Chapter 116: Chapter Twenty-Two

Hope

Dirt caked my fingernails as I dug into the new flowerbed and planted more of the purple tulips that the immortals found spellbinding.

Sweat poured down my back, creating a really nice stream as it made its way down my legs and into my flip-flops.

And technically—my shift ended hours ago.

But I wasn’t sure where to go.

Home?

To my apartment?

To Ethan’s house?

Where was home anyway?

Home.

Home.

Home.

I mulled the word around and was met with a solid wall of steel in my brain, like a door I couldn’t break through.

What the heck was wrong with me lately?

To make matters worse, just as promised, the numbing effects of whatever Ethan had done had worn off hours ago, leaving me in a state of constant pain every time I tried to breathe like a normal human being.

Add that to the fact that it was already viciously hot in the compound, and I was a pile of gross.

A small part of me cheered at the thought of going back to Ethan’s, running up the stairs, and rubbing my sweaty body all over Alex’s pristine sheets.

But the smile only lasted for so long, because that certain daydream almost always ended up with me naked.

And him licking.

Always licking.

Like I was his personal lollipop.

I shuddered and walked down the dark empty hallway, my footsteps echoing squeaks across the marble floor.

I was about ten feet away from the main entrance when the door opened and clicked shut.

It was too dark to see.

Then again, I didn’t need my eyes to know who was standing mere feet from me in all his godlike glory.

“Is our time up?” I asked, hating that my hands shook at my sides waiting for his answer.

“No.” His voice was so soft, it was like he’d reached out and caressed my cheek with his words. “I was worried.”

I laughed.

He didn’t.

“I’ve been on my own a long time.” It wasn’t technically a lie since I couldn’t remember, right? “I promise, you have nothing to worry about. It’s not like anything’s going to happen to me.”

“Humans aren’t known for their intellect,” he said with an air of condescension.

“You need to work on your compliments.”

“You smell.”

I rolled my eyes. Seriously? This guy? Was I getting punished? “Alex.” I was exhausted. Gross. And feeling pretty rejected. The last thing I needed was the most beautiful man in the world telling me I smelled. “Can you please just tell me what you need so I can go? I’m not in the mood for you right now.”

That was a lie. I was always in the mood for him since he had first touched me, claimed me. At least physically.

Mentally and emotionally, he exhausted every last nerve.

“You didn’t let me finish,” he whispered. Was he closer? I couldn’t tell. My feet were basically nailed to the ground. And then he inched out of the shadows. His purple and black hair danced with every movement. Did he just snap his fingers and change colors? His amber eyes danced with lust and with a blink turned an icy purple as he inhaled. “You smell like air.”

I was having a hard time breathing. “Good air or bad air?”

“Isn’t all air good?” His sculpted face twisted into a frown. “It keeps you alive, right?”

“So I’m good air.” I nodded, worried that if I stopped watching him, he’d suddenly appear right in front of my face and pounce. “Thanks?”

“The air tastes like your arousal. Even when you hate me, you want me… how’s that for injustice?”

“Pretty annoying, actually,” I snapped. “Thanks for asking.”

Another foot closer. Moonlight streamed in through the windows to my right. His smile was deadly, the tilt of his head so sexual that I had a hard time not leaping into his arms.

“You smell. You’re dirty.” His nostrils flared as a grimace formed. “You’re weak.”

Tears burned my eyes as my lower lip quivered, reminding me that I was seconds away from bursting into tears.

“And yet, I’ve never wanted anything more… than I want you… right now. Just…” He grabbed my dirty hand. “As…” He brought my fingers to his mouth and sucked as an explosion of red haze filled his eyes. “You are.”

My knees threatened to buckle. I hated my own weakness at his words.

“Never let Mason lick you again.” The red haze darkened. “And if Ethan offers to bite you, you cut off a limb, understand?”

“Oh.” I gulped and stepped away. “So that’s what this is about? Possession?”

His smile illuminated the entire room. “If it was a simple possession I’d have you and go. No, this goes much deeper.” His lush lips parted as he sucked the air between us—drawing me to him.

My mouth was inches from his.

My body strained toward him.

And then something slammed into me from behind.

“NO!” Alex shouted as I fell to the ground in a heap. A searing pain exploded from my head.

“So we meet again.” A gruff voice echoed through the hall, my vision blurred as two boots stepped by my head. “You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been able to sneak up on you. A bit distracted, are we, Alex?”

“Go to Hell!”

“Tsk, tsk, I already live there.” The man’s accent was slight, the smell of charred wood filled the air—burning my nostrils. “What have we here?”

A face filled my line of vision.

It was too handsome to be human.

His eyes were too crazed to be sane.

“You have done a poor job of covering her scent, Siren.” The man stood once more and then shrugged. “This is your warning. He’s coming. His power grows. The ten are nearly drained, but the minute he tries to drink their blood and consume their power— it dries up in his throat.”

Alex was silent for a few heartbeats.

I wanted to ask so many questions, but my head hurt so bad it felt like I couldn’t think straight, like I didn’t know how to speak.

I moaned.

Alex was at my side instantly. “You didn’t have to stun her.”

“I was curious.” The man chuckled. “At any rate, the clock is ticking. I can only hold him off for so long before he suspects me of treachery.”

“He’s an idiot if he thinks demons don’t play both sides.”

“Ah, well…” The man sighed. “He’s been a bit consumed with himself lately. He doesn’t know that he needs a bonding agent to complete the process. Once he discovers a way to do that…”

“Yeah.” Alex swore. “The end.”

“Sadly, no happily ever after. Tell me, how is Mason these days? Still eating pinecones and wishing for a mate?”

“Maybe if you visited during the day you’d find out… rather than creeping along the shadows like a freak.”

“Ah, but I am a freak.” The man sounded upset about this. “A freak during the day and the night, no matter what humans may see… I am not good. Remember that, Alex, and tell your human to pay more attention to detail. I could have killed her at least a dozen times this evening.” He bent down again and sniffed my hair. I tried to jerk away, but my arms wouldn’t cooperate. “Pretty though, very pretty.” His eyes narrowed and then went completely black, but not before I saw a flash of blue fire— it matched the fire I saw on my wrist. “What is she?”

“None of your damn business.”

Red eyes flashed and then a hiss escaped from his mouth before fangs shot out from both the top and bottom row of his teeth. “Well, well, well… This is interesting.”

Alex glared at him. “Are you finished?”

The man slammed his hand against my arm and then bit down on the spot he’d touched.

My body erupted with pain.

“You can thank me later,” he said.

And then his voice sounded in my head. “Stay safe, my Hope.”

“TIMBER!” Alex shouted.

But the man was gone.

And so was my sanity, because when I looked down at my arm, it was covered in a tattoo of fire with a gold T inscription.

I opened my mouth to ask what it was as darkness closed in on me, and I lost all consciousness.