Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-Two

Genesis

“Ready?” Stephanie popped her gum and hooked her arm in mine. “Ethan gave me his credit card with no limit, meaning we have damage to do.”

I nodded, forcing myself to smile. Something felt…wrong.

I’d spent the night in Ethan’s arms, yet I felt like my balance was off, like I was straddling a line and was about to get pulled over to the wrong side.

Stephanie directed me toward a white Lexus hybrid and practically shooed me inside.

“So I’m thinking Downtown, since it’s close to work.”

She nodded. “Work? Why would you want to work anyway? I’m just curious.”

I shrugged. “I need a purpose.”

“But Ethan is your purpose.”

“Right, but Ethan has a job too. It’s not good to be idle, you know? Plus, I’m not really good at anything… other than reading… so why not work at a bookstore?

“It helps out Drystan, and so far I like it.”

She snapped her gum and shrugged.

Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, exposing her neck. I was about to glance away when I noticed a mark on her neck.

“Did someone bite you?”

“Lovers all bite…” She smiled. “If they’re good.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, relax. We’re shopping. This is fun. You get to spend your mate’s money, and you get me as your personal shopper for the next few hours.”

I forced myself to smile and embrace the moment. “You’re right.”

“Course I’m right.” She turned up the music and started singing at the top of her lungs.

By the time we’d made it downtown, we only had a few hours until I had to be at work.

Shopping with Stephanie was like an Olympic sport. She took me from store to store, tossing clothes in my empty arms and ordering me to try them on before I’d even told her I liked them.

She knew my style well. Not fussy, comfortable— but cute. I tried on several pairs of jeans, bomber jackets, shirts, boots— the list went on and on.

I needed more coffee if I was going to make it through the rest of the day without passing out.

Or maybe I just needed Ethan.

He would be nice too.

“Hey!” Stephanie knocked on the door to the dressing room. “Hurry up in there. We only have a few more minutes.”

I rolled my eyes and stared at my reflection. “Can I ask why you put me in a black evening gown?”

“Because!” She laughed. “Ethan will want to show you off.”

“Fine.” I pressed the heavily beaded fabric against my stomach. It was strapless and ridiculously heavy. Black with silver beading cascaded from floor to ceiling, it seemed.

I was like a walking pageant queen. “Stephanie, I don’t think I like this.”

No answer.

“Stephanie?”

With a sigh, I opened the door. Words died on my lips.

“Hello.” His white eyes matched his long white hair. He tilted his head to the side as if examining me. “Come.”

I stepped back and shook my head. “Where’s Stephanie?”

“Come.” He held out his hand. His body was massive, bigger than Cassius and Ethan combined. He stood at least eight feet tall. Why was no one else running and screaming?

He was beautiful, but it was a deadly type of beautiful. I don’t know how, but I knew if I touched him, I’d die.

When he ducked into the dressing room, I gasped, covering my mouth.

Wings. He had wings.

Gold feathers that appeared then vanished right in front of me.

~Ethan!~ My mind screamed.

Cassius… he could read my thoughts; he was powerful enough. I started yelling for him in my head, hoping he was tracking me, hoping in vain he would be able to find my scent.

There was no way I was escaping the immortal in front of me.

“You’re an archangel,” I whispered.

“And you’re the human.”

Not ~a~ human. ~The~ human.

I gulped. “Please don’t make me go with you.”

His smile widened. “Are you afraid?”

It felt like a test.

I didn’t know what to say.

I opened my mouth to yell no, but it was like he’d stolen the words from my lips. His head tilted back. “Come.”

I shook my head, forcing myself to breathe, to not give in to the fear that threatened to choke me.

“Come, or I kill your vampire. Your choice.”

My throat released. “Don’t!”

“So you’ll come?” He seemed pleased.

“Just don’t hurt him.”

“You have my word. It won’t be me who hurts your mate.”

I nodded and reached out, touching my hand to his. And my world faded to white.