipped my toes in the water, testing its temperature while trying to ignore the way Alec’s eyes trailed over me in an unabashed way. It was cool, but not cold enough to detour me from stepping in further. Ridley walked out until her ankles were covered. A visible shiver slipped through her and I laughed.

“It’s colder than I thought it would be,” she said, wrapping her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, but it’s not that bad,” I insisted.

Splashing captured my attention. Benji had dunked Alec under, and Alec was struggling to retaliate. I took a few steps forward until I was knee-deep in the water and glanced back at Ridley. She looked small and frail as she chewed her bottom lip, staring at the rippling water’s surface.

Did she know how to swim?

“Hey,” I called out to her. “You coming?”

Her gaze lifted to mine. “Yeah. Water just isn’t my thing.”

“You don’t have to get in if you don’t want to,” I insisted, debating whether I should hang back with her so she’d feel less uncomfortable.

“Oh, yes she does!” Benji shouted from somewhere behind me. He darted passed me, splashing me in the face as he went. “Just a little bit. Come on. We don’t have to go out far if you don’t feel comfortable, though.”

My heart melted a little. I’d never thought of Benji as the sweet type. When he talked to Ridley, he was never anything except sweet, though.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. Promise,” he said as he held out a hand to her.

“I know,” I heard Ridley say before I shifted back around to let them have their moment. I made my way farther out into the lake.

The water reached my waist when Alec started toward me. I paused, allowing my stomach a few seconds to adjust to the cooler temperature.

“Keep it coming,” Alec coaxed. A wide smile stretched across his face, and he crooked his finger at me.

I laughed and continued forward. Once we were close enough to touch, his fingertips skimmed over my waist as he gripped my hips and pulled me closer. The heat of his body pressed against me, and he dipped his head to brush his lips against mine. My heart beat triple time as I moved my lips against his, relishing in the slow pace he’d set. It was tender and sweet, while at the same time fiery. My arms locked around his neck as his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. His tongue skimmed my bottom lip, teasing me as his excitement pressed against my lower stomach. Lust clouded my thoughts. It didn’t last long. Soon a prickling sensation spread across my skin as the feeling I was being watched rushed through me.

I reined myself in, or at least I tried to. Alec wouldn’t allow it, though. His grip on me tightened as he pushed our kiss toward something deeper and more passionate. The tender slip of his tongue across mine became primal and sexy, causing every thought to evaporate from my mind. It was all-consuming the way he kissed me. I could think of nothing else besides him.

The way he tasted. The way he smelled. The way he touched me.

In that moment, there was only Alec and me. No one else.

Hopefully, whoever was watching us would look away.