Obsession

Jennifer L. Armentrout

To those who begged and pleaded to see this world all grown up. This is for you…

Chapter 1

In the dim, almost but-not-quite seedy bar lights, I stared openmouthed at my best friend in what had to be the most unattractive manner. Mel was rocking the crazy pants tonight.

It was the only reasonable explanation.

That or Mel’s drink was a hell of a lot stronger than mine.

We’d been peanut butter and jelly since I shared my chocolate cupcakes with her in the first grade. A rattlesnake and a bunny had more in common than we did. Mel was the crazy one, always into something, while I was mostly comfortable reading a book or watching a movie. Throughout our lives, no one could figure out how we were so close, but when friendships begin with cupcakes—chocolate, at that—no truer bond develops.

I took a huge gulp of my rum and coke, wincing at the burn. “Mel, this sounds—”

“Insane? I know. I feel insane. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, and these blue peepers have twenty-twenty vision thanks to Lasik.” Mel jabbed at her eyes with two fingers. Both had chipped nail polish, which was so unlike her glamour-loving nature. “But I know what I saw, Serena, and I’m telling you Phillip isn’t human.”

There. She said it again. Not human. I peeked at Mel’s half-full glass. Had she been drinking before we met up? Or toking on the crack pipe? If the frantic voice mail I’d received from Mel while I’d been at the school and the subsequent conversation was any indication, maybe meth was involved. Mel liked to party, but she stayed away from the harder stuff. Hopefully. I was beginning to wonder.

I leaned forward, stretching the fit of my suit jacket as I folded my arms on the round table. Damn, I wished I’d had time to run home and change. I needed more comfortable clothes for this stuff. Nothing made crazy easier to accept than lounge pants and flip-flops. “Mel, most guys aren’t human.”

Mel’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah , well most guys don’t turn into a freaking light bulb!

But Vanderson’s sons did. Both of them!”

A couple glanced over at us curiously. Wanting to crawl under the table, I grabbed Mel’s hand and squeezed gently. “A light bulb?” I kept my voice down even though it was pointless. Mel was always a loud talker. And it was election season, so Senator Vanderson’s name being dropped was bound to get attention.

“Yes. He lit up like a freaking glow stick or—or you remember those toys that you squeeze and they light up?”

“A Glo Worm?”

“That!” Mel pulled her hand free and thrust it through her chin-length, raven-

colored hair. “He was like a Glo Worm but only brighter.”

Oh dear. She was definitely rocking the crazy pants. “Were you guys drinking or possibly smoking something—” Mel’s hand smacked the table, rattling our glasses. “There is nothing in this world that I could drink or smoke that would make me see that.”

“Okay.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I just don’t understand this, Mel. Don’t bitch-slap the table. It’s not its fault.”

She let out a long breath. “I’m just so—so freaked out. He saw me. His brother saw me. I know they know I saw them.”

I didn’t know what to say. I recognized how freaked out Mel truly was. Granted, Mel got excited over things like grasshoppers in the house, branches that looked like snakes in the yard, and…butterflies flying around, but I’d never seen her like this.

This was different.

Something had really scared her.

“I knew Phillip was bad news,” I said, tucking a strand of wavy hair behind my ear.

“Being the senator’s son had to have messed with him. He’s probably—”

“He’s probably one of them, too—the senator!”

Oh my God, if Mel kept yelling that, we were never going to be able to show our faces around here again. I wished they’d turn the music up louder and maybe turn the lights off, too. Fast Times bar wasn’t too packed on a Monday night, so conversation had a tendency to travel.

Mel took a healthy swallow of her drink. “I was at his apartment, not back in Grandview, when it happened.”

Grandview was where the Richie Rich of Boulder lived, an exclusive, gated community at the foothills of the Flatirons that the senator and other important people kept residency in. The gate was like a ridiculous twenty feet high. Absurd. Did they think Russia was going to invade them?

“When he did the light-bulb thing?” I asked, fiddling with my straw.

Mel nodded. “We were hanging out in his living room, having drinks. Nothing serious. And then we went back to the bedroom, had sex—it was great, as usual.

Phillip has stamina like no other guy in this world does.”

My brows rose.

“Then his brother showed up—Elijah.”

“While you two were having sex?”

“As hot as that would be considering they’re twins, no, not while Phillip and I were having sex.” She plucked at the button on her blouse. “Anyway, they got into some kind of argument outside on the balcony. The two of them are always bickering and, you know me, I’m perpetually nosy, right?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

“So I went to the door and listened. They were talking about something called Project Eagle and Daedalus—”

“Daedalus? Isn’t that some Greek thing?”

“That doesn’t matter, Serena. Listen to me. They were arguing about this. Elijah was pissed because their father was going to ruin things with the Daedalus and that this Eagle thing was a bad idea, but Phillip didn’t care or whatever. He told Elijah to mind his own business and to let it go. That it wasn’t their place.”

“Okay.” I wondered how this turned into Phillip becoming a light bulb.

“But Elijah was really upset, saying it was all going to blow up in their faces and that this Eagle thing was wrong and dangerous. He said something about Pennsylvania and where the kids were kept and if the Daedalus ever discovered what they planned, it would all be over. And at this point, I’m like, wow, what’s going on?” Mel’s blue eyes were wide and dilated. “Elijah said something too low for me to hear and it must’ve really upset Phillip, because he pushed his brother and then his brother pushed him back. Two grown men fighting like that? I thought one of them was going to push the other over the railing. But then…then it happened.”

“The light-bulb thing?”

“Yes.” She pressed her palm to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. Her normally tanned skin was pale. “At first, it was like he faded out. His clothes, body, everything just faded out like he’d vanished. And then he was there, but he wasn’t human, Serena. He was encased in light. Head to toe, Serena.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “What did you do?”

“I flipped out like any normal person would do! I got the hell out there, but…” She cursed, lowering her hand to the table. “I dropped the damn bottle of beer. They heard me. I looked back and they were at the balcony door, both of them glowing…” Mel trailed off, lower lip trembling. “They know I saw them. I mean, obviously, since I ran out of the building like it was on fire. I don’t know what to do. I haven’t even gone home. I’ve been driving around waiting for you to get off, which took forever, by the way. I wrote it all down while I was in my car just in case….”

“Just in case what?”

“I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to write it down before I forgot things, and I know I already have. Shit.” She groaned as she bounced on her seat. “I was trying to waste time and I ended up leaving it in my post office box when I checked my mail, because I was so out of it.”

I sat back on the bar stool, still having no idea what to say. Mel was obviously worked up, so something had to have happened. Probably not what she thought, but something, and I felt for her.

“I’m too afraid to go home. Phillip knows where I live.” Mel finished off her drink.

“When did this happen? This morning?” I asked, frowning.

Mel nodded.

Then it hit me. “Have you gone to work?”

“What? No! How could I go to work after that?” Mel shuddered. “And besides, Phillip knows to find me there, too.”

My chest tightened. Dear God, what if something was really wrong with Mel? Not just an overactive imagination, but something more serious? My training kicked in, spewing out possible aliments like I was doing a mental grocery list: psychotic break with reality, schizophrenia, anxiety attack with hallucinations, or a brain tumor? The possibilities were endless. “Mel…”

“Don’t ‘Mel’ me.” Her voice wobbled. “I know I sound crazy, and if I were in your shoes, I’d be thinking the same thing, but I know what I saw. Phillip isn’t human.

Neither is his brother. I don’t know what he is—maybe a government experiment or, hell, an alien. I don’t know.”

An alien. Okay. It was time to definitely get out of the bar. “How about you come home with me?”

Hope sparked in her eyes. “Really? You’re cool with that? I know you probably think I’m bat-shit crazy and all.”

I waved her off. “Honey, what are best friends for? This is a crisis situation and I know how to help. I have ice cream and leftover lasagna. We can stuff our faces and try to figure this out.”

“I haven’t eaten all day. I’ve been too nervous.” Mel smiled, but it was weak.

“You’re the best, Serena. I really mean it.”

“I know.” I gave her a cheeky grin. “Stay here and I’ll take care of the tab.”

When Mel nodded and started digging around in her purse, I grabbed my own and hopped off the stool. Squeezing between the tables, I ignored the WTF looks I was getting from those around us.

I quickly took care of the balance—a thing I was accustomed to. Mel had expensive tastes and rarely stayed at one job long enough to make a decent salary. Made no sense to me, because Mel was smart and had the education, but she just didn’t apply herself. Mel was only twenty-three, the same age as me, so I figured there was more than enough time for Mel to settle down a little, stay away from crazy rich guys, and use the degree in education she’d worked so hard for.

I reclaimed Mel by threading my arm through hers. “You ready?”

Mel nodded but didn’t say anything as we headed out into the dry evening air of early May. We passed a group of men coming in, their jackets off, ties loosened. One of them, a tall blond, whistled under his breath, doing a “Hey girl, hey” that fell on deaf ears. And if everything else wasn’t an indication of how wigged out Mel was, her ignoring a man looking in her direction sure was.

Concerned about her, I steered her toward the parking garage. If Mel didn’t change her tune by the time she was stuffed with lasagna and ice cream, I was going to have to convince her to talk to someone—anyone other than me. Our friendship wouldn’t allow for an unbiased diagnosis and I had never really diagnosed anyone before.

Being the high school guidance counselor sort of limited the kinds of disorders I was exposed to on a daily basis.

It was cooler and darker in the parking garage. Most of the entire back row, where I had to park, was completely in the shadows. Luckily Mel was parked in the first row, near the exit.

We stopped by Mel’s red Audi. As she dug out her car keys, she turned to me. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“No! Of course not,” I answered immediately.

Doubt crossed Mel’s face. “Really, because you have that look—like you’re compiling a list of mental disorders I’m suffering from.”

“I am so not doing that.” I flashed a quick grin. “I did that earlier.”

Mel laughed and then quickly hugged me. “Thank you. I mean it. I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

I squeezed her back. “It’s all right. Like I’ve said, we’ll figure this out together.”

Letting go, Mel opened her car door. “I’ll wait for you.”

Sending her a reassuring smile, I hurried through the maze of cars as fast as my noisy heels allowed me, anxious to be out of there. I always hated parking garages.

There was nothing creepier.

Well, talk of glowing senator’s sons was pretty creepy, too.

My chest tightened. Mel had never looked more…vulnerable than she did this evening. I didn’t know how I could truly help, but no matter what was going on in Mel’s head, I was going to be there for her. Just like Mel had been there for me when my mom had been killed in a botched robbery attempt my freshman year of college.

Without Mel, I would’ve had no one, having never been close to my absentee father.

We’d supported each other countless times over, from the small stuff to the major crises.

This time would be no different.

Stopping at the front of my gently used Honda, I fished out my keys. The strap of my purse slipped, jerking my arm, and the keys hit the dirty pavement.

“Great,” I muttered, dipping down as far as my pencil skirt would allow. Snatching my keys off the ground, I stood. Movement out of the corner of my eyes drew my attention. My head swiveled toward it. The parking garage wasn’t huge, so I could make out the form of Mel’s head through the back window of her car.

Thinking that’s what had caught my attention, I started to turn back, but then a tall male walked out from behind one of the beams near the wide doors lining the opening of the garage. His purposeful strides carried him into a beam of light.

Holy hot guy…

I was struck by how good-looking the man was: tall and with sandy-blond hair, he looked like he stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. The jeans appeared tailored, cut to fit his long legs. Where I stood in shadows, I wasn’t worried about being caught checking out the fine specimen of a man. There was no way he could see me, so I looked…and I may’ve drooled a little.

Or a lot.

I was admiring how the jeans framed his perfect ass when he passed the overhead light and—what in the hell?—vanished. He just vanished! Like he just blinked out of the space or was sucked up into a black hole. He was there one second and gone the next.

Alarmed, I took a step forward. A chill snaked down my spine. Was this a dream?

Or was Mel’s hallucination contagious, because this was really like what she had said in the bar, but—

But then I saw him behind Mel’s car, off to the right. There was absolutely no way he could’ve gotten there without me seeing him. Impossible, but there he was, head cocked to the side.

A certain, bone-deep dread settled like stones in my stomach, weighting me to the cement beneath my feet. The keys dangled useless in my hands. Suddenly, I was back in the bar and Mel’s words were replaying over and over in my head.

He’s not human. He’s not human.

Shocked and absolutely stupefied, I watched the man raise his arm. At the same time, the driver’s door opened and Mel’s head popped out, as if the man had called out to her, but I hadn’t heard him over the pounding of my heart. I opened my mouth to yell out to Mel, but the air filled with electricity, raising the tiny hairs all over my body. Overhead lights flickered and then in a rapid succession, they blew one after another, showering sparks like raindrops. Each mini explosion was like a gunshot, silencing my shriek as I jumped back, knocking into the hood of my car.

Darkness descended, but it only lasted a second. An unnatural, intense whitish-blue light lit up the front part of the parking garage and— oh God—it was coming from the man. Like lightning, it came from within him, radiating from his shoulder and spreading down his arm, twisting and crackling until it reached his palm.

Mel screamed in the same instant I yelled for her.

The pulse of light shot from his hand, arcing like lightning. It struck the back of her car. My heart stopped. The keys fell from my hands.

Whitish-blue light swallowed Mel’s car. For a second, the air stilled and everything went silent. Heat rolled back in violent waves and the light flared, blinding for a second before the explosion rocked through the parking garage.

Chapter 2

The call came in seconds before I was to board the private jet bound for the backwoods of West Virginia. I almost ignored it, because when the goddamn cell rang, it was always a load of shit I didn’t want to deal with.

But “didn’t want” and “had to” were never in agreement.

Yanking the damn thing out of the duffel bag, I didn’t look at the caller ID before I answered. Not like it could be a lot of people. “What?”

There was a pause on the other end, and I could picture the stick-up-his-ass officer displaying his pissy face. “That’s a very impolite way to answer the phone,” Officer Zombro said.

“And here’s another impolite thing for you.” I leaned against the wall, eyeing the plane on the tarmac. “I don’t give a fuck.”

Officer Zombro bit out the next words. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but let—”

“I know exactly who and what I’m talking to. Get to the point. I have a plane to catch.”

“You can say good-bye to your travel plans, because we have a job for you.”

My hand tightened around the cell phone and I heard the fragile plastic groan. Son of a bitch. With great effort, I forced my grip to loosen. I’d lost many of my cells in the past this way.

Zombro took my silence as submission. “One of the satellites picked up a high-

frequency blast of energy over Boulder.”

Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Early evidence is indicating that this was an unsanctioned display of the Source.

Since there is a community of Luxen in that area, we will be in need of your assistance.”

I opened my eyes slowly. Off in the horizon, the last of the sun dipped over the mountain, casting an orangey glow over the flat, sandstone rocks. Tiny bits of the rock gleamed in the fading light. Fucking beta quartz.

“Hunter? Did you hear me?”

Zombro’s voice grated on my self-control, something I never had a really good handle on in the first place. I kicked off the wall. “Yeah, I hear you.”

“You’re the closest one to Boulder. The pilot has been given instructions. Get there and await further contact.”

Before I could say “Fuck off,” Zombro disconnected the call. The little rat bastard liked doing that. Being the one to end the call gave the fucking twerp some kind of sense of power. Annoying, yes, but seriously laughable. In Zombro’s wildest dreams, he could never be as ruthlessly strong or deadly as me, and the officer knew it.

I shook out my shoulders, but the tension lingered deep in my muscles. Casting a glance back at the hangar, my eyes narrowed in a clear, potent warning.

Another of my kind drifted further into the shadows, backing off so quickly I had to think he was clever and valued his life. Making sure the other wasn’t going to try anything, I didn’t turn my back until I was confident the other remained where it hid.

My hands curled into fists as I itched to shed this skin. I was partial to this human form, but this was one of those moments where I just wanted to be in my true form, free of assholes calling me in because the government had to keep up appearances. As if they really were able to maintain control over the Luxen population. If that were the case, there’d be no need for me.

I’d most likely be dead or locked up in a lab somewhere, getting probed—and not in the fun way.

Instead, I was this—whatever this was.

This whole new lease-on-life bullshit was getting old quick. Sitting around, behaving, and being the Department of Defense’s bitch was not in my nature.

Somehow it was in Lore’s, but my brother had always been a bit…different or touched, depending on how I looked at it.

And that was how I ended up here, ready to do this job, because Lore had asked me to step away, to get out of the war, and Lore had begged. Our kind never begged. But that plea had come as we stood over the body of our sister.

And so here I was.

The pilot stuck his head out the loading door, visibly swallowing. Humans were always uncomfortable around our kind. A sixth sense warned them that they were coming as close to death as possible just by being in our presence.

Could be worse, I thought, as I grabbed my duffel bag. If I wasn’t going home, at least I was getting to kill a Luxen.

…

“I’ve told you everything I know—and it sounds crazy, I get that, but it’s not going to change no matter how many times I repeat it.”

Detective Jones sat back, readjusting the tie around his thick neck. The man’s jowls had gone from pink to code red since he walked into the room. “Miss Cross, I know you’ve had a traumatic experience—”

“I saw my friend get blown up in her car!” My voice caught. I cleared my throat, but my eyes still burned. “So, yes, that was pretty damn traumatic, but it doesn’t change what I saw tonight.”

“And this man—what did he look like again?”

Exhausted, I placed my hands on the deep brown table. “I’ve told you and the officers before you. He was tall—”

“How tall, Miss Cross?” Detective Jones leaned forward, his stomach sucking in his belt in the process. “You’re pretty short, so a lot of people may seem tall to you.”

What the hell? I shook my head, too frustrated to be offended. I gave him a description once more and he scribbled in his little notebook. I was sure he was just doodling. I had been at the police department for over five hours, recounting everything I had seen and heard tonight. Part of me was numb, couldn’t process what had really happened, because Mel…Mel couldn’t be dead. The other part was hyperaware of every creak of the chair when the detective shifted his weight, of the flickering fluorescent lights that reminded me of those horrifying moments in the parking garage, and of every sore muscle and bruised skin that had taken the brunt of my fall.

I couldn’t believe I was alive.

The explosion had knocked me flat on my ass and any extra cushioning I had down there hadn’t softened the blow. My ears had rung for a straight two hours and I could still smell the burned scent of twisted metal…and skin.

Oh God…

I shuddered and reached for the plastic cup of water. Gulping it down, it did nothing to get rid of the metallic taste in the back of my throat. Taking a deep breath, I looked up and met the aging detective’s eyes. “I’m telling you, the man blew up her car. I don’t know how he did it, but he did. And before that, Mel…” I pressed my lips together. “Mel was afraid.”

“And you’re saying that she was afraid of Senator Vanderson’s sons?” A dubious look crossed his heavy face. “That she witnessed him doing something abnormal that morning. Can you tell me exactly what she told you?”

I stared at him, furious that they were making me go through all of this again. Like they were trying to catch me in a lie, which was insane, because who would make something like this up? I sat back, thrusting my hands through my hair. The only thing keeping me here was the hope that I could somehow help find the people responsible for Mel’s death.

I had overheard the officers earlier, when they’d left the door cracked open. There had only been pieces of Mel left. That was it. An entire life reduced to pieces.

Sick to my stomach, I told the detective everything Mel had told me, adding in the panicked phone calls and how nervous she’d been at the bar. “I’m a guidance counselor at the high school—”

“You don’t look old enough.” His bushy brows furrowed.

“I graduated two years ago and I’ve been working at the school for about a year,” I explained tiredly. “I know this sounds crazy, but I’m telling you the truth.”

“I believe you,” he said, and surprise shot through me like an arrow. He rose, picking up his notepad. “I believe that you’re sincerely convinced of what you saw and I want to help you. And I’m going to help you, but maybe after a few days, when everything has had a chance to sink in, you’ll be able to think about things more clearly.”

Anger tore through me like a barb-tipped chain. I shot from the chair, surprised that I could even move that fast after everything, but fury gave back some of my waning strength. “What I’m telling you isn’t going to change! No matter how many days have passed.”

Ignoring the outburst, he gestured for me to sit. “It’s just going to be a few more minutes and we’ll have an officer take you home, okay? The garage is still shut down.

We hope to be able to let people reclaim their vehicles in the next day or so.”

A burst of defiance hit me and I briefly considered bum-rushing the out-of-shape detective. There was a good chance I could take him, but the urge seeped out of me like air leaking from a balloon. I collapsed on the chair, too angry and too tired.

The detective stopped at the door, frowning. “I do have one more question for you, Miss Cross.”

I glanced at him, doubting it would be anything relevant.

“You mentioned a name—started with a D? Did your friend say anything else about that?”

“You mean the Daedalus?” When the detective nodded, my shoulders slumped.

“She said something about that and Project or Operation Eagle, but I don’t remember… I don’t think so. When can I leave?”

Detective Jones stared at me hard for a moment and then forced a tight-lipped smile.

“It will only be a few more minutes.”

He left, closing the gray door behind him. In the silence that followed, I almost broke. Using whatever strength I had left, I closed my eyes and started counting back from one hundred. Losing it here wouldn’t help my cause. The officers already thought I had a screw loose. By the time I reached thirty, I opened my eyes. They stung.

Reaching for the purse I’d been lucky to find in all the chaos, I dug out my cell.

Tapping on the screen, I realized that the thing was dead. Couldn’t have been the battery because I had charged it earlier at work. I tossed it back in the bag with a sigh.

Time crept by and I was tortured by a thousand what-ifs. What if I took Mel more seriously? What if we had stayed in the bar? What if I insisted Mel ride with me?

Sitting up, I smoothed my hands down my face. Pressure built in my chest, ripping open old wounds from when Mom had been murdered for the twenty dollars that she carried in her purse, and slicing deep, fresh ones.

The door opened and I jumped a little in my seat. I expected either the officers who had responded to the garage or the detective, but I didn’t recognize the two men who walked in.

Both were dressed in black suits. The first one was older, his face heavily lined and pockmarked. Patches of gray colored his temples. The one behind him was younger, baby faced, and probably no more than a few years older than me.

“Miss Cross?” The older officer spoke first, pulling a badge out from the breast of his jacket, flashing it quickly. “My name is Officer Zombro. We’re from Homeland Security.”

I sat a little straighter, but wasn’t surprised. Cars blowing up usually brought out the feds.

Officer Zombro sat in the seat the detective had kept warm. “I know you’re really tired and this has been a long, terrible night, but we’re going to need to take a few more minutes of your time, and then we’re going to take you home. Okay?”

I wilted in the uncomfortable metal chair, but nodded.

The younger officer strode around the table, sitting on the edge closest to me. He smiled, and the skin around his eyes crinkled. “My name is Jonathan Richards. My partner and I would like to express our sincerest sympathies for the loss of your friend tonight.”

“Thank you.” I choked on the words.

The smile was compassionate, but never quite reaching his eyes. Probably due to the job. How many times have they sat in a room like this, speaking to a witness of a horrific crime?

“And we know you’ve been over the events of tonight many times, but we really need you to do it again.” The somber expression on Officer Zombro’s face hadn’t changed from the moment he walked in. “We like to hear things firsthand.”

I sat back in the chair, eyes cast down. I didn’t even protest. The sooner I got this over with, the quicker I could get out of the stale air that smelled of burned coffee. I repeated the events for the umpteenth time.

“Did your friend have a close relationship with Phillip Vanderson?” asked Officer Richards.

I wondered if casual sex was considered a close relationship. “They’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks. She didn’t really know him before then. I mean, everyone knew who he and his brother were, but we didn’t run in the same circles growing up. Phillip and Elijah went to a private school and…” I trailed off. None of that mattered.

Richards nodded reassuringly. “And she never stated anything before tonight?

Mentioned anything out of the norm?”

I shook my head. “Today was the first, but she knew I didn’t approve of the…uh, relationship. The brothers have a reputation around here.”

Both of the officers seemed to be aware of their rough and rowdy playboy ways because they didn’t press the issue. Zombro leaned forward, dropping his elbows on his bent knees. “She said the brothers were arguing, and then she saw Phillip start to…glow?”

Hearing it didn’t make it sound any less crazy than saying it. “I didn’t believe her, but then I saw the guy in the garage and what he did.”

They asked a couple more questions about what I’d seen in the garage, routine questions that had already been asked, but they kept going back to the senator.

Enough times that I started to wonder if they were at least thinking that the boys had something to do with what happened. When the questions finally wound down, another hour and a half had passed and the black and white clock on the wall showed that it was past one in the morning.

“Do you have any idea what your friend believed she saw on Phillip’s balcony this morning?” Zombro asked.

The question took me off guard. “She didn’t know, but she said…but she said he couldn’t be human.”

“And what do you think you saw in the garage tonight?” the other officer asked.

I met his gaze, too drained to even feel embarrassed about what came out of my mouth next. “No human could’ve done what I saw.”

“Okay,” the younger officer said. “We may need to question you again, Miss Cross, but that should be all for tonight.”

The two officers rose, gesturing for me to do the same. I climbed to my feet, swaying a little. The younger officer caught me by the elbow and I murmured my thanks.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said.

I stared at the officers, knowing that they were telling me that just to put me at ease.

Everything wasn’t all right. It would never be okay.

Chapter 3

Fucking humans and their overpopulated, congested, and noisy cities fell into the top ten things that pissed me off.

Sitting back in the shadowy corner seat at the one-step-away-from-a-dive-bar Fast Times, I watched the humans scurry from the bar to their table. For it being what was considered a work night, I wondered how many of them would stumble out into the late-night traffic, ending their insignificant, worthless lives.

Damn, that was dark even for me.

I was in a bad mood.

I hated cities, especially ones that hid a population of my enemy. As I scanned the crowd, a few caught my eye. A slow, cold smile pulled at my lips as the back of my throat suddenly spasmed.

My eyes were sensitive. Every living creature threw off wavelengths. To the Arum, the energy looked like auras, shifting colors depending on the mood or emotion feeding the energy. Humans usually only displayed one color at a time. Luxen were like fucking happy, happy rainbows. It was why we could pick out a Luxen the moment we landed eyes on them, unless there was nearby beta quartz. The crystal distorted Luxen wavelengths, normalizing them until they blended in with the humans.

I didn’t pick up any difference in the wavelengths that surrounded the three college-aged men slamming down beer at the table, but I wasn’t stupid. They could take their beta quartz and shove it up their fucking asses.

Luxen stood out among humans, rainbow energy wavelengths or not.

It was more than the fact they were taller than the average human or their flawless pretty-boy looks, it was the way they carried themselves, even when they were drunk.

An air of arrogance surrounded them, of superiority that could not be mimicked by a human, because when they were among the Homo sapiens, the Luxen were a superior race.

But the three little punks at the table nearest the bar didn’t know I was there, and my presence knocked them right off the top of the food chain. Courtesy of the opal-encased tracker anklet under my boots, my true nature would remain unknown to the Luxen.

Taking a swig of the beer, I watched the Luxen stagger past me. One stopped, eyes narrowing into slits. He must’ve sensed something, but then he followed his buddies out into the night. The door swung shut, pushing the faint smell of burned metal into the bar.

Half tempted to go after them just for shits and giggles, I tipped the bottle back once more. That would be a bad idea. Unsanctioned Luxen feedings were off the menu for me now.

The door opened again, and this time it was who I was waiting for. The two Department of Defense officers strode in. The older one scowled at the thinning crowds, a scowl that grew a hell of a lot deeper when his gaze landed on me.

I tipped a bottle at Officer Zombro, lips curling in a half grin. “Howdy, partner.”

“Should you be drinking right now?” Zombro asked.

“Fuck off.”

Richards, the younger of the two, looked away, mashing his lips together. My smirk grew as they stood at the table. Zombro looked down to where my boots rested on the stool. The apocalypse would have to occur before I moved my feet.

“Good to see you’re in a fine mood tonight.” Zombro gestured at the other agent, who grabbed an extra stool. They sat. “One of these days, that attitude and mouth is going to get you in trouble.”

There wasn’t any kind of trouble that I couldn’t ass-kick my way out of, so whatever.

Richards, always the peacemaker, cleared his throat. “Did you check out the parking garage around the corner?”

“Too much law enforcement there,” I said, scratching at the label on my bottle.

“Besides, there isn’t anything I can tell you by scoping out the place. Nothing you don’t already know.”

Zombro sat back, unbuttoning his blazer. The flash of steel at his waist made me chuckle. The officer’s scowl deepened until it looked like his face would cave in. “It was definitely a Luxen. They killed a human last night in front of another.”

Damn. The Luxen were getting bold. Then again, I wasn’t surprised. “Details?”

Zombro glanced around before speaking, keeping his voice low. “Two women were in this bar last night. One of them, a Mel Dockshire, had been dating Phillip Vanderson. She apparently saw him and his brother Elijah get into an argument earlier in the day.”

“As in Senator Vanderson?” I asked.

Richards nodded. “From what we’ve gathered, the two brothers got into a pissing match and Phillip lost control of his form.”

I chuckled again. “Went all glowy in front of the human female? Nice.”

“It’s not funny. This is a serious security breach,” Zombro snapped.

“Really?” I replied dryly. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say Miss Dockshire is the one who met an untimely fate last night. So, exactly what kind of breach do we have here?”

Zombro looked away. Answer enough.

“The problem is, Hunter, she told her friend, who then saw another Luxen blow up the car with her friend inside.” Richards’ eyes met mine in a steady gaze. “There’s the breach.”

I finished off my beer and then dropped my feet onto the floor. The heavy thud made both officers jump. I leaned onto the table. “Okay. I really don’t get what this has to do with me, unless you want me to find the senator’s sons and take them out.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Zombro said. “Phillip Vanderson was brought in earlier today. He will be appropriately handled.”

Appropriately handled meant turned over to the Daedalus, the department within the DOD that handled all alien brouhaha and operated out of several government buildings, mainly good ol’ Area 51. The Daedalus ran everything when it came to our kinds. Many aliens, both Luxen and Arum, were picked up by them. Very few were ever seen again. They were like the boogeyman to both of our kinds, wielding unimaginable power within the government and conducting fuck knows what when it came to their experiments. Rumor had it that they were creating shit. As in messing with human and alien DNA. Even I was creeped out when it came to the Daedalus.

I sat back, eyeing the men. “And how does the senator feel about that?”

“He’s not too pleased.” Richards let out a low breath. “We met with him this morning. He’s very…vocal about silencing Miss Cross. He believes that if she is no longer an issue, then Phillip can be released.”

“Can Phillip be released?”

“It is not known at this time,” Zombro answered stoically.

“I still don’t see what the problem is,” I said. “If this Miss Cross saw what happened in the garage, then take care of her.”

“The department hasn’t decided what to do with Miss Cross at this time.” Richards pulled out a thin notebook. “She did witness the Luxen and is convinced that what she saw is true.”

“Then if the department isn’t sure, let the senator take her out.” This wouldn’t be the first or the last time a human stumbled on the truth. Aliens were among them and all that bullshit. Usually, the Daedalus stepped in, but the DOD was the first line in defense. “Either way, let me say this again, I have no idea what the fuck this has to do with me.”

Zombro’s scowl slipped a fraction of an inch. “It’s not that simple.”

Never was. I wanted another beer. “Do tell?”

A young, curvy waitress passed our table, slowing down as she carried a tray full of empty bottles. She sent me a long, meaningful look I really wished I had time to investigate, especially as she put an extra twitch in her step. I may not be completely human, but I sure did have some very raging human needs.

“Senator Vanderson has taken the issue into his own hands,” Richards explained, driving my attention back to the problem at hand. “We’ve learned that shortly after leaving his offices he put a kill order out on Miss Cross.”

Yeah, still wasn’t seeing what the BFD was. If this Miss Cross was a true security risk, letting the Luxen take her out solved the problem. But that wasn’t it. The DOD liked to believe they were in complete control of the Luxen race, and if the Luxen deliberately went against DOD orders or tried to circumvent them, the DOD would get their big-boy undies in a bunch, and more so with a Luxen like Senator Vanderson.

My laugh earned me hard looks from both officers. “I think I have this figured out.

The DOD is pissed because the senator is going to do something without their permission. And you guys can’t just shut down the senator, because it’s election year and his ‘disappearance’ would raise way too many questions.”

Neither of the officers said a word.

I snickered. “I’ve told you all before. You think the Luxen are manageable because they’re purdy when they glow, but they are going to mow right over the human race.”

“Shut up, Hunter,” growled Zombro.

I moved so quickly that Zombro jerked back, but he wasn’t fast enough. Grabbing the officer by the collar of his shirt, I got right in his face. “Tell me to shut up one more time and I’m going to rip out your tongue and make you eat it. Got that?”

Zombro went for the gun, and I tightened my grip. “I wouldn’t think about doing that, buddy.”

“All right, guys, that’s enough.” Richards was sweating. “We’re all on the same team.”

Holding Zombro’s wide stare for a few more moments, I slowly released the officer and swung a look at Richards. “We are not on the same team.”

“Okay.” Richards held up his hands. “But we have to work together.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. Thrumming my fingers on the table, I forced my body to take a breath and let it out slowly. I wanted to eat Zombro. “There’s more to this, isn’t there?”

Richards glanced at Zombro before speaking. “During her police interview, Miss Cross relayed some information that the Daedalus is concerned about. Some key words that they are not familiar with.”

I knocked a wave of black hair off my forehead. “And that would be?”

“She mentioned something to do with Project Eagle.” Richards paused. “The Daedalus would like to know what this is.”

“So ask her.”

Zombro rubbed his temple. “Miss Cross doesn’t remember right now, but there’s a chance she does know more, and that whatever this is, it may be why the senator wants her silenced so badly.”

A muscle began to tick in my jaw. So the mystery deepened. Problem was, I didn’t give a fuck. “For the last time, what does this have to do with me?”

“We need you to see if you can get the information out of her , and watch over Miss Cross.”

I blinked. “Come again?”

Crimson swept across Zombro’s pitted face. “I don’t think Richards stuttered. We need you to watch over Miss Cross. Who else better to protect her against a Luxen than an Arum? You were practically bred to fight them.”

True, but what the hell were they thinking? “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Richards slid a slip of paper across the table. It contained a hastily scribbled address.

I didn’t want to even touch it. “This is your job. Right now we believe they are unaware of where she lives, but it’s only a matter of time before they find her.”

I barked out a short laugh. “My job is not to babysit humans.”

Zombro smirked, and I wanted to knock it off his face. “It is now.”

It took every ounce of my self-control to not throw Zombro through a wall. “I am the last thing on this Earth you should be saddling with this.”

“It’s either you, or Miss Cross dies,” Richards reasoned plaintively. “When the Luxen come after her—”

“You won’t be able to stop them,” I spat, more pissed off than I remembered being in a long time. “This is your problem.”

“It’s now your problem,” Zombro said.

Man, I was going to kill that guy one day and fucking savor it.

Richards glanced at his partner nervously. “I know this is not typically something we’d ask you to do, but this is what we’re asking.” He paused. “It’s a life-or-death situation.”

“Not to burst your preconceived notions of me, but do I look like I care?”

Zombro let out a rich curse. “You’re going to start caring, because contrary to popular belief, the DOD is and always will be behind the safety of humans, and not extraterrestrial life-forms. And if we can find out what Miss Cross knows and convince her to remain quiet, then we shall try that first.”

Well, someone forgot to inform the Daedalus of that, because they seemed to have no problem giving humans a cement swim.

Shit. I was not happy about this. There wasn’t a patient bone in my body and the only reason I was ever around a woman was to sate a primal hunger. I didn’t watch over them. I didn’t protect them. It wasn’t in my nature, and the officers knew that. I wasn’t the good guy here.

There was a good chance I’d kill Miss Cross.

Chapter 4

Three days passed in what felt like a thick fog. The first day was spent crying in bed, and I hadn’t cried like that since I lost my mother. When I finally did drag myself out of bed, I found an old cell phone stashed in my closet. The one I had with me that night never booted back up. I knew it had been due to the electrical charge that had rippled through the garage. It had fried my phone, and I wondered if it had done the same to the computer in my car.

The school had given me the rest of the week off. Principal Harrison had already heard what happened by the time I’d called Tuesday morning. I’d called Mel’s mom.

Talking to her had hurt deep. Mel’s mom was inconsolable. The two had their moments, like any mother and daughter, but the woman’s heart had been broken.

When I’d hung up, I was sure my swollen eyes couldn’t shed any more tears, but I was wrong. I hadn’t told Mel’s mom what I had seen or what Mel had told me. At that moment, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

Local news had spotty information on the explosion. Was it a freak accident? A terrorist attack? A hit on Mel? The latter was difficult to believe, and even I found it hard to swallow, but I had been there. I had known how scared Mel had been and I had seen that…that thing take out her car. There had been no mention of the senator’s sons or what I had told the police.

On Wednesday, I found myself looking through old albums of Mel and I. The pictures made me smile. And cry again. The photos of us in high school together were pretty telling. Mel had grown into this tall reed—runway model thin—and her blue eyes were vibrant against her tan skin and dark hair. She was absolutely stunning with her megawatt smile, and when we’d been teenagers, she had entertained the idea of modeling. She could’ve done it.

The pictures of me weren’t as glamorous. I’d stopped growing in the ninth grade, something Mel had always teased me about. My blond hair was long and wavy in a perpetually messy way. Where Mel had a flawless complexion and a rocking body, in high school I had freckles and hips that came out of nowhere.

Flipping through the pictures had eased some of the pressure in my chest. Mel wouldn’t be forgotten. I had my memories, but would there ever be justice for her? I doubted it. What had happened seemed like something straight out of a science fiction movie. Even if my eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on me, if the senator’s sons were behind what happened to Mel, I knew it would be swept under the rug. Who was Mel compared to the political elite? Anger festered inside me like a rotten wound, had me replaying the events over and over again.

On Thursday I received a brief call letting me know I could retrieve my car, but there was no other news as to who was responsible. No more questions. Silence. I didn’t know what to think about that.

After calling a cab, I changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt. Knots formed in my belly as I climbed into the back of the taxi. When I gave him instructions to the garage, my voice shook. A huge part of me didn’t want to go back there, but it wasn’t like I could buy a new car.

The normally congested streets of downtown Boulder were relatively clear. It took no amount of time to be dropped off at the entrance of the garage.

I stood there, clutching my purse to my chest like some sort of shield. The yellow crime scene tape flapped listlessly in the slight breeze. I inhaled, and maybe it was my imagination, but I still could smell burned metal. Several moments passed before I forced my legs forward, my car keys already in hand.

Entering the parking garage was no easy feat. The overhead lights had been replaced, but I could still see them exploding, showering sparks like the sparklers Mel and I had played with as kids. And how could the officers explain that? The lights had blown before the explosion.

Tiny goose bumps covered my arms. It was cooler in the garage, but I knew that wasn’t the reason. Being here…my throat closed with tears.

I told myself to look ahead, not at where Mel’s car had been. Go straight to my car, get in, and get the hell out of there, but I was standing before the spot Mel’s car had been. The pavement had been scorched, as were the metal beams above it. Like someone had laid down black tar. I was no fire expert, but it seemed strange that either side of the marked cement was untouched. There wasn’t even a spot of singed floor. How could a bomb be that controlled?

Stupid question because I knew it wasn’t a bomb.

I forced myself to continue walking. There were a few cars left in the garage. None of them suffered any damage. Not even the ones in the row behind where Mel’s had been parked.

I was halfway to my lonely car when another chill skated across my shoulders. A horrible feeling of déjà vu washed over me, no doubt a product of the traumatic events. After all, I was standing in the exact same place I had been Monday night when I first saw the man. Though this feeling was different. I was expecting someone to step out or call my name. I felt watched.

Casting a quick glance around, I saw that I was alone. No one was stalking me in the shadows. I was overreacting—totally understandable. But the chill wouldn’t go away. Heart pounding, I dashed the rest of the way to my car, my flip -flops smacking off the cement.

Breathless, I pressed the unlock button on the keypad as I skidded to a stop. As my fingers wrapped around the handle, all I could think of was that once I was in my car, it better start, and when it did I was never coming here again. Ever.

I yanked open the door and twisted to slide in, eyes darting over the shadowy, empty garage. My heart was out of control, pumping blood through my veins way too fast. Was I having a panic attack? I had one before, the day I’d found out about Mom, but I’d never experienced such chaotic emotions since. Forcing myself to take several long and deep breaths, I tossed my bag on the passenger seat as I cast one more look around.

That’s when I saw him.

Or at least a shadow shaped like a man leaning against a beam no more than five parking spaces away from me. No one had been there seconds ago. I would have seen the hulking shadow and heard the footsteps in the tomb-silent garage…unless I was officially the most unobservant person in the world.

My breath caught as my fingers tightened on the car door.

The shadow was so dark and so deep it seemed to be its own black hole, sucking the light out of everything around it, and then it broke apart from the darkness, gliding forward. My heart dropped and I forced myself to blink.

It wasn’t a shadow.

Oh no.

A very tall man strode forward, his ass-kicking boots thudding with each fluid, predatory step. Somehow nowhere near as obnoxiously loud as my flip-flops had been.

I took a step back. Every instinct fired warnings off left and right, but I was rooted to the cement, unable to move as the stranger prowled forward.

And he didn’t walk. Oh no. He moved like a giant jungle cat stalking its prey, and I had never felt more like prey in my life than I did at that moment. The man was ridiculously tall, reaching at least six and a half feet, which was like Bigfoot size to my five-and-a-half-foot demeanor.

As he came closer, I understood why I’d thought he was a shadow at first. He was dressed in snug black leather pants and a plain black tee shirt that was stretched taut over broad shoulders and well-defined upper arms.

Dear Lord in heaven. I could see ropey muscles of his stomach under that shirt, flexing across his midsection with each step. I bet my savings account that man had a rock-hard six pack. Mouth dry, I lifted my lashes.

Words couldn’t even describe him.

His skin was pale—not ghastly white or sickly, but alabaster against the mess of wavy hair so black it held a tint of blue to it, like raven wings. A strong chin and carved jaw made complete by broad cheekbones. He had to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. Full, sensual lips were turned up on one corner, as if he knew some private joke.

There was something exotic about the way his face pieced together. Maybe it was the slight tilt to the outer corners of his eyes, or the fact that I’d never, ever seen anyone who looked like him before. He reminded me of one of those male models on the cover of vampire romances. He could’ve easily been any number of them except…

“Miss Cross?” His voice was like whiskey, deep and smooth, but there was something about the hard line of his jaw that said the man didn’t smile a lot. Two eyes such a pale blue they seemed to lack color stared back into mine. The thick and sooty lashes framing those startling eyes made them appear even more unnaturally pale. For a moment I wondered if he was blind. They were raw—beautiful. And I realized then that I was staring at him and he was…he was smirking at me.

I snapped out of it, bristling. “Who are you?”

One single brow rose. “Is that typically how you greet people?”

I was usually indecently polite. Oddly, my heart hadn’t slowed even though I no longer really detected imminent danger. “Do you usually sneak up on women in a parking garage—?”

“—that someone was blown up in a few short days ago?”

I sucked in a sharp breath at the harsh reminder of what had occurred. “Excuse me,” I said, turning toward my car before I burst into tears.

The man sighed loudly. “What I meant is that you had a point. I should’ve said something earlier. You have been through a very…”

He trailed off as I stared at him. A confused look marred his striking face, as if he was mentally going through a word list but couldn’t find the right thing to say.

I folded my arms, waited for what I felt was an acceptable time limit, and finally ran out of patience. “Traumatic? Stressful? Upsetting?”

The man nodded. “Yeah, those things.”

My brows furrowed as my lips puckered. “What can I help you with?”

“My name is Hunter. I’m with the Department of Defense.”

“Department of Defense? Why are they involved? I mean, I know what I saw was some—”

“Okay. Let’s not talk about what you saw.” He folded his arms, stretching the material of his shirt.

My gaze dropped over him again. Strange attire for the Department of Defense. I frowned, casting my eyes to where his forearms crossed. Geez, this guy must have a wicked workout regimen. “Are you with those officers I spoke to Monday night?”

“If one of them acted like he was constipated, then yes, I’m with Officer Zombro and Richards.”

My lips started to loosen. “Well, yes, one of them did look uncomfortable…” I peeked up and found him watching me with eerie pale eyes. “I thought they were with Homeland Security?”

“Is that what they said?”

That wasn’t an answer, but as I waited for more detail, I realized that was all I was going to get. “Do you have a last name?”

“No.”

“No?”

Hunter nodded.

“Are you here to ask questions about what happened?” I asked, my palms starting to sweat. Something wasn’t right.

His expression remained the same. “No.”

I was thinking it was time to ask for some sort of identification, but before I could, Hunter stepped forward, crowding me. My back hit the side of the car and there was nowhere else for me to go. My heart tripped up as I inhaled sharply. The scent of masculine spice and soap swamped me. “Then why are you here?”

He cocked his head to the side as his pale eyes drifted around me before settling back on my face. The intensity in his gaze was unnerving. “You.”

“Me?” I squeaked out.

“I’m here because of you,” he said. Unfolding his arms, he leaned forward, placing his hand on the car beside my shoulder. Tipping his head down, his face was inches from mine. “You should probably go home.”

Not what I was expecting him to say. “Excuse me?”

With his other hand, he picked up a piece of my hair, and I froze. He held it up between us, inspecting the light blond strands. “I said you should go home. Maybe take the rest of the week off…month maybe. Coming here to get your car wasn’t smart.”

I watched him spin the strand of hair around his long finger, and then my eyes flicked up, meeting his. My breath felt short, cheeks warm. This man, with his deep voice and odd eyes, had to exude some kind of epic sex pheromones because I had a sudden image of us in a bed, our bodies twisting and rocking together. Typically I didn’t develop fantasies about random strangers, especially ones who were touching my hair like some kind of freak.

This was weird.

I swatted his hand away, reining in my obviously stress-induced hormones. “Don’t do that.”

One side of his lips tipped up higher. “Do what?”

“Touch my hair.” The shadowy parking garage was still empty. Good God, I really shouldn’t be here. I looked him over again, taking in the leather pants and biker boots. Didn’t most government law enforcement officers wear suits, or at least pressed khakis? And where was his gun? And the other officers hadn’t touched my hair.

This guy was all kinds of inappropriate.

I really should’ve asked for a badge before I let him get so close, because now I was trapped between my car and an immovable wall of muscle.

Icy fear lanced through as a bone-deep realization seized me. This man wasn’t with the Department of Defense or Homeland Security. Panic unfurled in my stomach, I tightened my grip on my keys, wondering if I could use them as a homemade shank.

God, listen to me. Talking about using keys as weapons and shanks? As if that would stop this guy anyway. He could swat me into next week with barely any effort.

“If you don’t have any questions, I’m…I’m going to go home.” My voice trembled and lacked the authority I wanted.

Hunter didn’t move for what felt like an eternity. My heart thundered in my ears, but then he stepped back, his gaze never leaving my face. “Then go home.”

I let out a shaky breath. He didn’t have to tell me twice. Whipping around, I slipped inside the car and closed the door. Hands shaking, I shoved the key into the ignition and— THANK GOD —the engine roared to life. Casting a quick look out the window, I didn’t see Hunter. Anywhere. It was as if he’d never been there. Throwing the car into drive, I peeled out of the parking spot, tires squealing and rubber burning. But the intoxicating scent of spice and soap still lingered with me.

Chapter 5

I didn’t go straight home. I didn’t know why, but I was reluctant to do so. My hands trembled on the steering wheel, which caused me to grip the thing like an old grandma way past acceptable driving age.

Who in the hell was this Hunter guy? Definitely not an officer within the Department of Defense, unless the organization traded suits for leather pants and buzz cuts for really soft-looking hair. And man, he did have nice hair.

Why was I thinking about his hair?

If Hunter didn’t work for the DOD, then who did he work for? And what happened to Homeland Security? Did those two groups work together? God, I was so confused I wanted to bang my head off the steering wheel. Like that would help.

No matter how convoluted my brain felt right now, my memories of Monday night were clear. I had seen a man who came out of nowhere, moved inhumanly fast—

faster than my eyes could track—and then radiated some kind of supercharged light that was strong enough to blow up a car and end my friend’s life. I felt crazy, probably just like Mel had felt after seeing Phillip turn into a…light bulb, but I knew what I saw.

After driving around aimlessly, I started back to my apartment as the fading afternoon sun beat down on the Boulder city roads.

The four-story apartment complex I lived in housed mostly middle-aged working-class tenants. Very few had kids, so the place was usually quiet. Sedate. Mel had always said it reminded her of one of those retirement apartment buildings. She kind of had a point.

Parking my car in its designated spot, I headed into the open hallway, taking the first metal staircase. Proud that I wasn’t looking over my shoulder every five seconds like a paranoid freak, I rounded the fourth floor and made a mental note that when I moved I was so getting an apartment on the first floor.

Carrying groceries in was a real bitch.

It helped to focus on those kind of mundane bitches as I started down the long, narrow hallway. Possibly the only way to maintain some sort of resemblance of normalcy was by thinking about insignificant things. That way, it didn’t feel like my life was crumbling apart like a pastry.

Stopping in front of the apartment door, I tipped my head as I put the key in the lock, causing my hair to slide forward into my face. I pushed it back, tucking the mass of tangled waves over my shoulder as I lifted my head, letting out a sigh.

Things would be okay. They had—

A sharp shiver shot across my shoulders. It was a feeling so strong that I couldn’t ignore it. It was menacing, heavy and dark. Choking. I was being watched again. As my door inched open, I looked over my shoulder, down the hall.

There he stood, the man— OH MY GOD! —the man from the parking garage. Not Hunter. The other one.

The man’s sandy-colored hair appeared lighter in the hallway. He looked harmless standing there, hands shoved into the pockets of his khakis, his polo shirt pressed and tucked into his pants. He was a walking—er, standing—and breathing ad for Sears’ menswear. The man caught my eye and smiled tightly.

A cold breath of fear trickled down my throat.

Moving quickly, I pushed the door the rest of the way open and locked it behind me as I reached into my purse, digging around for my cell phone. I needed to call the police and I needed to get the hell out of here. My fingers flew over the keypad—

A hand clamped down on my shoulder, spinning me around. I shrieked as my bag slipped from my arm, hitting the carpeted floor.

I was face to face with the man from the hallway. My brain couldn’t process anything for a second because it was impossible that he was in my apartment. I’d seen him at the end of the hall. No one could move that fast. No one human.

He’s not human.

The man’s arm snaked out, knocking the cell phone out of my hand. It hit the nearby wall with enough force that it punched a hole into the plaster and shattered.

“Sorry,” the man said. “Can’t have you calling the police.”

Panic poured into me as I backed up, hitting the tiny bar/island of my kitchen counter. “What…what do you want?”

The same strange, tight smile never faded from his face. “I think that’s obvious by now.”

It was. Every part of me recognized that this was a life-or-death situation. It didn’t matter how this man had gotten into my apartment so quickly, only that he was here to kill. And I knew why—because of Mel, and because of what I’d seen in the garage.

My muscles locked up as adrenaline pumped through my veins. Instinct took over.

Hell no, I wasn’t going to die in this crappy apartment. Screw. That.

I reached behind me blindly, fingers hitting the edge of a four-slot toaster. Not the best weapon, but it would have to do. I tore it from the wall and launched it at the assailant. Not a girlie throw, either. I played softball all through high school and even coached a rec league a few years in college.

That kind of throw would do some damage.

Except the toaster…it didn’t hit the man. It…it stopped in midair, frozen there as if someone pushed pause on time.

My breath punched out of my lungs. “Holy shit.”

“Throwing isn’t nice.” He waved his hand to the side, and the toaster bounced off the wall harmlessly.

I shot away from the counter, grabbing the base of a thick lamp. I swung it like a bat. Crying out, I felt it ripped from my hands by some unseen force. It hit the couch.

No. No. No. What was this thing? Pressure clamped down on my chest as I darted into the kitchen, going for the baseball bat that had been propped against the kitchen counter for years.

The man appeared in front of me, grinning now, as if he enjoyed this. I skidded to a halt. Backing up, I was gripped in mounting terror.

“Fighting is really pointless, Serena.” He prowled forward, each step slow and precise. The fact that he knew my name wasn’t surprising. “But it is entertaining.”

I spun toward the door, knowing that getting outside was my only hope of survival.

He appeared before me, blocking the exit. The outline of his body blurred and flickered, like he was moving so fast that even his body couldn’t keep up with him.

I stumbled back, eyes wide. Horrified, I watched the man’s eyes dilate and his pupils turn white, shining like cut, polished diamonds.

“This isn’t personal, babe,” he said, his voice so casual it was like he was asking me directions. “More like wrong friend, wrong place and time.”

I opened my mouth to scream like holy hell, but the man was suddenly right in front of me. His hand clamped down on my throat, cutting off my cry. He lifted me off my feet and shoved me backward. My head cracked off the wall. Starbursts exploded across my vision. His fingers dug into the flesh of my neck, pressing into my windpipe.

I went wild.

Clawing at the hand around my throat, I kicked out and thrashed, but he was unnaturally strong. I couldn’t get my fingers between his and my skin. The kicks didn’t seem to faze him as he dispassionately watched me struggle. Pain splintered the back of my head, spreading to become an unholy burn in my throat as I gulped at air, but I couldn’t drag any in. My movements slowed as I smacked at his hands, refusing to give up, to go down like this.

He leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. “It will be easier if you stop struggling,” he murmured. “Just let go. It’ll be over sooner that way.”

I begged with my eyes, pleaded really, but the man—this thing—shook his head slowly, clucking his tongue. He was playing with me. Considering what he was capable of, he could just incinerate me or snap my neck, but he was dragging this out.

My vision was dimming at the corners, an unrelenting, terrifying darkness encroaching. I knew if I succumbed there was no coming back. In a last-ditch effort, I swiped out with my hand, clawing at the assailant’s eyes.

He dodged the attack easily and laughed— HE LAUGHED . I believed in that moment it would be the last thing I ever heard—that cold, unflinching laugh.

Except it wasn’t the last thing I heard.

A loud pop reverberated through the apartment, making my attacker whip his head to the side. Over his shoulder, I saw a fissure slice down the middle of the glass door of the soapbox-sized balcony. The crack spread like a spiderweb, reaching every corner of the door. Beyond the glass, on the balcony was a shadow so dark it seemed to eclipse the sun.

The glass shattered, falling to the floor like tinkling wind chimes, and the shadow drifted inside the apartment. Frost— mother-freaking frost—spread along the kitchen walls, a thin, icy coating.

The man let go of me. Hitting the floor on my knees, I doubled over, dragging air into my bruised throat.

“Arum,” said the man.

I rolled onto my haunches, lifting my head as my lungs worked overtime to replenish the deprived cells. What I saw… oh God…it had to be a hallucination.

The shadow rushed the attacker, solidifying as it flew through my kitchen. It slammed into the guy with the force of a freight train, knocking him over the couch.

Scrabbling back against the wall, I lifted my gaze.

A cyclone of shadows swirled in place, revealing a form underneath with each vicious turn. Loose papers flew into the air. The curtains covering the windows billowed. Cheap pictures rattled on the walls. Underneath the black cloud, two legs, a torso, arms, and broad shoulders formed. Everything in the room stopped. Papers fluttered to the floor like doves. Curtains drifted back to the windows. The shadowy cyclone stilled, revealing a man.

My gasp shattered the silence.

Hunter stood where the shadow had been, a tall and imposing force. And he was smiling, a deadly smirk that said he welcomed a fight that he knew he would win.

The other man was on his feet, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. The golden complexion of my attacker was now a ghastly white. Terror filled those diamond-colored eyes.

“You really want to do this?” Hunter’s deep, smooth voice rolled like thunder.

The man’s lips pulled back in a snarl, and I almost expected to see fangs protruding from his mouth. There weren’t any, but then the man flew at Hunter, his form blurring around the edges. His whole form flickered in and out like an old TV station losing reception.

Bright light flooded the room—it came from the man. He was still there, but…but he was made of light. A solid, humanoid form made of light.

Just like Mel had said, I thought dumbly. Like a walking, fucking light bulb.

Light Bulb reared his arm back. Whitish-red light crackled and spit into the air, spinning down his arm. I recognized the same action from the parking garage and I stopped thinking. Lurching to my feet, I grabbed the bat.

Everything happened so fast.

I flung the bat at Light Bulb with all my strength. It shot through the air like a dagger, flipping over and over.

Light Bulb’s head whipped in my direction.

Hunter cursed.

Light Bulb lifted a hand, catching the bat, handle first. The metal smoked and then collapsed into itself, incinerating into ash.

“Shit,” I said, taking a step back.

He waved his hand, and I was off my feet before I could blink. I sailed backward like a rag doll, smacking into the wall. Pain sliced through me. I hit the floor, unable to break my fall.

I heard the two of them crashing into each other as oblivion washed over me. I fought to stay conscious, knowing that if Light Bulb could blow up cars, incinerate bats, and fling me across the room without touching me, there was a good chance Hunter would fall to him.

An image flashed among the disjointed thoughts that were colliding in my brain—

my mom. I didn’t know why I saw her. Maybe it was because I had always thought of her as being the strongest person I’d known. Mom had hung on to life after the robbery. She was a hell of a fighter.

I held on to that image of her as my fingers dug into the carpet. Aching deep in my bones, I pulled myself up, hurting all over.

Light Bulb and Hunter were still fighting, the latter delivering blows so fast that Light Bulb had a hard enough time just staying on his feet. They went at each other in a macabre dance; Light Bulb’s light blinding while Hunter, still looking like Hunter, casting deep, unforgiving shadows.

Spinning around, Hunter caught Light Bulb by the back of the neck and flipped him over his shoulder, pile driving him into the floor. Hunter was astride Light Bulb within a heartbeat.

Under him, Light Bulb’s form flickered and then the light faded, revealing the man.

“Do it, you leech. But you can’t—” Hunter gripped the man by the throat, forcing his head back. “I’m not interested in last speeches. Time to kiss your ass good-bye, Lite-Brite.”

Then Hunter lowered his other hand to Glow Stick’s chest. From my huddled position, it looked like half of Hunter’s arm had suddenly turned to smoke and then disappeared, but then, as I pushed up into a sitting position, I saw what Hunter had done.

His arm had become less solid, and the hand— HOLY SHIT —the hand went through Glow Stick’s chest and was inside it.

I smacked my hand across my mouth, muffling my scream. I wasn’t sure what to be more freaked out about in this whole fucked-up situation—that Light Bulb wanted to kill me? Or that he was a Light Bulb? Or that Hunter could apparently shadow poof and put his hand inside someone? The options were limitless.

Light Bulb reared off the floor, his mouth gaping in a silent scream. Hunter leaned over him, keeping his head in line with Light Bulb’s. It seemed like he was inhaling.

Whatever he was doing had Light Bulb flickering in and out. Human. Light. Human.

Light.

And then Hunter reared back, pulling his arm out of Light Bulb. Fully solid, his arms fell to his side. The hollows of his cheeks were flushed as if he’d been sun-kissed. Hunter opened his eyes.

I let out a ragged breath, pressing against the wall. If he could do that to Light Bulb, what in the hell could he do to me?

On the floor, Light Bulb wasn’t moving. The light had faded, leaving a pearly shell that had human form but reminded me of jellyfish. Networks of veins were visible on the arms and legs. Light Bulb even had fingers.

Light Bulb was also most definitely dead.

Hunter rose fluidly, his pale eyes fixed on mine. Yep. He was inhuman. That might have been the exact moment when I decided I’d blown past the acceptable level of bizarreness for the day, but I was there, knee-deep in it.

He stepped around the body of Light Bulb and stopped in front of me. “I do believe I told you to go straight home, Miss Cross.”

I struggled to my feet, swaying to the side as I inched away. Every part of me ached and it hurt to stand. “Don’t come near me.”

One single brow went up. “Wasn’t planning on it, but I at least thought there’d be a

‘thank you for saving my life’ statement thrown in.”

“You’re not human,” I said slowly.

“And that obviously has nothing to do with the fact I saved your life,” he replied.

Maybe not, but I was beyond caring. There was a dead… something on my floor and a whatever standing in front of me. “Thank you, but please—”

“That didn’t sound sincere, but it doesn’t matter. We—” He had taken a step toward me, and I shrieked, “Don’t touch me!”

Hunter exhaled loudly. “We really don’t have time for this.”

All I could see was his hand disappearing into Light Bulb’s chest. Pressure clamped down on my heart as I continued to make my way toward the hallway. “You’re not human,” I mumbled again, because I needed to hear it to process it.

He closed his eyes, face tight with impatience; and when his eyes reopened, the obsidian pupils seemed to expand. “I’m pretty sure we’ve covered that.”

My chest rose and fell rapidly. “What…what are you?” My gaze dropped to the other thing. “What is that?”

There was a pause, and then he nodded at the prone form on the floor. “That’s an alien. I’m an alien. We’re aliens. Aliens everywhere, actually, which is why we have to leave. I’m sure someone has called the police by now.”

I stared at him. “Aliens?”

Hunter nodded. “Aliens.”

My mouth opened and I was pretty sure I was going to scream, because at that moment, it seemed like the only logical thing to do. Scream. Why not? There were aliens everywhere apparently.

Hunter shot forward, gripping my shoulders. “I really don’t have time for this. We don’t have time for this.”

He tugged me against his chest and lowered his head, angling it in a way that his mouth lined with mine. For a wild second, I thought he was going to kiss me. The funny thing was what flashed through my mind in that moment was that I didn’t know him. Not that I was about to be kissed by an alien—or a murderous alien. The problem was that I didn’t know him. Yeah, I was officially cracked.

Hunter’s lips didn’t touch mine, but it almost felt like they did. I could feel their coolness, and in the back of my mind I wondered how they would feel and taste. And then, his mouth was on mine. His lips were cool and firm. My startled gasp opened my mouth to his. He tasted like winter snow and something dark and rich, like chocolate. But he wasn’t kissing me.

Hunter inhaled.

Chapter 6

It probably made me a son of a bitch to do this to her, especially considering I was in charge of keeping her safe, which by the way was ironically laughable, and in her vulnerable state, it wouldn’t help things. Not to mention this just proved my whole lack of self-control issue. Patience was a virtue I found pointless.

But we really didn’t have time for her dramatics.

The stir of energy around her was a deep violet, which meant she really was about to go off the deep end. Totally understandable—there was a dead alien on her floor.

But when I’d grabbed and pulled her close, there was something else swirling in her energy fields. Thin slivers of red broke through the violet; the hallmark of arousal. It wasn’t a lot. Serena wasn’t going to drop her panties and jump me, but it was there.

And that made me very curious.

My kind did like to covet pretty, little things.

She was frozen in my arms, eyes wide, when I brought my mouth down. Her full lips, shaped like a pouty bow, were incredibly soft and warm. I wanted to investigate that, discover if they could be demanding and hungry, but there wasn’t time.

I slid a hand to her chest, my palm resting just below her breasts. The tips of my fingers brushed the heavy swells. Very distracting. To most the move looked like one of pure dominance, and in a way, it was. But it was also necessary.

I inhaled.

Fed as I was off the Luxen, taking from a human would be like getting a cheeseburger off the dollar menu when you just had filet, but…damn. Serena’s taste —the heightened emotions and adrenaline pumping through her—was exquisite.

Warmth poured into me. Unlike with Luxen or hybrids—humans mutated by the Luxen—I didn’t pick up any memories or emotions. With them, one never knew what you were going to get. Usually it was something the Luxen or hybrid was stressing over, a memory they kept rehashing. The one I just killed had been smart. When I’d fed, the Luxen had thought about a TV show he’d watched the night prior, which meant the Lite-Brite was probably a fucking gold mine of information. Too late for that. But with Serena there was silence. Nothing was coming off her except warmth and softness and sunlight. Yeah, that’s it. She tasted like sunlight.

I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close as I continued to feed. She had been stiff in my arms, like she had locked up every muscle, but hadn’t tried to fight me off. Not that she could if she tried, and if I hadn’t showed up when I had, the Luxen would’ve easily killed her.

Humans were so fragile.

Serena let out a breathless sigh against my mouth and then deflated like a paper bag in my arms.

Thick lashes fanned her pale cheeks. A faint blue shadow had appeared under her eyes, and I knew that if I continued, that hue would spread through her. No doubt it already shaded her lips.

If I continued, I would kill her.

Stopping would be going against my nature. Arum were killers. And I didn’t hide from what I truly was, even if I was the DOD’s bitch boy. No matter how many leashes they put on me, or any Arum, I would always be what I was—part of a race that had been bred to kill.

But last time I checked, I wasn’t supposed to kill her.

With supreme effort, I lifted my mouth and broke the connection. Her head flopped back so quickly I caught her by the back of the skull before she cracked her neck.

“Shit,” I said, staring down at her. She was going to be out for a very, very long time.

…

Waking up was like climbing through quicksand. Every time I clambered to the top, coming close to opening my eyes, I was dragged back down. My body refused to get up and move around, and I slipped back into the kind of deep sleep that dreams couldn’t penetrate, until oblivion finally loosened its grip on me.

My eyes felt like they’d been sewed shut and when they finally fluttered open, I immediately winced against the harsh brightness. Turning my head, I swallowed, surprised by how dry my throat was. As my vision adjusted, my heart kicked into overdrive.

Where in the hell was I?

I was definitely not in my apartment. Everything in the room was far too nice and pricey. The bureau in the corner, which matched a standing mirror, looked like a priceless heirloom. A chaise lounge against the off-white walls was covered with fluffy pillows.

I turned my head, frowning.

Delicate white curtains billowed gently in the warm, rolling breeze from an open sliding glass door. I could see potted flowers in an array of colors beyond the door.

More evidence I wasn’t where I should be, because I had a thumb of death when it came to plants. It was some kind of raised deck, because it was at level with thick, leafy tree branches. The chirps of birds were a soft chorus. No sounds of cars. No people yelling or laughing.

Pushing up, I fought back a wave of dizziness and tugged the covers off—where were the rest of my clothes? I stared down at my bare legs, dumbfounded. My jeans were gone. It was just the old tee shirt and my polka-dotted panties.

“What the hell?” I whispered in a hoarse voice.

Throwing my legs off the bed, I stood on wobbly knees. NOT GOING TO PANIC. NOT GOING TO PANIC. The last thing I remembered was standing and talking to Hunter after he killed the… alien.

Hunter was also an alien.

Aliens were real.

“Oh my God.” I pushed the tangled mess of hair out of my face.

My gaze darted around the opulent bedroom. First, I needed to find my pants and then a weapon—possibly a nuclear level weapon.

Had Hunter kissed me?

No? Yes. Kind of? My brain needed to shut up, because it wasn’t spewing out anything helpful. Spying two sets of doors, one across from the bed and the other by the chaise lounge, I tried the one across from the bed first.

Locked.

Jesus. A bedroom door that locked from the outside. Nice. I hurried to the other door and discovered a bathroom…that was bigger than my bedroom back in the apartment. Enough room for me to lie down and make bathroom angels in without touching a single thing. It was ridiculous—garden tub and a separate, standing shower with expensive-looking tile.

Heart pounding and feeling sick, I quickly shut the bathroom door and backed up, sitting on the edge of the tub. Okay. It was obvious that I’d been taken somewhere, most likely by Hunter. Whatever he had done to me had knocked me out and for God knows how long. Add that to the fact that he was an alien, and I really couldn’t consider myself safe.

But he had saved my life.

Or had he?

I didn’t understand the why of any of this. Hell, I didn’t even know where I was.

Pressing my palms to my forehead, I squeezed my eyes shut. My head pounded along with my pulse. I felt like I’d just come out of a dangerous fever. Everything was surreal, too bright and vastly confusing—but this was real.

I had to come up with a plan. I needed to find out where I was, find a phone, find a weapon— FIND MY DAMN JEANS . Lowering my hands, I glanced around the bathroom.

There was nothing in here I could fashion into a weapon unless I was James Bond.

But there was a bowl of sour grape Blow Pops on the sink counter. Odd.

I stood, dragging in a deep breath. Spotting a linen closet of sorts, I found a wide array of products: soaps, shampoos, lotions, and enough girlie-girl products to survive an apocalypse with.

“Okay,” I murmured, rooting through the various bottles. Obviously a woman had stayed here before or currently did, one with really good taste, but unless I planned on throwing bath salt in someone’s face, there was nothing of use for me in here.

Going to the sink, I turned on the faucet and splashed water over my face. It cleared some of the fuzziness. Then I opened the bathroom door, stepping back into the bedroom cautiously.

I came to a complete standstill as air punched from my lungs.

There was a shadow in front of the deck doors. It wasn’t a normal shadow, either. It sucked the light out of everything around it. My heart pounded painfully. Instinct took over and a fear so cold, so powerful took root. Reaching blindly for a weapon, my fingers wrapped around a small figurine—which turned out to be a cast-iron pioneer —and I threw it hard.

The shadow took form as it darted to the side, but there was a fleshy thud as the statue hit what was now a denim-clad thigh…that belonged to Hunter, a currently shirtless Hunter.

“What the fuck?” Hunter exploded.

I didn’t wait to offer up an explanation. Darting back toward the bathroom, I opened my mouth to scream. Out of nowhere, a hand smacked down on my mouth and an arm snaked around on my waist. I should’ve known he’d move that fast, should’ve realized that escape wasn’t possible. The guy was a damn shadow.

Panic clawed its way up my throat. Kicking and thrashing, I tried to wiggle free from the powerful hold, but only managed to knock my leg into the dresser.

“Oh, for the love of God,” Hunter grunted. “Knock it off.”

I shoved my elbow back, satisfied when it connected with hard skin.

Hunter swore again, and the next thing I knew my feet were off the ground. One moment I was hovering in air, my back pinned to his cool chest, and the next second I was flying.

Hitting the middle of the bed, I let out a sharp squeak as I bounced. A second later, the weight of a building crashed into me. My back hit the mattress, knocking the air out once more. The worst sort of terror spread, and I turned more into caged animal than human. I swung wildly with both hands, but he caught my wrists with astonishing and frightening ease, securing them to the bed on either side of my head.

Arching my back, I tried to knee him where it counts, but he pressed down, covering my legs with his.

I couldn’t move—couldn’t breathe. Hunter weighed a ton, and every part of him that touched me was hard and cool. Heart racing into cardiac territory, I went completely still.

“Are you insane?” he growled. “Look at me!”

Shaking my head frantically, I kept my eyes squeezed shut. “Please don’t—”

“Please don’t what? Strangle the ever-loving common sense into you? I might do that.” There was a pause and his chest rose against mine. “Jesus H. Christ, woman, I didn’t sign up for this. I think you gave me a flesh wound.”

I pried open one eye, and then both. Those startling pale eyes, full of anger, fixed on mine.

“Are you done acting like a psychotic, cracked-out Muppet baby?” he asked, and I could tell by the way his fingers spasmed around my wrists, he really wanted to shake me. “Or do you need a couple more moments to return to sanity? I have all day. And you actually feel kind of good under me, so take your time.”

My eyes popped wide. I was under him, like really under him. Our bodies were touching in all the right areas one wanted them to touch when they were in bed. I shifted just a fraction of an inch, and his eyes narrowed. Something long and thick and hard pressed against my belly. A flush stole across my cheeks and swept down my neck. Alien or not, he was endowed like the small percentage of men who actually had something to brag about.

He smirked and then pulled back a little. The rest of his face came into view, and somehow I had forgotten how good-looking Hunter was in this form. It wasn’t a pretty kind of beauty, like Phillip or the man who attacked me in my apartment. His was a harsher beauty, wild and untamed, a kind of beauty that would be hard to replicate.

And why was I thinking about how good-looking he was? Seriously not important, but at some point, I realized he wasn’t trying to kill me…and that my heavy breathing had nothing to do with fear at the moment.

“Calm now?” he asked.

“You’re a—”

“If you say alien again, I’m probably going to strangle you a little. Okay?” By the edge in his voice I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. “We’ve already established what I am. You don’t see me walking around blabbering about you being a human.”

My mouth dropped open. “But that’s different!”

“How so?” he proposed.

“You’re on Earth!”

He smirked. “Okay. I’ll give you that.”

That infuriated me. “What did you do to me?”

“When?”

My fingers curled helplessly around air. “When you, like, kissed me?”

“I didn’t kiss you,” he scoffed.

For some reason, I thought I should be insulted by the way he said that. “All right, when you put your mouth on mine? Is that clear enough for you?”

Hunter’s grin tipped higher. “You have a feisty little attitude, don’t you?”

“You’re about to get a feisty little foot up your ass,” I spat back.

Tipping his head back, Hunter did the most mysterious thing. He laughed. At me. A deep, body-shaking laugh that shook me and made me shiver for what was probably all the wrong reasons.

Quieting down, he lowered his chin. “I fed off you.”

“You fed off me?”

“Yes. I took some of your energy from you—sort of like tapping into your life force,” he said, giving me a cheeky grin that said he didn’t feel bad about it.

My face scrunched up. “You’re like an incubus or something.”

“Well, how do you think myths get started? And stop staring at me like I’ve damaged you. I didn’t take enough to kill you. You’ve only been asleep for two days.

Eat some chocolate and you’ll be back where you were.”

I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. Two days? That meant today was Saturday. I’d lost two whole days. “You knocked me out for two days? That can’t be healthy.”

His brows lowered. “You could be dead.”

Good God, I wanted to hit him. “You fed off me, dude. I can’t even categorize how messed up that is. That’s not okay.”

“I’ll tell you what’s not okay, is you throwing shit at me.” Curiosity marked his expression. “Why did you throw something at me?” When I didn’t answer, a muscle popped in his jaw. “You’re not going to answer me? Or do I need to repeat myself for a third time? It’s okay. I like to hear myself talk.”

In a second, anger and irritation roared through me. Something about his cocky tone pissed me off. So did my body’s reaction to him. Parts of me were all kinds of tingly, especially when I wiggled again and felt him twitch.

“Get off me.” I tried to push him off, but that didn’t work. “Get off me now!”

“Or what?” He tilted his head down so that his mouth was inches from mine. “You going to pick up a picture frame next and wing it at my head?”

“Maybe,” I snapped back.

“Then I can’t let you up.”

I stared at him in disbelief and sputtered, “You can’t— Get off!”

One single brow arched up. “I can’t get off? Oh, I most definitely can get off.”

The flush increased until I felt like I was under the sweltering sun. Muscles in my stomach tightened. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Hmm, so you say…so you say.”

He was— Oh my God, I was struck speechless.

A long minute passed as he stared down at me, and then he released my wrists, finger by finger. Then in one fluid, unbelievably quick motion, he rolled off and stood. Jesus, the guy was part alien, part human, and part ninja.

I sat up and almost toppled off the side of the bed. Peering through the mass of tangled hair, I got my first real good look at Hunter. I’d been caught off guard in the parking garage and too frightened in my apartment to really get a good look at him, and since he had all that very human flesh on display, I drank him in.

Holy hotness…

Jeans hung low on narrow hips. Hunter’s stomach was perfection—each taut muscle tight and totally lickable. Not that I’d ever licked a man’s stomach before, but now I got why someone would want to. I was in six-pack heaven. He even had those dips beside the hip-bones…

Oh God, I felt dizzy.

His chest was defined and cut like marble. I got hung up on staring at that for a few moments before I literally had to force myself to look at his face.

Checking him out couldn’t be right. What was wrong with me? “Look, I’m sorry about the whole throwing things at you and everything else—”

“You don’t look very apologetic.”

I frowned. “Well, I am. Things are kind of…messed up. And you knocked me out.

And you’re half naked—”

“Have you looked in the mirror?” he cut in. “You’re just as naked as I am. And I didn’t throw anything at your head.”

Glancing down at myself, I cringed. Somehow I’d forgotten that I was in my shirt and undies. Flushing all over again, I wanted to dart behind something, but I folded my arms. “I didn’t throw anything at your head. I was—”

“Do you always overreact like this?”

Oh my God, if he interrupted me one more time I was going to throw something at his head. “I woke up in a strange place, kidnapped by an alien. I can’t even believe I’m explaining why I overreacted. What were you doing in my room anyway?”

He mimicked my stance. “Correction: this is my house and therefore this is my room. Not that I need to explain myself, but I was checking to make sure everything was secure outside.”

“But you did kidnap me.”

“I did not.”

I threw up my hands. “What’s all this? Where am I?”

“West Virginia.”

My mouth dropped open. Oh my God, this couldn’t be happening. “I’m in a different time zone? Are you fuc—” Hunter threw up his hand, silencing me. The tip of my tongue literally burned to lay into him. “What the hell is that noise?”

Before I could respond, he stalked past the bed and entered the bathroom.

“Jesus! What are you trying to do in here?” His voice carried from the bathroom.

“Giving the floor a bath?” he demanded.

I searched desperately for my jeans, but came up empty.

Hunter returned, hands on his hips. Too late. “Seriously?”

“I forgot I turned the faucet on. Geez, you’re grumpy.”

“And you’re already turning out to be a huge pain in my thigh.”

“Look, I’m really sorry about that. Okay? I’ve been through some really traumatic events here recently and, yes, I might have overreacted.” I struggled with my patience.

“And I really would like to know where my pants are.”

“Your pants were folded on the corner of the bed. You probably knocked them on the floor.”

What? I wanted to check, but I so wasn’t bending down in my panties in front of him. “And how did they get off me and folded on the bed?”

“I did it. Thought you’d be more comfortable.”

Oh geez, I had no idea what to think about that. A thank -you so wasn’t in order though. He undressed me while I was unconscious, for crying out loud. My entire body felt red-hot. “I’m not going to say thank you for that.”

“Not like I’d expect that common courtesy from you,” he replied, his pale eyes dancing…with what? Anger? Amusement? “After all, you never thanked me for saving your ass—a pretty ass at that. So I can add inconsiderate to your growing list of attributes. Put that right next to: overreacts, acts first and then thinks, drama—”

“Oh, go fu—”

“You do not want to finish that sentence,” Hunter warned , his voice low enough to send warning shivers down my spine. “The one thing I don’t do is fuck myself.”

I doubted he needed to. Then again, he probably opened his mouth and ruined everything. “All right, this is not what I intended. I just need to know what’s going on and get my pants—”

“How about you do this,” he said, stalking up to me. I took a step back, hitting the bed. His gaze dropped from my face to my chest, his stare so intense it felt like he was touching me. “Why don’t you put some more clothes on? You’re a little distracting right now.”

I gaped at him in disbelief. What the hell had I been trying to do?

A quick grin flashed across his face. Not necessarily warm, but there was definitely something to it. Was he messing with me?

“When you’re done, you can join me downstairs,” he continued, strolling past me.

“We have a few things we need to go over.”

I spun around, hands curling into useless fists. “Why don’t you put some clothes on?”

Stopping at the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “Do I distract you?”

Clamping my mouth shut, I glared daggers at him. He was distracting, but a zombie could eat my brains before I’d admit that.

Hunter smirked. “Downstairs. Five minutes.”

“You—” He slammed the door shut in my face.

Chapter 7

Never in my life had I been more frustrated. Go figure it wouldn’t be with a human but a freaking alien. At least I now knew that the male species were asses no matter what planet they hailed from.

After digging my jeans out from underneath the bed and slipping them on, I sat on the edge of the bed and glared at the door. Be downstairs in five minutes? That insufferable, arrogant, and demanding ass was going to wait at least ten.

But damn, he was insanely hot for an…alien.

Groaning, I dropped my head into my hands. I didn’t feel right. The whole not knowing where I was, what was happening at home, and being so far out of what I knew was reality was driving me insane.

The door suddenly swung open, causing me to jump. Hunter filled the doorway, still shirtless and eyes narrowed.

“Five minutes have been up,” he said. “I don’t like to wait.”

“I don’t like to be bossed around.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Then we’re going to have a problem, Serena.”

A part hidden deep inside responded to the sound of my name coming from his mouth, warming and turning liquid. The way it rolled off his tongue was sinful.

Hunter waited.

Snapping out of it, I climbed to my feet and grumbled the whole way past him.

Hunter said nothing as we went downstairs. It was a few blissful moments of silence, which I used to admire what he had going on in the back.

Nice ass.

We entered a massive room with white, pristine sectional couches and sitting chairs.

A large flat-screen TV hung from the wall. Vases decorated the end tables and took up the corners of the room. There was a faint smell of roses in the air. I was half afraid to touch anything, like I’d leave sticky fingerprints.

I followed him down a hallway and into a kitchen area. Bright sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the room a warm, welcoming feeling, while the living room was sort of sterile.

Several bar stools surrounded the island and top-of-the-line appliances furnished the kitchen—stainless-steel double oven, side-by-side fridge, and a sink you could bathe in. Off to the left was a dining table and, beyond that, an entrance to a sunroom full of plants and chaise lounges.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing at one of the stools.

I debated on ignoring him, but decided it wouldn’t get us anywhere. Sitting, I folded my hands in my lap. “Where—”

“Would you like a drink?” he interrupted, heading toward the cabinet near the fridge.

My brows rose. “Yes. That would be nice. Thank you.”

Hunter glanced at me. “You sound surprised.”

“You don’t seem like the type who does civil things like that.”

He smirked. Turning back to the cabinet, he grabbed two glasses. “I have soda, milk, water—”

“Milk? I’m not ten.”

He turned around, lips tipped up on one side. “And how old are you? Nineteen?”

Offended, I leaned back on the stool. “I’m twenty-three, but I’ll try to take that as a compliment.”

“Hmm…” He put the glasses back and picked up two wine flutes.

My eyes narrowed. “You know how old I am.”

“Yes.” Hunter swiped a wine bottle out of its rack.

Staring at the back of his broad shoulders, I pictured a spider monkey landing on him and biting his neck, total vampire style. Actually, maybe zombie style. That would do more damage. “So, you just said that because you think you’re funny?”

“I know I’m funny.” Hunter spun around and crossed the distance to the island. He placed a glass of dark wine in front of me.

My skin felt tight. “I don’t know what to even say.”

Leaning his elbows on the table, he took a sip of his wine. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions. We might as well get this out of the way.”

God, he didn’t have to sound so put out over everything, but I bristled silently.

Getting into an argument with him wasn’t going to solve anything. It was the same as dealing with students. Sometimes you had to be the bigger person.

Or human.

“I do have a lot of questions,” I said.

“I bet you do,” he murmured, watching me over the rim of his glass. “A lot of dumb ones, too.”

A sharp tingle was inching across the back of my skull, spreading like heatstroke.

“You’re an ass.” There went being the bigger person.

“And you have a potty mouth.” Hunter flashed a quick grin.

I took a deep, calming breath as he finished off his wine in one gulp. I hadn’t even touched mine. “Are you going to answer my questions or just insult me?”

Hunter chuckled. “Possibly a little of both.”

My hands curled into fists.

Smirking, he prowled around the island. His movements were graceful and fluid, but it was like he was forcing himself to slow down. My breath stalled out as he sat beside me, spreading his thighs wide so that one brushed my leg.

Like lightning, his hand was in my hair, gently wrapping the strands around his fingers. “Your hair is beautiful,” he murmured. “It’s the color of light.”

Okay. Not weird or anything…

Sort of fascinated, I watched him straighten my hair out before him. He inspected each strand, twisting it as it caught and reflected the light. An odd look, almost like awe, skittered across his striking features.

His gaze flicked up, meeting mine. He dropped the strand. “Ask a question.”

Gripping the stool, I scooted away. The metal legs made this horrible scratching sound. “Where am I? And please a little more detail than just the state.”

Hunter inched his stool toward mine, taking back the distance. Even sitting down, he was a good head or two taller. He leaned in, so that his face was inches from mine.

My throat dried. “You’re in my personal space.”

“You’re in my home, therefore that cancels out your personal space.”

“Your logic is faulty.”

He cocked his head to the side, lashes lowering. “My logic is the only logic around here. You need to get used to that.”

And he needed to get used to blunt objects being thrown at his head, because it was about to happen again. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“You’re in a small town…outside of Elkins.” He reached over and inched the wineglass toward me with the tips of his fingers. “Drink.”

I stared at the wineglass.

“Drink, Serena.”

My gaze cut to him. The authority in his tone raised every hackle and it also… I so wasn’t finishing that thought. “Are you always so demanding?”

“Very,” he said, sitting back. “Drink.”

Muttering just about every foul word I could, I picked up the wine and took a sip—

a very small sip. “Happy?”

“Very.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Several moments passed in silence, so I took another drink…and then another. Still no word from Hunter. He was just sitting there…watching me with heavy hooded eyes. His eyes…they were too pale. Like all the color had been leached from the blue.

My hand shook a little as I put the glass down. “Why am I in West Virginia?”

“It’s the last place they will look for you.”

“Who? The other…alien you were fighting?” The wine created a nice little pool of warmth in my belly. At least, that’s what I was hoping was doing it. “The ones who killed Mel?”

“And tried to kill you? Yes. They won’t look for you here.”

My hands were still shaking. “Why wouldn’t they?”

Leaning back, he grabbed a sucker from yet another bowl and unwrapped it. “If you go outside and look to the east, you’ll see a huge mountain. The mountain is stock full of beta quartz. That’s important.”

“It is?”

He nodded. “I’ll start at the beginning. Do you know anything about the Abell? It’s a galaxy about thirteen billion light-years from here. Where I’m from is even farther from that. So are the other aliens—the Luxen. If you haven’t realized it, their true form is what you would see as light. Beta quartz has a wonderful ability to block their wavelengths. The Flatirons are the same way. There will always be communities of Luxen near any large amount of beta quartz, because Arum—that’s what I am—can see wavelengths around any living creature, especially the Luxen. Follow me?”

I needed more wine for this shit. “Kind of.”

“The Luxen want you dead because you witnessed one of them being very bad.

When you told the police and anyone who would listen that this guy lit up like a Christmas tree, the Department of Defense got involved. And yes, the government is well aware of aliens and they have implants everywhere.” He paused. “They took the senator’s son Phillip into custody. That is never a good thing. The senator believes that if you’re taken out of the equation, then the exposure threat is removed and his son will be returned to him. There’s also the issue of what your friend overheard, what she could’ve told you.”

“She really didn’t tell me anything,” I murmured. Good God, there was an alien senator. “So, he wants to kill me to keep me quiet?”

“Yep.”

Stealing a peek at him, I saw that he was still staring at me, the sucker in his mouth.

I looked away quickly. “And you really work for the Department of Defense? Like an alien liaison?”

“Yep.”

I almost laughed, but I didn’t because I was sure I’d never stop. It would be the insanity kind of laughter.

“How are you feeling?” he asked suddenly.

I turned to him, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“How are you feeling?” he repeated, but he also reached over and placed a single finger on my jaw. He barely touched me, but it was like an electric shock rippled through me. For a brief second, I was reminded of how he felt when he’d pinned me to the bed.

Hunter’s smirk turned knowing. “Serena?”

“I…I don’t understand.”

“You have a bruise here and you took a couple of nasty spills.”

I hadn’t even noticed the bruise or paid much attention to the aches. “And you basically ate my energy or something?”

He grinned. “That, too.”

Well, he definitely had no shame. “It’s—I’m fine.”

There was a pause. “You could’ve died.”

“It’s really not important right now.”

A second later, I felt his warm breath along my cheek as he spoke. “I know you have more questions.”

I turned my cheek away from him, unnerved by how close he was and how he moved without making any noise. Heat crept over my cheeks when two cool fingertips pressed under my chin, and with surprising gentleness, Hunter guided my eyes to his. Our gazes locked. There was something in those unsettling eyes of his, a gleam of compassion that lurked under the coldness of the unnatural color.

“Ask,” he said, not looking away.

“So…you guys put me within spitting distance of a group of aliens that may want to kill me if they find out I’m here?”

“They won’t find out.”

I started to pull back, but his hand left my chin, curving around the nape of my neck. The grip wasn’t tight, but it was commanding. There was no moving away, no escaping what he wanted. His skin was cool and the pads of his fingers were rough, as if he used his hands a lot.

Hunter leaned in again, bringing our mouths within kissing distance. Restlessness unfurled, spreading through my veins, spiking my pulse. I froze.

“The senator obviously has a lot of contacts. Someone in the police department most likely sold you out, but you’re safe from them here.”

Those rough fingers slipped back around, trailing down the side of my throat. They stopped over my wildly beating pulse. I sucked in a breath. Hunter smiled, but there was no real warmth behind it. Heat, maybe, but it was lacking any sort of emotion.

I didn’t know what it was that made every cell in my body stand up and take notice —him touching me, or maybe I just wanted him to remove his hand.

His gaze dropped to my lips and his powerful body coiled tight. The milky blue hue of his eyes churned sudden flecks of dark azure. Tension seeped into the air, heavy like a well-worn blanket. The room cooled as if the air conditioner had kicked on and was cracked high. The room darkened, but over Hunter’s shoulder and beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, bright light basked the outdoors.

Tiny goose bumps shot across my skin.

Every instinct kicked into gear and was screaming at me to run—run as fast as I could. This inherent, very human warning system was blaring against the unnaturalness settling over the room.

But I couldn’t look away from his eyes. There wasn’t warmth in them, but there was a primal heat, and my body responded even as it tried to shy away.

Then Hunter removed his hand and sat back, popping the sucker back into his mouth and he waited. The spell was broken. Sucking in several deep gulps of air, I realized I’d held my breath.

My hand fluttered to my throat as I swallowed a few times. Throat dry, I reached for the glass and finished off the rest of the wine. The liquid burned on the way down.

“Am I safe from you?” I asked.

He didn’t answer.

I looked at him. “Hunter?”

“I’m not going to lie and say I’m not dangerous. I am. In a way, I’ll be more dangerous to you than any Luxen will be,” he said, looking me dead-on. “I’m not the good guy here. I’m not the hero. My job is to keep you alive and I’ll do my best, but I can’t and I won’t make any promises.”

Wasn’t the most reassuring thing I was looking for , and frankly it made me want to run screaming from the room, but I nodded. He still had that damn sucker in his mouth, twirling it with his fingers. My body reacted in a surprised, fiery rush that I desperately ignored.

But no man should look that good with a sucker.

“How do you look so human?” I blurted out.

A small smile played across his lips. “Our DNA melded with human DNA. Same thing for the Luxen. I could go into detail, but it will probably bore you to tears. We may look human and even act it at times, but don’t ever forget that we are not human.”

My heart turned over heavily. “Are you trying to scare me?”

Hunter arched a brow. “I’m just telling you the truth.” Biting down on the sucker, he held the now empty white stick. “It’s probably a wise thing that you’re scared. Would you like another drink?”

I nodded, relieved when he got up to retrieve the wine bottle. Without him beside me, the air felt less tense and thick. I wished he’d put a shirt on. “How did I even get here?”

Hunter placed the refilled glass in front of me, and I grabbed it like a wino. “You’ll be happy to know it was a very human method of traveling. Drove your car to a private hangar and placed you on a plane.”

I took a healthy drink. “My car is still at the hangar?” The thing wasn’t a luxury vehicle, but I couldn’t afford a new one.

“Yes. It will not be touched there.”

I relaxed a little. “Will you tell me about what you are?”

“Already did that.” Hunter tossed the white stick from his sucker into the trash, then propped a hip against the island.

My gaze dropped to the glass between my palms as I smiled a little. “You’ve hardly told me anything about that.”

“I think the less you know the better.”

Something in his voice caused ice to drench my veins. As I took another drink of the wine, my throat tightened. The pressure spread to my chest. A new threat appeared. “I can’t be the first person to accidentally find out about aliens. Not even Mel.”

“Nope.” He took a drink. “Humans probably find out all the time. Either they are very smart and keep quiet or…”

“Or what?” I whispered.

Hunter’s pale eyes pierced me. “Or they disappear.”

“Is that what’s happened to me? I’ve disappeared?”

“Not yet.”

Again, what he said wasn’t the most reassuring thing. So many emotions beat at me like a violent riptide threatening to drag me under. I stopped myself from going for more wine. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He regarded me coolly. “You really want to know?”

I shot him a look. “Yes. I really want to know. I want to know everything.”

“The DOD may say one thing, but I know differently. The only reason you’re alive right now is because the Luxen stepped around the DOD and went after your friend.

Wherever there’s exposure, they are required to report it. They didn’t. That ticked the DOD off, and then when they issued a kill order on you, the DOD stepped in just to prove a point. And they want to know what the boys were fighting over.”

I wished he’d stop saying “kill order.” “I don’t know what they were fighting over.”

“You don’t?” He didn’t sound like he believed me.

“No.” I tugged a hand through my hair. “What are you really saying?”

“I think you know.” There was a pause. “The DOD’s protection of you is their way of giving the middle finger to the Luxen—and being nosy. It’s like a parent taking away a toy from an ill-behaving child. It’s not because they want to protect you. They are just proving a point. But if you prove to be too much of a risk, they will turn on you faster than you could blink.”

A few moments passed as I watched the heavy branches swaying in the breeze outside. I worked at getting that plug of emotion down my throat. My life wasn’t in my hands anymore, wasn’t even guaranteed. How was I not a risk? I knew about aliens. I’d seen them. I couldn’t wrap my head around this. I understood it and I was even processing it, but the full scale of what all of this meant was numbing.

And I knew deep down that there was a good chance I wasn’t going to walk away from this with my life. An alien race wanted me dead, an alien who was admittedly dangerous was protecting me, and the DOD could change their mind at any time and take me out. I was just expected to sit here and wait for someone or something to kill me.

I couldn’t do that.

It was more than just my life. It was about Mel, too. She was murdered and no one — no one—would be held accountable, especially if I was silenced.

Mel deserved justice.

He leaned against the island, his presence crowding as his eyes searched mine.

“You’ve really stepped into some shit, haven’t you?”

Hearing it put like that, I had to laugh, because if I didn’t, I’d cry and probably never stop crying. “Yeah, I think I stepped in it and then rolled around in it.”

His lips twitched.

Our gazes met and held for a moment. Unnerved, I glanced away, pressing my lips together. I couldn’t stay here.

“What about my job?” I said, hopeful. “I can’t—”

“The DOD have taken care of that. Due to an emergency, you have been given extended leave,” he replied.

Jesus.

I didn’t hear Hunter move closer, but there he was, so close we were sharing the same oxygen. His fingers under my chin again, tilting my head toward his. Our mouths separated by scant inches. My stomach hollowed and a hot and uncomfortable feeling spread through me like an out-of-control wildfire. Heaviness settled in my breasts and then spread much, much lower.

Hunter’s nostrils flared.

Even with all the crazy stuff happening recently, beneath the sorrow and the anger, I was still a red-blooded, twenty-three-year-old woman sitting in front of a man, who may not be a hundred-percent human but had to have caused a panty-dropping crisis across the universe. Maybe not a personality to brag about, but he oozed that kind of dark sex appeal that made good girls do bad, bad things. Over and over again.

We were stuck here—together and alone. There was no mistaking the predatory edge that had crept into his expression and I was no squeamish virgin.

The fingers under my chin drifted up, spreading across my cheek. I held still. His gaze dropped to my mouth and then farther down, his stare so intense it felt like a caress.

His lips slipped into a smile that did nothing to ease the stark lust in his face. “Oh, Serena, you really have no idea of what kind of shit you’ve stepped in.”

Chapter 8

After Hunter had disappeared into the study with explicit orders to not even think about stepping foot outside the cabin, I ran through my options. Going home was stupid, but staying here wasn’t any smarter. I only had the clothes on my back, but that wasn’t the problem. I’d found my purse in the bedroom—thank God, Hunter had the sense to grab that minus my cell phone, but I only had a couple of twenties in my wallet. Not enough cash to get me back home. My credit cards were there, but I was too wary of using them since they could easily be tracked.

I had old college friends all over the States. There was Vee Winters, a fellow psych grad, who lived in Tennessee. Vee would send me money no questions asked and would open her door to me, but I needed a phone.

I hadn’t seen a single one in the house.

Hours passed as I bounced from one room to another. The sunroom quickly became my favorite place in the house. With all the plants, it gave the illusion of being outside —and not caged up all alone with the sexiest and rudest alien in the universe.

I wondered if he’d found a shirt yet.

The sunroom was several degrees warmer and tall, thick mountain ash and elm provided some privacy, but if someone were standing out front, they could see everything going on within the lower part of the cabin due to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

My stomached knotted as I considered my plans. At night, I would leave. I had to.

Panic had built all day, spreading like a noxious weed. I felt trapped—I was trapped —and I had to get out of here, find some place in town that had a phone, and then, once I got to Vee’s house, I’d figure out what to do next.

When the sun started to go down, I stopped outside the study door and listened. I couldn’t hear a thing but knew he hadn’t left the room. If he’d gone all smoky alien, I still would have seen him at some point. He was in there, maybe asleep.

Hurrying upstairs, I grabbed my ID and the cash. Slipping my credit cards in my back pocket, I hoped I didn’t need to use them but wanted to be prepared. I checked the study once more, and when I heard nothing, I crept back through the living room.

At the entrance to the house, I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly, carefully unlocked the front door. The click sounded like thunder to me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I expected Hunter to bust through the study door and tackle me, but when it didn’t happen, I murmured a little prayer and inched open the door far enough for me to slip out. I closed it at the rate of an ant’s crawl, wincing as it shut into place.

I turned around, tucking my hair back behind my ears. Hands and legs trembling, I darted around potted flowers that threw a heavy, sweet scent into the air, and dashed down the steep staircase that led off the deck and onto a gravel driveway. Cursing the flip-flops I was wearing, I hurried along. With the sun quickly fading, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I couldn’t see a foot in front of me. There was no artificial light out here—no lampposts or streetlights. Once the sun went down… I refused to think about it.

Deep shadows were already invading the thick, imposing trees crowding the driveway. There was no doubt in my mind there were a lot of furry creatures big and small in the woods around me.

My heart raced as I broke into a mad run down the uneven gravel, adrenaline jetting through my veins. I spared a brief glance into the tree line to the right and saw something move. A bear? Chupacabra? Anything seemed possible. Fear zinged through my blood, constricting my throat as I hit the end of the driveway and came to a complete stop.

The road was narrow and covered in a thin layer of asphalt. The heavy hum of cicadas and crickets drowned out the pounding of my pulse. Mountain ash and elm were thicker here, their branches hanging over the road like thick, stubby fingers waiting to grab unsuspecting tourists.

I didn’t know which direction to take.

The back of my throat burned as I took a step forward but stopped. Who was I kidding? My breath came out in a harsh exhale. So close to tears, I blindly took a left and started walking as fast as I could.

I followed the road, passing cabins not as large as Hunter’s but still pretty damn big.

For a moment, I considered stopping at one of them. They all had the large floor-to-ceiling windows, but there were no lights on. Trepidation filled me and a small voice spoke up in the back of my head, warning that this was a bad, bad idea.

As I made my way around a bend in the road, a pavilion came into view. There was a raised portion, like a stage. Several small tables and chairs surrounded it. There were no people, though, and come to think of it, I hadn’t even seen a car anywhere on the property.

Did they use horses around here to travel?

The place was like a creepy ghost town. All it needed was a tumbleweed blowing across the paved square. I caught the scent of water and figured there was a lake somewhere nearby, but there were no sounds of engines, laughter, or anything.

Walking past the pavilion and all its empty chairs, I shivered in spite of the warmth and wrapped my arms around my waist. Could Hunter and I be the only ones here?

Really having no idea if that was the case, I turned around.

There was a lodge of sorts, a long, one-story, ranch-style building with a rustic, camplike feel to it. Beside it was a huge, beautiful gazebo.

I’d always had a thing for architecture, especially anything that was handcrafted. My appreciation came from the fact that I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body while my mom had a knack for it.

Drawn to it, I noticed that the detail put into the gazebo was magnificent. The scrolling artwork was a series of twisted knots engraved into the wood, and the design covered each inch of panel and railing and continued inside. Never once was there a break in the knots as they twisted around the spokes and climbed the interior ceiling like vines. The pattern reminded me of one large, entwined Celtic knot.

Running my fingers over the carved loops, I noticed that in the center of every loop was another design: a small circle with four knobs inside it and each knob connected by a thin line. To capture such minuscule detail was amazing, and the ability to craft something so intricate was truly awe-inspiring. The amount of time invested in this was astonishing. Moving to the center of the gazebo, I tried to find where the design started, but everything was so seamless. There was no beginning or end.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of the door to the lodge open and a man stepped out. So there were people here.

The man was tall, probably around Hunter’s height. His hair was dark and cut close to the skull. His face was all sharp angles, skin the same alabaster as Hunter’s.

Same as Hunter’s.

Crap. The realization that he could be like Hunter, as in alien, forced me to take a step back, hoping that the ever-increasing night would shield me.

Dressed casually in worn jeans and a shirt, he caught the door with one hand, holding it open. Behind him, a tall, slender woman stepped out, grinning up at him.

Her cheeks were flushed prettily and her light brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. The man said something to her, which earned a playful shove from her.

Letting go of the door, he swiped an arm around her waist, lifted her clear off the ground, and kissed her in a way that made me blush.

Lord, I felt like a peeper watching them.

The woman was back on her feet again, laughing as she twisted out of his embrace.

They started toward the pavilion. Halfway across, the man looked over his shoulder and his eyes narrowed exactly on where I stood.

I sucked in a sharp breath. A heartbeat passed and then he looked away, placing his hand on the woman’s lower back in a possessive way.

I crept forward. The man had to be like Hunter, but the woman? Her skin was rosy and she looked human, way more human than Hunter and this man. Then again, what did I really know?

I looked back to the lodge. There would have to be some kind of phone in there, but I was hesitant. What if there were more like Hunter inside? Would they hurt me?

Real smart of me to think of that now, and I couldn’t help but think that might have been why Hunter had told me not to leave the cabin.

Worrying my bottom lip, I stepped out of the gazebo, unsure of what I should do next. My hasty, panic-fueled plan crumbled like falling rocks. Giving up and going back to the cabin could mean certain death. Going into that lodge could also mean death. And what had I been thinking, involving a friend in this mess? With Hunter, I probably had a shot at surviving this.

A shot—not a promise, not guarantee. A huge part of me wanted to scream this wasn’t fair, but I thought about the kid I had in my office last week—a boy who was about to flunk out his senior year. He’d ended up with me to see if there were any issues hindering him with his studies and I’d discovered that he’d made it all the way through high school with a severe learning disability. The only chance he had was to get with several tutors. It might not work—there was a good chance that it was too little too late, but what had I told the student?

“With a tutor you have a chance, a shot at passing,” I had said.

And the student had taken that shot. By running, I was lessening any real chance I had at surviving this.

If there was any real chance at all.

…

The slab of wood was supposed to be a horse, because I’d always thought there was something majestic about those creatures, but the torso had taken on a shape that somehow resembled the curve of a woman’s sweetly rounded hips.

And then there were the breasts.

Last time I checked, horses didn’t have breasts that filled a man’s hand perfectly.

Glaring at the chunk of wood, I tossed it across my study, where it bounced off a chair harmlessly, joining a pile of crap I’d given up on carving—a pile of crap featuring a lot of breasts.

Shit.

I slid down in my seat, toeing myself around in a large circle. Restlessness itched under my skin. I was getting tired of seeing the inside of my study—the books I’d read a million times, the Internet I was sure I’d reached the end of, and the fucking pile of carved breasts.

My gaze slid to the door.

But the walls in here, the books, the Internet, and even the disturbing pile of wood were better than what waited for me out there.

I pushed myself into another circle.

While Serena and I had been talking in the kitchen, when I’d touched her face, I’d seen the slivers of arousal around her, and even now, my cock immediately came to life in response. So did another kind of hunger. It clawed at my gut, burned my throat, because I knew how so very fucking sweet she had tasted.

It was why I’d holed myself up in here, because self-control was a relatively new thing I was practicing in life.

A year or so ago, if I wanted something or someone, I went after it, balls to the wall, or so they say. I never forced a woman. I didn’t need to. They flocked to me, sometimes more than one at a time. It had been a long, long time since I actually wanted a woman in particular. Usually they were nameless faces and bodies, a long steady stream of getting off and getting fed.

I didn’t need to feed—not after the recent Luxen kill, and the opal-encased anklet helped conserve energy and killed part of that need, but it wasn’t a complete fix.

More like a nicotine patch for the chain smoker. It did nothing for my oral fixation.

My cock swelled and my eyes rolled back as I toed another circle behind the desk. I was craving—craving a taste of a human, both sexually and for feeding. Fuck. The sex I could get behind, but the feeding? Humans did very little for us.

I needed to go into town, find the first woman with all her teeth and a half decent body. Well, a woman really didn’t need all her teeth for what I had in mind.

Letting my head fall against the back of the chair, I groaned. While Serena had slept the past two days, I’d kept a watchful vigil over her. Either sitting by her bed like a goddamn nurse or loitering out on the deck. That’s what I’d been doing when she woke up. It was also why I was so damn pissed.

God, my cock was still hard as a motherfucker…

My cell phone went off, ringing and clattering around the drawer in the desk. Sitting up, I grabbed it, frowning when I saw Dex’s number.

“What’s up?” I said, kicking my feet onto the desk.

“Nothing much,” came the reply. “Eliza and I were down at the main house a few minutes ago.”

“Thanks for sharing.”

“And I’m wondering if you’re missing anything. Like, maybe, something that’s barely five and half feet, a head full of pretty, blond hair. Nah, honey, your hair is beautiful and not just pretty,” Dex said, his voice a bit farther away from the phone.

“Anyway, just sort of wondering…”

I dropped my feet onto the floor. “Aw, shit.”

There was a deep, highly amused chuckle on the other end. “She’s up in the gazebo.

Funny that she’s there. You better head up before anyone else sees her. P.S. You suck at the whole babysitting thing.”

“Fuck off.” I was already at the door, throwing it open. I added, “Thanks, man.”

“Anytime.”

Son of a bitch.

I was going to strangle her. Better yet, I was going to strangle her and then lock her in her room. On second thought, I was going to skip the strangle part, go straight to the locking her in the bedroom and then tie her to the bed.

Hmm…that was a really good idea.

Damn it, Dex was right. I did suck at this babysitting shit. I should’ve expected that Serena wouldn’t listen or would try to make a run for it. Humans had this remarkable ability of making incredibly horrid, emotion-based decisions.

Not even bothering to maintain any normal sort of speed, I shot down the driveway and came to the main road. A strange sort of feeling descended. There was definitely anger balling inside, but there was another thing—a thing I couldn’t quite name. But I was definitely back to adding the strangling part into my evening plans.

I reached the pavilion within a frail, sluggish human heartbeat, and immediately felt the presence of others. They were close—close to Serena. And that little idiot was just sitting in the gazebo, with her head in her hands.

My chest clenched as I slowed my step, my eyes settling on the thick trees crowding the back of the lodge. I recognized the others; they were new to the commune and young, eager to prove themselves to the others. Their leader, a punk named Raz, drifted forward, more shadow than mass.

Take one more ssstep and it will be your lassst.

For a moment, I thought Raz was going to challenge me and I welcomed the idea of kicking some ass, but he drifted back. Seconds later, the little group was gone, but I knew that wouldn’t be the last I saw of them.

They’d been stalking Serena, and by the looks of it, she had no clue.

Strolling toward her, I watched her lift her head and wince when she spotted me.

Other than being a shade paler than when I last saw her, she appeared fine. The smattering of freckles across her nose—six to be exact—stood out.

Serena folded her arms around her. “I was going to come back.”

“What did I tell you?”

“Not to leave the cabin, but—”

“There are no buts, Serena. I told you not leave. This place is full of others like me.”

“I only saw one, maybe two.”

Struggling with my patience, I placed my hands on her shoulders, unable to not notice how they dwarfed her shoulders. “That doesn’t matter. I told you not to.”

“You shouldn’t just expect people to obey your demands,” she said, trying and failing to shrug off my hands.

A muscle started to spasm in my jaw. “Did you even know where to go when you hit the road? Well, let me tell you. If you take a right, it would have led you into town.

But it’s about thirty miles and it’s not a straight shot, either. There are mountain lions around here, even a few wolves. Not to mention the bears. And a few human males you probably wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. You know where taking a left brings you. This is a neighborhood of sorts, a very exclusive one, if you get what I’m saying. Others of my kind are here and they like to play with humans—and there were three of them focused on you.”

“What?”

“You were out here alone. That’s fair game to my kind. If I hadn’t come along, you really don’t want to know what would’ve happened to you.” The images that came along with that statement pissed me off. They would’ve played with Serena and she wouldn’t have enjoyed their game.

Serena’s shoulders slumped, and when she spoke, her voice cracked. “I can’t just stay here and wait for someone or something to kill me. I…I have to do something.”

“Do what?” Anger lashed through my voice, and she flinched. “Were you planning to make your way home? Is dying there somehow better than dying here, because you will die there, Serena, I can promise you that.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she said, her face screwing up. “I panicked.”

“I can tell,” I said dryly.

Her lashes lifted. Brown eyes with flecks of green met mine. “Mel’s never going to get any justice, is she?”

Caught off guard by the question, I leaned back. “No. Probably not.”

A sigh leaked out of her. “That’s not right. I can’t live with that.”

“Was that what you were doing? Planning to go back to Colorado to avenge your friend or something?”

Serena shrugged halfheartedly.

Now I really wanted to throttle some sense into her, but I could respect that, maybe even admire it. If Arum could understand anything, we got the whole need for revenge. But Serena was only a human. She would have no such revenge. And neither would her friend.

I looked away. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” But then Serena winced.

My fingers were digging into her shoulders. I removed my hands, eyes narrowing.

Watching her try to hold my gaze was amusing. Her little jaw was jutted out, brows knitted, but her lower lip was trembling. She opened her mouth.

I placed a finger against her lips. “Don’t.”

She leaned back and would’ve toppled right over if I hadn’t caught her. She glared at me like it was my fault. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t make up any more excuses for why you did this.” I pressed my finger against her warm lips again, mainly because I wanted to do it again. “I told you not to leave the cabin and you did. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

She swatted at my hand. “Hey! That’s not my fault. I think you damaged me when you tried to eat me.”

I almost laughed. “You are so clueless.”

“Oh really? And I guess you’re just so smart.” She rubbed at her eyes, but the slightly unfocused look was there.

“Yes.” I slid my hands under her arms and , as I stood, I hauled her onto her feet.

She swayed a little, so I didn’t let go. Keeping a hand on her arm, I led her away from the gazebo and back toward the cabin.

“Look, I apologized. You don’t have to be so pissy about it.”

I snorted.

Serena didn’t respond, and there must be some sort of higher being because she was quiet as we walked past the pavilion and hit the main road. During that blissful period of silence, as she stumbled along beside me, I realized that as furious as I was at her, I wasn’t angry with her now. I didn’t know how I felt. Annoyed? Yes. The rest I couldn’t decipher, which was new to me…and I didn’t like it.

I should’ve just let the others have her because that would’ve been one less thing for me to worry about.

“You don’t have to drag me all the way back to the cabin.”

I shot her a dry look. “Really, I don’t?”

She returned the look, but her version was a lot more hateful, and I tightened my grip on her upper arm. For a moment, the sleepy look in her eyes gave way to anger, and I readied myself for a fight. At least there was really nothing she could throw at me, but she was within kicking range.

Serena yawned…right in my face.

My brows shot up.

Then a disgruntled look crossed her features, reminding me of a small, pissed-off creature that really had no way of defending itself other than raising its hair and baring tiny teeth. Something about the imagery poked at me. Serena was a feisty little thing, but she could’ve easily been a dead,little thing if I hadn’t gone looking for her.

“You’re hurting me,” she said finally, nodding at where my entire hand wrapped around her arm.

“No. I’m not.”

Her face scrunched up. “Okay. You’re annoying me.”

“Want to know a secret?”

Serena looked wary. “What?”

I leaned in and whispered, “I don’t care.”

She rolled her eyes. “Real funny.”

I chuckled. I thought it was pretty damn funny, but what wasn’t funny was the fact we’d only passed the first bend in the road and Serena had slowed to the point that a one-legged baby would’ve outpaced her.

I was out of patience.

It took some time to recover from the kind of feeding I had done on her, and she shouldn’t have been up, running around.

Fuck it.

Letting go of her arm, I picked her up and tossed her over my shoulder.

Serena squealed hoarsely. “What are you doing?”

“Snails with broken shells move faster than you.”

Her small fists bounced off my back. “What is it with you?”

Smiling to myself, I put a little bounce in my step and was rewarded with an oomph, and then a much harder stab to the back. Ah, it truly was the little things in life….

“Put me down,” she said. “Or so help me, I’ll kick your ass!”

With one arm secure around her waist, I gave her ass a friendly pat with my free hand. “You should really watch your language. It’s not very ladylike.”

“Don’t you dare smack my—” A yawn cut her off, totally ruining the level of threat.

“You high-handed, arrogant son of a—” Whamp! This smack was a little harder. “Language, Serena.”

What came out of her mouth next almost made me drop her. She got her ass smacked again for that and after the third time, she quieted down. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, if I didn’t count what was going on between my legs. Maybe it was the whole carrying her thing. Maybe it was the spanking her ass. Or perhaps it was the fact I was in a permanent state of hardness since she threw a cast-iron pioneer at me. If that was the case, then my attraction was pretty dark.

It was probably the ass-spanking part.

Serena tried to wiggle free when I reached the deck, but I didn’t let go of her until I deposited her troublemaking ass on the couch.

Glaring up at me, Serena grabbed for a pillow.

I intercepted, yanking it away from her. “I really hope you weren’t thinking about hitting me with that.”

“No. I like holding pillows when I’m sitting down.”

“Really?” I placed the pillow on the other side of the couch. Standing over her, I knew I was looming, and I also knew it made her uncomfortable by the amount of squirming she was doing. I stayed right where I was. “What am I going to do with you?”

She stopped moving. “I don’t know. How about do whatever job you’re supposed to be doing?”

My cock twitched. Damn, I did like her snappy mouth. “I thought I was doing my job up until the moment you ran off.”

Irritation flushed her cheeks. “And I’ve apologized for that.”

I watched her as I mentally tallied up everything that was fucked up about this situation. There was a chance that the Luxen would find her—a small one, but there.

They were the damn glowworm mafia of the universe. Couldn’t forget about Raz and his merry band of assholes, and thanks to her little field trip today and my refusal to let them play with their food source, they were going to be as problematic as reoccurring jock itch. There was also the fact that I knew I would have to tie Serena up to keep her inside, and while that made certain parts of me very interested, it wasn’t feasible.

What to do…what to do…

“What are you glowering about?” Serena asked as she reached for a pillow. Her eyes narrowed on me as she hugged it to her chest.

“You.”

She made a face, then squeezed the pillow tighter.

Close to the end of my patience, I prowled around, caged like a wild animal. When I stopped in front of her again, I saw that her lashes had fluttered shut. They’d been doing that since she sat down, each time taking a little bit longer to sweep back up.

This time she let go of her pillow and let her arms go to her sides.

“Serena?” I placed a hand on her shoulder before I really thought about it, gently rousing her. “Are you asleep?”

Prying one eye open, she frowned at me. “Obviously not.”

“How tired are you?”

“Tired enough not to argue with you.”

That would be a nice change of pace, but… “Do you feel dizzy?”

“Earlier, but I’m just tired now. Why? Did you permanently damage me?”

A long moment passed. “Maybe.”

Serena watched me for a moment and then settled back into the cushion. I remained there and then backed off, heading into the kitchen. Finding what I needed, I returned. She’d already dozed off again.

“Serena, open your eyes.”

It took a couple of seconds for her response.

I held out a chocolate bar. “Eat this.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Here we go again . “You have two options: feed yourself or I will feed you.”

“Jesus,” she snapped, swiping for the bar. She missed by a mile the first time, but managed to snag it the second time around. “You aren’t going to open it for me?”

My lips twitched as I sat beside her. “Do I need to?”

“No.” She tore open one end and took a huge bite. “Yum.”

I arched a brow. She was apparently very grumpy when tired. “Are you pouting?”

“No.” She took another messy bite and when she pulled the bar away, tiny pieces of chocolate clung to her full bottom lip. My gaze zeroed right in on them like they were some kind of fucking mecca.

I didn’t stop to think.

Cupping her chin, I turned her head toward mine. Her sleepy eyes widened a split second before I struck, catching the pieces of chocolate with my tongue. One quick flick and her lip was clear and the chocolate was melting on my tongue, but the soft gasp that teased my lips undid me.

I trailed my tongue over her lip again as I slid my hand down the front of her throat.

I expected her to pull back, maybe even hit me, but she remained perfectly still. If I had any sense of conscience, I would’ve stopped. Serena knew exactly what I was, but her defenses were most definitely down.

But a conscience wasn’t something I really believed in.

Taking it one step forward, I brushed my lips over hers. A sharp pang of need deafened me for a moment and lust rose rapidly. I lifted my head, searching her face for a sign of something. She stared up, lips parted and swollen. The flush spreading over her cheeks fascinated me. I couldn’t gain crap from her expression, but she wasn’t swinging on me.

She should be and I shouldn’t be doing this.

Fuck it.

Dipping my head, I captured her lips. Her sharp intake of breath reverberated through my skull. I deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue past those sweet lips, and damn. Serena tasted like chocolate and that freshness I’d come to recognize as sunlight. And who the hell knows what sunlight tasted like, but if it had any kind of tang, Serena had it.

Fuck. I was drowning in her taste and her warmth and I didn’t care. A whimper escaped her as she gripped at my arms, her fingers digging into my shirt, and my hand was now between the hollow of her breasts, each swell teasing my hands.

I wanted more.

My hands slipped to her rounded hips. Grasping them, I twisted and tugged her body under mine in one fluid movement that had her brown eyes wide and unfocused. The chocolate bar thumped to the floor.

Using one arm, I supported myself over her as I trailed my other hand back up the thin cotton shirt she wore. Her body jerked in such a delicious way when I stopped between her breasts again.

It was such a dangerous game I was playing, but damn did I love playing it.

“Open your legs,” I growled, more than pleased when her thighs parted.

I lowered myself, my erection pressed against her core, and when I moved against her in a slow, undulating grind, she gasped out my name. Oh, yeah. I liked it. And hearing that, well, the game was on. I claimed her mouth once again. Over and over, my lips moved with hers, and I was lost in her warmth as I grinded against her.

Her mouth opened, and it happened. The human side of me, which really only was the skin I wore, the pretense I existed in every day, gave way and my true nature roared to the forefront. There was no stopping it, even if I wanted to, and back in the farthest corners of my thoughts, where only darkness lived, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

I inhaled.

Oh hell, the first taste, the first drop of her essence was a deep, firm stroke to the fire that burned inside me. It spread rapidly, lighting up every cell until my body flamed. I was always so cold, but not right now. Oh no. I was burning. I slid a hand down her side, around her thigh, hooking her leg around my hip, and I rocked into her. I was nothing but the taste of her, a husked shell soaking it in. That was what I really was, a living, breathing monster. I was a killer. I’d done it before, more times that I could even count and…

Before I could draw in another breath, I tore my mouth from hers and launched backward, hitting the arm of the couch. My senses were buzzing. The room was bright even though there was only the light from the kitchen. That tiny taste and I…

Serena.

Shit.

Pushing off the arm of the couch, I crawled over her still form and smoothed the sunlight-colored hair from her cheek. Her complexion was pale—too pale against the dark lashes fanning her cheeks. A faint bluish tint shaded her lips.

Yep, there was a second when I thought I might have killed her.

The deep rise and fall of her chest told me that she wasn’t dead, so I guessed that was a good thing. Oddly enough, though, my chest tightened as I hovered over her.

She looked incredibly small and vulnerable lying there, completely subject to my will.

I placed my hand on her cheek, just above the bruise. “Serena?”

Nothing.

I’d knocked her out. Again.

“Aw, fuck.”

Chapter 9

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and a soft, warm breeze. At first, I didn’t remember where I was. Rolling onto my side, I willed my eyes open and for my fuzzy brain to work.

Bright sunlight spilled in through the open glass doors. Lacy, white curtains hung in the air, rolling playfully in the breeze. I blinked once and then twice.

Oh crap.

Jerking up, I clutched the comforter to my pounding heart.

Last night came back to me in a rush—running off, the other Arum, and then Hunter, saving me once more…and his kiss. He had kissed me and I hadn’t stopped him. Hadn’t wanted to when he’d licked the tiny pieces of chocolate off my lips.

Stopping him had been the last thing in my mind, and when he’d deepened the kiss, a deep fierce ache had woken inside me.

My cheeks burned at the memory of him pressing down, rocking his hips in a way that twisted pleasure inside me. There were so many things wrong with that, I didn’t have time to write down the stupid list. But that wasn’t all. I was sure he had fed off me again last… wait. Had that even been last night? Had I’d been out of it for days again, like last time?

I scanned the room again, my gaze landing near the dresser. There were several shopping bags next to it. I frowned, knowing they weren’t there before.

“Are you going to come out here?” Hunter’s deep voice intruded on my thoughts and startled me. “The coffee is getting cold. So is the food.”

My heart tripped up. Hunter was out on my balcony, which meant he had to have gone through my bedroom while I slept. Okay, technically it wasn’t my bedroom or balcony, but he’d been in here while I’d been sleeping. What if I’d been drooling or something?

“I know you’re awake.” Dry humor laced his voice. “I can hear the change in your breathing.”

Jesus, was that an alien super sense?

I debated ignoring him, but that was stupid. Throwing off the comforter, I made a quick dash to the bathroom, where I brushed my teeth and splashed water over my face.

Hesitant to join him, I peered around the open balcony doors.

Hunter was sitting on one of the reclining chairs, legs crossed at the ankles. He was dressed in jeans and he was wearing a shirt, but it wasn’t buttoned up. Maybe he got bored with it? He also had a pair of dark sunglasses on, and somehow they made him even sexier, which I didn’t think was possible. There was a large, white mug in his hand, and there was something entirely intimate seeing him there.

A brow arched above the shades. “There’re a lot of chairs out here. You can pick any of them, or you can stand.”

Crimson swept across my cheeks as I forced my legs forward. Hurrying around him, I sat in the chair on the other side of a small table, sinking into the soft cushion. I should’ve made time to brush my hair. And why in the hell was I even worrying about my hair? I think Hunter had fried my brain cells.

“Coffee,” he reminded me.

I took the black mug, surprised to find that the cup was still warm. “Thank you.”

“I added milk and sugar—you don’t strike me as a cream type.”

I wasn’t.

Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I knew he watched from his reclined position.

The way he was sprawled in that chair was a complete picture of lazy arrogance. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Yes. I slept well.”

His lips tipped up. “I am thrilled to hear that.”

For some reason, I wasn’t quite sure if I believed him. “How about you?”

Hunter shrugged. “I had some trouble falling asleep.”

I started to squirm. How in the world could his stare be so intense without me even seeing his eyes? I turned my attention to the bacon. Extra crispy. My favorite.

“Eat,” he said.

My stomach grumbled in response, but I couldn’t stand his commanding tone. So I ignored him. “About last night…”

“You want to talk about it? Which part? The one where you didn’t listen to what I told you?” Hunter tipped his head back. The shirt he wore gaped, revealing a bigger glimpse of his rock-hard chest and abs. “Eat.”

My hand tightened on the cup as I took a deep, slow breath. “No. You…we…”

God, this was awkward. “I mean, I don’t normally let guys…or whatever…kiss me.”

“That’s good to know.” Hunter slowly lowered his head and looked at me. “Eat.”

“Is there ever a moment when you’re not bossing someone around?” I asked.

“Probably not.”

“And do you realize how rude and annoying it is?”

A half smile appeared. “Yes. And before you ask, I don’t give a shit if it’s annoying and rude. Eat, Serena.”

Well, he got points for being honest, but I was half tempted to throw my mug in his face.

“We really didn’t kiss,” he said. “I kissed you.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “But it was more than that.”

One eyebrow arched over the dark shades. “Well, I was on top of you for a few very enjoyable moments.”

“That’s not what I was getting at,” I snapped. “Did you feed off me again?”

Hunter said nothing.

Anger flooded me. “Damn it, you can’t keep doing that!”

“You’re fine, but you should probably eat.”

“It’s not okay. How long have I been out of it?”

He didn’t answer for a long moment. “It was a day ago.”

My brain didn’t fully register that for a minute and when it did, I was stuck between anger and panic. “I…I lost another day?”

“You slept through another day.”

I gaped at him. “Slept? I slept through another day because of what you did to me.

You can’t do that and—”

“I know,” he cut in. A muscle flexed along his jaw. “I stopped when I realized what I was doing.”

I started, unsure if I should believe him. “You didn’t mean to?”

“No.”

“Then why—”

“Eat, Serena.” He turned back, giving me his profile. “Feeding is in my nature.

Sometimes it just happens. I didn’t want to—okay. That’s a lie. I did want to, but I shouldn’t have. That’s why I stopped.”

I glanced away, biting down on my lip. I didn’t know what to say about that. The fact he fed on me twice pissed me off. It couldn’t be healthy and it wasn’t right. Even if he hadn’t meant to and stopped, I wasn’t okay with it.

“Don’t do it again,” I said, looking at him.

“I won’t.” He paused. “While you were sleeping, I had some clothing picked up for you.”

I remembered the bags in the room and I didn’t know what to say, but words came out. “Thank you.”

Hunter stiffened like I’d insulted him.

“What are you doing on my balcony anyway?” I asked after a few moments, changing the subject.

“I’m out on my balcony, which happens to be outside my guest bedroom that you’re borrowing, because I like the view out here.”

I looked up. There was another deck, most likely attached to the loft upstairs. “Your bedroom is the loft?”

“It is.”

“Then the view there has to be much better.”

He tilted his head to the side. “I also like the view inside my guest bedroom.”

Heat infused my face.

A grin played across his cheeks, almost teasing in nature. “Not that I was watching you. That would be creepy.”

“Yes. Yes that would be.”

“Eat, Serena.”

Back to that again. I set my cup down, but didn’t move toward the bacon. His commanding attitude sparked a rebellious nature I never knew I had. “Did you make them?”

He nodded. “I can cook.”

“What else can you do?”

Hunter’s grin spread. “There are a lot of things I can do. I’m more than willing to give a detailed breakdown of them, or I’d gladly show you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m sure you would.”

A deep, infectious laugh rumbled out of Hunter, and I felt my lips start to spread in response. “Eat,” he said.

“I wasn’t talking about those things, by the way.”

“I know.”

I did smile then, only a little, because there was something about his unapologetic nature that was humorous—irritating, but definitely humorous.

He sighed. “I can hear your stomach growling, so it seems pointless that you would fight me on this. And you don’t look like one of those women who starve themselves to have the body of a pubescent girl.”

I gaped at him. Should I be offended or not? Hell, I was a woman, so I was going to go with offended. “You’re an asshole.”

He chuckled deeply. “Look, no man—human or other—wants a woman that is straight up and straight down. Men like curves. Men like softness.”

Well, I had plenty of that. “Good to know aliens appreciate hips on a woman,” I muttered, picking up a piece of bacon.

“We also like a nice heart-shaped ass, in case you’re wondering.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

In a low, sexy voice, he said, “You do that.”

I cleared my throat. Another change of topic was needed. “I didn’t realize I was fighting you on anything. I just don’t like to be bossed around.”

Setting his mug down, he folded his hands across his chest…and waited.

“Oh, for the love of God,” I griped, shoving the bacon into my mouth. “Happy?”

“Very.”

I shot him a dirty look as I picked up another slice of bacon. Arrogance aside, he made a mean cup of coffee and some damn good bacon. It was sweet with a hint of spice.

“Look, things will be easier for you here if you get used to the way it needs to be.”

This was going to be a dandy. “And how is that?”

“You do as I say. It’s that simple.”

I stared at him a moment and then burst into laughter.

He frowned. “I didn’t say anything funny.”

“Oh, but you did.” I giggled. He couldn’t be serious. “Just because you’re supposed to be protecting me doesn’t give you the power to tell me what to do.”

“Protecting you has nothing to do with the power I have over you.”

Nibbling on the last of the bacon, I snickered. “Whatever.”

“We’ll see.”

Without a napkin in sight, I sucked off the leftover grease and salt on my forefinger.

“God, arrogant doesn’t even cover what you are.”

“No. It doesn’t.”

Without any warning, Hunter leaned over the table and grasped my wrist. Startled, I let out a little squeak. “And you’re never going to find any words that accurately describe me.” Hunter pulled my hand toward his mouth, and my eyes widened.

“Hunter—” A moment later, his lips closed around my finger, sucking the salt and grease right off. The tugging motion shot straight through my body like lightning. Another gasp escaped my parted lips as his tongue got involved, tracing upward. A flood of moist heat surged between my legs.

When he lifted his head, he was smiling slightly. “I was feeling left out.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My body ached now, my breasts heavy and full. I watched him let go of my wrist and back away.

“You taste good,” he murmured.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” I said finally, cradling my hand to my chest.

“Why not?” He stood and stretched his arms over his head, back bowing.

“Why not?” I sputtered. Anger rushed through me, partly due to his audacity and my response to him. “I can’t believe you’re asking me why not.”

“Explain,” he said.

“Because…because you don’t know me and—”

“I want to,” he said, as if that was enough of a reason—just because he wanted to.

I shook my head. “But you can’t do things just because you want to.”

“I can’t?” He laughed then, and it sent a heady shiver down my spine. “I think I just did, and I also know you enjoyed it.”

I shot to my feet. “How dare—?”

“Don’t even deny it.” He smirked. “I can tell.”

“What?” My knees felt weak. “Please enlighten me and tell me how you can tell.”

“I can.” He was right in front of me in an instant.

Standing beside him, his enormous size and strength overwhelming, I wanted to step back, but there was nowhere for me to go. And there was also that part of me that didn’t want to back away, that wanted to see what he was going to do next.

Hunter captured a piece of my hair, untangling it from the rest. Twirling the strand around his finger, he tugged me forward and onto the tips of my toes. To keep my balance, I placed my hands out, onto the cool skin of his chest. His skin… I never felt anything like it. Satin stretched over steely muscles.

He lowered his head so that his breath danced along my brow. “You are most definitely aroused.”

“No, I’m not.”

His dark brows rose above the sunglasses. “You’re not?”

Before I could shake my head or take the next breath, his free hand slipped between our bodies and his thumb brushed across the tightened bud. I gasped as the touch shot straight from my breast to my core.

Hunter smiled. “I think we both can agree now that you’re aroused.”

Then he let go and took a step back. I wobbled to the side, dazed. “That…that was really not proper,” I said.

“By your standards, not mine, but I was just proving a point.”

I wished I had thicker clothing. “My standards? How about human standards?”

Hunter laughed again. “Exactly.”

“Just because you’re not human doesn’t mean you don’t have to abide by human standards.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that so? Why won’t you admit you’re aroused? Because I’m an Arum and not human?”

“What?” Was that it? Sure, it weirded me out that he wasn’t human, but honestly, I forgot what he was half of the time. Like when he wasn’t feeding off me it was easy to think he was human. “No. That’s not it.”

The smirk that graced his lips as he strode past me was a work of art. I wanted to smack it off his face, and maybe that was a bitchy thing to think, but he did suck on my fingers, and then some.

Hunter said nothing as he disappeared back into the room I was staying in. Though tempted to follow him, I remained on the deck. He probably expected me to trail after him like a good puppy dog.

Screw that.

I placed my hands on the railing and closed my eyes, letting the warm breeze wash over my flaming face. I was positive that my stay here was going to turn into something completely insane and out of control.

Because Hunter had been right, twice now.

I had been aroused—I was still aroused. Several parts of my body were all tingly and warm. I was attracted to him on a base, primal level. And the second thing Hunter had been right about?

Even knowing the truth behind everything, I still really had no idea what kind of shit I’d stepped in.

Chapter 10

Several hours later, I was flipping through a magazine I’d found, but my eyes kept straying to the study doors. Tossing the magazine onto the coffee table, I looked around the living room and exhaled loudly. I swung my legs off the couch and started toward the study.

“What are you doing?”

Heart stopping, I placed a hand to my chest as I spun around. “Jesus! Where did you come from?”

“The kitchen,” Hunter said, swaggering into the room. He stopped at the arm of the couch, the old tee shirt stretching across his broad shoulders as he swirled a spoon along the inner edges of a bowl. “What were you doing, Serena?”

For some reason I felt like I’d been caught doing something bad and that ticked me off. “I was looking for you, actually. I thought you were in the study.”

One dark brow arched. “I was.”

I glanced at the closed door and then raised my brows questioningly.

Hunter grinned. “Doors don’t really apply to me.”

My eyes widened. “So you can just squeeze through cracks or something?”

The grin didn’t fade. “Or something.”

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I watched him finish off whatever he was eating and place the bowl on the coffee table. “Can I ask you something?”

“Depends on the question,” he replied.

I really hadn’t expected a different answer. “How can you go from human form to something that’s not even solid?”

He sat on the edge of the couch, stretching his long legs out. Moments passed and, just when I figured he wasn’t going to do anything other than stare at me, he finally answered. “We’re able to break down molecules and spread them apart. We’re still in a solid form, but to the human eye it doesn’t appear that way.”

Curious, I sat on the couch. “So it’s an optical illusion then?”

Hunter nodded.

I thought about how he’d worn sunglasses outside earlier. “Does light bother your eyes?”

“If it’s bright, yes.”

“Do you like being in the dark more than you do the light?”

He rested his hands on his knees. “Actually, I prefer the light.”

“Is that strange…for your kind?”

“No. We prefer light and warmth. Both things are not inherent to us.”

I digested that the best I could. “Is that why your skin is cool most of the time?”

“Yes.”

Moments passed, and then Hunter tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, I blurted out my request before I lost the nerve. “Can I see you in your true form?”

One eye opened. “What?”

“Can I see how you really look?” I rushed on. “Back in my apartment, I had been so scared and—”

“What you saw then was frightening.” Both eyes were open now. “And that’s not going to change now.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. With all the adrenaline and fear pumping in my veins, my memories were blurs and God knows what my imagination had tacked on. But I also remembered that there had been a beauty to him—a terrifying beauty. Like when confronted by a predator in the wild. A panther was gorgeous, but you didn’t try to pet that type of beauty.

“I know,” I said, sitting forward. “But I want to see you as you really are.”

Hunter didn’t move for several moments, and then he laughed hoarsely. “Are you insane?”

“I feel like it.”

He looked away, a muscle popping in his jaw. I knew I shouldn’t push him, because he was like that panther. Likely to bite if pushed too far. “Please?”

Another hoarse laugh, and then he was on his feet in front of me within a second.

His eyes were narrowed; his cheekbones abnormally sharp, as if he was already preparing for the change. “Are you sure you really want to see this?”

Now I wasn’t so sure, but I nodded.

A deep breath shuddered through him. His eyes drifted shut and the first thing I realized was that he’d stopped breathing. Like completely. My hands tightened on my bent knees.

Then the edges of his body shaded out like he’d been drawn in charcoal and someone had smudged the lines of his body. Weirdest damn thing to see, but then the blurred effect spread and his entire body lost most of his descriptive features. The clothing seemed to seep into him, disappearing as his striking face also faded.

My breath caught as Hunter became more smoke and shadows than anything else, a wispy human form. A second later, he solidified.

Holy God in heaven, he was… There were no words.

Hunter had the shape of a human male, but…different.

My gaze dropped to his feet. They were such a deep black I couldn’t really see if he had toes or not. But he had legs. They were widespread, thick, and muscled. His torso and arms were the same—defined muscle, like he’d been carved out of polished black marble. Cheekbones that were broad in his human form were more angular now, as was his jaw. His eyes…

I let out the breath I was holding.

His eyes were still the same, a pale blue even more stark than before.

Hunter’s head cocked to the side. Ssscared?

Caught off guard by hearing his voice in my head, all I could do was stare. Was I scared? My heart was throwing itself against my ribs like a patient in a padded room, but it wasn’t out of fear. More likely spiking from the fact there was an alien standing before me. A completely nude alien, who was—holy hardness—definitely endowed like a really lucky human man.

“No,” I said. “How can I hear your voice in my head?”

I thought he smiled. There was a rippling motion to his face. HUMANSSS CANNOT underssstand our ssspeech. I’m projecting my thoughtsss to you.

His voice had a snakelike quality to it. Not in a creepy way, but like a whisper of an exotic, foreign language.

I shifted forward, stopping when it felt like the temperature in the room plummeted.

“When it gets cold…that’s you?”

YESSS. IN OUR TRUE FORM, WE AFFECT ENERGY AROUND USSS, DRAWING IT IN. HEAT ISSS energy.

Struck by all that Hunter could do, my gaze traveled his body. This was the first moment where I truly understood the enormity of the knowledge I held. It was confirmation of intelligent life-forms existing in the universe—life-forms that were more physically advanced than the human race. What I was seeing would not be witnessed by most of the human population.

I could have one of two reactions: freak the hell out or be awed by what I was seeing. I decided on a mix of both, but mostly awe. This…this was astonishing. “Can I touch you?”

Hunter stilled again. He didn’t move, didn’t respond. I figured that if he didn’t want me to he would’ve said it. So I scooted to the edge of the couch and slowly reached out. My fingers brushed over his arm.

His skin was cool like stone and smooth. I ran my fingers up his arm. He shuddered, and I started to pull my hand back. “I’m sorry.”

No. It’sss okay. I’m jussst not usssed to…

“Someone touching you in this form?” I guessed.

He nodded.

More confident with what I was doing, I stood and flattened my palm, moving my hand upward, over the curve of his arm and sinew muscle. The cool, seamless texture of his skin was strange, yes, but it wasn’t ugly or frightening.

I lifted my gaze. His true form didn’t bring on the warm fuzzies, but like that damn panther, he was frighteningly beautiful.

When I realized I was basically feeling him up, I should’ve stopped, but I didn’t. I trailed my hand across his shoulder and then over his chest. I could feel his heart beating, or at least an organ like a heart. I started to ask, but Hunter moved.

Not away, but closer.

My breath stalled. Thin slices of brighter blue appeared in his eyes, churning slowly.

As cold as it was in the room, I should be freezing, but I felt too warm.

He stepped away and his body blurred out and then returned to the Hunter I knew.

Worn jeans and all.

“Neat trick,” I murmured.

He cocked his head to the side. For a moment, he looked like he was going to say something, but then he backed away, turned, and disappeared into the kitchen.

And he never came back out. When I checked in there later, he was gone. But knowing that Hunter could very well be any number of the shadows in the room, I cleared my throat and called out his name. When there was no answer, I tried again, and ended up feeling slightly nutso when there was no response. Either he was hiding from me or he’d snuck off somewhere.

I headed upstairs and spent an obscene amount of time going through the bags he had left there. Earlier, I’d only grabbed the first few items I’d seen, but now that I had them all spread out, Hunter had to have spent hundreds of dollars. Feeling guilty that he spent so much money, I went back downstairs in search of him, but came up empty once again.

I made myself a cold cut sandwich from what I dug up in the fridge, and as a way to say thank you, I made one for Hunter, leaving it on the counter, covered in plastic wrap I’d found in a cabinet.

Heading back upstairs, I moved my new clothes over to the lounge, unwilling to put them in the dresser. Doing so seemed too permanent. Like I was accepting that this could very well be my new home, at least for the time being, and that I would never get back to my job—and that like Mel, I would simply be no more.

Frustrated and weary, I took a quick bath, then slipped a tank top on that hit at the thigh. The moment I climbed into bed, I sunk into it. Maybe the feeding had sucked a lot of energy out of me, or it could just be the emotional and mental stress of everything. Either way, I was out the moment my eyes closed.

…

Fuck.

That was all I could think as I stared at the wrapped sandwich on the counter. Why in the fuck had she made me a sandwich? Did I seem like that kind of guy who couldn’t fend for myself?

I’d been standing there way past the acceptable time limit to be staring at a goddamn sandwich. Something about it pissed me off, which wasn’t anything new. Anger was what I knew. It was what I was bred in.

What little part of Serena I’d taken from her still lingered inside me like a tiny ball of warmth and light residing in my core. I’d fed from humans before. Never felt that way afterward, but Serena…

My hands twitched.

Along with something else that had been twitching from the first moment I’d laid eyes on her. Hair like spun sunlight and eyes a warm mixture of brown and green.

Those two things alone would make me want to covet her, but the whole package?

Fuck.

She was a tiny thing, barely reaching my shoulders, but she had one hell of a throwing arm. Her petite size was misleading. The female was strong and she also had a mouth on her. I kind of liked her feisty tongue. It provoked the domineering nature in me, sparking the need that existed in my kind: to control and dominate.

Fuck.

This wasn’t going to turn out good. No way. No how. There was a good chance that if Serena wasn’t killed for what she unwittingly stumbled upon, I would break her.

In two.

I didn’t know what the hell the agents were thinking by dumping her on me. I hadn’t heard from them since the day we hit West Virginia. She’d be safer taking the risk with the agents. At least they operated by basic right and wrong. I operated by want and need. There was no such thing as “wrong” to me.

Of course, I’d shadowed her all afternoon and evening. Even watched her stand outside the door she’d believed separated us while she nibbled on that plump lower lip of hers. I had liked watching that. A lot.

I even watched her make that damn sandwich.

Serena was an antsy thing, buzzing from one room to the next, like a little hummingbird, and I was drawn to that, tethered by the allure, the need that never really went away. And that wasn’t a good thing.

It was the last thing anyone would want.

My eyes picked the energy wavelengths and my body sought out those patterns. And she was throwing off a lot. Staring at the damn sandwich, I could still feel her soft hand on my skin—my true skin. Hell, I could still feel her body under mine, and the problem was I knew she was feeling me, and that made it all the harder not to indulge.

At twenty-three, she would naturally be a ball of a thousand types of energies, but there had been a whole hell of a lot of red surrounding her most of the day.

She made me a sandwich.

Fuck.

And I needed. I wanted. It didn’t matter that she was in a vulnerable position. What did matter was that she had taken a bath earlier and I’d wasted a shit storm of energy keeping out of that room. Now I wondered if she slept naked, which made my jeans too tight.

I shouldn’t be jonesing for a fix right now, but I was.

So, yeah, fuck.

I grabbed the sandwich and stalked toward the front door. Opening it, I threw the damn thing as far as it would go. I wished I could do the same to the fucking ball of light bullshit.

Shutting the door, I resisted the urge to slam it, because that would make—

A soft cry came from the second floor, and I whipped around, cocking my head to the side. Humans had nightmares. No big deal. Drifting to the foot of the stairs, I listened. The sound didn’t come again, but I found myself gliding up the stairs anyway.

Curiosity was a stone-cold bitch.

Opening the door to where she was, my gaze fell to the bed. Serena was lying on her back, the sheet draped over her chest. Unfortunately, she didn’t sleep nude, which made this trip upstairs sort of pointless.

I started to back out, but then her head turned to the side, and I stopped, going completely still. I didn’t even breathe.

Her eyes remained closed, but her brow was pinched and her face strained. The tight line her lips formed quivered. My gaze traveled down the elegant slope of her neck, beyond the flimsy straps of her top. Her chest rose and fell erratically. The air around her was a dark violet, the sign of fear.

I was drawn to the bed. A tremor ran down the back of my neck, shooting down to the tips of my fingers.

I really shouldn’t be here.

But I was.

I eased my hip onto the mattress, careful not to disturb her. What I did next was one of those things I knew I shouldn’t do but did anyway. Reaching out, I placed the tips of my fingers on her cheek and followed the straight line of the bone.

Serena’s breathing settled and deepened.

A slight smile tipped my lips up. So trusting in her sleep that a simple touch comforted her? I wondered if she’d feel that way if she were awake.

I did not touch to comfort.

My gaze followed the path of my fingers, drifting over the curve of her stubborn jaw, down the fragile expanse of her neck. And she was fragile, more so than she knew, especially considering whom she and her unfortunate friend had pissed off.

And considering that I was in the same space as her, the statistics of her surviving any of this was really looking bad.

Serena stirred a little when my fingers edged under the thin strap. I waited, wondering if she’d wake up. The energy around her was calming, but specks of red were beginning to appear. Arousal.

With my other hand, I eased the sheet down and was supremely rewarded for hanging around. Serena didn’t sleep nude, but a tank top was a poor choice when it came to concealing her body. The heart-shaped neckline had slipped down on one side, revealing the soft swell and dusky peach tip of one breast. Now I knew I was right on the whole curves thing. This little adventure was proving to be fruitful.

“Touch me,” she moaned softly.

I stilled, head cocked to the side as I studied. She was still asleep and definitely didn’t know what she was asking for, but that soft plea was my undoing.

There wasn’t a flicker of hesitation when it came to what I did next. I wasn’t fooling myself or anyone. I wanted to touch her and so I did.

Sweeping the very tips of my fingers down to the sweet swell, I discovered that her skin felt like satin and was warm—so incredibly warm and unlike my own kind. And that was why she was in such a precarious position. We flocked toward warmth, and with all that glorious sunlight-colored hair spilled across the pillows, she was in a world of trouble.

I leaned over her, inhaling deeply. Vanilla…and peach filled my senses. One belonged to the bottles in the bathroom, but the peachy scent was hers.

I traced a circle around her hardening nipple. With each pass, I drew closer to the puckering bud and pushed the annoying material farther down until finally my thumb brushed over the tight bead.

Serena moaned sweetly, and I bit back a growl as my sex swelled in response. It wasn’t the only thing swelling. As she threw off more energy, a different kind of hunger was building inside me. Both were equally powerful, and although I had learned to deny the latter, I hadn’t figured out how to resist the call of the cock yet.

Probably never would.

I wanted more. Hell, I wanted to spread her thighs and sink deep inside her, but as I trailed my fingers over the dip of her concave belly, Serena’s body started to move languidly. Caught by the sensual slide of her hips, thoughts of completely taking her slipped into the back of my mind. My cock was stiff and erect, but I was fascinated by her response.

Her movements caused the hem of her tank top to inch up, baring her to my eager gaze, and, goddamn, this adventure was more than just fruitful. Serena was bare under the top, the delicate valley of her sex there for me to feast upon.

To feast? Fuck that. I wanted to devour her.

My hands were on her thighs, savoring the supple skin as I spread them. When the tips of my fingers brushed the apex, her back arched, bowing completely off the bed.

Her moan of pleasure broke the silence. I couldn’t stop my response, not for the life of me. A violent jolt of lust fired through my veins and my answering growl shattered the silence.

Shit.

Serena gasped and her eyes snapped open; the air around her crackling with reds and violets as she jerked up in bed.

I pulled back, slipping into the deep shadows of the room, easily becoming a part of them. I remained there, torn between wanting to kick myself in the balls for having to expel the power required to stay hidden, and the other option, which involved us, the bed, and possibly the wall, and a lot of body slamming sounds.

Serena stared hard into the darkness of the room, one hand scrambling to adjust her top while the other smacked around for the blanket. It was almost cute, I thought, except I didn’t do cute.

But I wanted to do her.

Tugging the blanket all the way up to her chin, her gaze bounced around the room, but I knew it was useless. She couldn’t see me.

“Hello?” she said, voice thick and husky.

Or possibly she could.

What the fuckadeefuck? Serena couldn’t see me. There was no way, but then her eyes fixed on where I stood, and I knew she could feel me watching her, probably even wanting her.

I smiled.

Chapter 11

Yeah, shit was real awkward the following day.

If Serena knew what went on the night before, she didn’t say anything, but the slivers of red sliding through her aura was driving me bat-shit crazy with unquenched lust. And that need fed another. It wasn’t like I could leave. So I was stuck here, and with every passing hour I was getting more and more agitated.

This wasn’t going to last long.

It was like winning the lottery when Serena dozed off on the couch in the afternoon, sleeping away several hours, providing a respite of sorts. I checked my cell a dozen times over. Nothing from the dipshit officers, and the only way I could get the officers here and Serena out of my house was to get information from her.

And I needed to get her out of the house sooner than later.

Wanting to crawl out of my human skin, I started to make dinner. Cooking… cooking was one of the few calming things in my life. My brother gave me shit about it, so did Dex. Fuck them, because I was a great cook.

What I really needed to do was take my true form for a few hours.

Serena entered the kitchen then, looking disheveled and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She bent over in front of the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. The thin material of her cotton shorts strained over her ass.

Nah, what I really needed was to fuck Serena senseless and then take my true form for a few hours.

My cock was all kinds of happy about the idea, and I wanted to pick her up, strip the clothes off her, and lay her bare on the kitchen island. Discover a different kind of taste, and then sink into her repeatedly. Lose myself in her softness and warmth.

“You’re making dinner?” Serena’s voice shattered my fantasy.

I blinked and looked down. There was a knife in my hands, chicken cutlets on the cutting board, and a box of pasta ready to be boiled. Huh. I’d completely forgotten what I’d been doing.

“I guess so,” I said. “Pasta with chicken.”

“Sounds good.” She stood on the other side of the island, sliding the water bottle back and forth in her hands. “Can I help?”

My first response was to tell her no, but this could be beneficial. I’d wasted enough time fucking around, staring at sandwiches, stealing kisses and touches, and feeding from a human female. Yeah, it was time to get this show on the road. “You can grab the skillet and the olive oil.”

Serena grabbed a pan from the rack, placed it on the stove, and then started rummaging through the cabinets. When she found the bottle of oil, she regarded me cautiously. “Do you like to cook?”

“I do.”

Tossing the thick length of hair over her shoulder, she then poured the oil. I wondered how dark her hair was wet. I bet it was a light brown, matching the delicate brows arched over her eyes.

Delicate brows? What the fuck was happening to my brain? Returning my attention to the last chicken breasts, I slammed the knife through them, nearly embedding the blade into the cutting board.

“I like to cook, too,” Serena said tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure if she should continue to speak after my samurai swing. “I’m not that good, though. I tried making Rice Krispies treats once while Footloose was on the TV, and it was the big dance scene in the warehouse, so I didn’t want to miss it. I left the spatula in the pan and when I got back, half of it had melted into the mix.”

I arched a brow. “That will happen.”

“In my defense, I was fourteen and easily distracted. My mom wouldn’t let me near the stove for years after that.” She inched her way to the island and went back to messing with the water bottle. A faint blue aura shimmered around her. She was nervous. “I’m mostly a microwave and carry-out type of girl, but I always wished I could be like the cooks on TV.”

My gaze slid over her downturned face. A faint blush covered her cheeks. Thick lashes swept up and her eyes met mine for a moment, then she quickly looked away.

Tucking her hair back behind one ear, she pressed her lips together. The air around her vibrated a deeper blue.

“Here,” I said, my mouth doing the flapping thing again as I pointed the knife toward the chicken and then the two bowls. “Dip the chicken in the eggs first, then roll them in the bowl with the bread crumbs.”

Her chin jerked up, surprise flickering across her face. For a moment, she didn’t move and then she nodded. “Let me wash my hands first.”

I wasn’t worried about germs. Wasn’t like I could get sick, not like Serena could.

When she returned to the island, she squeezed in next to me as she arranged the bowls —eggs first and then the crumbs. The space was crowded and I could’ve moved over to give her more room, but I didn’t.

I liked crowding her.

“Go ahead,” I urged when her hands hovered over the chicken. “It’s not that hard and I won’t turn the TV on.”

A smile played over her lips. “I’m not that easily distracted now.”

I bent down, so that my lips were a hairbreadth from her cheek. “I bet you’re just as easily distracted as you were at fourteen.”

Serena dropped the slice of chicken in the bowl. Watery yolk splattered across the counter as her cheeks went bloodred. “You are so wrong,” she muttered.

I chuckled. “I know.”

Watching Serena dutifully dip the slices of chicken was sort of amusing in a weird way. I never cooked with anyone before. Hell, I never cooked for anyone before. Not that I was cooking for Serena in the first place. I was hungry and I ate a lot.

As I turned the stove on and watched the oil start to bubble, Serena chatted about her mom, stopping every few moments to glance at me, as if she were testing my annoyance level.

I was fine.

“So you never met your father?” I asked.

She shook her head as she carried the plate of breaded chicken to the stove. “Nope.

Absentee sperm donor. What about you? I mean, your kind has parents, right?”

“We’re not hatched from an egg, Serena. Our reproduction is much like a human’s.

As is the Luxen. But I didn’t know my parents.”

Her brows knitted as she picked up a piece of chicken. “What do you mean?”

I pulled her hand away from the skillet. “You’ll burn yourself.” I took the chicken from her and placed it into the skillet. Grease snapped and popped.

“I guess you don’t burn?”

“Not like you will.” I took another slice from the plate she held. “My parents died when I was young.”

Her soft inhale filled the silence and then, “I’m—”

“Don’t say you’re sorry, Serena. You didn’t kill my parents. You have nothing to apologize for.” I removed the last slice, plopped it into the oil, and then took the plate from her. “My parents were killed by the Luxen, like many of our kind were. And don’t say you’re sorry again.”

She snapped her mouth shut. “What is it with you and apologies?”

“I don’t like when people apologize for something they had nothing to do with.”

“I get that, but when people say they’re sorry—like for the loss of a loved one—

they are saying that they’re sorry for you having to go through that pain.”

“I’m fine,” I said, and Serena rolled her eyes. “Wash your hands. You’ll get salmonella or something.”

“Yes, Dad.” Serena spun toward the sink.

My gaze dropped to her plump ass and I fought the urge to come up behind her, grab her hips, and… Where my thoughts were going meant I’d get nothing accomplished. Maybe I just needed to fuck her out of my system.

That sounded like the best plan ever.

Serena looked over her shoulder. “Why did the Luxen kill your parents?”

And that killed my hard-on. “Like I’ve said before, the Luxen are power-hungry assholes.”

She turned around slowly, gripping the rim of the counter behind her. “That really tells me nothing.”

I took a step forward, and her lips parted. I liked that. “You really want a history lesson?”

“Yes.”

But I really wanted to touch her. I took another step, and my gaze traveled over the front of her shirt. The thin cotton and bra did nothing to hide the hardened tips of her breasts.

Aw, fuck.

Chicken needed flipping.

Spinning around, I grabbed the tongs and flipped the chicken, ignoring every instinct that demanded I claim her. The true part of me, the darkness that I was, couldn’t understand why I was fighting this. It didn’t care about repercussions or if Serena ended up in a vegetative state.

It just wanted, always wanted.

I cleared my throat. “Here’s the quick and dirty version. The Luxen have been around for thousands of years and are obviously far more advanced than the human race. They liked to travel. They also liked to subjugate any other race they came into contact with that was viewed as a threat. They ruled the universe—many galaxies you’ve never heard of. They became power hungry and destructive. You know what they say about absolute power.”

“It corrupts absolutely.”

“Exactly. And for a long time, there was nothing that could defeat them. Nothing could stand against them, until my kind came along.”

“And how did that happen?” She folded her arms.

I flipped another piece of chicken. “Evolution’s way of keeping balance. That’s one thing that is universal. The Arum were bred to be the only predator of the Luxen. That doesn’t mean we’re always more powerful than them, but we’re the only creatures that can go toe to toe with them. We absorb energy and they are bursting with it.”

“So you guys just went after them?”

I turned to her, brows raised. “Not at first. For many generations, our kind policed the Luxen, held them back from swallowing up entire planets and destroying every living creature there.”

“Kind of like NATO?”

I chuckled at that. “I guess it was like that, but it was before my time. But they invaded our planet, enslaved our kind, and killed without discretion. The attack blindsided us. It was genocide. Who knows what made them do it, but the war started long before I was even a thought, and it’s never ended.”

She tucked her hair back. “What happened to your…to your planets?”

I met her stare. “We destroyed our planets. Literally. So both of our kinds needed a new home. Earth looked mighty welcoming. We don’t need spaceships.” I laughed.

“That shit’s bunk. Luxen travel at the speed of light—faster than that. So can we, if we’re…fed.”

Her skin paled. “Like when you do the arm thing?”

“And that’s what makes us so useful to the DOD. We kill the Luxen who get out of hand. When one or more of them do something the DOD doesn’t like, we go in and take care of the situation. Most of the Arum find that it’s a great job. After all, there’s real bad blood between us. Others don’t think it’s enough. They continue to hunt the Luxen without DOD permission.”

“Wow.” She shook her head. “So you’re basically an assassin?”

There wasn’t any judgment in Serena’s tone. “You could call me that.”

She was quiet for a moment. “What are the different things that you all can do? And the Luxen?”

“We can bend space and time, which allows us to travel faster than the speed of light. The Luxen are like us in that aspect. What you said you saw the night your friend was killed? Luxen can control energy, manipulate it to move and stop objects.

They can freeze things, people included. They can also use that energy in its purest form as a weapon.”

“Holy…”

“Yep. We absorb their abilities to manipulate light and energy. They call it the Source. We have to feed a lot to travel, especially as far as it was to Earth.”

“How did you end up here?”

“Some of us scattered to other parts of the universe, some came here, because both the Luxen and my kind have been to Earth before.”

“When?”

I shrugged. “Thousands of times since the dawn of man, I am sure.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Then why didn’t they try to enslave us?”

“They never viewed humans as a threat, not until now.”

Her features pinched. “I don’t know if I should be offended by that or worried.”

“Probably a little of both.” Flipping the last chicken breast over, I placed the tongs aside and turned. “The Luxen came here first and were discovered by the government, and then we came. For the longest time, the government couldn’t tell us apart, which worked in our benefit. While they were rounding up Luxen, studying them, and then releasing them into controlled communities to assimilate, we pretty much had free rein. But soon they realized we were different species. That in a way we were more dangerous.”

“More dangerous?” When I didn’t answer, she took a deep breath. “I want to know, no matter how bad it might be.”

“There are things that we can do—things that the DOD have a use for. When they discovered we were different from the Luxen, they started searching for us. And when they find us, they give us a choice: work for them or die.”

“Geez,” she murmured. “Like the Mafia?”

“Something like that. Your government was smart. They have some of the more powerful Arum on their side. How? Who knows. I’m sure they are well provided for.

And if we don’t feed, we are weak. Many of us were pulled into the DOD that way.

Used our need against us, to control us. Not to mention they know our weakness.” I paused, watching interest flicker over her face. No way in hell I was going to tell her that the quickest way to take out an Arum was by simply picking up a piece of obsidian and cutting us with it. Bad enough you could find it anywhere and the DOD had already adapted their weapons, encasing bullets in obsidian. Killing an Arum, like a Luxen, wasn’t as hard as one thought if you knew how to take us out. “Not all of the Luxen came to Earth when our planets were destroyed. Tens of thousands are here, but there are hundreds of thousands out there. They will come eventually.”

“And?” she asked, her arms loosening and falling to her sides.

“And humans will be glad that there are Arum on this planet when that day comes.”

Her fingers tapped on her thighs in a nervous gesture. “Holy shit…”

“Exactly,” I replied. An odd emotion wiggled inside me. I felt a heaviness in my chest, like a lead ball. I felt…bad for her. This was some heavy shit. “Back to my cooking lesson?”

Several moments passed, and then Serena appeared at my side. She was still several shades paler than normal. “So what are we doing now? The chicken looks almost done.”

“It is.” I grabbed a pot. “Can you boil water?”

“Ha ha.” Serena snatched the pot and padded back to the sink in her bare feet. She was like that a lot, I realized, barefoot.

Together we broke apart the noodles and then made a salad. By the time dinner was ready, the sun was setting, casting the sky in a wash of orange and red.

Serena glanced at the table. “Can we eat outside? I mean, it’s nice and—”

“We can.” Grabbing a wine bottle and two glasses, I motioned at her. “Lead the way.”

Smiling, she picked up our plates and went out on the deck through the sunroom.

The earlier humidity was gone from the slight breeze. “I hate eating at tables,” she said, watching me put the glasses down.

I stared at her a moment. “Me, too. Too formal—”

“And stiff,” she added, handing my plate over.

We dug into the chicken and pasta in companionable silence. Then slowly Serena wiggled one answer out of me after another. It was a rather remarkable talent, I thought, bemused by it.

“What happened when you got here?” she asked, twirling the pasta around her fork.

“I hid out with others of my kind. Fought and fucked with the Luxen whenever I could. Killed them.”

Her fork stilled.

“It’s what I am, Serena. It’s all I’ve ever known.” I shrugged. “We thought we were out of the government’s scope. We knew the Luxen weren’t. I was eventually rounded up in a raid.”

She picked up her wine. “So you worked with them to police the Luxen here?”

I laughed. “Fuck no. I escaped.”

“I don’t get it. You’re here…”

Looking away, my gaze settled on the trees. “That’s not the reason why I’m here.”

Serena was quiet for so long that I knew she was thinking of a way to ask why. I glanced over at her and she held my gaze for a moment before returning to her plate.

“How long did you know your friend Mel?”

The question caught her off guard, but after a few moments, she told me their history, an unlikely friendship that had stayed strong over the years. “So she would’ve told you everything, right?”

She nodded. “Mel did.”

“And the one time on the balcony was the only time she ever saw the senator’s kid do something strange?”

Taking a small bite, she chewed slowly. “It was . I always thought he was weird.

Who knew it was because he was an alien.”

My lips tipped up at the corners. “You’re handling all of this well.”

She paused, fork halfway to her pretty mouth. “There are minutes when I think I’ve got a handle on all of this, and then minutes where I think I’m actually insane and in a padded room, so I really don’t think I’m doing that great.”

Serena was handling it better than 98% of the population would. “What did Mel say they were arguing over—the brothers?”

“Something about Project Eagle and kids.”

“What was this project?”

With a little shake of her head, she patted her fork on a piece of chicken. “She didn’t say and I didn’t ask because I thought she lost her mind and…” She took a deep a breath. “I feel terrible about that. If I believed her, maybe I would’ve done something different and Mel—”

“She wouldn’t be alive, Serena. No matter what you did. By not believing her, you probably saved your life.”

Her eyes flicked up and met mine for a second. There was an endless amount of guilt in her eyes. That and sorrow for her friend. “Things are so freaking fuzzy. I feel like I wasn’t paying attention. That I’m forgetting things.”

“You might be.” And I needed her to remember, because then I could lure the officers back here and get her on her way. That’s what I wanted.

At least that’s what I needed to do.

So I went with the one thing I knew that would make her focus. “If you can remember something, remember more, then it’s going to help your friend.”

Serena’s gaze sharpened. “How?”

I was such a bastard. “If the Luxen were up to something and she was silenced because of what she overheard, and not so much what she saw, the senator and his sons might not be held accountable for her death, but they will be dealt with. And that’s better than nothing.”

“It is,” she said quietly. Her attention turned to the woods, head shaking a little.

Time passed, and I didn’t pester her. “I know there was—Pennsylvania!”

“Pennsylvania?”

Twisting toward me, she nodded eagerly. “Yes. She mentioned something about the kids being kept in Pennsylvania.”

I frowned. “Kids being kept in Pennsylvania? Luxen kids or…?”

“She didn’t elaborate, but she said Phillip and Elijah were arguing about that.”

Interesting. Or not. There had to be more, especially if the Luxen bypassed the DOD and took out Mel. What could the galactic glowworms be up to? Were they stashing Luxen kids away from the watchful eye of the DOD? Could be possible. There were hidden Arum and Luxen communities. Few, but they existed.

Serena blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m trying. I really—”

“I know.” I felt as frustrated as she looked.

She bit down on her lip and turned her gaze to her plate. “This was nice,” she said eventually. “The dinner.”

“It was.” Surprise shuttled through me and I heard myself saying, “I don’t do this.”

“At all?” Curiosity marked her brown eyes, darkening them.

It reminded me of when she’d been aroused. Her eyes had turned the color of rich, untainted soil. Then again, for me everything pretty much circled back around to being aroused.

“No,” I said, dropping one leg off the chair. “I can’t remember the last time I ate with someone.”

“Surely it can’t be that long.”

“It has been very long ago.” I watched her set her plate aside and pick up the wineglass. “Full?”

“Stuffed,” she said, eyeing me above the rim of her glass. “Seriously, you do… socialize, right? Your kind does do that?”

I shrugged, my gaze settling on the darkening sky. Within moments, the sun set and twilight vanished into night. “We really don’t have a need to socialize.”

She lowered her glass. “But everyone—”

“Everyone who is human, Serena. I am not.”

A heartbeat passed. “What about the other Arum? The ones I ran into at the gazebo?

They were together.”

“When we are together, we are not socializing. We are mostly aligning ourselves with who we think is more powerful. It’s about survival. Not friendship.”

“Wow. That sounds really lonely.”

“We don’t get lonely.” My gaze followed Serena’s slender finger along the rim of her glass.

She glanced over at me. “Why…why do you keep staring at me?”

I barked out a short laugh. “Am I not allowed to?”

“I guess you are, but you’re always watching me.”

“I like watching you. It’s your hair.” Did I just say that?

“My hair?”

I had. “It’s the color. Whatever.”

A small smile appeared on her lips. “So, what do you do when you’re not working?”

I thought about that before answering, actually considered it. “I like to work with my hands.”

Serena’s gaze slid to mine. “Why do I have a feeling there’s an innuendo behind that?”

Thinking of where my hands hand been last night, I cracked a grin. Her cheeks heated and the red shaded the aura around her. I bet if I slipped my hand between her thighs right now she’d be wet and ready.

It took a lot to not find out. “I like to build things.”

Her mouth opened, and then her eyes widened. “Wait. Do you like to carve?”

My brow arched.

“Did you make the gazebo by the main part of the lodge?”

When I didn’t say anything, a wide smile broke out across her face.

“You did! Oh my God, Hunter, that is amazing.”

I shifted in the seat. “Not really.”

“It is! I wish I could do something like that. The design is so amazingly intricate. Do you do that a lot?”

Serena continued to pepper me with questions about the woodwork I did, and while I wished I hadn’t said a damn thing, I answered the questions without thinking, like she had my balls in a pair of vise grips. Yes, I had built the gazebo from scratch. It had taken an entire summer. No, I didn’t find it hard. Yes, I built other things. That had made me think of the horses with Serena’s breasts and I’d laughed, which had brought another smile to Serena’s face.

Damn, Serena was a really, really good-looking woman, but when she smiled? Hell, she was hands down beautiful.

In the lull of conversation, Serena sat up and pointed at the sky. “Oh look! Is that a falling star? Jesus. I’ve never seen one that close.”

My eyes searched out the trailing flash of white light zooming down to Earth at an ungodly speed. Instinct fired, causing my skin to tingle.

I shot to my feet. “That is not a falling star.”

“What is it?” Fear lanced her voice. “Is it one of them?”

“Serena?”

“Yes?” She was on her feet now, coming to my side. “It’s one of them, isn’t it?”

I turned to her. “Go inside.” When she hesitated, I leaned down, my lips close to hers as I spoke. “Go inside, Serena.”

When I pulled away, Serena didn’t move. Shit. I had a feeling she was going to stand right out here and argue with me until she got herself killed.

Keeping my voice low, I ushered her back toward the door. “It is one of them and you need to be inside.”

“But—”

“No buts.” I shoved her inside. “Keep the doors locked and the lights off. Don’t answer the door for anyone.”

With that I closed the door, shutting her inside. Separated by glass, I met Serena’s stare, willing her to listen to me. Then finally she reached out and the click of the lock being turned broke the silence.

I turned and smiled.

It was time to hunt.

Chapter 12

It took very little time for me to find the “falling star.” Moving among the shadows, faster than the wind could carry, I ended up on the other side of the lake, deep in the thick woods of Monongahela National Forest and behind the enemy.

Slowing down, I moved soundlessly as the man walked out from between two tall elms. He was dressed in black, as if he sought to hide himself. Rather ironic considering the bright white light outlining the human form gave him away.

“Hey there,” I said. “Fancy meeting you all the way out here.”

The man spun around. Shock splashed across his face. “Arum…”

“Luxen, ” I mimicked.

“What are you doing here?” the Luxen demanded, hands flexing at his sides. “How could I not sense you?”

“Ah, that is strange, isn’t it?” I smiled.

He took a step forward. The Luxen was bold. I appreciated that. “I should be able to sense you,” he said. The pupils of his eyes started to burn bright. “How is that possible?”

I cocked my head to the side. “Even if I had the desire and the time to go into that, I wouldn’t.”

Now the Luxen’s pupils were as bright as diamonds. He glanced over his shoulder toward the cabins, and then his gaze settled on me. “Why are you here, so close to the colony? You wouldn’t dare to venture where you’re sorely outnumbered.”

I’d dare to go wherever I damn pleased, but that was beside the point. “I have a question for you, Rainbow Brite.” I drifted a scant inch closer. “Why are you here?”

“You think to question me?” The Luxen’s form began to shimmer in anger. “You’re nothing but a lower life-form—a bottom feeder compared to us.”

Ah, Luxen were such pompous asses.

And I was bored with this. As long as I’d lived here, Luxen never crossed the mountain. They were forbidden by the DOD, for obvious reasons. If one was here, he was here for Serena, which begged the question as to how they had discovered Serena’s whereabouts, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that the Luxen would willingly talk.

“I will destroy you and then I’ll—”

“Blah, blah bullshit,” I cut in, smirking. “I’ve heard it all before and the end is always the same. You talk. We fight. I feed. You die. The end.”

The Luxen dropped its human skin and took its true form. Blinding light illuminating the dark forest, a shape of a man spun forward, light pulsing with energy.

I smiled.

Throwing out my arms, I slipped the human skin. Air crackled as the Luxen raced toward me. I whirled to the side, drawing the shadows toward me, multiplying my shape and strength as my essence latched on to the night around us.

A pulse of light cut through the shadows, shooting straight for me. Dipping down, I slammed a fist into the ground. Soil flew into the sky as a shock wave rippled outward, picking up the Luxen and tossing him into the air. I darted up, catching the Luxen as thick, dark smoke blew off me, turning night into the darkest hour.

I spun, tossing the Luxen like a disk.

It smacked into a tree and hit the ground but quickly shot to its feet. Charging forward, white light tinged in blue trailed behind it, like a tail on a comet. Lobbing another nuclear power worth of energy toward me, it let out an inhuman battle roar.

Leaning to the side, the bolt fizzled out as it zoomed past me. I laughed, and in my true form, my voice carried like a whisper, straight into the mind of the Luxen . ISSS that all you’ve got?

The Luxen reared back, preparing to deliver another nasty blast as I reached out, pulling everything that wasn’t rooted down toward me. I really was like my own black hole, the exact opposite of the Luxen. Where they could repel, I could attract.

We were the fucked-up yin and yang of the universe.

Unable to fight the pull, the Luxen skidded forward, kicking up loose stones and dirt. I let go of the shadows as I reached for the Luxen, letting what cloaked the patch of forest fall to the ground, revealing what I truly looked like.

The Luxen’s form shifted back to human, its eyes wide with terror. Flipping back and forth from human to Luxen, it tried to break free of the pull, arms flailing at his sides.

I spun low, knocking the legs out from underneath my opponent. A second later, I was atop the Luxen, knees pressed into its chest. Fear radiated from the Luxen, filling the air with its sickly sweet stench.

“Don’t—” Jabbing down into the center of the Luxen’s chest, my hand slipped past the skin and muscle, embedding deep into the center of the Luxen, to its core.

The Luxen threw its head back, screaming.

IT’SSS NOT A FATAL WOUND, SSSO KNOCK IT OFF. I leaned over, my head inches from the Luxen’s. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENSSS AT THISSS POINT. I CAN FEED. I CAN DRAIN YOU completely.

He was breathing irregularly under me, flickering in and out. While it wasn’t a fatal wound, it probably hurt like hell. “F-Fuck you,” stuttered the Luxen.

Wrong response.

I inhaled. Not like I had with Serena. The way the Arum fed from a human was different. From the mouth it usually occurred, which led to centuries worth of tales of succubus and incubus. Feeding from a Luxen was different. An Arum had to be connected first, latched on like one big mosquito.

I drew only a little bit, a warning, and pure energy seeped into me. It was like taking a hit of the purest drug out there. Shit. Now I sounded like I belonged in a Luxen Anonymous Group or something.

Underneath me, the Luxen thrashed and wailed.

NOW, I’M GOING TO DARE TO ASSSK AGAIN . I placed my other hand on the Luxen’s forehead, forcing it still. Why are you here?

Arms free, the Luxen railed, but the blows did nothing other than annoy me. I drew a little more, feeling the red-hot burn of energy sliding through my veins.

Want to try that again? I asked. I can keep thisss up if you want.

“A woman,” the Luxen gasped out, and then he flickered into his true form. His light flared and pulsed erratically. I shook him until he resumed his human form.

“There is a woman I’ve been sent to find.”

And kill?

“Yes.” A shudder racked the Luxen’s body.

Anger rippled through me, twisting around the pulsing energy. WHO TOLD YOU THAT the woman wasss here?

It took a couple of more drains to get the Luxen to answer. By then, he was only able to hold his human form for a few minutes at a time.

“An agent said she’d been placed in West Virginia. I thought she’d been placed with the colony, but when I didn’t find her, I just stumbled onto this place.”

WHO WASSS THE AGENT? When the Luxen didn’t answer, I tapped him again. TELL ME and I will let you go.

The Luxen’s body spasmed. “I don’t know who. I was sent here by Senator Vanderson. The agent…talked to him.”

Air constricted as I lifted him off the ground, pulling the Luxen toward me as I stood. Who elssse knowsss thisss?

“No one.” His eyes were wide, his body still flickering in and out. “The senator came to me directly. Why—why do you care? Why are you here? Unless…unless you’re working with the DOD to protect her?”

I said nothing. Fucking Luxen. Did they really think the DOD hadn’t partnered up with their enemies just in case things went south between the humans and Luxen?

Horror crept into the Luxen’s face then. Realization followed, and he began to shake. “You’re…not going to let me go?”

I shook my head.

The Luxen’s struggles renewed—thrashing and flailing in my arms—but he was weakened and I was one of most powerful of my kind. Subduing the Luxen took very little, and as the Luxen’s screams rattled the branches, I fed.

…

I paced the length of the living room. An hour had passed and there was still no Hunter. Concern made me incredibly antsy, and stuck in the cabin, I never felt more powerless.

Correction: I felt pretty damn powerless when the Luxen had held me in the air with one arm.

A shiver danced across my shoulders and I resumed my pacing, finding myself standing in the entrance to the foyer.

Forcing myself away from the door, I let out a shaky breath as I returned to the living room and approached the panel of glass. With the lights off inside, I could see straight into the surrounding woods, but the night had turned everything beyond the cabin walls into dark, sinister shapes.

Somewhere in the living room the clock ticked away.

Heart pumping, I turned from the glass and padded back into the living room. The minimalistic black and white clock on the wall said it was fifteen past eleven.

If he wasn’t back by thirty after, I had to do something. There was no way I could wait here and not try to help…if he needed help. And if he’d fallen to the Luxen, then they’d be coming for me.

I backed up, hitting the couch. My heart was racing so fast it didn’t feel like I was getting enough oxygen in my lungs. I had to calm down because freaking out wouldn’t be any help. I frantically searched my thoughts for something else to fixate on before the panic completely took hold. I ended up thinking about last night—the dream I had. Or had it been a dream? I really wasn’t sure. Because when I’d woken up, half undressed and aching to my core, I swore I had felt Hunter in that bedroom.

That he had been touching me.

Or maybe that’s just what I had wanted.

It had been so long since I’d been with a man that there was a good chance my hymen grew back and I was just that desperate to want a guy to touch me, even if I was asleep.

The click of the lock turning from the front door spun me around. Hope swelled like an overinflated balloon, but I looked for a weapon just in case. My luck hadn’t been the greatest lately.

Spying a vase—a very expensive-looking black and white vase—I picked it up, ready to swing it like a baseball bat.

Hunter swaggered into the living room, coming to a halt just inside the entrance.

One eyebrow arched. “Serena…”

Ignoring the humor in his tone, I scanned his face and body for signs of an obvious scuffle. Blood didn’t stain his shirt or jeans. His hair was a little wind tossed, but no bruises marred his flawless broad cheekbones. His lips were full and slightly curved at the corners in amusement.

But he looked different. His cheeks were slightly flushed, infused with a glow that hadn’t been there before. He looked like he’d won a boxing match and was ready to go again. And his eyes…they were still a pale blue, but the color was deeper, less milky and more substantial.

Instinctively I knew. Like putting together a puzzle with pieces of knowledge I had gained from Hunter. He had fed.

He had killed.

“Are you going to throw that at me?” he asked.

My pulse pounded as I stared at him. “I didn’t know if it was you.”

“It’s me.” He cocked his head to the side, his gaze drifting over me. I shivered. It was feral. Possessive. “You’re frightened.”

I forced myself to put the vase down, and my hands were shaking as I smoothed them over my hips. I tried not to be so affected by the fact he’d just killed something, but if he hadn’t, I’d probably be dead, and it wasn’t the first time, but it was still unnerving.

Hunter took a step forward and, intuitively, I stepped back. “And I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact there was a Luxen outside.”

The urge to lie was too much. “Well, that was pretty nerve-racking. I didn’t know what had happened or if you were okay. You were gone for over an hour and—”

“You’re frightened of me,” he interrupted.

Words died on the tip of my tongue. Truthfully, I was a bit frightened of him. Who wouldn’t be? But it was more being scared of what he could do and not of what he was.

The corner of his lips tipped up. “It’s understandable. It’s very human of you.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I said.

“It’s a weakness.”

Irritation rose. “Being human isn’t a weakness.”

He raised a brow. “It’s not?”

“No.”

His gaze was trained on me as he stalked forward. “Come.”

A quiver started in my stomach as much as I wanted to not feel it. There was something different in the way he walked, the way he looked at me. “Come where?”

Hunter went into the study, holding the door open. I took a deep breath and then walked forward, spine straight. He crowded me as soon as I entered his study, picking up a strand of my hair and then letting it fall back onto my shoulder.

I was all too aware of the way my body tensed as he stepped even closer, his chest nearly flush with mine. God, he smelled wonderful—soap and spice. I didn’t like that he was this close, and at the same time I sort of craved it in the way you wanted to do things you should never do.

Breathless, I struggled to get back to the important stuff. “Do they know I’m here?

Will there be—” Clasping the sides of my cheeks, he drew my mouth to his. The kiss took me completely off guard. It was fierce, punishing, and hard, but my lips immediately parted. A hot, sweet flush swept through my body.

He backed me up against a stacked bookcase. The length of his arousal pressed against my belly as his hands skimmed over my arms, down to the tips of my fingers, and to the drawstring on my shorts.

“The Luxen was looking for you,” he said, unraveling the string with quick, nimble movements. “He is no longer looking for anyone.”

Muscles in my lower belly tightened as I stood there, my chest rising and falling too quickly. “So they know where I am?”

“It appears the senator does.” He paused, slipping his fingers under the band of my shorts. His cool fingers brushed my skin, causing me to jerk. He looked up, his eyes locking on to mine. “Only this Luxen knew. He wasn’t lying. When I feed from them, I can pull on their thoughts and memories.”

I gripped his wrists and a smile pulled at his lips, as if I amused him. “But how did the senator know?”

“I’m going to find that out.” He lowered his head and his lips brushed the curve of my jaw, then dipped to my pulse. His tongue flicked over the skin there, eliciting a gasp from me. “Later.”

I could barely breathe or focus. “What if the senator tells another Luxen? I’m not safe—”

“You’re safe.” His hands lowered over my hips even though I had a grasp on his wrists. “For now.”

“For now?” I swallowed, but my mouth felt dry.

He murmured something, and then his teeth scraped against the side of my neck.

Unconsciously, my body jerked and he broke my grip, sliding around to cup my rear.

I gasped at the coolness of his hands, a startling contrast against how warm I felt.

This was too fast. I barely knew him. He was something that truly existed beyond my comprehension. My life was a confusing mess right now. How could I be sure of what I wanted or did? There was also this scary, hard edge to Hunter. He was like a wrapped present and I had no idea what existed under the layers, but…

But I had no one but him right now. As powerful and dangerous as he was, as different as he was from me, I didn’t feel as if he would harm me. And I had no idea how much longer I would even be alive to frolic in my messy life. Did I want to die a practically born-again virgin? And if I did survive this, did I want to walk away denying the intense attraction between us? But most of all? I wanted him.

I wanted him so badly that I ached, so why I should I deny that? I wouldn’t.

Chapter 13

Hunter’s hands were on the outside of my shorts. My fingers dug into the cool skin of his forearms. “Hunter…”

His mouth was on mine again, kissing away any reservation I had. Hunter kissed like a man staking a claim, like someone who never had the luxury of doing so before. And those hands…those quick and agile hands tugged my shorts down. He broke the kiss long enough to get them below my knees, and then he was back up, his tongue demanding entrance to my mouth as he lifted me off my feet, leaving the shorts in a messy pile.

“Wrap your legs around my waist,” he ordered.

My body obeyed his demand without thought. That was the power of Hunter, I realized distantly. He was pure seduction like this, his voice deep and wholly persuasive.

Hunter growled his pleasure as he pressed his lower half against my core. His erection strained through his jeans and the thin satin of my panties. With his hands cupping my rear again, he rocked his hips forward, drawing a loud gasp from me, and when he thrust forward once more, nudging the bundle of nerves, the intensity of the arousal that swept through me was startling and pushed me into the unknown.

I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and tugged up. Hunter lifted his arms long enough for me to drag the material over his head, and then he grasped my hips. I slid my hands over his shoulders, surprised to find them warmer than normal, and I wanted to be skin against skin with him, no barriers, but as he nipped at my lower lip, I couldn’t find the words to tell him.

“Put your arms up,” he said in a low voice, “and grab hold of the shelf.”

I gripped the shelf above me, my fingers digging in, brushing the spines of the books stocked there. The movement arched my back, making me feel feminine and vulnerable all in the same moment.

Wrapping an arm around my waist, Hunter reached up, his fingers digging into the vee of my tee shirt. Before I knew what he was up to, he tore the material right down the middle, jerking my body toward his and then back against the shelf. Books rattled.

A few toppled onto the floor.

Goddamn.

My breath stalled in my lungs at the display of masculine power. I was pretty sure that nothing in this world could get hotter than this.

Hunter proved me wrong.

The bra was the second article of clothing to be ruined in a nanosecond. The flimsy scrap of silk and underwire fluttered to the floor, and then Hunter’s mouth was on the peak of my breast, his tongue circling and then latching on, sucking in tandem with the thrust of his hips.

Molten lava coursed throughout my veins. Desire swirled inside, dazing and out of control. Raw heat built as his mouth tugged on my breast and his tongue rasped over my nipple. It was all about feeling and the raw, exquisite sensations shooting down to my core, warming and dampening me. My hips thrust against his thick muscle, seeking, wanting, and needing more. God, he was huge.

“I want to hear you call my name when you come.” His voice was thick, smoky; his lips moving against my breast. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

My womb tightened in response. If he kept talking like that, he wasn’t going to have to ask twice.

The hand on my hip urged me to keep moving, to take what I needed. When he caught my nipple between his teeth, I cried out again, surrendering to what my body demanded, wantonly rolling my hips against his hardness. Tension between my legs built quickly, stealing my breath, shocking me. I’d never come this way before, not with jeans and panties separating flesh, but oh— OH SWEET JESUS —the coil tightened deep inside me. My movements became almost frantic. His growl of approval burned my skin, igniting the fire. I was so close…so very close. My muscles locked up and a spasm ricocheted—

Somewhere in his study, the shrill sound of a phone ringing cut through the sounds of my moans. I had never heard a phone ring in his house, figured there wasn’t one, and that was kind of stupid, but now there was a phone and it wouldn’t. Stop.

Ringing.

“Ignore it,” I said, moving against him in a slow, undulating grind.

A shudder racked his tight body. Lifting his head, he ran a thumb over my pebbled nipple and bit back a groan. The phone kept ringing.

“No voice mail?” I gasped out.

With surprising gentleness, he slid his hands to my hips as he stepped back and untangled my legs. “It’s going to keep ringing,” he said, placing me on my feet. “I need to answer.”

“Horrible timing.” Standing there in just my panties, I leaned against the bookshelf, trying to catch my breath.

“I second that.” His heated gaze swept over me and he cursed under his breath.

Bending down, he swiped his shirt off the ground. Then he turned to his desk, yanking open a drawer.

He pulled out a slim cell phone, his eyes never straying from all the exposed points of my body. “The fucking world better be ending,” was the way he answered the phone.

My eyes widened.

“Yeah, I know. I took care of it.” He sat on the edge of the desk, motioning me forward with one hand.

I swallowed. Now that some of the heat had faded a little, I didn’t feel like a roaring sex goddess standing there mostly naked. Thank God there weren’t any windows.

Inching forward, I moved to cover myself, but Hunter’s eyes narrowed. Keeping my arms at my sides was an extreme display of willpower, but I wasn’t doing it for him. I wanted the kind of confidence he was forcing out of me.

“You’re a little late on the warning, bud.” Wiggling his finger at me, he coaxed me closer, displaying a half smile when I stopped in front of him. “Like I said, it’s a done deal. It’s been taken care of.”

I could hear the muffled response of the caller, but couldn’t make out what was being said. And I wasn’t sure Hunter was paying attention, because he reached out, caught my hand, and pulled me into the wide vee of his thighs. I shivered as he gathered my hair, spreading it across my shoulders.

Placing the cell between his shoulder and ear, he curved one hand behind my neck, effectively holding me in place as his other hand trailed from the edges of my hair to my breast. I bit down on a moan and closed my eyes as his thumb smoothed back and forth.

“Uh-huh,” Hunter murmured. “I’m paying attention.”

A grin cracked my lips as his hand slipped away, traveled down my belly. He was so not paying attention.

“Dex, you’re acting like a vagina,” Hunter said. My eyes popped open. He grinned as he let go of the back of my neck. His other hand crept to the edge of my panties. “It’s true. Ever since Eliza, you freak out over everything.”

Whatever Dex responded with caused Hunter’s grin to spread into a smile, and God, my heart did a stupid fluttery motion in my chest. I liked Hunter like this…teasing, flirty, and laid-back. And liking that—liking him for anything more than having a mad case of lust for him—wasn’t good.

I didn’t want to like him—not in the way that made my heart spasm or flutter or do anything that could possibly be linked to developing feelings. Even if my life wasn’t in total turmoil right now and we’d met under different circumstances, he would still be the kind of guy—er, alien—who left a trail of broken hearts across the nation. He would be hard to understand—to even like most times, and even harder to figure out.

Besides, when all of this blows over, I would leave here, if I were still alive, and most likely never see him again. Knowing that made my chest tighten in the most uncomfortable way. I started to ease away.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his arm slipping around my waist.

“No. Not you, Dex. I don’t give two shits where you’re going.”

I froze. “Maybe I should—” Hunter spun me around, so my back was to his front and my rear between his spread legs. “No,” he said, and I knew he was talking to both of us then. “Serena hasn’t run off again. She’s right here and she’s not going anywhere.”

I shivered at the sensual warning in his voice.

Then his hand was under my panties, his fingers skimming the sensitive nub at the juncture of my thighs, and I gasped.

Oh God, was he really going to do this while he was on the phone?

He cupped me as he pressed his chest to my back, his breath warm in my ear.

“Yeah, I am kind of busy right now.” A finger slipped inside, and I clamped my mouth shut against a moan. My hips rocked against his palm. “No,” he said, voice deeper, rougher. “It’s none of your business.”

My heart was racing again as he pumped his finger in and out slowly. I arched my back, letting my head fall back on his shoulder. His other hand found my breast, and I gripped his arms.

Dex said something, but Hunter cut him off. “I’ve got to go.” He left my breast long enough to end the call and the phone fell to the floor, forgotten. “Where were we? Oh yeah, I want to hear you scream my name.”

The ceiling blurred as a fire swept through my blood. I could feel him against my rear, so hard.

“Do you do this?” he asked. “Touch yourself?”

“What?” I gasped as another finger joined in.

His fingers stilled. “Do you pleasure yourself, Serena?”

What in the hell kind of question was that? I moved my hips to urge him on, but he placed his other hand on my belly, stopping me. “Are you serious?”

“What? Is that too personal?”

“Yes!”

“I find that amusing considering where my hand is.”

Well, he did kind of have a point there.

“And what I’m about to do to you is going to be very personal.” His lips were suddenly against the side of my neck, hot and firm. “So, how often?”

I refused to answer him.

Hunter trailed hot kisses down my neck. “Once a week? More?” He pulled his hand away and turned me around. One hand landed on my lower back and his lips…his lips were so close to my nipple, drifting over the swell of my breast. My breath caught in my throat as his tongue flicked over the rosy bud. My entire body shuddered.

“I bet you do, and the next time?” He teased my nipple. “You’ll think of me.”

He was so arrogant, but then he drew my nipple into his hot mouth, and I didn’t care. Pleasure rolled through me, and I wrapped an arm around his neck, my fingers digging into his hair. His free hand slipped down and my panties were gone. His hand was between my thighs, fingers brushing over my throbbing cleft.

Hunter lifted his head, nuzzling my neck under my ear. Then his face was in my hair. “You’re so beautiful. Damn it, you’re so fucking beautiful.”

My core clenched. Hot, tight shudders racked my body. His fingers were barely touching me and I felt close to tipping over the edge. Again. This wasn’t nice—oh no, this was raw, full of painful need. My hips surged forward, grinding against his hand.

Pleasure spiked, making me dizzy and breathless.

Hunter growled low in his throat as his hand settled on my hip, stilling my movements. “Tell me what you want. Say the words.”

Frustration caused my eyes to snap open. He couldn’t be serious. I pushed against his shoulders, but he stared down at me, telling me without words what I must do.

Part of me hated him. And the other…well, it wanted to drown in him.

He wore a wicked grin as his thumb smoothed over my clit.

“Yes,” I whispered, glaring at him. “Okay. Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

My tongue darted out, wetting my lips. “I want you…”

“You want me to do what?” Again, his thumb brushed over me.

I groaned. “I want you to make me come.”

A satisfied smile split his lips. I expected his hand to return to me, but he pulled his hand away, and I was close to punching him. Then suddenly he moved, sweeping his arm across the top of his desk. Items clattered to the floor and a second later I was on my back and his mouth was under my chin, making a slow descent. His dark hair, his lips drifted over my breast. A tiny feminine sound caught in my throat.

Hunter moved down, spreading my legs wide as they dangled off the desk.

Vulnerable—I was completely vulnerable to him. Lightning rushed through my veins as he spread my legs wider and grasped my hips. His tongue glided from my navel to just above the bundle of nerves.

Instinctively, I tried to close my legs. It seemed a little soon to be doing that.

“Hunter…”

“You’ll like it.” He kissed my inner thigh. “I can promise you that. Open your legs, Serena.”

The air left my lungs, and slowly, my thighs parted on his command.

“Wider,” he urged, and I did so. Lowering his head again, he sliced me open with his tongue. My head fell back against the wood and my eyes closed. This was a first. I hadn’t wanted anyone to do this, but sweet Jesus, Hunter—

Hunter captured my flesh with his mouth, parting my lips with firm, determined strokes of his tongue. I cried out. He sucked like I was the sweetest nectar, his very life force.

Lost in the raw sensations, I grasped his hair and rocked my hips against his mouth.

He growled in pleasure, dipping his tongue in and out. My back arched. My heart pounded. His tongue worked me until I was thrusting unabashedly, panting heavily.

The fierce heat was building and building until I feared it would consume me. My body liquefied as he moved on to my clit and added a finger. His sucking and thrusting matched the tempo of my hips. I couldn’t breathe as every muscle locked up, ready for what was surely going to be a mind-blowing orgasm.

“Hunter, oh yes…” I bucked and climaxed with such force I was surprised I hadn’t tossed myself off the desk. The whole time, he kept his mouth on me, soaking up every last drop while my body spasmed with sweet aftershocks.

When the tremors subsided, he leaned into me and pressed down, letting me feel his own arousal. The length of his hardness burned through his clothes. He wanted me—

badly. I could feel it, and there was a good chance I’d let him have me. Right now.

Any way he wanted on this desk.

I raised a leg, curling it around his. I rolled my hips up, reveling in the way a shudder racked his body. His parted lips were inches from mine and he was breathing fast. A change came over him, swift and consuming. His features became angular, sharp, and paler than normal. His eyes burned, and the temperature in the room dropped. The overhead light flickered.

My heart skipped a beat as I placed a hand on his chest. His skin was icy now.

“Hunter…”

Suddenly, he was off me. In a blink of an eye, he was across the room near the bookcase. Shadows crept from the corners of the room, cloaking Hunter, nearly obscuring him.

Sitting up, my heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to come out of my chest. “Are you okay?”

There was no answer.

Nerves twisted my insides in knots. I started to slide off the desk, but the low sound that crawled out of Hunter’s throat stopped me in my tracks.

“Don’t,” he growled.

My heart dropped. “Don’t what?”

A moment passed. “Don’t come near me.”

I froze, half on the desk, half off. The warm, pleasant flush faded in the wake of tiny bumps spreading across my flesh.

“Leave,” his voice caved and then picked up inside my head. Get out of here.

This was not one of the moments where I was going to be the chick that slays the beast with her naked charm. This wasn’t a TV show, book, or movie. Icy fear trailed fingers down the back of my spine. I could barely make out Hunter’s form in the spreading shadows.

The whole not afraid of what he was thing sort of went out the window.

I darted from the room, running like the very devil was after me. My bare feet smacked off the hardwood floors of the living room. I made it to the staircase and grabbed the rail. My hand slipped off and I lost my balance, hitting the step on one knee. I looked up.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Frost seeped up the railing, spreading along the wall and the steps. My breath exhaled harshly and the puff of white, misty air froze, a tiny cloud suspended in air.

Lights in the house flickered and then went out.

I didn’t dare move, but it was too late. I could feel Hunter. He was nearby, all around me. Goose bumps covered my entire body.

Ice touched the bare skin of my shoulders, and a second later I was on my back, the edges of the steps pressing into my spine. At first I couldn’t see anything other than a darkness so empty and vast it was hard to look upon.

“Hunter,” I whispered, shivering so badly I shook.

He solidified into what he’d called his true form. His body the color of midnight oil, muscles rippling as he leaned over me.

Heart pounding, I wrapped my arms around my chest and pulled my knees up. He said nothing as his head cocked to the side. Sapphire specks appeared in his pale blue eyes, churning fast.

Oh God, this was so not good.

I was probably going to die on the staircase; naked as the day I was born.

Two hands slammed into the step on either side of my head, snagging on my hair and causing my neck to jerk back. His eyes locked with mine, and I didn’t recognize him—it was not the Hunter from the study seconds before or even the smartass, arrogant jerk I’d come to find amusing in a weird way. There was nothing human about his intense stare. No compassion. No warmth.

I shuddered, trying to make myself as small as possible, but my knee brushed his midsection, and he made a sound that was a cross between a growl and a hiss.

Oh crap.

Hunger flared in his gaze, a stark sensual need mixed with something darker and deadly. His head lowered until the chilly tip of his nose brushed mine. The air constricted between us, and a low burn started in the back of my throat.

“Please,” I whispered.

Hunter froze, and then a shudder rolled through his body. He twisted his head to one side and then the next, as if he were working out a kink. Then he was gone—

simply just gone. There was no sound, absolutely nothing. I was alone.

Chapter 14

I barely slept an hour without waking up and staring into the shadows that had invaded my bedroom. If Hunter was there, he didn’t make himself known. When dawn crested, the house was still colder than normal. After a quick shower, I threw on a long-sleeve shirt and jeans and went downstairs.

There was no sign of Hunter while I made a pot of coffee and took my mug out onto the deck where we’d eaten dinner last night.

Last night felt like forever ago and a dream.

I’d learned more than I’d thought I would about the Luxen and his kind, but even with the knowledge I gained, and with all that I had seen since the moment Mel told me about Phillip Vanderson, it could not have prepared me for what came over Hunter. I didn’t understand what triggered the change in him.

Tucking my legs against my chest, I sipped my coffee as I stared into the deep shadows the thick branches cast along the floor of the forest. I’d been scared last night, maybe not as scared as I’d been when the Luxen blew up Mel’s car or attacked me in my apartment, but pretty damn close. I had no doubt in my mind that Hunter had wanted to feed from me and, if he had, it could’ve very well killed me.

But he’d stopped.

I almost couldn’t believe it. I’d seen the look in his eyes. There hadn’t been an ounce of compassion or humanity knocking around inside him, but somehow he made himself stop. I had a feeling that was a first for him.

My thoughts wandered from one troubling thing to the next as I finished off my coffee. I needed to find out why the Luxen wanted to silence Mel and me so badly. If it really had to do with the threat of exposure, or if Mel had overheard something the Luxen didn’t want known. If the latter was the case, then maybe I’d have the upper hand somehow. Wasn’t much, but it was something.

I set my mug aside and rubbed my temples, thinking about what Hunter had said about the Luxen’s need for power and their history of dominating species.

God, it was almost too much to consider, but I forced myself to replay the whole conversation with Mel. It was painful—thinking of her and how I hadn’t believed her.

Project Eagle. Kids. Pennsylvania.

Those three things made absolutely no sense, but I was pretty sure that the kids were in Pennsylvania. Why that was such a big deal, I wasn’t sure. And Project Eagle?

Sounded like something straight from a James Bond movie. But I knew there was more—there was something Mel had said that was on the tip of my thoughts and every time I grasped for it, it slipped away.

“Damn it,” I muttered, closing my eyes as I continued to rub my temples.

“You look stressed.”

I squeaked at the unexpected sound of Hunter’s voice. Twisting in the seat, I saw him sitting in the chair on the other side of the table. “Holy crap, are you part ninja?”

One side of his lips tipped up slightly. No sunglasses this morning. The skies were cloudy and overcast, the scent of rain heavy in the air. “I can be very quiet when I want.”

“No shit.” I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart pound. “Being able to turn into smoke and shadows has its benefits, doesn’t it?”

“It does, among other things.” He tipped his chin up, squinting at the gray sky. “We need to talk, Serena.”

I wrapped my arms around my legs. “We do.”

He looked at me, his striking face impassive. “I almost killed you last night.”

Wow. Hearing him put it so bluntly didn’t make it easier to accept. I tore my gaze from his face, focusing on a little robin hopping from branch to branch. “You didn’t,” I said finally.

“I wanted to feed from you. I wanted to feed from you while I fucked you. I would’ve drained you completely.”

A shiver danced down my spine. I let out a low breath. What was I supposed to say to that? Yes to the fucking part, but please don’t kill me in the process? “But you stopped.”

“Barely,” he replied in a flat, emotionless voice. “Next time I might not.”

My head swiveled toward him. Whoa, buddy. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”

Arrogance poured into his face and his lips spread into a sardonic smirk. Go figure that was the emotion he showed. “There will be a next time.”

My brows rose. “That’s unbelievably cocky of you.”

“The longer we’re together, it’s inevitable.” He dropped his feet onto the deck and twisted to face me. “And you came harder than you probably ever have. You’ll want to do it again, to feel that again.”

I gaped at him. Okay. The attraction was still there. I couldn’t even think about what he did with his fingers and that wonderful mouth without wanting to drop panties, but I didn’t have a death wish.

He met my astonished stare. “You still want me even after what I did.”

“You just said you would feed on me and fuck me until there was nothing left of me. Exactly why would I want to do that?”

His pale eyes darkened. “You want to do the fucking part. Even now, I can see your arousal. It covers you. Makes it hard for me to resist it.”

I stared at him, torn between wanting to laugh and to punch him in the face. “Are you kidding me? You make it sound like it’s my fault!”

“You shouldn’t be attracted to me.”

“What?” I threw up my hands. “You cannot be serious.”

Hunter arched a brow. “Do I not look serious to you?”

“You look like an arrogant, pompous ass!” I jumped to my feet and headed around the lounge. I reached the door, but Hunter freaking popped in front of me. I was too pissed to be amazed by his super-special alien speed or to be scared. “Get out of my way.”

He grinned.

He freaking grinned at me.

I tried to sidestep him, but he just blocked me. I squelched a frustrated scream. “It is not my fault that I’m attracted to you and you wanted to eat my soul or whatever the hell that you do when you feed on me, you dick. If you think it’s too dangerous or whatever, then maybe you shouldn’t come on to me. Did you ever think about that?”

“Eat your soul?” Hunter burst into laughter, and it was a really nice sound, but hell if it didn’t make me want to kick him in the junk. “I drain you of your energy—all living things have energy in them. Souls? Who knows if that exists?”

I sputtered. “Who gives a fuck what you really do? It’s not my fault. It’s yours!”

His grin didn’t fade. “Damn, you have a mouth on you. I like it.”

Exasperated, I managed to get around him. I got as far as the living room before he ended up in front of me again. This time I did scream. “Jesus! Would you stop doing that?”

He crossed his arms. “I can’t. It’s too fun.”

My eyes narrowed.

“You’re right.”

“Huh?”

He sighed. “You’re right. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. You haven’t done anything to bring this on.”

“Damn straight.”

“But you shouldn’t be attracted to me.”

Rolling my eyes, I plopped down on the couch. “It’s not like I’m trying to. Trust me, I know it would be better if I wasn’t, so just stop being so, so…”

“So what?”

“Sexy?” I sighed, feeling my cheeks flush. This was such a stupid, unimportant conversation. “Why did you turn last night like that? You’ve kissed me before, but you haven’t acted like that.”

Hunter didn’t answer immediately. He looked like he was trying to work out a complex puzzle in his head. “Feeding and fighting makes my kind want sex.”

Well that explained everything. Not.

“And sex makes me want to feed,” he added, almost like an afterthought. “Even if I’ve fed.”

Jesus. That made sex…complicated. “Is it always like that?”

“No.”

Surprised, I looked up at him. “It’s not?”

“I can usually separate sex from feeding. With you, I cannot.” He shrugged. “I don’t understand. It’s…interesting.”

“Interesting?” I mumbled. I could think of a few better words. Like a mailbox full of different words like messed up, weird, not cool— mailbox. I sat up straight, my eyes going wide. “Holy shit.”

“What?” He sat beside me.

I shook my head, seconds away from clapping like a seal. “Mailbox!”

His brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just remembered—” Hunter shot to his feet suddenly, head cocked to the side.

Startled, I almost jumped clear off the couch. “Would you stop moving—”

“Go upstairs,” he said, not looking at me.

“Uh…” I had no plans on going upstairs. “What’s going on?”

Hunter stalked around the couch, heading toward the foyer. “Go upstairs and stay there, Serena. I’m not joking around.”

Irritation spiked like a football in an end zone. “Excuse me, but you need to tell me

—” The look he sent me was pure warning, strong enough to send most people scurrying to do his bidding. A knock on the door resonated through the house. My brows shot up. “Did you know someone was coming?”

“Not until a few moments ago,” he muttered. “Serena, please go upstairs.”

Curiosity raged inside me, more potent than his growly attitude. My mind quickly turned over.

“Okay,” I said sweetly.

A dubious look crossed his face. “Serena…”

The knock came again, louder this time. “I’m going. Just going to grab a drink first.”

He stared at me a moment and then spun on his heel, going to the front door. I darted into the kitchen. Not the best plan and maybe not the smartest, but I wanted to know who was at the door and what was going on.

And I was tired of Hunter telling me what to do.

“Surprised to see you here.” By the closeness of Hunter’s voice, I knew they were in the living room. “This is the last place I’d expect you to visit.”

There was a very deep laugh in response. Obviously this guest was a male. “Surely you’re not that surprised, Hunter.”

I crept toward the entrance, hoping I could see who was here.

“I’m not surprised that you’re in the state,” Hunter replied evenly. “I’m surprised that you’d show up at my door.”

“Are you?” Cold humor laced the stranger’s voice.

“Now really isn’t a good time,” Hunter said after a gap of silence. His voice still held a level of calmness that should’ve been reassuring but wasn’t. “Maybe we could pick up this conversation later?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Then I’m afraid that I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Would it have to do with what you have stashed away in the kitchen?” The question sent a chill down my spine.

Oh. Shit. I squeezed my eyes shut.

“It has nothing to do with her.” The calmness in Hunter’s tone took on a razor-sharp edge.

There was the soft sound of movement and a low growl that reminded me of the noise Hunter made last night.

“You might as well come out and join the conversation,” the stranger called. “I don’t bite. I promise.”

My eyes snapped open. Heart in my throat, I was rooted to where I stood.

“Stop staring at me like that, Hunter. It’s not a very attractive look.” Boots thudded off the floor and then, “Come on out. I want to see you.”

I knew it was best if I remained hidden, but I couldn’t very well hide. Taking a deep breath, I pushed away from the wall and stepped into the doorway. I saw Hunter first.

The hard set to his jaw, the muscle flexing there, and the steely glint in his eyes screamed that he was pissed. For a brief second, our eyes met and I swallowed thickly. Stomach twisting into knots, my gaze flitted across the room.

I sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back, my gaze darting to Hunter and then to where an identical copy of him stood.

Same black, wavy hair. Eyes a light blue like the early morning sky stared back into mine. They shared the same broad cheekbones and wide, expressive lips. Identical height and broad shoulders, but where Hunter was dressed in jeans, his…his twin was wearing black leather pants and a black button-down shirt that was half undone. That wasn’t the only thing that was different. His twin’s complexion was more golden than alabaster, as if he spent time in the sun.

Holy Arum everywhere, there were two of them.

The twin stepped forward, but so did Hunter, their steps matching each other. It was unnerving, having both of them advancing on me from separate corners. Instinct kicked on my fight or flight response.

“Well, well, well…” the twin murmured, lips tipping up at the corners, so much like Hunter’s smug smiles that I blinked. “Who is this pretty lady?”

“Her name is Serena,” Hunter said, eyes narrowed on me. “And she was just about to go upstairs. Weren’t you?”

“I hope she isn’t going to run off,” the twin said, casting his brother a look I couldn’t decode and probably didn’t want to. “It’s not often that I’m with such beautiful company.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Hunter replied dryly, and I had to agree.

The twin smiled. “But still…not beautiful company like her.” He didn’t elaborate on what that meant as he extended a hand. “My name is ridiculously unpronounceable, like Hunter’s real name, but most call me Sin.”

I stared at Hunter. “Hunter’s not your real name?”

“What?” Sin’s eyes went wide. “She didn’t know? Oh, Serena, there is so much I could tell you.”

The muscle in Hunter’s cheek went crazy. “That is the only name I answer to.”

My gaze dropped to Sin’s still outstretched hand. Human manners dictated that I take his offer, but I had to force my hand toward his. When his fingers wrapped around mine, a small charge passed between us. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Hunter move forward. His brother let go, his fingers gliding over my palm.

Sin turned to his brother. “So this is why you’ve been too busy to call, email, or even write?”

Hunter now stood off to the side of me and folded his arms across his chest. “I haven’t wanted to get in contact with you. And right now, I’m really not feeling up to this.”

“Ouch.” Sin didn’t look affected at all. He sat on the edge of the couch, stretching out long legs. His gaze flickered between the two of us before finally leveling on his brother. “You look a little pale, Hunter. Have you been taking care of yourself? Eating well?”

On top of feeling like I was being visually molested by Sin, I so knew what he was referencing.

Hunter’s spine stiffened. “That’s enough, Sin.”

He chuckled as he glanced at me. “My brother is a prickly bastard, isn’t he? It’s all about the diet, I keep telling him. If he… fed better, he’d be in a better mood. What do they say about food?”

“You are what you eat?” I suggested, brows rising.

“Ah! Yes.” Sin clapped his hands down on his thighs. “You are what you eat, Hunter.”

“That’s what I hear.” Hunter unfolded his arms slowly.

Sin arched a brow. “Have you heard from Lore at all? I can’t seem to…find him.”

“Lore?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Lore is our brother,” Sin replied. “We’re triplets.”

I turned to Hunter. “Huh…?”

“I only have one brother that I claim.” Hunter smirked. “I’m sure everyone here can guess which brother that isn’t.”

Yep, I had a good idea.

In the silence that followed, something passed between the two brothers. I didn’t know what, but I had the distinct feeling that they were seconds away from ripping into each other.

Sin’s smile didn’t slip. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation outside? It’s such a lovely day for a walk.”

It looked like it was about to start raining.

Hunter nodded curtly. “I agree.”

Both brothers headed toward the door, but Hunter stopped, sending me a long look that promised trouble later. I wasn’t concerned with that. Instead, I wondered if either of them would return from their “walk.”

Chapter 15

Outside in the damp morning air and among the ancient trees, I glared at the back of my brother’s head. Of all the moments for Sin to decide to show up, it had to be now.

Sin tipped his head back and laughed. “That’s a pretty little piece of ass you got there. Are you sharing—?”

I snapped my brother’s neck.

Just like that—two hands on either side of the head and then twist, crack, crackle, pop, and all that jazz. Sin hit the ground, reduced to nothing more than a twitching heap.

In the few blissful seconds of silence, I leaned against the tree, and while I waited, I tried to remember the exact number of times I’d broken Sin’s neck. Twenty or more?

Definitely more.

Sin’s body began to blur and darken as it lost all shape. Dark essence swirled over the ground, rising up. Thick tendrils of smoke spread out, reaching the lower branches. As they came into contact, the leaves withered to a lifeless brown.

Show-off.

The hazy smoke receded, revealing my brother’s true form for a moment. As Sin turned, the liquidlike movement hid the predator beneath the grace.

Then Sin slipped into his human skin. “What. The. Fuck. Hunter?”

“I can’t help myself whenever I’m around you. It’s like a habit.”

“Well, break the fucking habit, because that hurts. Jesus.” Sin took a step back, straightening his shirt. “If you weren’t my brother…”

“You’d what? Annoy me to death?” I pushed off the tree, getting right up in his face. “Or do you think you can actually take me?”

Sin laughed. “Do you think you can take me? You don’t feed on Luxen anymore.

You are weak. I could kick your ass clear across this godforsaken planet.”

“Oh, is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know. You’ve become nothing but the DOD’s little bitch boy. Doing their favors while the Luxen continue to thrive! Is that why that woman’s in your cabin? I bet it does have something to do with them. The DOD says jump and what does Hunter say?”

I twisted halfway, laughing under my breath, and then whirled back. Grabbing Sin by the neck, I flipped him over. His heavy body hit the tree with such force several branches fell to the ground.

I flew into Sin’s face, digging my fingers deep into his throat. “Hunter says kiss my ass.”

Sin held up his hands, choking out a laugh. “Oh, so Hunter has fed recently, hasn’t he? I doubt that female could give you that kind of power. If so, can I have a taste—

just a little, and while I’m at it, can I fuck her?”

I slammed Sin’s head back against the tree hard enough to crack a skull, but my goddamn brother just laughed. “You never knew when to shut up.”

“And you never had the balls to do what’s right,” Sin spat back.

Letting go, I took a step back before I did something I regretted. There were times when I wanted to kill my brother—this was one of them—but Sin was my family. We shared the same blood, the same history.

“It has nothing to do with balls,” I said. “Our sister is dead because of this war—no, don’t you fucking look away from me.”

But Sin did.

Shooting forward, I grasped his chin, forcing Sin to look at me. “Our sister is dead.

Lore almost died because of a war our ancestors fought—a war that no one will win, especially not here, not on this planet.”

“We will win.” Rage filled Sin’s eyes. “We will pay them back tenfold for what they did to our people.”

“Yeah, you do that.” I let him go. “You and every other Arum out there that wants to avenge their fallen ancestors are going to get yourselves killed. Maybe some other planet, but here, with the humans, you’ll lose, because they will support the Luxen—

they already are. They will follow right behind them, right to their deaths. And in the meantime, they’ll help the Luxen exterminate every one of us. So screw me that I’m not drinking that bullshit Kool-Aid anymore.”

Disgust filled Sin’s expression. “How dare you turn your back on us.”

“This has nothing to do with us, Sin. This has to do with our family. I’m not going to bury another sibling for a cause they had no part in!”

“But we do have a part in it, Hunter. We were created to do what we are trying to do. Born and raised to destroy the Luxen. We’re the only thing that can stop them from dominating another world.”

That part was true, but everything else was full of so much shit that I needed a damn shovel. “So what do you think we should do? Let the Luxen be? Just let it all go?” My brother’s lip curled in disgust. “Hell, soon you’ll think it’s okay to mix the two races.”

Now he was just being stupid. “I’m not saying that we should hold hands and sing Kumbay-fucking-ya with them. I’m not saying they should even be hands off.”

Sin shook his head. “Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying move on. Let it go.”

He smirked. “Like you and Lore have. Where is Lore by the way?”

“He doesn’t want anything to do with you, Sin.”

Sin turned his cheek, pressing his lips together. “I think I know what the problem is with you two. I think you both are scared.”

“I’m too old to be goaded into that shit.”

“You and Lore,” Sin continued, swaggering up to me. “Fucking pussies.”

I smirked. “Rather be fucking pussies…”

“Funny. You tell Lore he can’t hide from me forever and , just like you, he needs to face his duty.”

Anger rippled over me so deep and so hot that it was hard to hold my human form.

“It’s not my duty or his to fight a war we don’t even believe in.” I paused. “Take care of yourself, but get lost. I really don’t have the time for this shit.”

Sin’s eyes darkened until they were nothing but pitch-black pupils. “Sooner or later, you’re going to need to get back into the game, brother. And if anything or anyone is preventing you from making the right decision, I will personally, happily, remove that obstacle.”

“Are you threatening me or what is mine?” Whoa, wait. Did I just say mine? Fuck it.

“Sin?”

My brother’s gaze slid beyond me to the cabin. “There are some obstacles I’ll have a hell of a lot more fun removing.”

After Sin slinked off, I had traveled the heavily wooded area around the community in my true form for hours, until night had fallen, making sure Sin had left the region.

He hadn’t left immediately. Oh fuck no, the bastard lingered, testing me. He’d kept circling back near the cabin, near Serena.

Mine.

What in the fuckadeefuck had I meant by that? Mine? I stamped a claim on her after coming within seconds of killing her last night? Smooth. That wasn’t even the most fucked-up part. It was the fact that it felt right. Like not taking the shit back kind of right. Weird. I knew I needed to stay away from her, but I didn’t want to.

I also knew I wouldn’t.

Perhaps I just needed to get her out of my system. Scratch that itch and what not. I just needed to do it without killing her.

When I returned to the cabin, I found Serena waiting on the couch. She jumped to her feet when she spotted me in the doorway. “Okay. Before you start yelling at me, I just want to say that I thought you were dead. You’ve been gone all day.”

“I’m obviously not dead.” I stopped a few feet from her. “Are you incapable of listening to the simplest instructions? It makes me wonder how in the hell you’re still alive.”

Crossing her arms, her chin went up a notch. Cute. “I don’t like being bossed around.”

“You like it when I tell you to open your legs for me,” I pointed out, and was rewarded with a fierce stain that rushed across her cheeks. “Why can you listen then and not any other time?”

“Because I like to know what is going on, you giant dickhead,” she said.

“Dickhead?”

“You forget that my entire life has been uprooted and I’m here with you, waiting for the officers to come back. So I thought maybe that was who was at the door. You shouldn’t try to keep me in the dark.”

“Do you ever stop and think it was to protect you?” Stalking past her, I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. “No. That would make too much sense.”

She twisted toward me. “I get that you’re trying to keep me safe, but this isn’t easy.”

“Really?” I liked her like this, I decided. All pissed off, fiery like the sun.

Unfolding her arms, her hands balled into little fists, she raged, “Have you ever had to rely on someone? Ever have to put your entire life in someone else’s hands and hope they come through?”

The question struck me as funny. “No. Of course not.”

“Exactly!” She threw up her hands. “You couldn’t do that. So why do you expect me to?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then wisely closed it. None of my immediate responses would rectify the situation.

“I just don’t— Never mind.” Serena stared at me and then shook her head as she turned away, heading for the stairs.

“Don’t what?” I followed her around the couch, keeping a distance.

Serena stopped at the bottom of the steps and faced me. “I don’t get you.”

“Most people don’t.” I smiled. “We don’t have the same social norms that you do.

Probably because I’m—”

“Yeah, you’re an alien. I haven’t forgotten that. But you’ve been on Earth for how long? Since you were a kid? And yet you haven’t picked up on any social norm out there.”

I said nothing because, really, I’d rather stay quiet instead of lie.

She exhaled loudly. “I told you about my mom and you said your parents were dead. Why didn’t you mention that you had a brother?”

“Because I don’t count Sin as a brother.”

“That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think?” she said.

“You met him. What do you think?”

Placing her hand on the banister, she seemed to debate what she was going to say next. “What about the other brother?”

My smile grew tight. “I don’t talk to him about Lore. I won’t talk to you.”

“Forget it.” Spinning around, she headed up the stairs.

I knew I should let her go. Either it was my anger driving me forward or something much deeper, I wasn’t sure. Two seconds later, I joined her on the landing upstairs.

Startled, she took a step back. “Stop doing that!”

“Have you eaten yet?” I started toward her, and the dark part of me growled its appreciation when she took another step back from me. “Serena?”

“Yes. I’ve eaten. Thank you.”

“I haven’t,” I growled, my gaze dropping over her.

“Pervert,” she muttered as she kept walking backward until she hit the railing on the stairs to my loft. She started to head toward the hall that led to her room, but I blocked her. Her chest rose sharply. “What do you want, Hunter?”

Oh, that was a loaded question I couldn’t even begin to answer. I stared at her a long moment and the next shit that came out of my mouth even surprised me. “I had a sister.”

Serena blinked. “You…you had a sister?”

“Yes.” Might as well put it all out there. “She was killed four years ago.”

Almost immediately sympathy filled her gaze. She didn’t say anything right away.

“How?”

“Come with me.”

Her brows knitted and she didn’t move.

“Come with me and I’ll tell you how.” I extended a hand to her. She still didn’t move. “Come to my loft with me,” I added in a softer voice.

She glanced over her shoulder and then to me. An incredulous look marked her features. Her eyes met mine and then she put her hand in mine. My fingers immediately swallowed hers. I led her up the stairs. She came willingly, but she was also throwing off a nervous vibe.

I could relax her by saying something, reassure her, but I said nothing, because I couldn’t reassure her when I wasn’t sure she’d ever walk back down these stairs.

Chapter 16

My loft was spacious and, like most of the house, very minimalistic. Bed. Dressers. A couch and some chairs. There were a few other necessities, but nothing really personal.

I left her by the bed. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Looking around, Serena smoothed her hands down her thighs. “It’s a very nice room.”

“It is.” I kicked off my shoes and sat in the chair nearest the balcony doors. “Sit.”

She looked around and sighed as she sat on the edge of my bed. Her knees were pressed together, hands folded in her lap. Very prim. Very proper. Made me want to dirty her up.

I leaned into the chair and tipped my head back. Closing my eyes, I sighed. “My sister was different. Out of all of us, she adapted to the human world a lot better. So much so that she was basically human in all the ways you’d expect from me. She didn’t hunt Luxen and wanted no part in fighting them.”

“Did she feed off them?”

My lips twisted into a wry smile. “If we don’t feed, we are weak as a human is. I’m not trying to be insulting by that, but if we don’t feed or have something we can substitute, we can’t protect ourselves.”

There was a pause and then, “Substitute?”

“We can feed off humans, obviously, but they don’t make us as strong as feeding off a Luxen. My sister chose not to feed off Luxen or humans. So she was very vulnerable.”

“What happened to her?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“She was doing okay, but living among others of our kind was hard. We didn’t understand why she wouldn’t feed because it was so dangerous for her.” I paused, opening my eyes. Fucking staring at the ceiling. “Anyway, she withdrew from us, ended up blending in with the humans. I stayed near her. So did Lore. She went to college and all that. She met someone and…she was happy.”

“Met someone? A human?”

“Yep.” I laughed, but it was cold and flat. “She was with this male when she ran into some Luxen. And even though she hadn’t fed from one of them in years, the Luxen saw her as a threat—their enemy. And the reason why? Because we’d attacked a cluster of Luxen a week before. She didn’t have anything to do with that. We did.

But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t strong enough to defend herself and neither was the male. They killed her and the human. Left their bodies out in a field like trash for us to find.”

“Oh my God,” Serena whispered.

I didn’t say anything. There was no room for a God in any of this. My sister was killed because of how our two kinds warred against each other. There was no other reason. She would’ve never hurt them. And maybe they wouldn’t have hurt her if it hadn’t been for what we had done. It was my fault. It was Sin’s fault and Lore’s.

We’d brought death to our sister.

Oddly, I didn’t hear or see Serena move, but her hand was on my arm as she knelt in front of me. Tears made her eyes shine. I stared down at her, at once angry and itchy to get out of here. I don’t even know why I told her any of this.

I started to stand, but then she did the un-fucking-believable. She placed her head on my knee.

Her head was on my knee.

I froze. I stopped breathing and I just stared at her. Her eyes were closed like she’d fallen asleep or was praying. I doubted she was doing either.

“My mom was murdered for the twenty bucks she carried in her purse,” she said, voice shaky. “That was all. Her throat was slit for twenty dollars.”

I said nothing.

“The worst part?” she continued softly. “My mom would’ve given the kid the money if he’d asked. He didn’t have to rob her. He didn’t have to kill her.”

“I have discovered that humans kill as senselessly as the Luxen and our kind do.”

Serena pulled away, but my hand snuck out, curving around the back of her neck.

Her lips parted and her aura shifted from pale blue to pink. She wetted her lips, and my cock roared to life. That quickly. Hard as a rock.

Yeah, enough of this sharing shit.

“Thank you for telling me this,” she said.

Whoa. What? “Why?”

“It helps me understand you better.”

I froze again. Understand me? Anger rose in me like thick smoke, mingling with something I couldn’t even name. A feeling I didn’t recognize.

“You want to understand me better?” The edge to my voice caused her eyes to flick up. “Serena?”

“I…” She shook her head.

She could sense the change. Instinct was strong in her. She just never listened to it.

And that’s how she ended up where she was right now.

With my hand on the back of her head, I guided her forward, until she was on her knees, between my legs. She gripped the arms of the chair, balancing herself.

I bent my head to hers, feeling my lips curve up as they brushed her cheek. “You want to understand me? Really? I know I shouldn’t have you in here with me. I know you’re not safe with me, but I have you here. I don’t think you really want to understand me, Serena.”

She drew in a sharp breath but didn’t pull away. “If you were going to hurt me, you would’ve done it by now.”

I laughed, stirring the hair around her temple. Her warmth drew me in. “You really believe that?”

There was a pause. “I wasn’t sure before, but now I do.”

“You’re insane.” I moved my lips over the curve of her jaw, enticed by the delicate shiver coursing through her. “And it’s too late.”

Her breath was soft against my cheek. “Hunter…what are you doing?”

“What I want.” Taking her hand, I led it to the bulge beneath my jeans. Serena let out a gasp. “And I want you.”

I waited for her to pull away. I gave her that. If she shied away, I’d let her leave. I’d have to nail my hands to the chair to stop myself from chasing after her, but I’d do my best to let her leave.

But she didn’t.

Maybe she had a death wish. After last night, I wasn’t sure I could rein in the darker part of me. Didn’t matter at this point. I pressed her hand against me, and I bit back a groan. With my other hand I tucked her hair back and then placed my hand on her cheek, tilting her head so our eyes met. “Understand me better, Serena.”

Her chest rose rapidly and the pink around her swirled into red. I rocked my hips, pressing into her palm. Pleasure-tipped darts shot down my spine.

“Should we be doing this?” Serena asked, her voice thicker than normal.

There were a lot of things we should be doing right now. This wasn’t one of them.

But like I had realized before, she was an itch I had to scratch. “This is what I need.”

“Need?”

I felt my cock swell. “Yes.”

Serena was a funny little thing, because as she spoke, her hand rubbed the aching length of me through the jeans. “You’re not going to go Frosty the Snowman on me afterward?” she asked.

“Frosty?”

She bit down on her lower lip as she nodded. “Where frost covers everything and you want to eat me?”

I chuckled. “How many times do I have to explain this, Serena? I wasn’t trying to eat you. Although, that does sound tempting.” My gaze dropped to where her thighs were slightly spread. “Really tempting.”

Blood rushed into her cheeks. “You know what I meant.”

“What?” I slid my hand through her hair, and in an instant, I pictured those blond locks teasing my dick. “I thought you trusted me.”

Her eyes met mine, steady and clear. “I do, but you don’t trust yourself.”

“Does that matter?” I tugged on the wild wave of gold, forcing her head back.

She swallowed. “Yes. It matters.”

Interesting. Letting go of her, I stood and tugged my shirt over my head. When she watched my hands go to the button on my jeans and her pink tongue darted out over her lower lip, I knew there was no way in hell she’d make it out of this room now.

One look at her on her knees, and Goddamn, I was so hard it was painful. I needed this. Sate my lust. Get it out of my system. But something darkly possessive flickered through me.

Unzipping my pants, I felt my sex spring free. I reached down, wrapping my hand around the base. Her eyes were wide, but the gleam in them was pure heat. I realized that I’d stopped breathing as I waited for her.

She leaned forward, and I swooped down without thinking, claiming her lips in a soft, almost tender kiss. I didn’t do tender, but the kiss wasn’t hard or demanding. It was a leisurely, lazy exploration that rocked me. As I pulled away, I got a good hold on her shirt and tugged it up over her head.

Hot damn.

The creamy swells of her breasts strained against the black cups of her bra. Had Eliza gotten this for Serena when I sent her and Dex on the clothing run? I was going to have to tell Dex to thank his woman for me. I trailed a finger along the flimsy strap as I stood.

“Touch me,” I said.

She didn’t move at first and then she did. Holy fuck, she did. Her hand wrapped around my cock, right above mine. Enthralled, I watched her take the tip of me into her hot, wet mouth. Sensation shot through me like an out of control bottle rocket. My back bowed and my head fell back, eyes closing. A groan rumbled from deep within my chest as she took what she could. She suckled hard and deep, pulling back, carefully scraping her teeth in the right spot. My hands found their way to the soft, silky depth of her hair, and then my fingers pressed into her skull. I wanted to hold her there forever. As she took me deeper, my hips rocked forward and I realized that this act of dominance on my end had totally flipped.

Serena was in complete control of me.

I tipped my head down and opened my eyes. Our gazes locked, and I felt the change coming over me. My hand tightened on the back of her head as the temps dropped in the room. I struggled to hold my human form as the tension coiled so deeply within me, there was no stopping what was coming. I tried to pull back, but she refused me.

A powerful release rolled down my spine. Every nerve was firing, my muscles locked up. The climax was shattering. No. It wrecked me, fucking wrecked me in a way one had never before.

Knees strangely weak, I pulled Serena back as I stared down at her. “God…” That was all I was capable of saying. Just God. That was it.

Her eyes were gleaming. “You’re a praying man?”

My lips twitched. So did my sex, already on board for round two. “I was just then.”

Grasping her shoulders, I pulled her up and into my arms. I turned to my bed, easing her onto her back. Then, because I wanted to, I spread the long strands of sunshine hair across my pillows. “Stay here.”

Pushing away from the bed, I padded over to the other side of the room. I opened the door on a mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Taking a quick drink, I felt off. Not in a bad way, just an unfamiliar and new way.

Returning to Serena, I held the bottle out to her. “Sit up.”

A single, delicate brow arched. “I can drink all by myself.”

My eyes narrowed.

Hers rolled. “Fine.”

It was rather amazing that she allowed me to place the bottle to those beautiful lips.

When she drank her fill, I placed the bottle aside. Scanning her over, I checked out her energy levels. There were faint browns mixed into the swirling red, a signal of exhaustion.

I wanted more though—I wanted to get her out of that bra and those jeans. I wanted to sink deep inside her.

Heading over to where I’d left my shirt, I picked it up from the floor and placed it on the bed beside her. Without saying a word, I reached around her and unclasped the bra. The straps slid down her arms and those heavy, full breasts were free.

I bent my head, taking one rosy peak into my mouth. She gasped and her back arched as I drew it deep. I did the same to the other, nipping at the pebbled bead as I lifted my head. Then I turned my attention to her jeans. Unbuttoning them, I slid the jeans down her legs, revealing the scrap of black lace between her thighs.

Once the jeans were gone, I picked up the shirt. “Lift your arms.”

She blinked, as if coming out of a daze. “Huh?”

“You’re tired,” I said, surprised by my own need to take care of her. “Lift your arms, Serena.”

A heartbeat passed before she did as I requested. I slipped my shirt over her head.

Slipping my hands around her neck, I pulled her hair free, tossing the strands over her shoulders.

I sat back, admiring my work, and decided I liked her in my shirt.

Serena glanced at the door. “I guess I should head to my room.”

Man, she was like a wet dream. Knew when to skedaddle, but I found myself saying something totally unexpected. “Stay.”

Her eyes popped wide. “Stay here, in the bed with you?”

What in the hell was I thinking? Normally the idea of sharing my bed with anyone made me want to chew my arm off, but I wanted her lying side by side with me. I wasn’t sure why. I’d never had the urge before. Tugging the covers down, I held them up for her to slide those curvy legs under them.

She glanced at me. “Are you sure about this?”

No. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Serena shot me a look, but then settled against the pillow. Several moments passed and then I stretched out on my side, resting my head on my hand.

Her lashes fluttered shut and then she said, “You’re staring at me again.”

I picked up a few strands of her hair. “I like staring at beautiful things.” Spinning the hair around my finger, I let go and the hair slipped through my fingers. “And you’re beautiful.”

She rolled onto her side, facing me. Her eyes opened into thin slits. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saying that I was beautiful,” she said. Another sleepy smile appeared. “You’re sort of beautiful yourself, you know?”

I laughed; the sound surprising me. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been called beautiful before.”

“Hmm, does sexy sound more up your alley?”

“Something like that,” I said, watching her. I had a sudden urge to keep her in a pretty, gilded cage.

Reaching out, she ran her fingers over the hand between us, tracing the bones of my fingers. “Your hands are beautiful,” she said. “You’re remarkably talented with them.”

I should’ve never told her about the gazebo. “That’s what all the women say.”

She laughed softly. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

Her lashes lifted and she met my stare. “You have a nice smile. You should do it more often.”

The immediate response was that I wanted to smile more and that was wrong.

Sliding my hand free, I said, “You should go to sleep, Serena.”

Serena laughed again. “Your brother was right.”

“How?”

Her eyes drifted shut. “You are a prickly bastard.”

I smiled then—a big, toothy idiotic smile—and Serena didn’t see it. Her eyes were closed, which was good, because I was turning into one big vagina.

“I remembered something before your brother showed up,” she said, and the smile slipped off my face. “Mel wrote everything down—everything she heard. She told me that.”

Oh fuck, this could be big.

Another small smile graced her lips. “Mel was really absentminded, like really bad.

The kind of person who puts remote controls in the fridge and underwear on backward. She told me where she left it.”

“Where?”

“In her PO box,” she said sleepily. “I don’t know if it’s still there, but I have an extra key on my key ring. Whenever she went out of town, I’d get her mail for her.”

Which was in her purse, I knew, because I had rifled through her stuff when I first brought her here. Holy shit, there was a chance that whatever her friend wrote down was what the Luxen wanted to keep quiet and what the officers wanted to know.

“Do you think it could help?” she asked.

Help Mel? No, probably not. Would it even help Serena? I wasn’t sure. “It might.”

“We need to get to that PO box.”

I didn’t say anything to that. Getting to the PO box wouldn’t be hard for me or the officers to do, but Serena? Practically impossible, but she had said we. As in she and I. Why I had to clarify that to myself was beyond me.

It didn’t take any real amount of time for sleep to claim Serena after that. Lips parted slightly, the soft puff of air warmed my chest.

I scooted down so that my head lined with hers. Atop the sheet, I moved my legs up until my knees pressed into her sheet-covered ones.

It would only be a matter of time before the senator realized the assassin he had sent was now dead. And I thought about what it meant for Serena. If someone within the DOD had told the senator where she was, that meant the senator would send another to silence her. The only way to stop this was to take out the senator, and I doubted the DOD would support that idea. And this letter? Even if it contained a shit ton of information, would it set Serena free of all of this? I didn’t think so. So what did that mean?

Things weren’t looking good for her.

A strange unacquainted pressure settled in my chest like a large stone. I wasn’t sure what to think about all of this, but as I lay there, I didn’t close my eyes. I did what I always did.

I watched her.

Chapter 17

I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until something stirred me awake. I opened my eyes, my senses quickly spiraling to full alert. When I inhaled, it was Serena’s scent that invaded me. Peaches. It made me crave sweets…and her.

At some point in the night, Serena had flipped onto her other side and her body was curved against mine. Namely that lovely, curvy ass of hers was pressed against my groin.

I was hard.

No surprise there, but what was shocking was the arm that was draped over Serena’s waist, holding her securely against me. That was my arm and unless she grabbed it in the middle of the night and forced it around her that was all my doing.

Well, shit.

Even more outrageous was the fact that I actually liked this—whatever this was.

Cuddling? Oh hell, this was cuddling. Spooning to be exact.

I was fucking cuddling.

Slowly removing my arm, I sat up, running a hand through my hair. My gaze crawled over the dark bedroom as I leaned forward, rubbing at the skin under my anklet. Then I heard it—the ring of my cell phone, all the way downstairs.

Cursing under my breath, I eased off the bed. Careful not to wake Serena, I bent and slipped on my jeans. Doubting it was Dex, unless something crazy had gone down, it only left two options.

DOD officers or my brother—the one I claimed.

There was no way that Sin could’ve figured out where Lore was, but concern rapidly grew within me. Picking the cell off the desk, I cursed when I saw the number.

“Do I even want to know why you’re calling me at…” I turned, finding the wall clock, “After two in the morning?”

There was a pause and then Zombro’s gravelly voice rolled through the cell. “We’re pulling up outside.”

I became very, very still. “Thanks for the heads up.”

Zombro said nothing and then the call was disconnected. A second or two passed as I stared at the phone. A cold, hard understanding evolved.

There could only be one reason why the officers would show at this hour.

Calmly placing the phone on the desk, I looked around my study. It was sparse—

like most of my house. A couch. A smaller TV. Bookshelves filled with historical text that bored the shit out of most. A pile of carved wooden animals. How long had I lived here? Since I was twenty-five—for the last six years this had been home.

Leaving the study, I closed the door behind me and went to the entrance. I didn’t give the officers time to knock and wake Serena. This would be better for her if she just slept through it.

The coldness I’d felt in the study unfurled, spreading like sheets of ice. Part of me had expected this from the moment the officers had dropped Serena off, had known this was coming.

I held the door open for the officers. “This couldn’t have waited until the morning?”

Richards, the younger of the two, passed Zombro a look that I immediately did not like. I never had a problem with Richards. Between the two officers, I preferred him, but the man was nervous, especially nervous tonight. The air around him practically bled anxiety.

“Have there been any issues?” Richards asked.

“There’ve been a few, but nothing major.” I watched Zombro out of the corner of my eye as they walked into the kitchen. The pockmarked bastard was a problem.

“Why right now when neither of you have been in contact with me since I got here?”

Zombro glanced at the stairwell. “We’d figured if you gained any useful information, you would’ve contacted us.” He looked at me, eyes sharp. “Have you?”

I folded my arms. “About what that girl overheard?”

The officer nodded.

Thinking back to the mailbox and what Serena had remembered, I shook my head.

“Nothing that would be considered useful at this moment.”

“That’s what we figured,” Zombro replied. “We’ve come to the conclusion that whatever Miss Cross learned from her friend, it isn’t enough to be useful.”

Oh, it was useful. I just didn’t trust these two douches. Time to cut through the crap.

“I’m assuming the DOD has decided what they’re going to do with Serena?”

“Yes.” Zombro frowned as his gaze settled on the two wineglasses in the sink from the previous night. “She is to be taken care of.”

I took up the space in front of the entrance to the living room, which inevitably led to the stairs…and to Serena. “And how is that going to play out?”

Richards shifted his weight as his gaze darted around the kitchen nervously, reminding me of a scared squirrel. “Officials have met with the senator, and even though the DOD does not agree with the senator’s actions, there has been an agreement reached.”

“Is that so?”

Zombro smiled tightly. The gray at the man’s temple had spread , it seemed, since I saw him last. “It’s an unfortunate situation with Miss Cross, and although she hasn’t been a true security risk yet, we cannot chance any knowledge leaking out into the public.”

“Huh,” I murmured, and that iciness was in every limb now, seeping into the room.

“So you’ve decided to let the Luxen silence her? Seems like a waste of time to even hide her if the government was just going to bow to them anyway. You should have let me know that before I killed the Luxen they sent yesterday.”

Richards visibly swallowed. “I thought there weren’t any major problems?”

“It wasn’t major,” I replied evenly, sliding each man a cool, calculated look. “Luxen came. Luxen died.”

“We are not bowing to them,” Zombro said, cheeks darkening. “They had a good point. It was the method in which they sought to carry it out that was wrong.”

“Yeah, in other words, the DOD is losing control of the Luxen every day. Before you know it, Earth will be their bitch.”

Zombro’s eyes narrowed. “That is not the case.”

I smirked. “So, you guys are here to take care of her?”

“Yes,” answered Zombro.

“That’s kind of fucked up, don’t you think?”

“Kind of an odd comment coming from you.” Zombro’s chin went up a notch.

“Since when did Arum think anything is fucked up?”

I slowly unfolded my arms and shrugged.

“Or do you want to finish her off?” Zombro sneered. “I know humans don’t do much for you, but you can get something off her. You’d probably even enjoy it, right?” His revolted gaze did nothing for me. “Have at her.”

“Thanks for the offer.”

Richards cleared his throat. “It’s not anything personal. And either way, she won’t feel a thing. It will be over before she knows it, and her family and friends will be advised of her untimely death.”

“And her death will ensure that the truth of alien races inhabiting Earth remains a secret and blah, blah bullshit?” I laughed. “You guys have no idea. Every time the Luxen flex their will and succeed, it’s one more nail in your coffin.”

“Enough of this.” Zombro’s hand went to his hip—to his service gun. Lead bullets wouldn’t kill me, but it would most definitely slow my happy ass down. “Where is she?”

I thought about Serena, upstairs sleeping in my bed, wearing my shirt, hair spread across my pillows, lips parted, and blissfully unaware that her fate had just been sealed. She had no protectors now.

Smiling, I glided to the side.

Casting a look at the other officer, Richards stepped forward, keeping his eyes trained on me. I didn’t hesitate. When I’d been in the study, I knew what I would do.

Maybe I’d known before then. It didn’t really matter.

I moved—faster than Richards could react. Slipping up behind him, I grabbed the arm reaching for the gun and spun Richards around so he faced the other officer. I grabbed a fistful of Richards’ hair, pulling him back as I slammed my knee into the man’s spine. The resounding crack shuddered through the kitchen. Richards’ grunt of surprised pain was lost in the clanking of the gun knocking off the tile.

With a quick jerk of my arm, I snapped Richards’ neck. The officer’s body hit the floor. There was no twitching. I tolerated the man, so the death was quick.

My eyes met Zombro’s.

It wouldn’t be for him.

Zombro raised his arm, hand trembling around the service gun as he fired off a shot, but I darted to the side. He kept firing, one after another, as he backed up. I dipped and shot forward, knocking the gun out of his hand with a broad swipe of my arm. Without a gun, Zombro was defenseless. Hell, with the gun he hadn’t been a threat. Zombro hit the island, trapped.

His throat worked and the superior attitude gave way to stark fear. “Don’t. Please.

Don’t—”

“I’m sorry. This isn’t personal. You won’t even feel a thing.” I paused. “And I’m sure your family will be notified of your untimely passing.”

Zombro’s mouth opened, but my hand snaked out. I grabbed the man’s throat, ending his scream in a gurgle as I crushed his windpipe. Letting go, I watched Zombro slide down the island, grasping at his throat as his eyes bulged.

I stepped over the legs sprawled at an odd angle and knelt so we were eye level. “I might have lied just a little. Your death isn’t going to be quick. And it most likely will be painful.”

…

Jerking up in bed, my heart thumped heavily as the gunshot echoed in my head. At first I thought I was having a nightmare, but Hunter wasn’t in bed beside me. I swung my legs off the bed and yanked on my jeans. Hurrying to the door, I stopped to listen.

There was nothing—and then a fleshy crunchy noise that caused my stomach to roil, followed by a low gurgle, and then the sound of a body thudding to the floor.

Common sense dictated that I stay upstairs, but fear— fear for Hunter—seized my chest. Had more Luxen come for me? Icy terror clawed at my insides as I slipped out into the hallway.

Heart pounding, I crept down the two flights of stairs, wanting to call out for him, but I knew on an inherent level that something bad, something terrible had happened in the middle of the night. It was the same feeling I’d had when I spotted the man in the hallway outside my apartment.

My mouth opened, my tongue forming Hunter’s name, but no sound escaped my suddenly dry lips. I moved forward on numb legs.

As my bare feet hit the cool wood floors, I smelled the acrid afterburn of a fired gun. The air was thick with it down here. Grabbing the vase I had held the night Hunter had been gone, I clenched it tightly as I approached the kitchen.

I saw a leg first.

A black trouser-clad leg cut across the entrance to the doorway. The shoes were black and recently polished. Shiny. In a numb daze, I crept closer, my gaze following the length of the leg to the odd angle of the waist. The man’s jacket was laid open, revealing a tan gun holster. The gun was on the floor near the open hand.

I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t stop.

It was Officer Richards on the kitchen floor, and his neck was twisted to the side, nearly turned halfway around. He was dead, very dead.

Oh God…

Beside him, propped against the island, was Zombro. Something…something had happened to his throat. It was pushed in, the fragile bones collapsed. Both of them were dead and Hunter…there was no sign of Hunter.

The vase slipped from my fingers, shattering upon the floor into large ceramic chunks. My throat worked on a scream, but there was no sound. I stumbled back, pressing my hand to my open mouth. This couldn’t be happening. My brain absolutely refused to process all the death. Maybe I was dreaming? No. Everything was too real—the sights, the stench of smoke and death, my pounding heart.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and the scream that had been building in my throat ripped through the silence. Twisting away, I tried to evade the grasp, but an arm snaked around my waist, pulling me back against a hard, bare chest.

“Serena, it’s me. It’s okay.”

Relief shot through me in dizzying speeds. I spun around, pressing my face against his chest. “Oh my God, Hunter, what happened to them?”

There was a moment of hesitation, and then Hunter’s arms swept around me. The embrace was awkward and stiff, but right now, I didn’t care. I held on to him like he was an anchor built only for me.

I inhaled his scent, hoping that it would wash away everything else. “They found us, didn’t they?”

“No.”

The word took a few moments to settle and make sense. When it did, I pulled back a little, lifting my head. I searched Hunter’s striking features. They were frighteningly empty. Nothing about them reminded me of the man a few short hours ago who had smiled and asked me to stay with him.

A niggle of unease stirred. “What do you mean?”

“This wasn’t the Luxen,” he said, his pale eyes meeting mine.

I took a breath, but it got stuck in my throat. That’s when I noticed the duffel bag on the coffee table and that unease grew like a weed, choking me. “Then who…who did that to them?”

“I did.”

My breath caught again. The room tilted a little, the floor suddenly uneven under my feet.

“You need to go upstairs and pack whatever you can. Now,” Hunter continued, his hands sliding off my back. “We need to leave.”

Taking a step back, I felt my heart drop. Based on what he’d told me about himself, I would’ve run a million miles away from the Hunter of four years ago, but not this Hunter. This one could be prickly and downright menacing sometimes, but there was good underneath.

So why were there dead bodies on the kitchen floor?

I took a deep breath. “You killed them?”

Impatience flickered across his icy expression. “I think that’s already been established.”

Knots formed in my belly. For one horrifying instance, the bodies of Richards and Zombro flashed before me. “Why?”

The look on his face said he really didn’t think he had the time to explain the why behind murdering two members of law enforcement.

Anger swirled with fear, a heady and dangerous combination. “I obviously didn’t get the memo, Hunter! The last time I checked,” I gestured behind me with one shaking hand, “they were on our side.”

“They were never on my side,” he said, thrusting a hand through his hair—a hand that had ended two lives tonight.

God, I was going to vomit.

I started to turn. I needed to get away from him—I needed fresh air. Pressure was back, building on my chest like a gorilla was sitting on it. A buzzing filled my ears.

Hunter caught me, wrapping one hand around my arm and another clamped down on the back of my neck. My pulse pounded at the firm hold. “You’re not getting it, Serena.” His intense eyes searched my face. “They came here to kill you, to make sure you never told anyone about what happened—about the Luxen.”

Confused and scared half witless, I pressed a hand to the center of my chest. My heart thudded erratically.

“They decided they’d rather keep the senator and the Luxen happy, and to do so, they were going to kill you. They aren’t on your side. And we need to get the hell out of here.” When I didn’t move, he lowered his head toward mine. “I know it’s a lot to take in, Serena. You’ve been through some crazy shit and it’s about to get crazier.”

“Crazier?”

He slid his hands to my cheeks and the coolness of his skin jolted me. “I need you to stay with me, okay? I’m going to get you out of this, but I need you to keep it together.”

“Stay with you?”

He nodded.

Then it hit me. More startling than aliens running amuck, dead officers in the kitchen, or the government wanting to give me a cement swim was that Hunter was helping me.

Hunter frowned. “You can breathe, right? You look like you’re breathing, right—”

“Why?” I grasped his wrists. “Why would you do this? You went against the DOD —the government—to help me? Why would you put yourself out there like that? Now you’re in as much shit as I am.”

Hunter blinked slowly and then pulled his hands away. He took a step back. “We need to leave, Serena. We don’t—”

“No!” My hands balled into fists as my skin tingled. The thing was, what if I had this whole situation wrong? “I need to know why you’d do this. Because what do I really know? Let me know it’s okay to trust you.”

He put his hands on his hips and drew in a deep breath. I prepared myself—for what, I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know,” he said.

My mouth worked, but there were no words.

“I don’t know,” he said again, angry. “I don’t know why I did this. All I knew was that I needed to.”

Yeah, that wasn’t telling me much. And it wasn’t a huge declaration of why I should trust him, but that was the thing. Hunter hadn’t asked me trust him. I don’t think he ever had.

I looked up, meeting Hunter’s pale eyes. The look wasn’t so apathetic now. If anything, he appeared like he was as confused as I felt.

My hands were shaking as I rubbed them together. Trusting Hunter was huge. I could be making a big mistake. What if it was Hunter who wanted to kill me? And he just liked to play with his food first? My heart twisted at that, but a tiny voice inside me told me that wasn’t the case. If Hunter had wanted me dead, he could’ve done it by now. And I had trusted him earlier.

I had to trust him again.

“Okay,” I said, and it felt like I was stepping off a cliff.

Hunter’s lips twitched as if he wished to smile, and the knots in my stomach grew.

Chapter 18

I packed what Hunter had bought me in a daze. He had dug up a small suitcase and everything fit. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like hours. By now I should be used to the unexpected—the bizarre—but I was shell-shocked by the turn of events.

The government wanted me dead.

As I flung my last pair of jeans into the suitcase, my heart skipped a beat. How in the world could I survive this if the government was also in it? There’d be nowhere I could go. I’d never have control over my life again.

The enormity of the situation pressed down upon me. I felt the telling catch of my breath again and swore.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I did trust Hunter. And right now he was all that I had to count on.

Zipping up my suitcase, I quickly scanned the room for anything else I needed.

There was nothing and there was no time to delay.

Hunter was waiting for me downstairs. His duffel bag was splitting at the seams by the door, but when I got a good look at him, I drew up short.

Wow.

He’d changed. And not just his clothes it seemed.

Under the thin black shirt, the sinew strength of his muscles strained. His thighs were like tree trunks in black leather pants. The boots he now wore were true ass-kickers. He looked nothing like the man who sat on the deck in the mornings, dressed in worn jeans. What stood before me was a full display of power that went beyond masculinity and was far too menacing. Even the wild tumble of dark hair seemed unpredictable.

Hunter oozed danger, but that wasn’t the only thing he was throwing into the air.

Excitement. The kind of danger of a man who could take care of things when they got out of hand and could, and would, fuck you senseless when it was all done.

My cheeks reddened.

Good to know my ovaries were still functioning like sex was going out of style.

Jesus. I shook my head. “You look like your brother.”

Hunter arched a single brow.

“I mean, you are his twin and all, but you really look like him.” I paused. “You are Hunter, right?”

A small smile appeared. “I like what you did with your teeth when you were on your knees before me.”

“Yeah, you’re Hunter.” Flushing a deep red, I gestured at his bag. “Where are we going?”

“We need a car. Dex is taking care of that for us.”

“We can trust him?” I asked.

“Absolutely.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “If you want anything to drink, the kitchen is clear. I took care of them.”

I shuddered. I didn’t want to know how he took care of the bodies. Frankly, as wussy as this made me, I didn’t want to think about them at all.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m going to take this outside.”

He gave a sharp nod.

Tugging the suitcase along, I went out on the deck, sort of surprised that he hadn’t made some sort of remark about me not roaming off.

The night was dark and full of deep shadows, but the clean mountain air was soothing. As I propped the luggage against a chair, I felt my tense and tight muscles loosen.

Down below, a black Expedition was parked in the driveway, most likely belonging to the dead officers. Another shiver rippled through me.

Unable to really understand why he’d stopped the agents from doing what they came to do, I grabbed the handle on the suitcase and hauled it down the steps. The whole situation spun my head in circles. Maybe later, if there was a later, I could figure this out.

I turned to head back up the steps, when something blurred past the Expedition. It was like a shadow cast from a very tall man. But no one was on the deck. No one was anywhere.

A warning snaked down my spine a second before my breath puffed out in a small, misty cloud and froze, like it had the other night when Hunter had been seconds from losing control. Under my hand, the railing turned ice-cold. I jerked away from it.

Oh shit.

Adrenaline kicked in and I twisted, but the icy coating on the step caused me to lose my balance. I slipped, my knees cracking off the porch step. Hot pain shot down my legs.

A cold hand circled my bare ankle and yanked me back. I desperately tried to grasp the railing, but I lost my grip. I twisted onto my side and my cheek smacked against the board. Another burst of pain exploded across my face and lip. I sucked in a harsh breath, tasting blood.

Dark, thick tendrils of smoke wafted out, reaching me, slipping over my skin and chilling me to the bone.

I screamed.

…

What the fuck could be happening now?

I had felt the presence of others seconds before I heard Serena’s shrill, panicked scream cut straight through me, triggering the part that was more monster than human.

The part had been activated when I’d taken out the officers in the kitchen and it worked off the basest of instinct for my kind—the need to dominate, to kill, to feed, and to protect what was mine.

To protect what was mine…

Rushing the door, I threw it open. My eyes scanned the night. Serena was nowhere, but her suitcase was at the bottom of the steps. But there were others—two of them in the driveway, one further down the road, but that was Dex, and another in the woods.

A shadow blurred across the driveway, coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs.

Out of the shapeless mass, a form began to take shape. Within seconds, a tall woman stood there. Her icy blond hair was loose over bare shoulders. The strapless halter she wore did very little to hide the swells of her breasts or her toned midsection.

It was Jael, one of the three that had been by the gazebo the day Serena decided to take a little walk.

Jael’s hips swayed with each step. Her skirt climbed higher and higher, until I saw a thin strip of white lace.

“Hunter,” she purred, her bloodred lips parting as she rolled her tongue around my name. “I think it’s long past the time we get to know each other on a personal level.”

“Really?” I replied. “Where’s your boy Raz?”

She gave a vapid smile. “He’s busy. That just leaves me and you.”

“And Colec,” I pointed out, referencing the other one.

Jael ran a hand down the valley of breasts and her stomach. “He likes to watch.”

“Good.” I watched her prowl up the remaining steps. “I have something for him.”

“You do?” She slinked up against me. “I like where this is heading.”

I wrapped a hand around Jael’s throat. The female smiled. “I like it rough,” she whispered.

“That’s great because it’s about to get really rough.”

Jael’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch. I spun around, lifting her up in the air, tossing her over the railing. Stunned, the Arum didn’t drop the human form quick enough. She smacked off the hood of the Expedition below.

Grabbing the railing, I propelled myself over it, landing below in a crouch. My head snapped up as Jael rolled off the hood and fell onto her knees, gasping.

A shadow launched over the SUV, heading straight for me.

I sprung up, kicking off the grille of the car. Spinning around, I dodged the Arum. I jumped, catching the mass of shadows, driving Colec into the ground. Gravel spewed into the air.

“I don’t have time for this,” I growled, tightening my hold on the Arum. Rearing up, I slammed my hand into the center of the Arum’s chest.

Colec’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. A watery gurgle escaped.

I yanked my arm back and smiled. The moonlight caught and reflected off the silver handle and the deep red of the blade. “Obsidian.”

The Arum shuddered and its skin rippled like a stirred-up wave. Energy pulsed and then, as I pushed off, the Arum broke apart, shattered into a thousand fragments that floated up into the atmosphere.

“You bastard!” Jael shrieked. “How could you kill with one of those things? Is that how you fight? You weak piece of human-loving shit. I’m going to kill you!”

Jael slipped into her true form. I’M GOING TO RIP YOUR BALLSSS OFF AND FEED THEM TO YOUR ASSS UNTIL YOU BEG ME TO LET YOU LIVE. THEN I WILL FEED YOUR DICK TO THAT HUMAN bitch asss Raz—

I threw the obsidian dagger. It spun through the air as fast as a bullet, striking true.

The dagger embedded deep into Jael’s chest, cutting off her tirade. She let loose a scream that blasted my eardrums. A second later she fragmented, joining Colec in the great unknown.

Swiping the dagger off the ground, I reached around, slipping the blade into its leather holster along my back. It seared my skin when I wore it, but the pain was nothing compared to what I was going to do to Raz.

I tore through the woods. It took me no time to find the bastard, and when I did, rage rose from deep inside me. He was on top of her and between her legs, in his true form. Her heels were digging into the dirt as she slammed her fists into his sides.

Lurching forward, I yanked the son of a bitch off her and tossed him aside. My gaze fastened on her wide eyes and bloodied face before sweeping down, seeing her torn shirt and the unbuttoned jeans.

A new feeling assaulted me as I realized what Raz had been trying to do. Turning to where the Arum picked himself up, I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy killing him.

I was right up in his face, grabbing him around his inky black throat. I threw him into the nearby tree. The resounding crack sent birds shrieking into the sky.

Shooting forward, I slammed my fist into Raz’s face, but the fucker recovered, pushing me back several feet. Edges began to blur as tiny wisps of black smoke inked out from his shoulders, spreading behind it like wings. He rushed me like a missile, and then I jumped, letting the change take over. Arms out to my side, I spun and my body morphed, my mass expanding and spreading.

Shit was about to get real.

Branches shook and stretched toward where I was, and Raz came straight at me. We twisted in the air, slicing through the branches.

We hit the ground, both in our true forms, exchanging blows like we were in a cage match. This wasn’t just about killing Raz. This was about obliterating him for daring to touch Serena. An animalistic, brutal fury had taken hold in me.

I punched Raz, snapping his head back. He fell but quickly regained his footing.

Then he charged me once more. Grabbing hold of him, I took him into the air, but at the last moment, he twisted and we went flying back to Earth. Taking the brunt of the impact that was so fierce that it knocked Serena onto her ass, I was momentarily immobile as we skidded across the ground, digging up dirt and bushes. Soil flew everywhere, thickening the air. When we came to a stop, we had dug a ditch several feet long.

Raz sprang off me, heading for Serena again. I powered to my feet, but before I could reach the jackass, Dex shot out from the stand of trees, slamming straight into him. Dex took Raz across the clearing, impaling him into a tree.

But Dex backed off, because he knew somehow. Maybe it was the instinct of our kind. He left Raz for me.

I stopped in front of Raz and a moment passed. He lifted his head and roared. I struck like lightning. My fist hit Raz’s chest and then went through it. Yanking my arm back, something long and inky came with it. I ripped his spine straight out from him and watched as Raz folded into himself like crumpled paper. No more than a second passed before the body shuddered and broke apart, pieces floating into the sky and then fading out.

In the silence that followed, I staggered a step back, body aching from the fight and the need that always seemed to follow something so bloody. Usually I needed a woman or my hand, but not now.

I needed Serena.

Turning to her, lust punched me in the gut harder than any blow Raz managed to land. Getting to her and then getting inside her was all I could think about.

Ssslow it down, brother. Dex’s voice whispered.

I really didn’t understand him, or I didn’t care, because I took a step toward Serena.

When I got to her, I was going to—

Serena took a shaky step back, her hands spasming around the edges of her torn shirt. I moved closer and the color of panic swirled around her. She careened around me, her eyes darting from Dex to me, and it was in that moment that I realized I was still in my true form and was probably scaring the ever-loving crap out of her.

The lust eased off, surprisingly, as another need rose swiftly: a desire to comfort her. It seemed too little too late, because Serena took off running toward the cabin.

I caught sight of Dex and he nodded.

Cursing myself, I tracked her easily, finding her on her knees near the edge of the woods. The lights of the cabin flickered between the thick branches. I stopped and took my human form.

“Serena.”

She lifted her head, letting out a shaky breath. “I think I might have lost a little bit of my mind back there.”

I knelt, close but not touching. “That’s understandable.”

Sitting back, she eased her legs out from underneath her. “Aliens.” She laughed. “I think it’s finally really sinking in. Aliens.”

“I prefer the term extraterrestrial,” said Dex from behind us.

Serena scrambled to her feet and stumbled. I caught her around the shoulders, steadying her before she hurt herself further.

“He’s not going to harm you.” There was an odd gentleness to my voice as my hands trailed off her shoulders. “He’s a friend. This is Dex.”

She seemed to relax a little, but didn’t say anything.

Dex slipped his hands into his jean pockets and rocked back on his heels.

“Extraterrestrial just sounds cooler.”

“Yeah,” she whispered, and then said louder, “you guys are like the friendly neighborhood alien watch around here?”

Dex laughed.

“No,” I said, completely serious. “We’re usually the opposite.”

She stared at us. “That’s reassuring.”

“That’s Hunter,” Dex said, smiling. “A pillar of support.”

My eyes narrowed and then I turned to Serena. “Remember how I said shit was about to get a lot crazier? Well, it did, and that’s not even what I was talking about.”

Chapter 19

I was marginally surprised when Serena seemed to pull herself together. Then again, I wasn’t giving her enough credit. The female was tough as tungsten, but given how quiet she was as the three of us walked back to the cabin, which was so unlike her, I half expected her to freak out and start running again. So I kept an eye on her, and something about the way she kept her arms wrapped around her, making her appear smaller than she was, more vulnerable and fragile, made me want to hold her close.

Back in front of the cabin, I took in what Dex had brought me. “I thought I told you something inconspicuous?”

Dex smirked as he ran his hand over the hood of the midnight blue Porsche. “You said you wanted something fast. This is the fastest thing I have.” He touched the car lovingly. “And if you get one scratch on this baby, I will kill you and make it hurt.”

“Your car will be fine.” I glanced over at Serena. She was standing near the Porsche, staring at it. Her head was tilted to the side, and even in the darkness I could see the bruise along her cheek and the swollen lower lip.

I turned back to Dex. “Stay here with her. I’ll be right back.”

Dex nodded and I turned, heading back into the house. I grabbed what I needed quickly, and when I returned they were exactly where I’d left them. But Dex had an odd look on his face.

“What?” I asked.

He pursed his lips, then said in a low voice, “She hasn’t spoken a word.”

“I doubt that will last.” I gestured at the Expedition. “I need you to get rid of this SUV. Everything else has been taken care of.”

“All right, man.” Dex held out his hand. “Take care of yourself.”

I hesitated for a moment, and then I shook his hand. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Grabbing the luggage, I tossed them into the trunk. When I closed it, I found Dex standing beside me.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do with her,” Dex said, voice low, “but she’s a human, Hunter. You’re going to have to be careful with her. They break easily.”

I snorted, but then in a moment of clarity, I turned to Dex. “Did you ever worry about breaking Eliza?”

The Arum met my gaze with equally pale eyes. “Every damn day.”

“Then why are you with her?”

Dex placed a hand to his chest. “Because of what’s in here—what I feel for her will never allow me to hurt her.”

“You speak of love?” I shook my head as I clutched the keys. “Very foolish to rely on a human emotion to protect her.”

“It’s also very foolish to think we’re incapable of being more human than Arum.”

And with that, he was gone.

I stood there for a moment. More human than Arum? Impossible.

Turning around, my gaze landed on Serena. Under the moonlight, her hair was a silver halo around her bowed head. As I approached her cautiously, she looked up.

Close as we were, I could see the deep purplish marring of the bruise across her cheek, the dried blood under her lip.

Shit. I wanted to kill Raz all over again.

When I reached around her, she flinched. “I’m just getting the door. That’s all.” I opened it for her and she climbed in and huddled in the front seat.

Closing it behind her, I had one last thing to take care of. Moving to the back of the Porsche, I bent and tugged up my pants. Slipping my hand under the opal-encased tracking device, I knew removing it was a straight “fucked if you do and fucked if you don’t.” But without it, the DOD couldn’t track me.

And without it, I wouldn’t have the opal to enhance my powers and minimize my need to feed. I’d need a new piece of opal, one hopefully not wired with a GPS, and I knew where to get one.

I wrenched the anklet off my leg. A fissure of energy rippled through me, and then a red light flickered on the piece of opal. Holding it in my hand, I crushed the device, letting the tiny pieces sift through my fingers like dust. The only part that remained was the opal and I tossed it into a nearby bush.

In that moment, I hoped I knew what I was doing. I didn’t really have a plan other than to get another piece of opal, and then what? Anyone’s guess. Mainly I hoped I wasn’t just delaying the inevitable for Serena and exposing her to more pain.

I stalked around the car and slid in behind the steering wheel. We needed to get to somewhere safe. And I needed to get a good look at her to see the extent of her injuries. She would need to rest.

There were a lot of “she needs” in my thoughts.

Throwing the car into reverse, I spun it around, kicking gravel into the air as the tires squealed. Good thing Dex wasn’t around to see that. Hitting the main road, I glanced over at Serena.

“You should put your seat belt on.”

Face pale, she slowly unwrapped her arms and fumbled with the seat belt until it clicked into place.

“Are you okay, Serena? Raz, he…” I trailed off because I was sure I was going to flip my shit when I thought about what Raz had been trying to do her.

Serena nodded. The trees crowding the road blurred and it wasn’t until we had left the community, easing onto the main highway, that she spoke.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice sounding tired.

I shifted my weight in the seat, feeling her gaze on me. “Someplace we can hole up for the day.” A quick glance at the dashboard told me I had only a few hours before sunrise.

“Then what?” Her voice sounded stronger.

I smiled. “I’m hoping to figure that out at some point.”

Serena returned to staring out the windshield. Her hands were opening and closing in her lap. I wondered if she even knew she was doing it? One of her hands, her left, looked pretty mangled. The nails were broken off, chipped and bloody.

Rage settled in my gut as I thought about all she had been through. Honestly, I never gave two shits to the problems of humans or the perils they faced simply by walking from the kitchen to the bathroom, but with Serena, I thought about it. Fuck. I was obsessing over it.

Gripping the steering wheel with one hand, my eyes narrowed on the dark road. I didn’t realize what I was doing until I reached over and wrapped my fingers around her hand, careful to avoid her fingers.

Serena didn’t pull away. She squeezed my hand.

And I squeezed back.

…

I hadn’t known what to say. Even though my brain seemed to have caught up with the events over the last couple of hours and I was relatively sane, I just didn’t know what to say. Was a thank -you in order? Seemed inappropriate somehow, and by that time, I was so… numb to it all that I couldn’t say anything.

And I couldn’t stop staring at the hand wrapped around mine. Hunter’s hand looked human, graceful bones and skin. His touch was much cooler, but besides that, it looked no different than any human male’s hand.

The way he held my hand, as if he was afraid of hurting me somehow, created a thick lump in my throat. It was a gentleness I don’t think he even knew he was capable of.

I stole a look at him.

He’d fallen quiet, and right now he looked like he always did: insanely good-looking and serious, a strange combination that had intrigued me from the beginning. But there was a taut pull to his lips. The hollows under his cheekbones looked more severe. In the shadowy darkness of the car, it looked like there were bruises starting to appear on his face.

Concern rose swiftly. He and Raz had fought so violently—a true death match. I’d never seen anything like that. It was straight out of a movie, and it was insane that he was still breathing and standing.

“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

His gaze slid toward me. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“How could you be okay after fighting like that?”

He didn’t respond immediately. “I’m used to it.”

Used to that? That made me hurt for him. “You must heal differently than…than humans do.”

“We do.” He paused, withdrawing his hand. “When we take our true form, we heal.”

“That’s convenient,” I murmured. My hand felt empty and cold, and nothing was said after that.

Dawn had begun to creep along the eastern horizon, casting the sky in vibrant hues of deep blues, by the time Hunter had taken the exit ramp and pulled into a small motel nestled in the valleys and farmlands. We were still deep in the middle of West Virginia, but had put several hours and miles between the cabin and us.

I waited in the Porsche while Hunter checked in. Luckily he got a room along the back, so the car could be parked behind the motel. He didn’t seem to be worried that anyone would know who we were, but I kept expecting aliens and DOD officers to jump out of nowhere.

“The motel doesn’t look too shady,” Hunter said, grabbing our luggage from the trunk. “You should be able to get cleaned up and get some rest.”

Weary, I followed behind him, scanning the dusky lit parking lot. Something struck me then. “Do you sleep? I’ve never seen you sleep.”

“Yes. Sleeping is my third favorite thing.”

“What are the first two?”

Opening the door, he cast a look over his shoulder. “My second favorite thing to do is eat and I think you can guess what my first favorite thing is.”

I felt my cheeks redden. I had a good guess.

The motel room wasn’t bad. The bed linens on the queen-sized bed seemed clean and smelled fresh, not of disinfectant but a nice wildflower scent. There was one bed.

No couch, only an uncomfortable-looking, burnt orange chair in the corner beside a small desk. Hunter placed our luggage by the desk.

Tired, I started to sit down, but Hunter suddenly appeared in front of me.

“I wish I could move as fast as you,” I said. “You never did explain how you move like that.”

Hunter arched a brow. “It’s actually easier for me to move this fast. It takes more energy to move slower, at a human pace. Don’t sit down. I want to get a good look at you.”

I was pretty sure he’d gotten a good and intimate look at me before the night went to shit. “I’m fine.”

“Humor me.”

Too tired to argue, I let him lead me into the brightly lit bathroom. Sitting down on the toilet, I winced. “I think I bruised my butt.”

“I can take a look at that, too.”

I grinned, ignoring the tender pull on my lower lip. “I’m sure you could.”

Disappearing back into the room, he reappeared with a bottle of peroxide and a bag of cotton balls. Now I knew what he had returned to the cabin for.

He placed them on the counter and then knelt. Reaching down, he started to roll up the leg of my jeans.

“What are you doing?” My gaze flickered over the faint red marks on his cheeks and jaw.

He raised his brows as he pushed both pants legs up above my knees. “Cleaning you up. You’re kind of a mess right now.”

I felt like a mess. “You don’t have to do this.”

Picking up the bottle, he shook it. “Don’t argue with me.”

“God, you’re bossy.”

He smiled tightly.

“I’d never seen anyone fight like that tonight. When you fought the Luxen in my apartment it was nothing like that.” I focused on the top of his bent head. “I think I forget what you really are.”

He tipped his head up, his eyes locking on mine. “You should never forget that, Serena.”

“It’s hard. You’re so much like a human.”

“We’re very different. So are the Luxen.” Chin lowered, he inspected my legs. “I don’t really need to breathe, but it’s become a habit.”

Jesus.

“Feels strange when I don’t do it,” he added. “I eat a lot—need to. Our metabolisms, like the Luxen, are extremely fast.”

“Must be nice,” I said, fascinated.

Hunter dabbed at the angry skid marks on my knees. My skin stung, bringing fresh tears to my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Done with my knees, he picked up my left hand. His hold was achingly gentle. My chest tightened.

“If I were a Luxen, I could just heal you,” he said, smoothing a clean cotton ball over my palm. “A lot easier than this. It’s one of the things the DOD studies about them. They can’t get sick. Think about what that would mean for all the human diseases.”

I tried to wrap my brain around that. No flus. No colds. No cancers. “What about your kind?”

“We don’t get sick , either, but we can’t heal like the Luxen. They try not to do it to humans. Apparently it can change the human DNA, depending on the severity of the injuries, or if it’s done multiple times.”

My gaze was latched onto his face. His brow was lowered in concentration. “What happens to the humans?”

“They mutate, take on some of the Luxen qualities.” Hunter lowered my hand to my lap and picked up the other one. “They’re called hybrids and some of them are stronger than the Luxen.”

“Jesus,” I whispered, reeling.

A small grin pulled at Hunter’s lips as he placed my other hand in my lap. His cool fingers found my chin next, tipping my head down. “This will probably sting more.”

I shivered at his touch, unable to reconcile how gentle he was being right now and how fierce and terrifying he’d been back in the woods. Those hands could kill in a heartbeat, but right now, they were carefully tilting my head to the light.

“How bad is it?” I asked.

His fingers slid away. “Not that bad. There’ll be some swelling. Ready?”

I nodded.

Eyes narrowing, he pressed the fresh ball under my lip, and it did sting like holy hell, but I remained still as he swiped it along my lower lip. The liquid fizzled a little, tickling my chin.

“Your cheek is a little swollen, too.” He reached for another ball.

I closed my eyes as he cleaned up my face. “It could’ve been worse.”

“It could’ve been.”

He continued playing doctor, and unfortunately not the fun kind. When he was done with my face, he put the lid on the bottle. “Hurt anyplace else?”

I ached all over. “No.”

He looked like he didn’t believe me. He was damn observant for a man…and an alien.

I took a shallow breath. “Why did they come after us? Was it because of the DOD?”

“Remember the day you were at the gazebo? They followed you, and I stepped in before they got to you, putting Raz down in front of the others. Our kind has to dominate. And to do so, you have to be stronger than everyone else. So he needed to prove to his friends that he was the alpha.”

“He barked up the wrong tree.”

“Exactly.”

Hunter was still there, kneeling in front of me. He was checking out my knees again, frowning slightly.

“You broke your tracking device, didn’t you?” I asked. “That’s what you were doing outside of the car?”

All he did was nod.

“Why? I don’t understand why you’d do this for me.”

He was silent for forever. “I don’t know.”

“You still don’t?” I shook my head. “When you broke the device, does it notify them—the DOD?”

“Yes, but they won’t find me.”

“But that’s a lot to risk if you don’t know why.”

Hunter’s lashes lifted. “I don’t know, Serena.”

I let out a breath. He didn’t know hours ago and I doubted he’d know hours from now. Did it matter? Yes, whispered a tiny voice. It mattered to me. “Thank you,” I blurted out. “Thank you for helping me and not letting them…well, kill me.”

Hunter stood swiftly. “You should shower. Then rest. You’ll feel better.”

In a daze, I stared at him. Wasn’t expecting a big your-welcome, but damn, he didn’t take a thank-you well. He disappeared again from the bathroom and then returned with a shirt of his that was long enough for me to wear. Without saying a word, he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

A couple of minutes passed while I sat there, trying to process the additional stuff I’d learned. It felt like the wheels in my brain had broken, because nothing was happening between my ears.

Standing, I stripped off my ruined clothes and turned on the faucet. Stepping under the pelting hot water, I winced as the water sliced over numerous cuts and abrasions. I didn’t know what it was about those tiny licks of pain, but tears welled up and this time I couldn’t stop them. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying. Was it for Mel? Was it for me? Or was it just total overload?

I stayed in the shower until I got control of myself. Then I quickly dried off and slipped his shirt on. The sun had risen by then, flooding the room with soft light.

Hunter was by the window, his back to me.

“I found a chocolate bar and soda in a vending machine outside. They’re beside the bed. You should eat that before you sleep.”

The covers were also pulled down. My gaze went back to Hunter. “What’s up with the chocolate? This is the second time you’re feeding me a chocolate bar.”

“Sugar. It helps after one of our kind has fed off you.”

Climbing into bed, I slipped my legs under the blanket. While I ate and drank my calorie-heavy goodies, Hunter took a shower. Finished, I wiggled down, folding my hands under my pillow, and waited.

Hunter came back out, his leather pants hanging low on his hips. Wet, tousled hair clung to his cheeks and neck. He went to the wide double windows, his movements stiffer than normal, and tugged the pea-green curtains closed. Darkness immediately descended in the small room.

Curled on my side, I watched Hunter make his way across the room. “Hunter?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

He sat in the chair. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”

I frowned. That wasn’t much of an answer. Moments passed, and then Hunter tipped his head back against the wall. The position had to be uncomfortable and the bed was big enough for us both. Taking a deep breath, I rose onto my elbows.

“Hunter?”

“Go to sleep, Serena.”

I ignored his command. “You said that when you go into your true form, it heals you. Right?”

One eye opened. “Why are you asking this?”

“Because you have to be sore.” I took a deep breath. “And it doesn’t bother me when you’re in your true form.”

“It should.” Both eyes were open now. “Go to sleep.”

I sat up. “I’ll go to sleep if you take your true form and heal yourself.”

Hunter didn’t move for several moments, and then he laughed hoarsely. “You are something else, you know that?”

I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but then Hunter rose and, damn it, he was hurt, because he rose from that chair slowly, pushing himself up with his hands.

Hunter didn’t look away like he’d done the last time he’d changed in front of me.

My hands tightened on the blankets and he walked over to my side of the bed, his bare chest chiseled and damp.

The edges of his body blurred out, clothing and all, and then faded into smoke—

into a wispy, shadowy human form. My eyes widened and he took shape, gaining mass until he looked like a human male but different.

He turned to the side and muscles rippled smoothly. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched his arm. He stilled, and like last time, he didn’t move away.

He remained there as I ran my fingers up his arm, and I marveled at the feel of him.

This time I pulled my hand back before I really started feeling him up. Hunter remained in his true form for a few more seconds, and then he blurred out and returned to his human form. No bruises. No hollow pull to his face. Amazing.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, and then flushed because it seemed like the wrong thing to say. Probably also stupid.

Hunter stared at me, eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Our eyes locked, and I felt his stare in every part of me. The blanket slipped from my fingers as arousal swirled.

He let out a long breath. “Go to sleep.”

I glanced at the chair. “The bed is big enough for the both of us, you know.”

“I know.”

“You can sleep here, too.”

It didn’t seem like he’d respond at first. He stared at me like I was crazy. I didn’t get the look. Several hours ago, we’d shared the same bed. Everything and nothing had changed.

“Shit,” he said, prowling to the other side of the bed.

I lay back down on my side, facing the door. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“That’s not the issue.” The covers stirred and then the bed dipped under his weight.

Had he taken off his leather pants? Probably a good thing if I didn’t know.

“Then what is the issue?” I asked.

There was a beat. “I want to.”

I made a face he couldn’t see. “I don’t see how that’s a problem.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Seconds turned into minutes and he didn’t offer up any more explanation. I didn’t think it was possible to fall asleep after everything, but I felt safe with him and, miraculously, when I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

Chapter 20

I watched Serena sleep, still haunted by her question. WHY ARE YOU HELPING ME?

Helping her wasn’t a huge risk. It was the nail in the universal coffin.

As much as I loathed being the go-to boy for the DOD, my life had been relatively comfortable and peaceful the last couple of years. I had thrown that away with finesse, and why?

I rose up on my elbow, careful not to disturb her. There were six freckles on her nose and cheeks, forming a constellation of sorts.

For the first time in my entire existence I found myself envying the Luxen. They had the one ability we could never absorb—healing. When I was in the bathroom, I would’ve given just about anything to have that talent, to heal Serena of her bruises and aches instead of patching her up.

Mine.

The whole way of thinking was faulty. Arum rarely settled down with one of their own kind and doing so with a human was even more rare for a shit-ton of obvious reasons, but my sister had and so had Dex.

I didn’t want to claim Serena as mine. It would be better for her if I didn’t, but I never did the denial shit before, so why start now?

I lay back, letting out a low groan. I had been without the opal for just a few hours, but I was already feeling the effects like a damn addict. And that’s what the Arum had become. An addict bred over centuries of feeding off Luxen.

I was restless, skin itchy and my throat was parched. My dick was hard, too, but that had more to do with the curvy body beside me than the lack of opal.

I was still mind-blown by the fact Serena had asked me to take my true form to heal after seeing our kind at our worst. I wanted to say that it was shock that had propelled me to do something so stupid like taking my true form without the opal. Doing so required energy, and energy required that I feed.

But I had done it like a jackass, not because I was surprised by her request, but because Serena had asked me to do it, and I had wanted to please her.

Fucking please her.

And I really wanted to please her into oblivion.

The smart thing would’ve been to go straight for the opal, but I should be able to maintain for a couple of hours. I’d need to feed, though, no matter what. To see this shit through I had to be at top power.

See this shit through exactly how?

Another good question, I thought, grimacing. Man, I really didn’t think this shit through.

Shutting down took longer than normal. I slept. For how long, I really didn’t know, but when I woke up, I was in the same position as I’d been the night prior. My body curved against hers and my arm around her waist.

Fuck.

In her sleep, Serena wiggled her bottom as she got comfortable against me, making my veins run hot.

Double fuck.

Opening my eyes into thin slits, I glanced over my shoulder. Thin streaks of bright sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains. We’d have to get up soon and get on the road. There were at least five more hours to get where we needed to go.

I was harder than I was a minute ago.

Triple fuck.

I inhaled and all I got was Serena’s scent. It should’ve suffocated me, but it didn’t.

It ended up having the opposite effect, relaxing me. It struck me then that I could’ve lost Serena in the woods.

A cold ache drilled a hole the size of my fists through my stomach. Her life was not safe now, not with me and not without me, which brought along a deep sense of helplessness—a feeling I wasn’t accustomed to. That pissed me off. Anger racked my insides until she made a soft, mewling sound in her sleep.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. PULL IT TOGETHER. When I reopened my eyes, I focused on the flare of her hip. Serena was alive. She was strong—stronger than she probably even realized. Most humans wouldn’t have lasted as long as she had against one of my kind. Hell. And she survived an attack from a Luxen, but…

But I was catching motherfucking feelings for her.

Feelings were not something the Arum inherently had. Dex had, but that Arum had taken a sharp turn into offhisfuckingrockerville.

I was right behind him.

In her sleep, she shifted until her back was against my chest. I froze when her ass pressed more firmly against my groin. I wasn’t going to be falling back to sleep anytime soon.

Pushing further up, I peered down at her. She felt so small against me, and that brought out another strange feeling. One that made me want to stash her away where no one could touch or look at her. Sounded like a really messed-up protective vibe.

Really messed-up.

I ran my thumb over her smooth cheek, tracing the fine bone. My touch was featherlight, but she stirred sleepily, pressing that rump back once more. Lust pricked my skin and my gut wrenched. I moved my fingertips down her throat, over her shoulder. I liked that she was in my shirt again.

A small sigh escaped her, and she rolled onto her back, looking up at me with those wide brown eyes. I couldn’t gain crap from her expression, but I knew she had to have felt my hardness pressing against her. When she didn’t launch from the bed like a projectile, my curiosity knew no limits.

Slowly, I moved my hand to the neckline of the borrowed shirt, my palm pressing against the swell of her breasts. A familiar flush had crept across her cheeks. I wondered just how much more of her body flushed like that.

Serena placed her hand on my side, moving it toward my back, kneading the cords of bunched muscles. The sensation of her touch rippled through me, shocking the hell out of me. Lust blasted, making my head swim.

Enough with the thinking about this—I was a creature of action not thought. I needed to touch more of her and I needed it now. I dropped my hand to her hip and tugged her down below the mound of pillows. Then I rose above her, using one arm to support my weight. My erection fit against her core, like it was made to, and when I moved against her like I had the night I’d tasted her, she gasped my name.

Hell to the yeah.

I rocked my hips again, loving the way her lips parted. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I know.” But her body betrayed her words as her hips tipped up.

My next words came out as a low, harsh growl. “I can promise you that sex with me won’t be about long, soft pets or whispered words. I like it rough and raw, but your pleasure will always come first. Every single time.”

Her heavy, hooded eyes drifted shut. Thick lashes framed her cheeks. “Every single time?”

“Every. Single. Time.” Each word I punctuated with a thrust of my hips, making me bite back a growl.

“That’s a pretty bold statement,” she whispered, spreading her thighs, cradling mine.

“Not a statement.” I lowered my head, moving my lips across the cheek I’d caressed moments before. “But a promise.”

My remaining hand slid up the flare of her hip, up her stomach. I stopped just below her breasts, my thumb brushing over the swell. Her sharp intake of breath reverberated in my skull.

Her breath caught as my kisses reached the corner of her mouth. She turned her head slightly. Our lips brushed, and I pulled back suddenly, remembering that she was injured.

“Are you feeling up to this?” I asked, and then wondered where in the fuck the decency just came from.

Her fingers curled against my shoulders. “I feel fine.”

I lowered my head to the space between her neck and shoulder. Grabbing her hips, I nuzzled her neck, realizing that I never smelled anything better than her. I let my hand stray higher, nearly reaching the peak of her breast.

She didn’t tell me to stop, didn’t say anything or move. Just waited…waited to see what I’d do. Then she grabbed my wrists but didn’t pull my hands away. She just held them. There was hesitancy in her eyes, but her breathing picked up, bringing her breast into contact with my hand more fully.

I growled low in my throat, and her back arched clear off the mattress, pressing her breast into my grasp. I answered, smoothing my thumb over the taut pebble straining against the shirt.

My eyes remained latched to hers as I teased her nipple through the clothing. She moved her other hand down my chest, and my stomach muscles tightened. I had to see her breasts again, touch them, taste them. I slipped my hand under her shirt. Silky smooth skin concaved softly as I pushed the fabric up, exposing her stomach and then slowly pulled the shirt off. Anyone else I would’ve ripped the shirt off, but with her… not with her. Not now, most likely later, though.

Later?

Yeah, who the fuck was I kidding? There’d be a later.

Her breasts were gorgeous. Round and perfect, and even more beautiful in my hand.

She made a soft sound as my fingers skimmed over the peak of her breast. My mouth watered as I lowered my head, flicking my tongue over one pert nipple.

She moaned as both of her hands now clutched my sides. “Hunter…”

“Mmm?” I pressed down, moving my hand to her other breast. My tongue swirled over the nipple. “Do you want me to stop?”

Her head went back as her breath came out in short gasps. “This…this wasn’t what I had in mind when I said you could sleep here.”

I drew the rosy peak into my mouth as I caught her other nipple between my thumb and forefinger. Her skin tasted like the sweetest drug, and her cry was like a siren’s song. “It wasn’t?”

“God,” she moaned. “Okay. Maybe it was.”

Before I could feel smug about that, her lower body started moving in tiny circles and, good God, I was so hard that I could feel my pulse against the leather of my pants. I gnashed my teeth together, holding still as she came alive under me.

…

Desire swirled inside me, leaving me feeling out of control and dazed. Tendrils of fear curled under the raw heat, though. Even as my body arched into his, ached for him, I knew Hunter was like no other man. He could lose control, and then I was going to be in big, big trouble.

But staring into his face, I saw Hunter. I didn’t see a predator or a threat. I saw him, only him. Sliding my hands down his chest, I felt Hunter. Under this wonderful skin of his, something totally different existed. I knew that, but I trusted him with my life and my body. That was what mattered.

And when his mouth tugged on my breast and his tongue rasped my nipple, I stopped thinking. It was all about feeling and the raw, exquisite sensations shooting down to my sex, warming and dampening me. All I knew was that I wanted to feel this— really feel this.

My hands slipped over rock-hard abs that dipped and rippled. His skin felt like cool silk. Masculine perfection. My hips rocked against the thick muscle pressed against my core. God, he was huge. Had to be an alien thing, because damn.

“I want you so badly.” His voice was thick, smoky; his lips moving against my breast. At this point he could be speaking in pig latin, and I’d find it deeply sensual.

He lowered a hand to my hip, urging me to move, to take what I wanted. When he caught my nipple between his teeth, I cried out again, surrendering to what my body demanded, wantonly rolling my hips against his hardness. Tension between my legs built quickly, stealing my breath, shocking me. With startling quickness, he slipped his hands under me and lifted me as he rocked back on his haunches.

In his lap— OH SWEET JESUS —I could feel the tip of him straining against me.

Somehow his pants had become unbuttoned. I could’ve done that. He could’ve done it. I didn’t know or care. His lips were cool against my neck and the warring heat/coldness tightened me everywhere.

My hands sunk deep into his hair and I tugged his head back, surprised by my aggressiveness. Lowering my mouth to his, I kissed him deeply, ignoring the flare of pain from my bruised lip. My tongue slipped between his lips and I moaned as I grinded against him.

Suddenly he gripped my wrists, pulling them down and capturing them in one hand.

I was on my back and he was above me in a second. From the brief glimpse of his eyes, I saw that they were a brighter blue. Beautiful.

Holding my wrists pinned to my stomach, he moved further down, kissing his way from my chin to my belly button, coming so close to where I wanted him—needed him.

“Spread your legs for me.” When I followed his order, his free hand slid up my thigh, halting mere inches from my core. “I bet you’re ready for me.”

I was. God, I was so ready I was drowning.

Then his mouth was on me, suckling deep as one long finger dipped into my body.

The combination of being restrained, of being so worked up, was too much.

I came right then, breaking apart into a billion pieces as my body spasmed against his mouth. He worked me until I whimpered, coming close to release again. Then he rose, his strange eyes piercing me.

With one hand, he tugged his pants down and kicked them off. Sweet, mindless aftershocks rocked me as he moved up me once more, pinning my arms above my head. I felt his hard, long length against my core.

My hands itched to touch him, but he wasn’t having it. Flicking his tongue over my tightened nipple, he settled between my thighs.

“Wait,” I said breathlessly. Hunter lifted his head and his look said seriously? I almost laughed. “What about protection?”

A smile quirked his lips. “I can’t get you pregnant and we don’t get diseases.

Doesn’t work that way.”

“Human. Alien,” I said, letting out a nervous laugh. “I should’ve thought of that.”

“I doubt it’s something normally considered.” With his free hand, he traced the line of my jaw and then slid it down between my breasts to the flare of my hip, eliciting a shiver from me. “You’re beautiful. Every part of you.”

I felt that way when he touched me like this. “I want to touch you.”

“I know.”

But he didn’t let go of my wrists. He held them above my head as my breath froze, then redoubled as I felt him against me, pushing in inch by delicious inch. The initial stretch held a delicious bite.

Hunter lowered his head, nuzzling my throat. “Goddamn, you feel so good. You kill me, you know? Fucking kill me.”

I was sure he was the one doing the killing. Tipping my hips up, I took him in fully.

My gasp of pleasure was lost in his groan as my back arched clear. He was a tremendous presence in my body, stretching me until the feeling of sublime fullness curled my toes against the sheets.

“Oh God, Hunter…”

I yearned to wrap my arms around him, but he held me still. A fine tremor worked its way through him and his grip tightened on my wrists until the bite became almost painful.

Opening my eyes, I sucked in air.

His features were sharper, taut, and his eyes were churning brighter flecks of blue.

The temp of his skin seemed to drop. “Hunter?”

He stretched his head to the side, and the thick cords of muscle stood out. His eyes closed, and I could tell he was fighting it; the darker need in him to feed. An eternity passed before his lashes lifted. His eyes were brighter than normal, but his face had lost the sharpness. He began to move, pulling back until just the tip of him pressed in, and then thrusting forward until there wasn’t an inch between us. The friction of each withdrawal and subsequent return built a crazy storm of emotion that quickly turned into a swirling knot of deep tension.

Hunter maintained that slow, torturous tempo until a fine sheen of sweat broke out over his forehead and bare, hairless chest. I was close, my fingers twisting around empty air as the rhythm increased.

“You feel so perfect,” he said, kissing me again as one hand settled on my hip, and I knew at that moment he’d wrangled in the beast.

In response, I wrapped my legs around his waist, seeming to seat him even deeper.

Hunter growled low in his throat as I hooked my ankles.

He caught the edge of my lips in a little nip and then growled, “I’m going to fuck you. Hard.”

Before I could point out that he were doing just that, Hunter drove into me over and over again, stopping in between thrusts to grind against me. Each time he did so, the friction licked through me like sweet flames. Then his head dipped, his teeth catching a rosy bud as he drove into me again. The release shattered through me as I called out his name in a hoarse shout, and I felt him shudder around me, in me, and then he joined me, toppling over the edge in a powerful rush. And I knew that neither of us would be the same again.

Chapter 21

My heart was still racing minutes later, even when he pulled out of me, causing tiny sparks of ecstasy to ricochet through my body. He let go of my wrists, but I didn’t move my arms. I was nothing more than jelly at that point.

Clasping the sides of my face gently, he tipped my chin up and kissed me again, a long and deep kiss that was more like staking a claim than anything else. When he rolled off me, I expected him to put space between us, but he brought me along with him, tucking my body against his side.

I placed my hand on his cool chest, surprised to feel a heart thudding under it. One of these days I was really going to need to figure out the whole alien/human body thing and how it worked, but right now wasn’t the time for a physiology lesson.

“That…that was amazing,” I said, closing my eyes.

“I know.” He traced an idle circle over my hip. “It was even better than what I imagined, and I have a pretty ferocious imagination.”

I smiled at that. In the back of my head, I had so many questions. What did this mean for us? Did having sex change anything? I still needed to reclaim my life with or without Hunter, but did he want to be a part of that life? Could he? And was the warmth blossoming deep in my chest a signal of something more than post-orgasmic bliss?

But I wasn’t ready to give voice to those questions.

I snuggled closer, sliding my leg along his. “There’s something I can’t figure out.”

“Just one thing?” The amusement in his tone increased the smile on my face.

“Why would the government allow an alien to achieve such power by becoming a senator?” I asked. “Seems like they’re just asking for trouble.”

Hunter rolled onto his side, facing me. “I think the government believes that they can always control them, that by allowing them to obtain power by human standards, the Luxen will be satisfied.”

The whole Luxen/human/Arum politics fascinated me. “And they’re not? Being a senator is a pretty powerful gig.”

“Being a senator is nothing to a race of aliens that ruled their galaxy for thousands of years.” He reached out, spreading his large hand along my shoulder. “But humans—

no offense—still think they’re top of the food chain. Just like the Luxen did when we first came along. It’s their ignorance that has blinded them to what the Luxen are truly capable of.”

I shivered, partly due to what he said and partly due to the skimming of his hand down my arm. The back of his knuckles brushed my breasts and I wiggled closer. His sex was hard again or maybe it had never softened. A thick and demanding proud length that jutted between us.

Oh wow.

Refocusing on his face, I flushed when I saw his knowing smirk. “What are the Luxen truly capable of?”

“Anything. Everything.” His hand drifted over my thigh. “If they wanted to take over Earth, they could.”

“Would they?” When he tugged me against him, I let out a little gasp. “Would they do that?”

Hunter gave a lopsided shrug. “I don’t know, but one day the Luxen population will grow. They could outnumber the humans.”

His hand had slid around the curve of my rear, his finger slipping dangerously close. “What about the Arum?”

“Do we want to rule Earth?” His other arm, the one I’d been lying on, tightened around me. “Arum care very little to rule an entire species. We’re much more concerned about things that pleasure us.”

My brows rose at that.

“We need to get on the road soon,” he said. “There’s a place I need to go.”

“Okay.”

“But we have a couple more minutes.”

Heat flowed through my body. “For…?”

Another smile tipped his lips, and then he rolled me on top of him in one fluid motion, seating himself in one hard thrust. “This.”

Arching my back, I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as he grasped my hips. Through half open eyes, I saw him watch where we were joined as he lifted me up and slid me back down. Then his eyes flicked up, meeting mine. In that moment, the world seemed to stop, as cheesy as that sounded— it was just us.

There was nothing else, and I was lost in him.

…

Sex had never felt like this before. Instead of being all about satisfying an urge and getting off, it became about completion of a different sort. Even in those moments while I held her after the first time, I knew how unalike this was from my previous exploits. And after the second time, I wanted her close…and I wanted her again.

Hell, I wanted her about a hundred times more.

As I watched her change into a pair of jeans and a plain shirt, I wanted to take her again. From behind. Against the wall. On the floor. Wherever.

If I kept thinking like this, we’d never get on the road and I needed to badly. I’d come close to feeding off her earlier. How I didn’t was beyond me, but I wasn’t pushing my luck.

“You ready?” I asked, voice coming off a little gruff.

She glanced at me and nodded. “Ready when you are.”

It was late afternoon, but the heat was picking up, promising there’d be a long and hot summer ahead. She was buckling herself in when I climbed into the Porsche.

Sitting back, she turned to me. “Where are we going?”

“To a place outside of Martinsburg,” I answered, scanning the front of the motel before pulling out. “We’re a couple hours out from there.”

“Martinsburg?” She frowned. “What’s there?”

“Someone who can give me what I need.”

“Really?” She folded her arms, and a cute expression pinched her face. “Do tell.”

I chuckled. “Opal.”

Confusion swept across her face. “Opal? Like in the gemstone opal or some old lady named Opal?”

“Gemstones have a weird effect on us and the Luxen. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. It has to do with the refracting and absorption of light.”

Serena stared at me like I had started speaking in a different language.

A smile pulled at my lips. “Obsidian is deadly to the Arum. I carry one, but I have to be careful with it. The gemstone fractures lights and shadows and it cuts through us like nothing else. One good swipe and that’s all you need.”

“And you carry one?” She looked at me like I was insane. “Does it affect the Luxen the same?”

“Nope, but onyx—another type of gemstone—really messes them up. In large quantities it could probably put them down or make them wish they were dead, but opal is different.” I had to admit; it felt strange talking about these things with a human. “Opal is a whole different story.”

“How?” she asked.

Taking the exit to the main highway heading east, the tires of the Porsche smoothly ate away the miles as I explained exactly what a piece, even the tiniest, could do.

“Opal has the ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light, changing the speed and direction. For the Luxen, it’s like a power booster. Even for a hybrid, because their human DNA is now encased in wavelengths of light.” I paused, glancing at Serena.

She looked absolutely dumbfounded.

I smiled. “It enhances their ability to refract light and also to reflect. For example, if a Luxen is wearing a piece of opal, they can use it to mirror things around them, like a one-way window.”

Her brows pinched. “So they could become invisible in a way, since they’d be mirroring what’s around them?”

“Correct. They can also move faster and create stronger blasts of energy.”

She let out a low whistle. “Okay. Assuming that I totally understand the whole alien gemstone stuff, I don’t get how a piece of opal works on the Arum. You’re not like the Luxen.”

I opened my mouth, but closed it. Eyes narrowing on the road, I realized I wanted to lie to her. To make up some cockamamie tale about how it worked for the Arum instead of telling her that when we drained the Luxen, in most cases, we killed them. I never lied about it before, but I never had a reason to lie.

And now it seemed that I did have a reason, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her.

My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Opal can enhance an Arum’s abilities, too.

Making us faster and stronger, but we have to do something first. We have to feed on a Luxen or a hybrid. When we do that, we take in their essence. That part reacts to the opal.”

She nodded slowly, looking away. “The whole incubuslike thing?”

“Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat. “Opal can also maintain our energy levels.”

There was a pregnant pause and then I felt her eyes on me again. “With opal, we don’t have to feed that much,” I said, feeling itchy. All the talk of feeding was making me hungry. “The DOD outfits their Arum with the opal. Helps keep us better under control when we aren’t running amuck, draining unsuspecting Luxen.”

“That’s good, I guess.” She stretched out her legs, then tipped her head back. I didn’t have to look at her to tell that she was anxious. “Do you kill the Luxen when you feed off them?” she asked.

“Not always, but most Arum do because they want to kill them. But we can feed without killing.”

“And you’re going to have to feed for this opal to work, aren’t you?”

“If I don’t feed soon, I won’t be safe. Around anyone.” I glanced at Serena. Her face was pale but her gaze steady. I didn’t lie. “So yes, I will need to feed.”

Chapter 22

I will need to feed.

I wasn’t sure how to really deal with that. How he said it, so dead-on and unapologetic, was unnerving. And he hadn’t clarified if he would kill or not. The whole feeding thing was hard to swallow. It was like sitting next to a vampire or something. He’d already fed from me before—twice—but he hadn’t since I’d asked him not to do it again. He stopped himself, and I believed he could stop himself again.

I just hoped I didn’t turn into the biggest idiot ever for believing that.

As we traveled the rest of the afternoon, he explained we were going to this club where he’d be able to find this guy named Luc. He didn’t say anything more about him, and I figured that Luc was another Arum, hopefully a friendly one like Dex.

Eventually the rolling hills and thick wooded areas cleared from the interstate, and the road became more congested as we neared the town of Martinsburg at dusk.

We entered through the south, passing a mall and several restaurants, which woke my stomach up. I was hungry but too wired to really consider eating. A couple of miles later, Hunter took the Spring Mills exit and hung a right, heading toward a town named Back Creek. With names like that, this should be fun.

Two miles off the exit, Hunter slowed down as an old, abandoned gas station came into view. My brow rose as I took in the overgrown weeds. The road wasn’t much better, really a hodgepodge of potholes and gravel.

“Are you sure the club is back here?” I asked, peering out the window. Dust plumed into the air, cloudy like fog.

“Yes. No one goes back here.”

“I can imagine,” I muttered.

Passing several run-down buildings with boarded-up windows, I was convinced we’d taken a wrong turn somewhere, but before I could point that out, the trees cleared and a makeshift parking lot overflowing with cars came into view.

“Christ,” I said, shaking my head.

A sea of cars were parked around the building, and not piece of crap vehicles, either. Brand-new trucks, Hummers that could mow down entire villages, BMWs, and Jaguars parked side by side. It was like the nicer part of a used-car dealership.

Hunter grinned at me. “Looks can be deceiving.”

“No doubt,” I said as Hunter parked the car.

“I want you to stay close to me in here, okay?” Hunter killed the engine. “I sense others of my kind and a few Luxen. They shouldn’t bother us, but you never know.”

My brows rose. “Luxen and Arum together?”

“Stranger things have been known to happen, and strange shit always happens here.

This is a no-kill zone.”

I should’ve been relieved by that. Hunter started to open the door, but I grasped his arm. “Wait a second. What happens after you get the opal and do your thing here?”

“We leave.”

I shot him a bland look. “I figured we weren’t camping out here. What are we going to do?”

Hunter looked away, his profile stoic. “We’re going to head south, to just outside of Atlanta. It should be safe there.”

“Safe from what?” I asked, my fingers digging into my knees. “I need—”

“Can we talk about this afterward?” he interrupted, his eyes sheltered.

I wanted to protest, but this really wasn’t the moment. Relenting, I climbed out of the car and followed Hunter through the maze of cars. The one thing I noticed, which was weird as hell, was I didn’t hear any sounds coming from the club or anything around us.

It was unnaturally quiet.

A shiver crept over my shoulders and I folded my arms. Hunter slowed until I was beside him. He didn’t say anything about my slow progress, and having a good idea I was about to get another shock of my life in this club, I was slowing down.

“Remember,” Hunter said, placing his hand on my lower back. “Stay close to me inside here. Okay?”

I nodded. “Gotcha.”

We stopped at a steel-gray door. Two seconds later, the door opened and a huge mammoth of a man stepped out, wearing blue jean overalls and nothing else.

My eyes widened. The man’s arms were the size of tree trunks and he was looking at us like he wasn’t happy in the least bit to see us.

Hunter shifted ever so slightly, blocking me. “I need to see Luc. It’s an emergency.”

Overalls folded his muscular arms. “Everyone says it’s an emergency when they come a-knocking. Rarely is.”

“This is.”

“Yeah.” Overalls drew the word out. “That’s what they all say, and ain’t like Luc has a lot free time, ya know?”

I’d been around Hunter long enough to recognize when he was starting to lose his patience. His shoulders tensed, spine stiffened. And then he smiled. Only one side of his lips curved up.

Oh no.

“How about this?” Hunter started, and I cringed inwardly. “I know he’s listening in right now.” He paused, flicked the black wire behind Overall’s ears. Huh. Hadn’t even noticed that, but there it was, a slim, black earpiece. “The little fuck owes me. And we know how he is with favors. So unless he wants me to rip through everyone in there, including your big ass, and hang y’alls entrails from the rafters, he’s going to make time for me.”

Oh dear.

I turned to Hunter slowly, wondering if he ever heard of the saying YOU CATCH MORE bears with honey because, Jesus, he just sprayed Overalls in the face with battery acid.

Expecting Overalls to tell us to hit the road or come to some kind of blows, I nearly fell over when the big man revealed a toothy smile.

“He’s waiting for you, Hunter.” Overalls stepped aside, holding the door open, and we brushed past him. I saw him check out Hunter. “I love when they get all bossy.”

A smile raced across my face, but it froze as we stepped out of the narrow black hallway. “Holy…”

I’d never seen anything like this, not in real life. It’s not like I didn’t know they existed. I just never visited them. Clubs like this were more up Mel’s alley.

Multicolored strobe lights pulsed over the teeming crowd of dancers. Cages hung from the ceiling. Scantily clad women danced in them, swaying their hips to the heavy beat of the music. And when I say scantily, I mean the only parts of their bodies I didn’t see were their nipples and hoohah.

Dim lights hid more than revealed the outskirts of the club. I could tell there were tables, and maybe even couches, but that was all. The whole atmosphere was otherworldly.

Hunter’s hand found mine as he guided me through the throngs of people. He parted the crowd like a freight train. Women stopped dancing to stare at him. So did some of the men, and not all the stares were lascivious. Some were downright hostile. Were they Luxen? Humans who knew what he was or other Arum? I couldn’t tell in the flashing lights.

There was a strange clove scent to the air, and with the dizzying lights, loud music, and the low-level fog that seemed to creep along the floor, swirling up our legs, I felt like I was walking in a dream.

A tall, dark mass stepped out of the cluster of people, blocking our path. The guy looked to be around my age, hair thick and dark, spiked up. Skin pale and eyes heavily lined in kohl, his lips curved in a tight half-smile as his light blue eyes flickered from Hunter to me.

Didn’t take an alien expert to figure out he was an Arum.

Hunter didn’t stop, shouldering the younger Arum out of the way. “I don’t have time for this.”

Looking over my shoulder, I expected the other Arum to do or say something, but his grin spread as he slipped back into the dancers crowding the floor. I shivered at the weirdness of it all.

We skirted a bar and hit a narrow, empty hallway. At the end, there was a door with a sign that said FREAKS ONLY. Nice.

Hunter knocked with his free hand and a heartbeat passed. The door opened, revealing an extraordinarily tall and good-looking man.

And boy was he all kinds of golden.

Golden skin. Golden hair. Golden shirt.

Incredibly unreal blue eyes widened just the slightest as the man’s lips curved down.

“And here I was having a good night…”

Hunter smirked. “Nice to see you, too, Paris.”

Paris? All I could think of was Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt.

The man opened the door. “You know the rules.”

We stepped into an office. There was a couch and desk and nothing else but a closed door leading to where, I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. The door we came through shut behind us, cutting off all sound. Paris stood there, his arms folded. His gaze dropped to where Hunter’s hand joined with mine. He let out a soft, little laugh.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t drop my hand. “You’re making me feel like I need to rebel against the rules.”

“Try it,” Paris replied, leaning against the closed door. “But I doubt your lady friend would want to witness the kind of mess we’ll leave in our wake.”

It hit me then, and my heart tripped over itself. “You’re a Luxen.”

Paris winked. “And you’re a human.”

My mouth worked on a response, but Hunter squeezed my hand. “He’s not going to try anything,” he said in a low voice, but his eyes were trained on the Luxen. “Isn’t that right, Paris.”

“Depends on what you do, Arum.” Paris looked at me and smiled. It was a nice smile, charming even, but fear trickled through my veins like ice. “But you, my dear, have nothing to fear from me. I won’t judge you for your obvious lapse in judgment when it comes to who you associate with.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my judgment,” I snapped. “But thanks for your input.”

“Oh.” Paris’ brows rose. “She’s defending you, Hunter. How sweet.”

“Shut up,” Hunter replied.

Paris snickered.

In spite of their exchange, I realized Hunter wasn’t tense or preparing to break out a bundle of kickass. It seemed like they were just mouthing off at each other…for the fun of it. I relaxed a little.

“Well, wrap me up and call me a Christmas baby. Hunter with a female—a human female.”

I startled at the voice and turned to the door behind the desk. I hadn’t even heard it open, but there stood a tall teenage boy no older than fifteen or so. His blond hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, showing off an angelic face that was asymmetrically perfect, but his eyes…whoa. They were purple.

Who in the hell had purple eyes?

Aliens. Duh.

Hunter let out a long-suffering breath. “Luc.”

My mouth dropped open. Holy shit, Luc was a kid.

Chapter 23 Luc sauntered to the desk and hopped up on it, propping his chin on his fist. The opal on his leather cuff glittered in the light. I was half tempted to knock him over and take

it, but Luc…

Yeah, Luc wasn’t normal.

Not even in the world of Luxen, Arum, and hybrids. He was something else entirely and knocking him over wouldn’t be like kicking a kid on a playground, because this kid could knock just about anyone and anything into another galaxy. Sometimes it was hard to remember that when talking to the little punk.

Luc smiled broadly. “What brings you here? I hear this ‘little fuck’ owes you.”

“You know you owe me. And if you need a reminder, all I need to say is Sharpe.”

“Ah, yes. That does remind me of a lot of things.”

“Sharpe?” Serena murmured, her eyes bouncing back and forth.

I let go of her hand and found myself stepping in front of her. Luc noted this with a mischievous glint. “I need my money.”

Luc leaned slightly to the side, as if he was trying to see Serena. Man, this kid loved to push buttons. “You can have your money whenever you need it. Paris could’ve gotten that for you. So I doubt that’s the only thing you need.”

“I also need a piece of opal.”

His brows rose as he leaned onto his side completely, supporting himself on one arm. He smiled at Serena. “And why would you, an Arum who works for the lovely DOD, be in need of a piece of opal? Don’t they hand that out with their ‘I was bought out by the man’ badges? Oh! Wait…wait a second, Hunter.” Luc’s wide eyes blinked innocently, and I had a strong urge to knock those eyes into the back of his head. “Are you no longer playing with the DOD?”

“What do you think?” I stepped to the side, blocking Serena.

“Interesting.” He sat up, putting him right back in front of Serena. “And who’s this?”

“None of your business,” I growled.

Luc slid me a sideways glance. “She’s in my office, in my club, therefore she is my business.”

“This is your club?” Serena asked. “How old are you?”

“Old enough to appreciate a good-looking woman.” Luc winked.

Serena’s mouth dropped open.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I asked, my hands curling into fists.

Paris stepped forward, the perpetual bodyguard, but Luc just laughed. “Oh, simmer down, Hunter. You’re too testy. How many times have I’ve told you that you need to chill out, take a vacay. Disney World is really fun this time of year. You should check it out.”

I drew in a long, deep breath. “Luc.”

He was focused on Serena. “So how did you get mixed up with this lump of joyful personality?”

Serena glanced at me, questioning, and I shook my head. The less Luc knew, the better.

Luc tapped his fingers on the desk. “Al’ right, kiddies, you don’t want to play, then I don’t want to play. Paris will get your money and you can get the hell out.”

“Whoa. Wait a sec. You owe me, Luc. I need a piece of opal—”

“And I’m assuming you’ll also need a Luxen or a hybrid to feed off, too. And you’re right. I do owe you. You took care of a problem for me and I’ll be forever grateful for that. I can help you, but I want to know who she is and how she ended up with you.”

Son of a rat bastard.

Serena stepped forward. “My name is Serena Cross. My best friend was killed by a Luxen after she witnessed them take their, um, true form. I saw it happen and Hunter was brought in by the DOD to keep me safe.”

I turned to her slowly.

“What?” She raised her hands. “We weren’t getting anywhere.”

Anger flashed through me, but I stamped it down. Serena didn’t know Luc, didn’t understand what the kid was capable of. Hell, there was a lot I didn’t know about him, but I knew enough.

Luc’s gaze traveled to a very interested-looking Paris. “Keep you safe from the Luxen?”

She nodded as she worried her lower lip.

“All because your friend witnessed a Luxen do their shiny thing? They killed her for that?” A calculating look appeared in his amethyst eyes. “That sounds drastic.”

“This sounds familiar,” Paris interjected. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with Senator Vanderson, would it?”

“Ah…” Luc murmured.

Serena became very still and the aura around her turned a deeper shade of blue.

“How do you know about that?”

“Good question,” I said.

Paris shrugged one shoulder. “I keep my ear to the ground. The senator flipped his shit because the DOD hauled in one of his boys and then the other. The Luxen are in a tizzy over it. Getting re-assimilated is like walking the green mile, baby.”

My eyes narrowed.

Paris grinned as his gaze slid back to Luc. “But that doesn’t explain why they would come after you, now does it? I mean, you’re not the first to see us in our true form.

You won’t be the last. You seem like a smart lady. You know to keep quiet. So…”

“So there has to be more,” Luc finished. He clapped his hands together. “And there is always more to a story. Spill it.”

Serena had wisely gone quiet, but it was a little late for that. I folded my arms. “Her friend overheard the brothers talking about something called Project Eagle and children in Pennsylvania. Whatever it is, it seems like it’s worth killing to keep a lid on it.”

Luc blinked slowly. “And does the DOD know about this?”

“Yes,” Serena answered, and cleared her throat. “I told them what my friend had said, but…”

“But you two are here and Hunter is without his opal, which means he’s without his nifty tracking device. How did that happen?” Luc asked. “Don’t be shy, Serena. I’m not the bad guy here.”

I snorted. “Yeah, and I’m fucking Santa Claus.”

“Okay.” Luc flashed a winning smile. “All things considered, I’m the least of your worries at this point, eh? There are three things in life that I just cannot stand and, in no particular order, they are: the DOD, the Arum, and the Luxen. Humans are pretty damn okay in my book.”

Serena glanced back in shock at a grinning Paris, and I rubbed my temple. I was starting to get a headache.

“The DOD decided that what Mel overheard isn’t important,” I said.

Luc cocked his head to the side. “And do you believe that?”

I barked out a short laugh. “Hell no. I’m sure they’ve been trying to dig up everything on this Project Eagle bullshit, but they don’t know about Pennsylvania.

Serena remembered that after she’d spoken to the officers.” The letter in the PO box was staying a secret. “The senator and the community of Luxen raised all kinds of shit about the exposure risk and pushed for Serena’s death. The DOD caved.”

“Exposure risk?” Paris headed to the desk and sat in the chair behind Luc. “Does the senator honestly believe that the DOD will release his sons if Serena is gone?”

“I don’t think so,” I admitted. “I think that whatever Mel overheard and may or may not have said to Serena is worth them killing to keep it quiet. Even if Serena doesn’t know anything, they don’t want to take that risk. The DOD came to take her out and, well, I didn’t agree with that.”

“I wish you guys would stop talking about people wanting to kill me,” Serena said, but she was staring at me in a way that said we’d be talking later. “It’s really starting to freak me out.”

“True,” Luc said, shaking his head. “So you stopped the DOD? Protected a human even knowing that they’d put price on your head that even I couldn’t afford?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the next. “Yeah.”

“Interesting,” Luc murmured.

“He doesn’t know why he did it, so don’t even ask him.” Serena sent me a tight smile, and I couldn’t even find it in me to be measurably annoyed. She turned back to the kid. “Do you know anything about Project Eagle?”

Luc met her stare. “I know a lot of things, Serena. I also have a lot of suspicions.

Some people think I’m paranoid, but I like to say I’m realistically prepared for when the shit hits the fan.”

Serena frowned. “That really didn’t tell me anything.”

“I don’t know about Project Eagle,” he said, “but I’d be curious to learn more.”

“Okay, well now that we’ve done the whole caring and sharing routine,” I interrupted, “you owe me.”

“I do.” Luc hopped off the desk. “Come back tomorrow and I’ll have something for you.” He glanced at Serena and winked. “And make sure you’re in a more pleasant mood. You’re killing my happy vibe.”

“Tomorrow?” I moved my neck to the side, trying to ease out the tension. “I wasn’t planning on this trip to be an overnight one.”

“But I’m sure you’ll find a way to pass the time.” Luc wiggled his brows suggestively, and even I was a bit disturbed by that. He walked around his desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out a key, he tossed it to me. “You can stay at Paris’ place for the night. He won’t be there and it will be safe.”

Paris’ face screwed up. “What the hell, Luc?”

He smiled sheepishly. “What? He’s not staying at my place.”

I pocketed the key, pleased by the anger creeping across the Luxen’s face.

“Address.”

Luc scribbled it down on a pad of paper and handed it over. “Be back here tomorrow, a little before noon.”

I gathered up Serena and headed for the door, but Luc stopped us. “And Hunter?”

I turned, already not liking the odd look on the kid’s face. I prepared myself for whatever fuckery that was about to come out of his mouth. “Yes?”

Luc’s smile was mysterious. “Humans aren’t as frail as you think they are.”

Chapter 24 I’d expressed my concern about trusting Luc the moment we got in the Porsche, but Hunter didn’t seem to think we had anything to worry about. Apparently, the strange kid was the least of our problems.

We stopped and got fast food on the way to wherever Paris lived , and I ended up eating my food before we pulled into the secluded house in The Woods resort. Even at night, I could see the glitter in the driveway and corners of the two-story structure.

“Beta quartz,” Hunter explained, snickering. “Very smart. There are no natural deposits around here, so he brought it in. It blocks us from seeing them, disrupts their wavelengths.”

Stepping out of the car, I frowned at the tiny flecks glittering in the moonlight. How many times could I have seen something like this and disregarded it? I turned, eyeing the thick trees crowding the driveway, as Hunter pulled our luggage out of the trunk.

Once inside, I realized Paris’ flavor could easily be seen. Gold paint on the foyer walls. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, and all the doorknobs were painted a golden color; even the grand staircase had golden treads.

“Gah,” I said, shaking my head.

Hunter’s lip curled as he looked around. “Wow.”

I cracked a smile. Hunter relatively speechless, and all it took was really gaudy interior design. We did a little investigation of the downstairs and then we headed up.

It was obvious which room was the main bedroom.

Hunter headed right for it.

“I’m sure there are extra bedrooms.” I nodded down the hall. “Maybe we should take one of them.”

He glanced over his shoulder, grinning. “What fun is that?”

I laughed softly. “You’re terrible.”

But I followed him into the lavish master bedroom. It was huge and in the middle was a four-poster canopy bed. Hunter dropped our luggage on a settee as I checked out the bathroom.

“Holy garden tub,” I murmured. “This thing is huge.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s huge.” Hunter wrapped his arms around me from behind and tugged me back.

I flushed as I felt him against my lower back. Need swelled in me, warming my body. “That’s pretty low-grade.”

Hunter chuckled as he brushed his lips over my cheek. “It was.”

Then he backed off, and I leaned against the large sink—painted in gold, of course —and watched him. I was breathless already, and all I had felt was his erection.

Ridiculous.

His lips curved up like he knew what I was thinking. I ignored the warmth flooding through my veins and between my thighs.

“Are you tired?”

It was late and we hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, but I shook my head.

Hunter’s gaze turned knowing. “I know you want it.”

My belly tightened as desire swirled through me. “You do?”

He nodded, but then he did the unexpected. He stepped out of the bathroom. “You want to enjoy that tub. Go ahead. I’m going to check out the place, make sure it really is secure.”

I gaped at him as he shut the door. His deep chuckle from the other side of the door made me want to find a blunt object and throw it.

Bastard.

Sighing, I turned to the tub. The thing was glorious, round and deep with several faucets at the front. I turned them on, cranking up the hot water as I searched the bathroom for something to add to it. There were a ton of products in the linen cabinet and I settled on something that smelled like peaches. Adding that to the tub, I was quickly in a frothy heaven.

I stripped off my clothes and slipped into the water. The scrapes still stung a bit, but I stretched out, resting my head on the back of the tub as the bubbles grew around me, covering my chest.

“This is the absolutely most beautiful thing I’ve seen.”

Squeaking, my eyes popped open as I jerked up. Water and bubbles sloshed over the sides. “Oh my God…”

Hunter stood by the tub, completely nude. All the chiseled, rippled goodness on display, and he was hard. Really hard. I followed his gaze. He was staring at my breasts. “You’re such a guy.”

He shrugged. “I think you need help bathing, and I’m in a real generous mood.”

“I am feeling a little dirty.” I wanted to stick my head under the water, but the way Hunter’s eyes flared, I knew I had no reason to be embarrassed.

He liked it.

I scooted up as he climbed in behind me. Steam rose from the tub and the water stirred, causing bubbles to tickle my sides as he slid his legs on either side of my hips, his skin wet and smooth against mine.

Hunter brushed my hair over my shoulder, and then I felt his lips against the space between my shoulders. The kiss…I don’t know what it was about it, but it turned my insides to mush.

It was official. No denying it. I wasn’t falling in love with Hunter.

I was already in love with him.

Knots filled my tummy as the realization shuttled through me. Loving Hunter was absolutely insane, but the heat blossoming in my chest wrapped around the knots, unraveling them. My life was in absolute ruins. The government and another alien race were after us, but none of that mattered to my heart. Loving him was wrong in all the right ways.

His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me back between his legs. I turned my head toward him. “Did you check out the house?” I asked.

He pressed a kiss to my cheek, and I melted even more. “The place is like Fort Knox.” He lowered his head and nipped at my jaw as he reached around me, picking up a bar of soap. “Let me wash you.”

That was as much of a request as I’d ever heard from him. He lathered his hands up and then curved one down my arm, to the very tips of my fingers and in between them.

“You’re very thorough,” I said.

Hunter chuckled as he slid his hands back up, bringing water along with him.

“That’s my middle name.”

I laughed. “I just realized I don’t even know your middle or last name.”

His cheek rose against mine in a smile. “I don’t have one.”

“None?”

“None.” He moved on to my other hand, and his knuckles brushed the swell of my breasts. I jerked at the contact and he did it again as he washed away the soap. “You like that?”

I bit down on my lip. “What do you think?”

“I think you do.” He ran his hand down my back and over the flare of my hip. “My real name isn’t pronounceable, and when we came here my family never adopted a last name.”

“Coming here had to be overwhelming.” Words left me as his soapy hand slid over my stomach. “Right?”

“It was at first.” His hand smoothed up my stomach, brushing my breasts once again, and I found it hard to concentrate. “I was with my own kind—a pretty large group. We landed in the Baltic Region.”

“Landed?” Then I laughed. “Sorry. Picturing spaceships and stuff.”

He chuckled again and cupped water in his hand, rinsing away the soap. I held my breath as he moved a soapy hand over my right breast and then the left. My nipples tightened into aching points and I bit down on my lip.

“My family eventually came to America. I was still young.” Both of his hands were involved in the cleaning process now and his thumbs moved over my tips. I guessed he was being extra sure about my nipples being cleaned. “We’re very adaptive creatures, and it’s also in our nature to wander. So I traveled a lot.”

“What about schooling?”

He plucked at my nipples before his hands left them and dipped into the water. “I never went to school, and knowledge isn’t always gained from a classroom. Besides, our adaptability allows us to pick up things quickly.” Water cascaded over my breasts, causing my muscles to flutter. “The assimilated Luxen went to human schools, but our process was never like that.”

I wondered how many more old classmates were actually ETs. “So the DOD released the Luxen and they live like humans, but you all…?”

“Not so much.” His arms circled me. “We weren’t treated the same. I think they saw us as something lower than the Luxen, than them. When they find us, we aren’t given the option of playing human.”

“That’s not fair,” I whispered.

“Life’s rarely fair, sweetheart.” He slid his hands over my thighs as his lips brushed the curve of my jaw once more. “We’ve always been seen as a weapon. That’s what we are.”

“No.” Heat unfurled inside me, spreading sizzling shivers. “You’re more than a weapon, Hunter. So much more.”

“With you?” His voice was thick. “I am more, but not with anyone else.”

I didn’t have a chance to process that because his hand slipped between my thighs.

Pleasure thrummed in a heady dance as his fingers brushed my sex.

“I’m still being thorough,” he said.

My head fell back against his chest. “I see that.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m not taking this seriously,” he continued. His fingers moved slowly. “Because this is the most fucking serious thing I’ve ever done.”

“I believe you.” My hips jerked as the pressure of his touch increased. I wiggled, trying to get him where I wanted him. “Hunter…”

His other hand rose, cupping the back of my neck. He guided my head back and to the side. His lips hovered over mine. “I love hearing you say my name.”

The exact moment his lips closed over mine, he thrust his finger, capturing the moan as my hips rocked forward and then back against his erection. I reached up behind me, wrapping my arm around his neck. The kiss deepened and I was restless, wanting so much more. The steady pumping of his finger drove me crazy and close to the edge, but it wasn’t enough.

He knew it.

He was teasing me.

His mouth left mine and then his lips moved against my throat. The wet flicks of his tongue as he tasted my skin followed and I groaned. “Hunter.”

A low sound of approval hummed through his chest and in the next second, he grasped my hips, lifted me up, and turned me. Water splashed everywhere, but I was centered on him and not all the potential water damage.

Hunter lowered me, my knees sliding on either side of his hips. His thick manhood waited as he captured my mouth in a deep, searing kiss. I held on to his shoulders, soaking in the taste and feel of him. God, I couldn’t get enough of him.

“I need you,” he growled. “Now.”

My blood was on fire as I reached down, wrapping my fingers around his thick base. I lowered myself onto him, gasping as his thickness spread me. I placed my hands on his chest, running my thumbs over his nipples as his fingers dug into my hips.

He stared into my eyes, and his gaze was a heady mix of lust, yearning, and something far deeper as he thrust up and I cried out. He took me fully, sealing us together. The distinct pulse in my core hammered. I rolled my hips, moaning as I found a rhythm that reached every spot of me. He cupped my ass, pulling me down as he pushed up.

Quickly, the slow rolls and thrusts weren’t enough for either of us. He was panting and I was gasping. Our lips mashed together. My hands were on his cheeks, holding him there as our bodies moved together in a fast, almost frantic pace. A luscious wave of intense pleasure rolled over me. I was completely overwhelmed by him, but I had been since the beginning.

This was just more, so much more.

“You feel perfect,” Hunter grunted, slamming up and wringing a strangled moan from me. “You are perfect for me, only me.”

Those words sent me over the edge, tumbling into a release that shattered every part of my being. He was right, so damn right. I was perfect for him, only him.

Chapter 25 We lay together in bed, legs tangled and our bodies flush and damp. Her head rested on my chest while I traced lazy shapes along her hip and waist. The figure eight made her shiver and wiggle closer, so it was my favorite.

When we’d left the tub, water had been everywhere and as Serena had bent to retrieve towels from the linen closet in an attempt to clean up some of our damage, I got an eyeful of that curvy, perfect ass. I’d jumped her.

I’d flipped her around and in one powerful surge, lifted her, and pinned her body between the wall and mine. As my mouth had covered hers, I slammed inside, all the way. Her body yielded in a way that made me want to stay inside her, but it hadn’t been a slow seduction of soft touches. Her legs had wrapped around my waist and I couldn’t stop myself. Our joining was fast and pounding and she matched every thrust. Her wetness drove me to the brink, and when she convulsed around me, I followed her within seconds.

I’d carried her to the bed once I’d felt confident my knees wouldn’t fold under me.

I’d had every intention of letting her be at that point, but seeing her on those damn golden covers, her hair a halo of light clinging to her bare shoulders and breasts, an insatiable hunger swelled.

Not the kind to feed.

I’d wanted her again.

And I’d seen the hunger in her eyes, so I’d taken her again, on her knees. That lovely ass pressed against my hips, my arm around her slender waist. It hadn’t been gentle, but neither had Serena. She had reached around, her nails digging into my hips, urging me on. There were only the sounds of our bodies, our moans, and panting breaths. It was a fucking beautiful chorus. I was hungry for her, starving in a way a man needed a woman.

A man—not an Arum.

Fucking blew my mind, but it had been the truth. That time, the stirrings of a darker need never outweighed the want to be inside her, near her.

The buildup had been almost painful. There had been a fire inside me, shooting down my spine, filling my groin. I’d curled an arm under her breasts, held her up as my thrusts lost the rhythm and my hips grinded against her ass. We’d come at once, a fucking explosion of bright lights.

We’d fallen onto the bed afterward, exhausted and sated. I’d cupped her flushed cheek in one hand, brought those plump lips to mine and kissed her slowly, leisurely.

And we hadn’t moved since.

“Did I break you?” I asked, half serious because I’d taken her hard.

Her hand curled against my stomach as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.

“No. Did you think you did?”

I smoothed her hair back from her cheek. “I was…rough.”

She lifted herself up, eyes sleepy as she stared down at me. “And I enjoyed it.”

“Oh, that I know.”

“You’re so cocky.”

“Ah, don’t say anything with the word cock in it.”

“What?” She giggled. “Will I wake the slumbering beast?”

“The slumbering beast is always awake around you.” And hell if the “beast” wasn’t stirring. Instead of indulging in it, I settled her back down beside me, liking the way she felt. I plucked up a piece of her hair and twirled it around my finger.

“Do you think Luc will come through tomorrow?” she asked, voice quiet.

“Yes.” I unraveled the silky strand of her hair. “He’s a man of his word.”

“Man?”

I chuckled. “He’s a kid of his word.”

“I don’t understand Luc,” she admitted as she snuggled closer. Snuggled? Snuggled had become a part of my vocab? Fuck. “He doesn’t like Arum, Luxen, or DOD, but Paris was Luxen and Luc’s helping you. Why? And what the hell is he? One of those hybrids you mentioned?”

“Ah, Luc is…different. There really is no explaining what he is or how his logic works. I think he’s half insane to be honest.” The truth was Luc claimed to be a hybrid—a product of when a Luxen successfully healed a human and mutated their DNA—but I had my suspicions. He was like no hybrid I’d ever met.

Serena was quiet for so long I’d think she’d fallen asleep if it weren’t for the nervous energy humming around her. “Then you’ll have to feed after he gets you a piece of opal?”

There was no reason to bullshit with the answer even though I wanted to. “Yes.”

There was another long pause. “Then what?”

The million-dollar question. “My brother—the one I claim—lives outside of Atlanta.

He’s got a pretty nice setup going on. It would be safe…for us.”

Us. There. I said it. No big fucking deal.

Serena stilled, and damn if my heart didn’t do a very human thing and jump against my ribs. “I can’t go to Atlanta,” she said finally.

Not what I was expecting to hear. My brows furrowed as I tipped my head down.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

She took a deep breath, causing her breasts to push against my side and my cock jerked. Now was so not the time for that shit. “I need to go to Colorado,” she said. “I need to get in that post office and find what Mel wrote down.”

What in the fuck? I swore I did not hear her right, but her words bounced around in my skull. She wanted to go back to Colorado? “Are you insane?”

She coughed out a short laugh. “Honestly? Sometimes all of this makes me feel insane.”

That wasn’t a good enough answer. “You want to go back to the state where a very powerful Luxen lives—a Luxen that wants you dead?”

She frowned. “I remember that the senator wants me dead.”

“Are you sure? Because I can’t come up with another logical reason why you’d want to go back there.”

Serena sighed. “I need to go back, Hunter. I need to know what was worth Mel’s life— my life. Maybe whatever is in that letter can somehow bring the senator to justice.”

I barked out a short laugh. “He’s never going to be charged or held accountable for what he did to your friend or you, Serena. So you might as well let go of that.”

“I know he won’t be, but maybe whatever he’s planning is enough to take him off the grid—get him in trouble. At least then he gets some sort of punishment. It’s better than nothing, right? Because I can’t live with the fact that Mel’s murderer—the person ultimately responsible for her death—gets to live his life like he’s done nothing.”

I didn’t say anything to that. I got the need for revenge, but if she went back to Colorado, she would be killed.

“I can’t allow that,” I said—and, fuck, I felt righteous in my decision. I couldn’t let her do this, because she would die, and I wasn’t okay with that. And if I was honest, I was fucking terrified of the idea. Somehow, in the relatively short time I’d known Serena, she had wiggled her way into my cold body. She was my light, my warmth, and I wasn’t ready to let her go.

Serena sat up, shyly holding the sheet to her breasts, but her eyes were a steely brown as she met my gaze. “You can’t stop me, Hunter.”

I almost laughed, because I could stop her. “I can.”

Her hand curled into a fist around the edge of the sheet. “You aren’t keeping me safe from the DOD anymore. It’s not like you have to do this job any longer.”

“Job?” I sat up swiftly, startling her enough that she scooted back. “Do you really think this is a job to me?”

“It is a job to you.”

“It was a job to me, Serena. Not anymore.”

She seemed to work that over and then shook her head. “I can’t walk away from this.”

All I could see was her pretty eyes, lifeless and fixed. Pressure clamped down on my chest. “The hell you can’t.”

“And you can’t stop me,” she said again, taking a deep breath. Her voice was strong and even when she spoke again. “I appreciate everything you’ve done to keep me safe. I will never…I won’t forget that, but I have to get that letter.” She stopped again and took another deep breath, holding the sheet higher. “Please, Hunter, don’t try to stop me. I know you can, but please don’t do that to me.”

For a moment, I didn’t hear anything as I stared at her. Part of me didn’t know if I was just brushed off with the expression of gratitude or what. Wasn’t like I laid my soul bare or some kind of shit like that, but her response stung like a bitch. I cared for her. Couldn’t deny that shit any longer, but she hadn’t even considered that any of my actions were anything more than a job. Obviously I’d put more into this than she had, and here I was, worrying about her, fearing for her, and she thought I was just doing a job?

Fuuuuck.

An odd feeling traveled up the back of my neck, more than a prickle of irritation. I didn’t like this feeling—this sitting back and watching someone run off to their death.

It was helplessness and the only other time I’d felt that was when my sister lay dead before me. A wild range of emotion whirled through me, because instead of my sister, I saw Serena.

Anger flooded me like a dam bursting. I dropped my feet to the floor and stood.

“I’m not going to be a part of this suicidal mission, Serena.”

Her eyes widened. “Hunter—”

“No.” The temp in the room dropped and little bumps raced across her skin. The windows in the room iced over. “Not only is it suicidal, it’s stupid. How will you get there? By plane? Do you have money or an ID that the DOD won’t see in use? No.

Didn’t think so.”

She flinched as she drew back. “I can’t let this go. I can’t—”

“I get it. Finding out what Mel overheard is more important than your own life and —” I cut myself off before I said anything stupid. “You want to go back to Colorado, then fine. After we swing by Luc’s tomorrow, I’ll get your ass on a plane.”

Serena scrambled off the bed, taking the sheet with her. She opened her mouth, but I held my hand up, silencing her. “This will be better, because you’re right. It was a job and that job is over. You want to get more caught up in this shit, have at it. None of this is worth ending up dead. There’s better shit I could be doing besides babysitting you.”

Her face paled. Guilt simmered in my gut, because I’d struck where it counted. I’d hurt her with words. That’s what I was built to do, to be cold and apathetic. Worrying about her, fearing for her wasn’t in my nature. And caring for her? Fuck that. This—

this coldness building inside was what I was used to, what I needed. It was what let me leave the room without looking back.

I wasn’t a human male.

I was Arum.

And it was about time I started to remember that.

Chapter 26 Awkward and tense didn’t even begin to explain the atmosphere between Hunter and me as we drove to Luc’s club a little before noon. I couldn’t wrap my head around how fast things went south last night.

Through the time we’d gotten to know each other, something had been growing there, becoming more than mutual attraction and red-hot chemistry. There had also been a change in Hunter last night. He was warmer, more relaxed and gentle. Even caring and protective and all the things he’d said his kind were incapable of feeling, but the moment I talked about finding Mel’s letter, he’d become the Hunter I first met: brutally cold and arrogantly withdrawn.

There’s better shit I could be doing besides babysitting you.

I closed my eyes and swallowed against the knot in my throat as the Porsche traveled the highway at breakneck speeds. He’d said staying with me had been more than a job to him and then he goes and says that? That had sliced deep and was still cutting away every time those words replayed in my head.

I hadn’t expected him to be overjoyed with the idea of going to Colorado, but I’d thought he’d understand and support it. Deep down, as stupid as it was, I even thought that he’d cared enough to go with me.

As he coasted the Porsche down the exit, I forced my eyes open. They felt wet and I felt stupid for wanting to cry. Take out the fact that Hunter was an alien and all that jazz, falling for someone like this was just plain begging for heartbreak. High-stress situations amplified emotions. I knew this, and yet I’d allowed myself to fall for the extraterrestrial asshole.

Pushing my hair back from my face, I inhaled deeply. The light scent of his cologne invaded my senses, but so did the fresh air rolling in from the crack in the window.

I needed to prioritize.

There was too much to worry about than to fixate on my hurt feelings, no matter how badly I wanted to crawl into a bed and pull a blanket over my head. I needed to find money to get on the plane, pray that my name hadn’t been flagged, and get to the post office.

And then…?

I had no idea. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could slide back into my life like nothing happened. All I could do is find the letter and hopefully there was something in there that I could use as leverage with the DOD to provide me with some sort of the future. It would be risky taking that information to them, since they obviously wanted me dead, but they were the lesser of two evils. But what if the letter was gone?

Then I was totally screwed.

“Ready?”

Hunter’s voice drew me out of my thoughts and I glanced at him. His profile was stoic and the dark sunglasses shielded his eyes. There was nothing left of the man who made love to me repeatedly the night before.

I sighed and nodded. The makeshift parking lot was mostly empty, with the exception of a few random cars. I climbed out, tugging on my shorts as the humidity immediately clung to my skin.

Stealing another peek at the silent male as we made our way to the front door, I felt my stomach tighten and then drop. No matter what happened from this point on, whether I lived another dozen decades or survived just the week, I would be leaving him soon—very soon.

And I wouldn’t forget him. Ever.

My chest and throat burned as the bouncer opened the door before we could knock.

There wasn’t any small talk this time. He let us in and ushered us through the darkened club floor toward the office, closing the door behind us after grumbling something about Luc being on his way.

And then Hunter and I were alone again.

Awkward.

I sighed as I sat on the edge of the couch and thrummed my fingers on my knees.

Hunter slid his shades into his back pocket as he paced the length of the office, eyes glued to the door we’d come through.

I couldn’t stand this silence. Clearing my throat, I smoothed my hands along my legs. “So you’re going to Atlanta after this?”

Hunter stopped in the middle of the room and looked at me. His pale blue eyes were like bottomless pits—vacant and cold. “That is the plan.”

I shivered. “Does he live in Atlanta or…?”

“No. Marietta. Big cities do not appeal to us.” He cocked his head to the side. “The noise, smells, and lights are too much.”

With how sensitive his eyes were, I could understand that portion of the statement.

“Why the noise and smells?”

His hands opened and closed at his sides. “It’s too…human.”

And that was as much of an answer I got from him on that front. His eyes seemed to blaze as he started pacing again, making me edgy. “Would you stop?”

“What?” He passed me a cursory glance as he passed me.

“The pacing. It’s making me nervous as hell.” I wiped my sweaty palms along my jeans again. “I know you’re jonesing to get out of here, away from me and on your way, but do you think you can sit down for a few moments?”

Hunter stopped then, facing me fully. “You think that’s it?”

I met his stare, and he shook his head. “What?” I demanded.

He stared at me long and hard, as if he were peeling back layers of skin. “You are a foolish woman, Serena.”

My mouth dropped open and irritation raged through me like a hot summer storm.

“I’m a foolish woman? Well, you’re a complete asshole.”

“So I’ve been told,” he replied calmly. “But that doesn’t change the truth.”

I shot to my feet, my own hands forming fists. A half smile appeared on his full lips, like I amused him. That just pissed me off more. “You are a dick, Hunter. You know that? An emotionless dick, and you tell me I’m foolish? And stop smiling at me!

It’s not funny.” I was like a volcano about to spew fire and ash in his face. “I’m about two seconds from knocking that smile off your face, you ass!”

That half smile had spread during my tirade, changing his features and warming his eyes. “Sorry.”

He didn’t sound or look sorry at all. “I didn’t ask you for any of this, you know? I didn’t ask you to keep me safe or to bring me here or to do anything—” Within a heartbeat, Hunter was in front of me, so fast that I jerked back and would’ve toppled onto the couch if he hadn’t grasped my shoulders. He lowered his head so that his lips were inches from mine. Unwanted, edgy desire sent my hormones racing.

“I like you like this,” he said in a low, deep voice.

I sputtered as I ignored the heat building between us like an overworked furnace.

“You like me angry? You’re disturbed.”

“Possibly,” he murmured. “And I know you didn’t ask for any of this. I know—” Hunter let go of me suddenly and went ramrod straight, eyes wide and nostrils flared. I swayed unsteadily as he turned to the door, his head cocked again. The unnatural stillness of him caused knots to form in my belly.

“What is it?” I asked, wrapping my arms around my waist. The temp in the room had dropped fast.

He glanced back at me. “There is a Luxen here.”

“Paris?”

Hunter shook his head. “No. It’s not Paris.”

Icy fear slithered through me and into my chest, where it wrapped around my heart.

He turned to me quickly, placing his cool hand on my cheek. A moment passed before he spoke. “I’m going to check this out.”

“But—”

“I’ll be back,” he said, eyes like burning chips of ice. “If things go south…”

He didn’t finish, and I didn’t have a chance to say anything. He was out the door before I could blink an eye. The temp in the room rose a little, as if he took the coldness with him. My heart pounded against my ribs like it wanted to jump out of my chest and run screaming.

I waited about three minutes and couldn’t do it any longer. Mind made up, I darted toward the door and inched it open. The narrow hallway was dimly lit by the track lighting. I made it halfway down the hall when a flash of intense white light tinged in red lit up the club.

My heart dropped. I recognized that light. What had Hunter called it? The Source?

There was a Luxen here and it wasn’t a friendly one.

Male voices rose, and then I heard Luc say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

Hunter is very, very hungry.”

What the…? Luc didn’t sound too concerned about what was happening, so I rushed forward. Coming to a halt at the end of the hall, my mouth dropped open.

Luc was standing off to the side, wearing a shirt that said something about zombies, and Hunter was in his true form, a thick solid mass with pale eyes. On the other side of the room was another man. One that was younger than me, maybe eighteen or so.

Unruly dark brown hair fell in careless waves across his forehead. He was almost as tall as Hunter, which would make him gargantuan, but not as broad. His face…wow, there really were no words, and I felt like a creeper for even allowing my mind to go there for half a second.

The stranger was attractive in a mind-blowing way.

His eyes were glowing spheres of white as static crackled down his arm, followed by the intense light. Fear tripped up my heart as the stranger zeroed in on Hunter, but Hunter did nothing but cock his head like he was daring the younger Luxen to do something.

Was he insane?

“Hunter,” I said, my voice sounding too loud.

His head snapped toward me, as did the Luxen’s. The light around his arm fizzled out and I swore the stranger’s mouth dropped open.

YOU SSSHOULDN’T HAVE COME OUT HERE . Hunter’s voice filtered through my thoughts.

Everything isss okay.

Everything did not look okay. Weird? Yes. Everything looked weird. “But he’s one of them.”

The Luxen’s eyes widened and the eerie glow faded, revealing eyes that were an extraordinary green color, so bright and deep it reminded me of spring grass.

Hunter’s head swung back to the Luxen and his chest rose as he took a step back. A second later, he was in his human form. “Serena, go back to Luc’s office.”

Jesus, did he get off on bossing me around? “Excuse me?”

His eyes narrowed on me, and an instant later, the bouncer appeared out of nowhere and strode across the dance floor, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “This really ain’t where ya need to be right now.”

I dug in. “But—”

“Come on, I got some stuff to show you.”

Hunter’s dark brows furrowed. “What stuff?”

The bouncer winked over his shoulder. “Stuff.”

I wasn’t given much of a choice. Seconds later, I was back in the office, angry at being bossed around, but also worried about what was happening out there.

Taking a spot in front of the door, the bouncer folded his arms across his massive chest. “Those two ain’t gonna hurt each other, so you can relax.”

Relaxing was the last thing I was going to do. “They don’t look like they’re about to hug.”

He cracked a toothy grin. “That might be the truth, but that boy has got bigger problems than messing with an Arum. Bigger problems than you, to tell the truth.”

“Like what?” I challenged. Considering how messed up my life was right now, I doubted that.

The bouncer unfurled his arms and scratched at his chin. A couple of moments passed and then he said, “They took his girl from him, and getting her back ain’t going to be easy. Probably impossible.”

Not expecting that, I took a step back and plopped down on the couch. “Who took her?”

“The government.”

My head churned that over. “Why?”

One large shoulder rose in a shrug. “Why not? The gov does what it wants. So do the Luxen. So do the Arum.” He paused. “We’re in their world, babe. Don’t ya worry about the Luxen boy in there with Luc. Worry about yourself.”

I didn’t have a lot of time to mull those happy, happy words over. The door swung open and Hunter stalked in, totally unscathed. I started to get to my feet.

He held up a hand. “I’m fine.”

“I can see that. What was going on out there?”

“Nothing really,” he answered. The bouncer left the room and Hunter faced me.

“He’s here to talk to Luc. It has nothing to do with us.”

I felt guilty for the amount of relief that coursed through me. “It’s about…a girl?”

Hunter nodded, seeming distracted. “That’s what it sounds like.”

Thinking about what the bouncer had said, I leaned back against the surprisingly comfortable cushion. “Why would they take her away? Did she find out what he was?”

“I don’t know why, but I’m thinking it’s more than that. Maybe he mutated her.”

Hunter rubbed at his forehead. “Either way, if they’ve got her, then he has little hope of getting her out.”

I sucked in a soft breath, saddened by the situation, even though the boy outside was a Luxen and I didn’t know them. Another life in shambles, and for what? I really didn’t know. Honestly, I didn’t know anything anymore.

“You’re so human.”

Lifting my head, I found Hunter watching me with a curious expression. “Yeah, that’s me. Human through and through.”

He took a step toward me but stopped. “I didn’t mean that as an insult. I can see your sadness for them. You care for them even though you never met them. It is very human of you.”

I really didn’t know what to think of that. Empathy wasn’t something abnormal to me and I didn’t think it was such a strange notion to Hunter, either. “You’re more human than you realize, Hunter.”

He looked like he wished to argue, but the door opened once more and Luc prowled in, sending Hunter a sidelong glance. “You should’ve stayed in here, Hunter.”

“Call me crazy, but I didn’t like the idea of a Luxen being here and me not knowing what was going down.”

Luc walked behind the desk and sat down. “You are crazy, but that has been established already. Anyway, let’s get this show on the road before I have more unexpected visitors crawling out of my ass.”

My brows rose, but I wisely said nothing.

Luc opened up a door and pulled out a slender silver cuff. In the middle was a black, oval-shaped piece of opal with a red streak down the middle. He tossed it over to Hunter, who snatched it out of the air with a flick of his wrist. I’d swear the moment Hunter slapped that cuff around his wrist, his cheeks brightened.

Weird.

“You know I don’t give these over easily. I’ve turned better allies away when they needed one.” Luc paused. “Therefore this counts toward your one favor.”

“Fine.” Hunter’s gaze darkened. “That’s all I need.”

“Not true. You need a Luxen to feed from.”

Hunter cracked his neck to the side. “I can find a Luxen elsewhere.”

Luc smiled. “That would be unnecessary. I can work that out for you, provide a willing snack, but you’ll owe me.”

“Willing?” I glanced back and forth. “There’s Luxen willing to be fed off of?”

“There are Luxen willing to do anything for me,” Luc corrected. “And this way it will be much safer and quicker. Not to mention, you’re getting someone’s permission.

That’s good karma, Hunter. You could use that.”

Hunter scowled. “Yeah, and then I owe you. I know how this game works. No thank you.”

“Aw.” Luc feigned hurt. “My favors aren’t that bad.”

“Yeah, and I’m secretly a cuddly rabbit.”

A broad grin crossed Luc’s face as he propped his elbows on the table. “Look, all I would ask is for you to help me out in a time of need. That’s all. Agree to that and then I’ll bring someone in here. Easy. Painless. You’ll be on your way.”

Hunter opened his mouth, but I stepped in. “Wait. So you’d just need help one day?

Help with what?”

“Whatever I may need help with,” he replied.

Hunter sighed.

“And this Luxen seriously won’t have a problem with Hunter feeding off him?”

“Seriously.”

I looked at Hunter. Granted, I had no idea what kind of whacked-out favors Luc could call in, but forcing a Luxen, no matter what their race had done, didn’t set well with me.

Hunter met my stare and then cursed under his breath as he turned back to a positively beaming Luc. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll help you in your time of need.”

I let out a breath as Luc rose and clapped his hands. “Great.” He pulled a phone out of his pocket, his fingers flying over the screen. “This shouldn’t take long at all.”

“Is it that punk ass from outside?” Hunter started to smile. “Because I really would enjoy that.”

I thought of the young man with the fierce green eyes and doubted he’d agreed to that.

Luc laughed. “No. He’s got his hands full right now.”

Hunter looked disappointed, but a few moments later, he stilled and I knew a Luxen had arrived. The two headed to the door.

“You should really stay in here this time,” Hunter said.

For once, I listened. Watching the unlikely duo leave the office, I dropped my head into my hands. Witnessing Hunter feed wasn’t high on my to-do list. There was already enough that reminded me of how different we truly were.

Chapter 27 The Luxen Luc had brought in had been the typical arrogant fuck, but was surprisingly accommodating when it came to the feeding. Methinks he got off on the pain. Whatever.

Raw and pure energy coursed through me, amplified by the opal. If I didn’t do anything crazy with the borrowed energy, I’d be riding this wave for a long time.

When the Luxen scampered off, I turned to Luc. He leaned against the bar and folded his arms, giving me an arched look. “What?” I asked.

He shrugged one shoulder. “So what’s the plan now?”

The plan—the fucking plan. I turned, shoving my hand through my hair. “I’m heading to Georgia.”

“To your brother?”

I nodded.

“Sounds like a good idea. He knows how to stay off the radar.” He paused. “And what about Serena?”

Facing Luc, I wondered why in the hell I was even considering talking to him about this. Then again, it was Luc, and weird shit always happened around him. “She wants to go back to Colorado.”

He raised his brows. “And for what?”

“There’s something her friend left behind. It might be important.”

“I’m assuming it has to do with what her friend overheard and the Luxen’s nefarious plans?” When I didn’t answer, Luc laughed softly. “If there’s evidence of that, it is important. Though, I doubt bringing such things to light would change anything.”

“So you think Serena should go back there? Risk her life?”

Luc hopped up on the bar and let his legs dangle off. “I think it’s all rather pointless.

Evidence is important, but like I said, it ain’t going to change a damn thing. The DOD will shove their heads further into the sand or they’ll just go after Luxen who don’t have anything to do with this Project Eagle.”

I frowned. “Is there really anything such as a good Luxen?”

“Is there really such a thing as a good Arum?” he challenged. “I’m sure you would’ve considered your sister a good one.”

My jaw locked down. “If you value your life at all, you will not ever speak of my sister.”

“Hey.” He raised his hands. “All I am saying is that there are innocent baby aliens on both sides. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. You aren’t planning on accompanying Serena to Colorado?”

I snorted. “I don’t have a death wish.”

“And you’re seriously going to let her go by herself?”

I opened my mouth but said nothing. I wanted to say yes, because that would be the easy and smart thing to do, but that one damn word wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

But I already knew the truth. I wasn’t going to let her go without me. I never would have.

Luc pursed his lips. “Well, maybe I read it wrong.”

My irritation resurfaced. “Read what?”

“You and her.”

“And?” When he said nothing, I forced myself not to punt-kick him off the bar.

“Fuck. What about us?”

Luc shrugged again. “I just didn’t think you’d let her go off by herself. That you’d be more, I don’t know, concerned about her well-being.”

“Why would you think that?”

He raised his brows.

“I’m an Arum, Luc. I’m not a fucking human, a Luxen, or whatever the hell you are.” I stalked over to where he sat and he just smiled at me. “I’m not—”

“Fooling me,” he cut in with a fucking wink. “You went against the DOD to protect her. You killed two officers, which is a death sentence for you if they ever catch you.

Call me crazy, but that means something.”

“Means what?”

Luc cocked his head to the side. “You never struck me as the stupid type, Hunter.”

My eyes narrowed. “And you never struck me as the suicidal type, smartass.”

He laughed. “All I’m saying is that you know what it means. You just don’t want to acknowledge it yet.”

“Why don’t you enlighten me, you little tool.”

Casting me a sideways look, he hopped down and started back toward the office.

“Arum are pretty thick-skulled.”

For a brief moment I entertained the idea of throwing him across the club. “Luc.”

He spared me a quick grin as he opened the door. Beyond him, Serena jumped up from the couch, her gaze moving from me to Luc.

She clasped her hands together. “Did everything go…uh, smoothly?”

“He’s fed like a fat baby,” Luc replied, and I rolled my eyes. “So you’re heading to Colorado?”

Serena glanced at me. “Yes.”

“How are you getting there?” he asked.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the next; the air around her humming a faint blue. “I really don’t know.”

Luc smiled. “Well, flying will be too risky. You can’t do that. But I have a few spare cars you can borrow, plus some money for gas and food. It’s about a twenty-three-

hour drive, so you’ll—”

“Wait a sec,” I interrupted as I moved between them. “You’re going to give her a car and money to go there?”

Luc blinked innocently. THAT LITTLE FUCK.

“I gave you a piece of opal and a Luxen to nom-nom on.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I growled. “It’s dangerous—”

“Then go with her,” he threw out as he turned back to Serena. “That is, if she even wants you to go with her. I would totally understand if she didn’t.”

Oh, for the love of fuck. “She’s not going to Colorado by—”

“She is standing right here, buddy.” Serena got right up in my face, and it was almost laughable. “You don’t have a say in this at all, if I remember correctly.”

I stared down at her. The chick was insane. Eyes more green than brown, fiery and alive, and her chin stuck out stubbornly. She looked like she wanted to throttle me.

Fucking hot.

“Maybe I’ll let you two talk this out.” Luc began backing up toward the door.

Serena crossed her arms. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

I shot Luc a look and he bowed out, much to Serena’s displeasure. She huffed.

“There seriously isn’t anything to talk about.”

Leaning against the desk, I fought to keep a stupid smile off my face…and kiss her, because I really wanted to get my hands all over her right now. Doubted she’d be up for that right this second. “I can’t let you go there by yourself.”

“This conversation is stupid.” She turned away, tugging a hand through her hair.

“You’ve already said your piece last night and so did I. You can’t stop me.”

“I’m not planning on stopping you.”

Serena faced me, brows lowered. “Then what are you saying?”

Good question. “I’m going with you.”

Her mouth dropped open and, yeah, the statement surprised me. Up to three minutes ago, there was no way in hell that I’d go there, but Luc was right about her

“well-being” and all that shit.

She shook her head slowly. “You said that going to Colorado was stupid and suicidal.”

“And also pointless,” I added. “But I can’t let you do this alone.”

Her eyes widened. “Why? You seemed pretty damn sure about your decision last night.”

I really had no idea what to say to that.

“Is it because Luc was giving me a way to go? Do you actually feel guilty now?” She laughed then. “Do Arum even feel guilty?”

“Typically? No.”

Her eyes rolled. “Look, I don’t want you going with me because you feel you have to.”

“I do feel like I have to.”

Serena’s lips thinned, and then she shook her head again. “This is not your problem.”

“You are my problem.”

Now she stared at me like I asked to hump her leg. Perhaps I was saying the wrong things and should shut the fuck up.

Serena blinked rapidly and then she started for the door. “I’m not your problem, Hunter. Not anymore. You did your job. It’s over. Go to your brother. I don’t expect you to risk your life for something that has nothing to do with you.”

“Wait.” I moved so I was in front of Serena and placed my hands on her shoulders.

“I’m saying this the wrong way.”

She arched a brow. “You think?”

I took a shallow breath. “I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t know what’s going on in my head, Serena. I’ve been thinking things I’ve never thought before, so all of this is new to me. I’m saying the wrong shit, so let me start over?”

She stared up at me and then nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“I wouldn’t have let you go there by yourself. I thought—fuck—I thought if I said that, you wouldn’t go without me. I wanted you to go to Georgia so you’d be safe, and so that you’d be with me. Not because I thought it was my job. And I didn’t want you to go to Colorado because I don’t want you to get hurt. It is dangerous, and I…I don’t like the thought of that.” Shit. Next I’ll hold her hand and start talking about butterflies and rainbows. Fuck me. “Look, I get why you need to do this. I don’t agree with it, but I’m going to…be there with you, and afterward we will go to Georgia together.”

Her throat worked. “All of that is…so very human.”

I winced.

A soft laugh escaped her. “It’s not really a bad thing, you know?”

“Your opinion.”

Serena tipped her head back and several moments passed before she spoke. “What does all of this mean? You’ve already risked so much and you’re going to do it again.

And you want me to go to Georgia with you.” Two bright pink spots appeared on her cheeks. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had feelings for me.”

It felt like a python had wrapped itself around my chest. Even though I didn’t know what it felt like to have “feelings” for someone that went beyond wanting to fuck them or kill them or get away from them, there was so much truth in her words.

She laughed at what was most likely a fucked-up expression on my face. “Baby steps,” she said. “We’ll take baby steps.”

Chapter 28 I used to believe that Colorado was in the middle of the United States. I’m not sure why I thought this, but I discovered that Kansas was indeed the middle of the United States.

How did I know this useless factoid?

We stopped to fill up on gas in Lebanon. While Hunter did the car thing, I headed in for some snacks. Their signs proudly proclaimed itself as the middle of the United States. Awesome.

Arms full with the kind of food that would add ten pounds to my ass in a heartbeat, I headed across the cracked pavement as a county cruiser rolled in. It slowed down as it passed me, windows up and tinted.

I shivered in spite of the heat as I hurried to where Hunter was shutting the latch on the gas tank. “See the police car?”

He glanced over his shoulder as he unloaded half of my fattening goodies from my arms. “Yeah. What about it?”

Maybe I was being paranoid? I shrugged. “I don’t know. Just gave me the creeps. It was like I could feel him…watching me.”

Hunter opened my car door as he eyeballed the cruiser. With the leather pants and dark sunglasses, he looked pretty badass doing it.

I slid in as the police car door opened. A portly, older cop hauled himself out and headed into the convenience store without a backward glance in our direction.

Letting out the breath I was holding, I smiled up at Hunter. “I guess he was just staring at the junk food I was carrying.”

He smirked and then closed the door.

Back on the road, the creeped-out feeling vanished as we dug into the food. I also learned that Hunter only needed one hand to drive. I got real intimately familiar with the other hand. Hunter was…very talented.

A few times throughout the trip, he picked up on the passing presence of Luxen and Arum, but we didn’t have any problems. Though his alien senses were going off about a mile outside of Denver. As we traveled further on South Broadway, drawing closer to the post office, acid was chewing a hole through my stomach.

Hunter squeezed my knee. “You’re nervous.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”

I shot him a look. “Too late now. We’re almost there , and who could we seriously trust to do this?”

“We need to be quick about this.” He coasted into the right lane. “Implants are everywhere, and with a huge community of Luxen nearby, I won’t be able to sense them until they are right on top of us.”

My heart turned over. “I know.”

Silence descended as the post office came into view, and I couldn’t help but ask myself if I was doing the smart thing. I wasn’t, but sometimes the smart thing wasn’t the same thing as the right thing.

Hunter parked the Porsche behind the post office, near a large delivery truck and loading dock. He looked over at me. “Let’s do this.”

Wishing I could sound and look half as ass-kick as he did, I fished the little key off the ring stashed in my purse and then opened the door. No more than a heartbeat later, he was beside me, taking my hand in his.

I expected a SWAT team consisting of DOD officers, Arum, and Luxen to descend on us as we hurried around the side of the building and through the automatic doors, but no one was around. The lobby and rows of post office boxes were empty.

“What number is hers?” he asked.

I glanced down at the key just to confirm what I already knew. “Eight-hundred and fifty-two.”

Hunter craned his neck and sighed, spying the rows in the back. I could tell he didn’t like this, but I headed forward, determined to get into that damn box. Hopefully this wasn’t for nothing and someone had canceled her box and all the mail had been removed.

With little difficulty, I found her PO box and after wiggling the key a couple of times, the metal door swung open. Envelopes of all colors and sizes, magazines, and junk mail spilled forth and onto the floor.

“Holy shit,” Hunter said.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Mel…well, she rarely checked her PO box and, when she did, she left stuff in it, and I’m sure a lot of this came after she…she died.”

“She didn’t die.” Hunter knelt down and began sorting through the mail on the floor. “She was murdered. There is a difference.”

He was right. There was a huge difference between the two. Throat thick, I reached inside the box and pulled out what was left. A lot was postmarked after she was murdered.

Tossing the junk back into the box, I tried my best not to get affected by seeing Mel’s name on every letter, or the overdue bills that was so her, or the half dozen animal cruelty organizations she belonged to.

It was almost too much going through these things.

Hunter stood and wrapped his hand around my arm, drawing my attention. Blinking back tears, I looked up and cleared my throat. “What?”

“Would you like me to go through them? Or we can take all of this out of here.”

The offer meant a lot to me, it really did, but I shook my head. “No. I can go through these, and I don’t want to take it with me.”

He looked like he wanted to say more, but went back to thumbing through his pile. I stopped on an Adam and Eve catalog and then my breath caught. “Hunter, what is it?”

His head had jerked up, eyes narrowing, and then he turned, scanning the bits of the lobby we could see. “I sense another Arum. Close.”

Unease exploded in my stomach. “Would an Arum be working with the senator or any Luxen here?”

“Not likely.” He placed the mail back in the box. “But one could be working with the DOD. I’m going to check out the front. Whoever it is, they’re outside. Stay here.”

I nodded and Hunter started off, but then he spun around and clasped my cheeks.

Tilting my head back, his eyes locked with mine. “I’ll be right back.”

“I know.”

A half smile appeared and then he was gone in a stir of icy wind. Letting out a shaky breath, I turned back to the mail and lifted the catalog, revealing a hand-scribbled note on notebook paper.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, dropping the rest of the mail.

This was it. The freaking letter Mel had written herself. It was her handwriting, starting off with describing the Vanderson brothers as light bulbs. This was so it. I almost couldn’t believe it.

My hands shook as I scanned the letter quickly, and then I had to read it again because I couldn’t believe what I was reading or that Mel wouldn’t have remembered this when she spoke to me.

Or maybe she had been too scared to even speak it out loud because I almost wanted to be able to unread what I had seen. Not knowing…dear God, not knowing was almost better. There wasn’t anything new about Pennsylvania, but what was in here…

Project Eagle was in response to the government organization known as the Daedalus. What Mel had overheard really wouldn’t have made any sense to her, but it did to me knowing what I did.

Project Eagle was world domination.

It was a plan to contact the Luxen who hadn’t come to Earth yet—an honest to God invasion from within the Daedalus, using the origin. There was nothing explaining what the “origin” was, but those hundreds of thousands of Luxen Hunter had spoken about? Project Eagle was about bringing them here.

I shook my head. “I don’t believe it.”

“Neither do I,” said an unfamiliar voice. “But then again, seeing is believing.”

My stomach dropped as I whipped around, holding the letter close to my chest. A man stood at the entrance of the row Mel’s post office box was in. He was tall, dark haired, and had extraordinarily bright blue eyes. The faint light outlining his body gave away what he was.

A Luxen.

Air punched out of my lungs and I took a step back, bumping into the metal boxes behind me.

“Wondering how I’m here?” He spread his arms out to his sides. “We have eyes everywhere, sweetheart. That little podunk gas station in Kansas? Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where you were heading.”

That fucking cop! I knew it. I forced my tongue to work. If I could keep him talking, it would hopefully give Hunter enough time to get back, unless something happened—I cut myself off there before panic took root. I couldn’t afford to even think about that. “How did you find me here?”

He tsk ed softly. “Did you think we didn’t know about that letter?”

“What?” I gasped.

The Luxen laughed jovially. “We checked everything of your friend’s and discovered the note. We kept it there, hoping that it would draw you back. The letter isn’t the lost link, sweetheart. It isn’t the last chain of evidence that we need to take care of. After all, we know she talked to you. About how much? Anyone’s guess. So you were the last link in this chain.”

Oh.

Oh crap.

He stepped forward, tipping his chin down, and I pushed away from the boxes.

“Now, don’t try to run. You’re not going to escape. And your Arum friend? He won’t be coming to your aid.”

My chest seized.

“You should never trust an Arum .” The Luxen’s smile was almost as blinding as the light radiating down his arm. “They only care about themselves.”

Refusing to believe that Hunter would’ve betrayed me in such a way, I held my ground as I eyed the lobby behind him. “You’re lying.”

The Luxen shook his head slowly, still smiling. “Silly human…”

Around his arm, a light flared and pulsed brightly. In a split second, every instinct I owned roared to life. My legs moved before my brain caught up with them. I twisted at the waist and started to run. A scream built in my throat and my fingers tightened around Mel’s letter.

Bright light burst through the entire room. White-hot pain exploded along my spine before I could take a step, frying every nerve ending. Pain stole my breath and tripped up my heartbeat. My legs folded under me like an accordion…and then there was nothing.

…

The moment I stepped out into the thick night air, I realized it was a mistake—a stupid, motherfucking mistake. I turned to go back inside when a dark shadow pulled away from the side of the building, materializing as he grew closer.

It was the Arum from the airport, the day I had received my orders to watch over Serena and retrieve her.

“Interesting seeing you again,” I said, squaring my shoulders.

He wore his sunglasses, at night, like a total tool. “Is it?”

“I think so.” I took a step forward, and then felt it. Others. Luxen. My entire being focused not on what was in front of me, but on Serena. I’d left her unprotected in there. “Working with Luxen?”

“I wouldn’t say I was working with them, more like freelancing.”

My brother—Lore—freelanced like a mofo, and even he didn’t work with Luxen.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“It’s best to just walk away from this, brother.”

I didn’t even bother responding to that. Reaching behind me, I gripped the handle of the obsidian blade and pulled it out of its protective sheath. The Arum caught sight of the glowing red blade and shifted. I wasn’t wasting time with this shithead, though.

Moving lightning fast, I shot forward and slammed the obsidian blade deep into the Arum’s chest. He shuddered as I withdrew the blade, and then he rose up, blocking out the dim entrance lights before the mass splintered and broke apart.

I made it to the door when a ball of fucking light slammed into my shoulder, knocking me sideways. I threw out my hand, catching myself on the brick wall. Holy shit, they were using the Source in the wide open? They weren’t fucking around.

There wasn’t much time to think.

A seven-foot glowworm barreled out from inside the post office and crashed into me. I skidded back several steps and then dug in, pushing the glowing bastard back.

Glass shattered as he hit the door. He rebounded, shaking it off, and charged me.

More prepared this time, I spun out to the side and then saw two more coming straight at me. I didn’t have time for this shit. If the Luxen had been inside, it meant they had gotten in from another entrance and they had been inside with Serena.

My heart thundered in my chest.

Cocking back my arm, I let the obsidian dagger fly. It hit the Luxen straight in the chest. Obsidian wasn’t deadly to Luxen, but a blade in the heart sure did the trick.

Another slammed into me and we went into the air, spinning in and out of our true forms as we hit the roof of the post office and slid across it. The Luxen was on top and there was a flash of a red-hot blade swinging down.

Blocking the downward attack, I rolled the Luxen onto his back and wrenched the obsidian from his hand. Without the leather handle, the blade burned, but I ignored it as I shoved it deep into the Luxen’s chest. Then I shifted and fed.

Immediately I tapped into the Luxen’s last thoughts. He blocked most of them, but I saw through his eyes Serena’s wide eyes filled with fear, heard his taunts. Saw Serena on the floor, eyes closed and face contorted in pain. She had been handed off to someone, taken.

I drained that fucker dry.

Dropping his body, I sprang to my feet as the other Luxen rushed over the ledge.

With the last feeding, this one, and the opal, these fuckers were absolutely no match for me. I caught him around the throat, slamming him into the roof with enough force that the cement cracked.

I latched on to the Luxen as I shifted into my true form. Where isss ssshe?

The Luxen slipped into his human form, eyes wide as his back bowed off the ground. “I-I don’t know.”

Bullssshit. Tell me where they took her and I’ll let you live.

When the Luxen didn’t answer, I reared back with my free arm and slammed my fist into his jaw, cracking his head back. I CAN DRAG THISSS OUT FOR AN ETERNITY. DO YOU underssstand me? Tell me where ssshe isss and you will walk away from thisss.

It took a few more minutes of convincing, and by then dark red blood that shone a shimmery blue spilled across the roof. The Luxen started singing like a canary.

“They took her to the senator. He…he has her.”

I withdrew my hand a fraction of an inch. You will take me to her.

The Luxen shuddered and a gurgling sound rose in his throat. “It’ll be too…late.

She’s already good as dead.”

My heart stopped, literally fucking stopped at those words, and then I rose, bringing the Luxen with me as I shifted into my human form. “For your sake and everyone you ever cared about, you better hope that’s not the case.”

Chapter 29 I floated through the darkness, void of pain or any conscious thoughts until a sharp tingle invaded the blissful oblivion. It started in my toes and traveled up my legs and torso, spreading to my arms, and by then the tingle had turned into a deep throbbing.

My awareness came back to me in pieces. My cheek was pressed against something cool and damp, as was my entire body. Cement? Made sense as it was hard and unyielding.

Every part of my body ached as I forced my eyes open and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. A dim light flickered above, casting long shadows over the exposed wood in the walls. I was in a room, maybe a warehouse? I didn’t know for sure.

But I wasn’t dead.

And I knew that I would probably wish I were dead very soon, because that meant the Luxen had me. Panic unfurled in the pit of my stomach, suffocating like thick smog. My chest wheezed on the next choking breath I took. A cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

All kinds of crazy stuff flooded my thoughts—torture, alien probes, death by panic attack. Christ, the possibilities were endless, and each one had my pulse pounding, but I couldn’t afford to lose it. I needed to get up, to get out of wherever I was before it was too late—and nothing was scarier than too late.

Drawing in several deep breaths, I slid my hands along the floor and pushed with arms that shook so badly I wondered if there was permanent nerve damage.

“You’re awake. Good. I don’t have all night.”

My heart turned over heavily at the sound of the smooth, cultured voice. I’d heard it before, never in person, but on the TV and local news countless times.

Senator Vanderson.

There was a deep chuckle, as if he could hear my racing thoughts. I sat up, wincing at the sharp spike of pain radiating from my temples. “What did…?”

“What did we do to you?” His voice sounded closer. “You were hit with the Source.

Not enough to kill you, of course, but I imagine the feeling could only be compared to getting hit with an extremely high-powered Taser.”

I lifted my head and my vision swam for a moment before clearing.

Senator Vanderson stood only a few feet away, legs widespread and arms at his side. He wore a tailored, dark gray suit, and for some reason, I focused on the red hanky in his suit pocket before dragging my eyes upward.

The senator was an extraordinarily handsome man. I’d always thought that had helped him in the polls. He looked like something straight out of the Yacht Club of the Month magazine, complete with light brown hair, grayed at the temples, and vibrant, clear blue eyes.

Right now, he was smiling like he had in many interviews. Before, I hadn’t noticed how practiced the smile was or how cold it came across. I did now.

I struggled to get the words out. “Where am I?”

He knelt down, one lip curling in disgust as his knee brushed the dirtied floor.

“Does it matter? Let me answer that for you. It doesn’t. No one will find you here. No one will come.”

I thought of Hunter and his name burned through me. “Hunter will come for me.”

Senator Vanderson tipped his head back and laughed. “Do you really think an Arum will risk his life for you? An Arum is only concerned with what benefits him, honey.”

“He’s not like other Arum.”

“An Arum is an Arum when it comes down to it,” the senator replied. “He would’ve had to go through my best men, and even if he put the effort into it, which is doubtful, he would’ve needed to make them talk and that won’t have happened. He’s not coming.”

“You’re wrong.” I slid my legs away from him. “You’re so wrong.”

“You put so much faith in an Arum? Repulsive,” he sneered, his face suddenly inches from mine. “The Arum are nothing more than what a human would call a parasite. They are not worth the filthy floor you lie upon.”

Anger rose so swiftly it nearly choked me. “Do you think you’re better than them?”

I tossed back. “You’re not. You’re worse—” His hand shot out so fast I didn’t have a chance to stop the blow. Pain exploded along the side of my face as the crack of his hand against my cheek echoed through the warehouse. Eyes watering, I gasped at the metallic taste pooling inside my mouth.

Senator Vanderson grasped my chin in a painful grip, forcing my head back to meet his brilliant stare. “Don’t you dare compare us to them. Ever. They are not even on the same scale as us, and neither are humans. We are not at the top of the food chain, Miss Cross. We own the food chain.” He let go and stood. Yanking the hanky out of his pocket, he wiped his hand off and then tossed the scrap of silk to the side. “See, that’s the problem with humans. Your kind has no common sense or ability to recognize your superiors. Your whole race consists of nothing but followers , and you always align yourselves with the weakest link. You’re more pathetic than the Arum at their lowest moment, when their entire race knelt before us and begged for their lives.”

I pressed my palm against my aching jaw. The pain, anger, and fear were a bad combination, but mix that in with the bone-deep knowledge that I was going to die, it was all a dangerous grouping. My filters were absent from this party. “I’m pretty sure you’re also at the top of the arrogance chain, too.”

The senator smirked. “We just know our place, Miss Cross. You may deem it arrogance, but in reality it is just superiority.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the slip of paper. My stomach sunk. “Your friend has proved to be a problem long after her untimely death.”

The fury propelled by Mel’s loss raged through me. “You bastard. You had her killed.”

“So?” His brows rose as he unfolded the letter. “It’s just one human life and from the looks of hers, it wasn’t even a drop in the bucket.”

Sickened, I stared at him. “A life is a life.”

“No. It is not. That’s another funny thing about humans. They think all lives are equal.” He laughed, and the sound was repeated from behind me. The hair rose on the back of my neck as I realized for the first time we weren’t alone. “Lives are not equal, Miss Cross. Some are more important than others and some do not matter at all.”

“You’re wrong.”

“And you bore me with your protests.” He scanned the letter and another near perfect smirk appeared. “I knew that your friend overheard more than what you told the Department of Defense. My sons told me what they had spoken about. Foolish as they were, I knew you’d prove to be even more so. I just had to wait.”

The soft whisper of movement behind me drew my attention and I stiffened. Two hands landed on my shoulders and a second later I was standing on my numb feet. I twisted to get out of the hold, but the grip tightened. Fingers dug in through my shirt and flesh, and I clamped my mouth shut, but a whimper escaped.

“I figured you’d be back to exact your revenge.” Senator Vanderson walked toward us, holding the letter between two elegant fingers. “If anything, humans are ridiculously predictable…and stupid, but I am curious. What exactly did you think to accomplish by retrieving this letter?”

Out of nowhere, a calm acceptance washed over me like a rolling wave. I knew I wasn’t walking away from this. There was nothing I could do to get away from them —they were faster, stronger, and deadlier.

I was going to die.

But that didn’t mean I had to make this easy for him.

Senator Vanderson laughed softly. “Now you’re quiet? Interesting.” He stopped in front of me. I pulled away, but the Luxen held me in place as the senator trailed the edge of the paper down my cheek. “You’re a very pretty woman, Miss Cross.

Although our women are infinitely more attractive,” he continued, moving the letter to the other side of my face. “I’m sure there are many of my men who would love to spend their night entertaining themselves with you.”

My stomach roiled at the implication, made worse when the Luxen behind me leaned in and slipped his hands down my arms. “I’d gladly take him up on the offer,” the Luxen said, and then chuckled when I shuddered. “After all, she’s so defensive of the Arum. Perhaps she’s been fucking him?”

Senator Vanderson arched a brow. “Revolting.”

“And what do you say about humans who sleep with Luxen?” I challenged.

“Blessed,” he replied with a half smile. “They’re blessed.”

In any other situation I would’ve laughed, but I was scared out of my freaking mind. It took everything to stand there and not collapse.

“Were you planning on turning this letter over to the Department of Defense?”

Senator Vanderson’s eyes widened. “You were, weren’t you? How quaint. Did you think they’d give you shelter at that point? Did you think they’d do anything other than silence you?”

My heart was racing so fast I couldn’t answer if I wanted to.

Senator Vanderson tsk ed softly. “Let’s say you did turn this letter over and they learned about our little Project Eagle. Do you really think they’d let you live with such knowledge? You could go to the press and cause a panic. They would’ve silenced you, and then what do you think they’d do to us? Oh, they may try to round us up and keep us under their thumb, but they’d fail. There are tens of thousands of us here and they could never stop us, but there are hundreds of thousands waiting out there.” He tipped his head up and smiled broadly. “Your government couldn’t do a thing against us.”

He shrugged. “But that’s neither here nor there, is it? This letter will go nowhere.

You’ll be dead soon and, well, use your imagination for the rest.”

This was it. I could feel it in every cell. Were they going to kill me quickly or drag it out? My muscles tensed.

Senator Vanderson held the letter up. There wasn’t so much a flicker of flame, but just a soft white glow over the tips of his two fingers. Heat warmed my face and the frail slip of paper wilted and then caved into itself, leaving nothing but ashes within seconds.

The letter was gone—the proof that the Luxen were conspiring against the government and mankind destroyed. The knowledge was in my head, but who’d believe me? And that was if I did make it out of here.

Which was highly unlikely.

And I knew Senator Vanderson was right—Hunter had been right. If I brought that info to the government, they’d kill me just to ensure I didn’t run my mouth to the press and incite panic.

I’d been stupid in thinking I could somehow bargain my life back, but I didn’t regret what led me here. I’d rather fail than to have sat back and done nothing to bring Mel’s murderers to justice, even as fruitless as it turned out to be.

The Luxen behind me pulled me back against his chest, and as my gaze darted around the room I saw there were more waiting in the shadows. Dozens of Luxen.

I tried to take a breath, but it got stuck. The calm acceptance I felt earlier had abandoned me. My eyes locked with the senator’s and I knew—oh God—I knew this wasn’t going to be quick. Fear emptied into me like an icy downpour.

The senator’s slow smile chilled me to the marrow.

My muscles tensed painfully and then my brain clicked off. I twisted to the side, desperately trying to break the Luxen’s hold. I felt his grip slip and I tore free.

A Luxen appeared in front of me, out of thin air it seemed. “Hi.”

I whirled around, crying out.

Another stood behind me, his eyes orbits of white light.

Darting to the side, my feet left the ground as an arm went around my waist.

Someone laughed, and then I hit the floor so fast and so hard that I slid on my side several feet. My body burned from the impact, and for a moment I was stunned into immobility. Air rushed around me and I was shoved onto my back. My head cracked on the floor. Starbursts exploded behind my eyes. The Luxen was on top of me, a knee on either side of my hips and his hand wrapped around my throat, each finger pressing in my skin with the slightest pressure.

Over his shoulder, Senator Vanderson stood there. “Who else knows about this letter or its contents, Miss Cross?”

Besides Hunter’s suspicions, there was no one else that I knew of, but obviously the senator feared I’d told more.

The senator dragged in a deep breath. “I’m getting very tired of this game, Miss Cross.”

I forced my throat to work around the punishing grip. “Go…go fuck yourself.”

Senator Vanderson’s eyes went from blue to white in a heartbeat. “That was really not a polite thing to say. And for that, I’m going to make sure you—” He cut himself off and his head tipped up toward the ceiling. “You have got to be kidding me.”

The Luxen above me had stilled, his head cocked to the side. His nostrils flared as if he scented something in the air. All around us, I heard the sharp intake of breaths and the flicker of bright, white light.

I didn’t feel anything, but I knew. In my very soul, I knew who was here. Forcing my gaze up, I met the senator’s brilliant stare. I smiled even though it made my lips ache. “Told you.”

Chapter 30 Less than half a football field away from one of the senator’s storage warehouses, the dull, translucent bodies of the Luxen guarding the building lay dead at my feet. It was like crushing fireflies between my fingers, without all the glowy mess.

But Mr. Talkative wasn’t among them. He brought me here. So I did let him go and he ran like he knew he should’ve.

Raw energy undulated through my veins, buzzing like a hit off the purest drug out there. Feeding from so many Luxen was dangerous to anyone who would cross my path. The power hummed under my skin, splintered my cells.

Luxen were like galactic Pringles in a fucked-up way. Once you popped one, you just couldn’t stop—like stop at all. No one would be safe around me when I was through.

Not even Serena.

But she was in there and they were doing God knows what to her. She was still alive —she had to be. I couldn’t allow myself to consider any other outcome.

I moved across the empty parking lot, sensing a cluster of Luxen on the first floor and the roof. Stopping along the side of the building, I focused on the roof. Becoming a part of the dark shadows, I rose up to the ledge and crouched.

Three Luxen stood in the center. Their heads whipped toward me like prairie dogs.

“Arum,” one of them called.

Clever. I slipped down from the ledge, feeling the borrowed energy reverberate through my form as I spread out. The night around us turned darker. I didn’t give them a chance to fight or run. I was on them in a second, slipping behind the first and slamming my hand through the Luxen’s chest. My other arm extended and I speared the second. I spun, tossing the first on the third. They went down like a pile of bricks.

I drained the second until he was nothing more than an alien prune.

Tasty.

The other two were getting up, both turning into walking light bulbs. My laugh carried like smoke. You ssshould’ve ssstayed down.

Focusing on the two Luxen, I drew them in like I was taking a big old breath of air.

They skidded over the roof, their glowing arms flailing like beacons. There was nothing to hold on to, nothing to stop them. Within a second, I slammed my hands through both of their chests.

It was over like red rover.

Leaving their bodies on the roof, I went to the door of the emergency exit. The steel door nearly came off its hinges as I tore it open. I flew down the stairwell, silent as I drew the shadows into me.

They waited on the bottom floor, at least a dozen of the fucking glowworms from outer space. I searched out Serena, not seeing her but knowing she was in the middle of them. I could feel her.

I also smelled blood—human blood. Serena’s blood.

Rage rose like a savage, black wave. It rolled across the warehouse floor, becoming a living, breathing entity clawing at release.

I took my human form as the air turned stagnant. “For daring to even touch a single hair on her head, you all will die.”

One of the Luxen rushed me and I caught the SOB around the neck. He went Lite-

Brite on me, but I twisted my wrist, snapping his neck cleanly and I kept twisting, until bone erupted through the skin.

Another one grew balls and shot forward and I spun to the side as I kicked out, aiming my big-ass boot into his glowing stomach. He doubled over as static crackled in the air. Dipping around, I shoved my hand through the light. The Luxen flickered into human form for only a second, but it was long enough. My hand was inside him and I wrapped my fingers around the slender length of bone. I yanked my arm back and the Luxen howled.

He fell into a boneless mess on the floor.

I tossed the spine aside and whirled around, slamming my fist into the jaw of another Luxen. His head snapped back and on the return, I grasped the sides of his face, and slammed my head into his, and then I twisted. The darkness inside of me howled at the sound of cracking bone.

Light pulsed around the nearest Luxen a second before a bolt shot across the distance, slamming into my shoulder. It knocked me back a step, but not down.

I laughed. “I kind of liked how that felt.”

The Luxen reared back, releasing another blast of supercharged power. I dodged the blow this time, then shot forward, mowing him down before he knew what was coming.

As I straightened, I caught sight of Serena’s terrified face. A Luxen had ahold of her. A fucker in a suit was beside her, who I assumed was the senator. My focus went right back to Serena. There were bruises on her face and her lip was bloodied.

The Luxen holding her jerked her back roughly and her answering whimper sliced through me like nothing else could.

I lost control of my human form.

My mass grew with the absorbed power of so many feedings. The walls of the warehouse rattled like tin cups. A lone chair in the corner skidded across the floor.

Storage cabinets shook and then toppled over, sliding across the floor. The chair reached the dark tendrils surrounding me first and then the cabinets. Each item spun into the air, whirling around me in a vicious cyclone of debris and dirt.

Thisss isss going to be painful, I promised.

The items stopped, suspended for a flicker of a moment, and then they collapsed into themselves like a giant hand crumbling paper. There was nothing left of the cabinets or the chair. Not even dust.

I drew the power in again, focusing on four of the Luxen standing between Serena and me. Fighting this way would expel energy more quickly, even with the opal cuff, but I was beyond pissed, beyond controlling myself. I wanted them all dead in a painful way.

The Luxen flew toward me, flipping back and forth between their true forms and their human facades. Someone yelled, but it was lost in the vacuum. The moment they touched the darkness surrounding me, their screams became a chorus. The pressure clamped down on them as they were caught in the shadows. They were gone, too, and like the chair and cabinets, nothing remained when the air settled.

It wasn’t that I was necessarily stronger than them. Luxen were formidable opponents. I was fighting differently than I ever had before. It wasn’t about the age-

old battle of Arum versus Luxen. I wasn’t fighting to feed or to work off aggression. I wasn’t fighting because I was told or was obligated.

I was fighting for Serena.

She meant everything to me.

Knowing that, fully understanding what that meant, I was on a motherfucking warpath.

The remaining Luxen rushed me, and blasts of the Source lit up the room, cutting through the shadows pooling in from outside through the cracks in the wall.

I took a hit but barely felt it. I fed again and rose up. A Luxen followed. We twisted along the ceiling. Light. Darkness. Light. Darkness.

Darkness won.

The Luxen’s lifeless body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. I mowed through each one that came after that. I could feel the energy seeping out of me and shit was going to hurt like a bitch, but I grabbed the nearest Luxen and speared him through the chest.

I brought the dying Luxen to the floor, preparing to finish the glowbug off.

Serena’s sudden shrill scream stopped me when nothing else in this world could. I rose up, immediately finding her in the chaos. Only one Luxen remained—the senator, and the bastard had his hand around her fragile neck.

I took my human form, breathing raggedly. My body ached, but I ignored the pain.

“If you have an ounce of intelligence, you’ll let her go now.”

“Or what?” the senator said, backing away, dragging Serena along with him. “You come after me, she dies.”

The air darkened and charged around me. I focused on the senator’s glowing eyes, because if I looked at Serena right now, I’d lose my shit. “You’re not going to get out of here, especially if you hurt her.”

Senator Vanderson’s lips quirked up at the edges. “Is that so? I’m sure I’m the one in the position of power right now.”

“I’ve killed all your Luxen and I’ll kill more if they come.” I took a step forward, but stopped when Serena whimpered. My hands curled into fists.

“That may be true, but I have this feeling you’d do anything to make sure she walks out of this situation.” His grip tightened, and she gasped. “Isn’t that right?”

My gaze flickered to Serena’s. I didn’t hesitate. “I would.”

“Good,” he replied, taking another step back. Over his shoulder was the exit. “Get on your knees, Arum. Where you belong.”

Oh, yeah, that made me want to put my hand through his face. I stared at him, barely able to rein in the dark rage that made me want to obliterate everything in the room.

“Get on your knees or she dies right now,” the senator repeated.

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t stupid. If the senator did what he thought he could do to me, it was doubtful he’d let Serena go. And even if he ran, Serena wasn’t safe.

She’d never be safe with him alive.

That left me only one choice.

“No, Hunter, don’t,” she begged, and those pretty eyes filled with tears. “Don’t listen

—” Her words were cut off by the senator’s grip. The sound that came out of me would send demons scurrying. Senator Vanderson’s eyes widened a fraction, but he kept ahold of Serena.

“Do you want to see what her insides look like lit up?” he asked. “I’m running out of patience.”

It went against everything in my nature not to rip into him right then, but he’d snap Serena’s neck before I’d take a step. She was worth more to me than my pride. That was the truth.

I went down on my knees. “What?”

The senator took a step to the side, keeping Serena directly in front of him. I knew any movement I made at this point would mean her death. He was caged with all the dead bodies lying around him and he knew it. “How’s it feel to be where you should be? On your knees before your superior?”

I arched a brow. “Feels the same way it will when I’m standing over your dead body.”

My response seemed to unnerve him. “Your arrogance is rooted in stupidity.”

“And your lifespan is getting shorter by the second,” I promised, my eyes meeting Serena’s. The look in that stare let me know she was ready for anything. “You’re wasting air and space.”

The senator sneered. “You’ll see. You and the humans will soon see.”

In a second, Senator Vanderson slipped into his true form. The sudden light was blinding for a moment. I rose, losing sight of Serena in the glow. Her scream echoed through my soul, and at that moment, I knew I had one. Human or not, it rocked me to my very core.

The senator shoved Serena to the side with such force her feet came off the ground.

She was a distraction for him to escape, because the senator thought I’d go after her.

He was right.

I caught her around the waist before she hit the ground. She twisted in my embrace, gripping my arms as she lifted her head. “Hunter…”

I pressed a quick kiss to the bruise on her cheek and then I sat her down. She called my name again as I turned, spying the senator almost to the door.

He wasn’t going to make it.

Launching into the air, I shifted into my true form. I landed on the senator, flipping him onto his back. His hand rose and something black and shiny glinted.

I caught his arm, twisting until he dropped the piece of obsidian he held. Yeah, that’sss not going to happen.

Senator Vanderson struggled, but I pinned him down. I could kill him cleanly and be done with it, but for what he’d stolen from Serena, he was going to suffer.

“We will rise,” the senator gasped out.

I slammed my hand deep into his chest. His back bowed off the floor as I leaned in.

I DON’T GIVE A SSSHIT WHAT YOU WILL DO. THISSS ISSSN’T ABOUT OUR WAR.

I inhaled, drawing the Source out of the senator and into myself. Thisss isss about her.

The flame of his essence invaded my body, pouring warmth into me. I took him in as his body flickered wildly under mine, and I drew it out so that every scream, every spasm of his body was an apology to Serena.

Dropping the senator to the floor, I rose and stepped around his lifeless form as I turned. Serena was on her feet, her face pale, the bruises standing out in stark contrast, but she was alive.

And I loved her.

We stared at each other for several moments, neither of us speaking or moving, and then I was in front of her, pulling her to my chest, breathing in her scent as I went down on my knees, bringing her with me. Her arms went around me and she held on just as tightly as I held her. It was then when I realized I was still in my true form. She was light against my darkness.

Serena hadn’t backed away or hesitated. She accepted me, all of me. She always had.

I slipped into my human form, cradling her against me. The words, they came out easier than I ever thought they would. “I love you.”

Chapter 31 I slept most of the twenty-hour drive to Atlanta and when I woke, we were just outside of Marietta. I still felt like I hadn’t gotten any rest in days. My body and face ached relentlessly, but it was a small penance to pay compared to the fact I honestly shouldn’t be alive.

The senator was dead—the creature ultimately responsible for Mel’s death. It might make me a terrible person, but I was glad. The law hadn’t laid down the punishment, but he wouldn’t be ordering anyone’s death again. He got what was due to him in the end.

A cool touch brushed over my hand, and I turned to Hunter. Concern pinched his face. “You hanging in there?”

I nodded and all I heard in my head was those three words: I love you. A tired smile pulled at my lips. “What about you? We haven’t even stopped, have we?”

He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

I didn’t see how that was possible with all that he’d done. It had been awe-inspiring to watch him battle it out, but he’d taken blows that would’ve killed a human. He had to be tired and in pain, but I knew he wouldn’t admit to it.

Turning my hand over, I threaded my fingers through his and squeezed. He glanced at me again, his expression strangely vulnerable. “Does your brother know we’re coming?”

He smiled slightly. “No. Didn’t want to risk using a cell linked to either of us.”

“Do you think he’s going to be okay with us coming there?”

Hunter nodded again. “He will. You don’t need to worry.” He brought our hands to his mouth and placed a kiss there.

There was a lot to worry about, but with Hunter’s hand wrapped securely in mine, I felt grounded. I closed my eyes and when they reopened Hunter was coasting the Porsche up a long, narrow driveway crowded with thick, leafy maples. The same strange designs I’d seen in the gazebo were etched into many of the sturdy trunks, a seamless, twisting loop with four dots in the middle.

“Those designs,” I said, pointing toward a tree. “They’re a symbol of your kind, aren’t they?”

“Yes. The four dots represent the family and the knots are endless.” He followed the bend in the road. “It means that family is endless no matter what.”

Surprise bubbled up through me. “That’s so…”

“Human?” He laughed. “Yeah, it is. Never really thought of it that way, but it is.”

He didn’t seemed bothered by it, not like he would’ve been when I first met him.

My gaze traveled over the firm line of his jaw and I knew I couldn’t even begin to count how many things had changed in such a short amount of time.

Hunter coasted to a stop in front of a large three-floor stucco home. My mouth dropped open. “He lives here by himself?” I asked. The place could fit a family of eight easily.

“As far as I know.” He pulled the keys out as he looked at me. “He already knows I’m here, so there’s no point in delaying this.”

Nervous energy built in my stomach. I couldn’t help it.

Turning to the passenger window, I stared up at the large house. This would probably be my new home for the foreseeable future.

If I survived all that I had, I could survive meeting Hunter’s other brother. Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door and stepped out into the sweltering heat of the late Georgia afternoon sun.

Hunter appeared at my side, and I didn’t even jump. If anything, that proved how accustomed I was getting to all the weird alien stuff. He slid the wraparound sunglasses down, shielding his eyes.

He extended his hand.

I smiled tiredly as I wrapped my fingers around his. He led me up the cobblestone sidewalk, around the neatly manicured bushes and creamy flowers that carried a faint sweet scent.

My heart kicked up as we reached the sprawling portion that was rather…quaint with its wooden swing and overstuffed wicker chairs. There was a straw wreath on the door. Never would I have guessed that an Arum lived here.

Hunter raised his hand to knock but the door opened first, revealing a mirror image of Hunter.

I knew that he and his brothers were identical. I had seen Sin, but it was still a shock to be staring at a replica of Hunter. But like with Sin, there were minute differences that set each brother apart from one another. While an icy haughtiness surrounded Sin, there was a warmth to Lore that even Hunter didn’t have.

Lore’s pale eyes moved from Hunter to me and then down to where our hands were joined. “A human?” he asked in a voice huskier than Hunter’s.

Hunter responded with a twist of his lips. “Yeah, so what?”

“Oh, nothing.” His brother leaned against the door jamb, folding his arms. “Just don’t know what to be more surprised about. That you’re here or that you’re here with a human female.”

“I’m sure more surprising things have happened.”

“Doubtful,” Lore murmured, and then those shockingly pale eyes settled on me. He extended a hand. “And you would be?”

“Serena Cross.” I took his hand, ignoring the possessive, deep rumble that emanated from Hunter. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Well, darling, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He sent his brother a half grin that was wicked enough that I felt my cheeks brighten. “How in the world did you end up with my brother?”

“Um, that’s a long story.”

Lore’s grin spread. “I’m all ears.”

Reaching out, Hunter separated our hands with a dark look. “Why don’t you stop touching my female, invite us in, and then I’ll tell you all about it.”

His brother chuckled deeply as he stepped aside. “My life would not be complete if I didn’t hear this story.”

I headed through the doorway, feeling the tips of my ears burn. Hunter slid his sunglasses up and both the brothers’ eyes were on me. I had the strong urge to run and hide behind something.

Hunter wiggled his fingers free from my death grip and put his hand on the small of my back as Lore moved in front of us. The foyer was virtually empty with the exception of a few leafy, potted plants. We passed an archway leading to a spacious kitchen and then a spiraling staircase. Lore led us into a large living room with a massive sectional couch wide enough to fit three people lying down side by side. I sat in the middle and it sucked me in the way all comfy couches do.

“So,” Lore said, standing in front of a large picture window overlooking the driveway. “I’m assuming you’re no longer with the DOD?”

“You assumed right.” Hunter sat beside me and leaned forward, dropping his elbows on his knees.

Lore arched a brow, a mannerism so like Hunter that it made me do a double take.

“Did you part on happy terms?”

“If leaving two dead officers behind is considered ‘happy’, then yes.”

I shot Hunter a look.

He grinned.

“Well then…” Lore sighed. “What’s going on?”

As Hunter told Lore everything, I settled back against the couch and listened. Even though I lived through all of this, it sounded crazy insane to me, like something from a bad science-fiction movie. When he finished, Lore looked floored.

“Do you think the Luxen are going to try to carry Project Eagle out?” he asked as he paced. “On a full scale?”

“I’m not sure,” I spoke up. “The senator never mentioned how many were behind it and the DOD…well, they didn’t think Mel overheard anything important. They’ve totally disregarded it.”

“Of course,” he said. “No offense, but I’ve found that when it comes to humans and Luxen, the humans tend to foolishly believe that they have the upper hand.”

“No offense taken,” I replied, because really, he was right. The DOD thought they had the Luxen community under their control and could appease them. They were wrong. “There has to be something we can do.”

“What?” Hunter asked, turning to me, his eyes narrowed. “There is no one within the DOD that I’d trust enough to relay the information to. Any contact could put you in jeopardy. I refuse to do that.”

“But—”

“He has a point, which is rare.”

Hunter shot his brother a look. “And besides, there is no proof. The only thing we had was the letter and that was destroyed. It’s doubtful that the DOD would believe it anyway.”

“So we do nothing? There has to be something! I know humans don’t mean much to you—”

“You mean a lot to me.” Hunter tilted his head to the side. “So fuck the rest of them.”

My eyes narrowed on him. “Well, if I mean a lot to you , then you’d understand there are billions of humans on Earth and you wouldn’t say fuck it. If they are serious about Project Eagle, then we need to do something.”

Hunter was unfazed. “I’m not doing anything that will put you in danger.”

Frustrated, I took a deep breath. “I get that you’re trying to protect me.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“And I appreciate it, really I do.” I held up a hand when Hunter’s mouth opened again. “But we have to do something, even if it’s a risk or even if Project Eagle flies straight into a mountainside and nothing comes from it. We can’t pretend like we don’t know about this.”

“Serena—”

“Hunter,” I snapped.

“All right, lovebirds, as entertaining as it is to watch you two argue, there just might be something that I can do.”

Both of us turned to Lore. “What?” Hunter demanded.

“I know someone in the DOD that I trust—and don’t look at me like that, Hunter.

How do you think I stay off their radar?”

Hunter leaned back. “Luc owed you and he took care of it.”

I frowned. “Why does everything in the world come back to Luc? A fifteen-year-old boy?”

Lore snickered. “Luc…well, he’s Luc.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that.” I pushed that aside. “What can you do?”

“I can let my friend know,” he said. “Can’t promise it will cause the DOD to go on red alert, but it’s something.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a start, and it gave us time to come up with something more substantial. If Project Eagle happened, all of mankind was at risk.

“The only other option is contacting Dex to see if he can dig up anything or get the word out, but that is too risky right now.”

“It is. I don’t even know how I’m going to get his car back to him,” Hunter said.

Lore glanced out the window. “Is that his Porsche?”

Hunter nodded.

“And you drove that baby from West Virginia to Denver and then back here?” He cracked a grin. “He’s going to be so pissed.”

“Hey, there isn’t even a scratch on the thing.” Hunter paused, and a mischievous spark lit his pale eyes. “Just a couple of thousand extra miles.”

Lore laughed. “Well, now that’s settled. You two are more than welcome to stay here as long you need to. It’s safe and more than big enough.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Hunter flashed one of those rare, beautiful smiles. “It will give us time to figure out where to go from here.”

Us. Such a small and simple word, but it was probably the most powerful thing right now. “Us” meant we were in this together, whatever the future may hold.

Lore gave Hunter and me a tour of the house, basically giving us free rein of the second floor. Afterward, Hunter followed Lore downstairs to scrounge up something for dinner. At the top of the stairs I heard Lore ask, “Have you heard from Sin?”

“Yeah,” came Hunter’s reply. “He’s up to the same old let’s-make-war bullshit…”

Their conversation faded as they reached the bottom floor. Turning from the staircase, I quenched the wiggle of unease building in my stomach. I’d worry about their less than friendly, mostly psychotic brother tomorrow.

Right now all I cared about was that shower that adjoined our newly acquired bedroom. That baby had multiple showerheads.

I headed into the bathroom, a little amazed at the size of the room and the shower stall. What the hell did Lore do to pay for all of this?

Hell. Did I even want to know?

It took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to get all the showerheads working. I stepped back and started to pull my shirt off when I stopped. I turned, finding Hunter leaning against the doorway.

“Don’t stop on my account.”

I smiled. “I need to put a bell on you.”

“That would ruin all the fun.” He swaggered up to me. “But you seemed to know I was here.”

“I did. Not sure how, but I did.”

“Hmm…” He bent down, capturing my lips in a quick kiss that sent my pulse pounding. “Interesting.”

My eyes drifted shut as his fingertips skated over my cheek, tucking my hair back behind my ear. “We’re really in Georgia, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

I pressed my cheek against his palm. “And your brother is really letting us stay here?”

“He is.” Hunter paused. “We’ll find our own place soon. And I know none of this is perfect. You deserve more than this—a life, a real home, a future. Normal, human shit, and I promise that you will have all of that. I swear to you.”

I opened my eyes and blinked back tears that came out of nowhere. In Hunter’s own way, he was a making a promise I knew he would die before he broke. There was so much I wanted to say, but all I could get out was, “I love you.”

Hunter went incredibly still, and then he was clasping my cheeks. His mouth was on mine again, the kiss deeper and longer. I swayed into him, clutching the front of his shirt as his tongue swept over mine, staking claim on what was already his, only his.

He helped me out of my shirt; so gentle that those damn tears became ever harder to hold back.

“Again,” he said, dropping onto his knees in front of me. He unbuttoned my jeans and tugged them down. “I find myself wishing for something I never thought I would.”

“What?” I stepped out of my jeans and then watched him rise.

He reached around, unclasping my bra. “I wish I were a Luxen.” Sliding the straps down my arms, he let the material fall to the floor. Then he bent and kissed a sore spot on my shoulder. “I wish I could heal you with my touch.”

Moved by the admittance, I placed my hand on his cheek. He kissed my palm and then hooked his fingers under my panties. A second later, they joined the rest of my clothes. I helped him out of his, nowhere near as graceful as him, because every time my fingers brushed his bare skin, I lost a little bit of myself.

We stepped into the steamy stall, under the steady pour of water. I ran my fingers along his smooth jawline. Our eyes met, and my throat tightened with emotion.

He dipped his head as his hand slipped down my throat, between my breasts and further down, over my stomach, stopping just above my core. “I would do anything for you, Serena. You know that, right?”

I lifted my head, brushing my lips against his. “I know.”

His hand moved another inch south, and hot, sweet darts of fire sped through my blood as his hand slipped between my thighs. He kissed me and then pulled back. His tongue slid over my lips, then inside, matching the slow, languid thrust with his fingers. Tremors started in my stomach. Muscles quivered. He tormented me until I moved my hips against his hand. A small, keening whimper escaped me as my release came out of nowhere.

Hunter pulled me to his chest as my body shuddered. Water slicked his skin, muscles taut and rigid from holding back. And then he turned me around, placing my palms on the tile wall. He circled an arm around my waist as he used his thigh to separate mine.

“I thought I lost you when they showed up at the post office.” His cool breath danced over my cheek.

I closed my eyes. “You didn’t. I’m here.”

“It doesn’t change the taste of fear.” He cupped my breast with his free hand, running his thumb over my hard nipple. “I’m never going to let you out of my sight now.”

My breath was coming in quick, short bursts. “That’s kind of hard.”

“Not impossible, though.” Hunter slowly slid into me, inch by inch. Moving so deep that I felt like I’d come apart in a shower of sparks. The steady friction sent my body blazing. Slow and steady strokes soon became not enough. I moved back against him, and his low growl had my blood pressure skyrocketing.

“Harder,” I whispered. “Please.”

Hunter thrust into me, each stroke harder and faster than the one before. Every rocking movement mounted my pleasure and deepened my cries. Powerless to do more than wiggle against him, I tossed my head back against his shoulder and let him take me. The arm circling my waist was like a band of steel, holding me where he wanted, keeping me in place to receive the long, delicious strokes. And when my body started to spasm around him, he caught my chin and forced my head back, claiming my mouth with his as he spent himself.

I don’t remember much of the shower after that. I was lost in the heady buzz of pleasure that only sparked alive again when he took his time drying me off afterward.

Somehow, we ended in the bed, his large body poised over mine. I was ready for him again, hot and achy.

He ran his thumb over my cheek in a feather-light touch, but I stirred restlessly. Lust pricked my skin. He moved his fingertips down my throat, over my shoulder. A small sigh escaped me. “Want to know a secret?”

“Depends.”

He chuckled. “It’s about the moment I knew I wanted you, that you’d be mine.”

Slowly, he moved his hand to the swell of my breast. “That I’d fall in love with you.”

Hearing him say that affected me deeply. It took a moment to speak. “When?”

“Sooner than you’d think.” Using his thigh, he parted mine, and then lowered himself, moving against me in a slow, undulating grind.

“When?” I asked.

“The first day you were in my cabin.” He rocked his hips again. “When you threw the statue at my head.”

My hips tipped up as surprise washed over me. “That soon?”

“That soon.” He lowered his head, moving his lips across my cheek. “I didn’t realize it then.”

“I didn’t throw the statue at your head.” I spread my thighs, cradling his.

“My bad.” His other hand slid up the flare of my hip, up my stomach. He stopped just below my breasts, his thumb brushing over the swell. My breath caught as his kisses reached the corner of my mouth. I turned my head slightly. Our lips brushed and it was electric. “It was my thigh.”

A giggle escaped me a moment before he lowered his head to the space between my neck and shoulder. Sliding his hands to my hips, he nuzzled my neck. He let his hand stray higher, nearly reaching the peak of my breast.

I wanted him to move faster and yet keep this slow, torturous pace. “I have a secret to tell you, too.”

“You wanted me the moment you saw me in the parking garage?”

My laugh was cut off when he cupped by breast. “That wasn’t it.”

“I bet that’s the truth though.” His eyes remained latched to mine as he teased my nipple. I moved my hand down his chest, and my stomach muscles tightened. “I wanted you then, too. Wanted to strip you bare and fuck you on the hood of your car.”

His words sent a dark shudder through me. “Wow.”

He chuckled deeply and then lowered his head, flicking his tongue over one pert nipple. I moaned as both of my hands flattened against his lower stomach, and his muscles bunched. “So what was it?”

“Huh?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

He pressed down, moving his hand to my other breast. His tongue swirled over the nipple. “You said you had a secret.”

“Oh. That.” My head went back as my breath came out in short gasps. He drew the rosy peak into his mouth as he caught my other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “God,” I moaned. “Hunter…”

“Focus.”

My lower body started to move in tiny circles. “I was totally turned on when you threw me on the bed.”

“Knew it.” His mouth tugged on my breast and his tongue rasped over the tip, driving me insane.

“It was hot.” My hands slipped over rock-hard abs that dipped and rippled.

Masculine perfection. My hips rocked against the thick muscle pressed against me.

“You are hot.” His voice was thick, smoky; his lips moving against my breast. “You turn me on. You make me care about things I never cared about before. You make me think. You make me warm.”

He caught my nipple between his teeth as he shifted his hips forward, sliding deep inside me. I cried out, thrusting my fingers into his hair as he moved slowly, deeply. It felt like I would burst into flames as he sank into me, again and again. I wrapped my legs around his hips and we met each other, thrust for thrust. His mouth was everywhere, trailing kisses down my throat. His hands cradled my hips, holding me still as he grinded against me. He whispered something in a language I didn’t understand as he buried himself over and over again.

Something was different about this time. Each touch seared me and seemed to break him. I realized slowly that we were making love. It didn’t mean that the other times meant any less, but this time, this was what making love felt like.

Lost in the blinding pleasure, I looked down when he lifted up far enough that I could see where we were joined together. The sight of him moving in and out of me was erotic and intimate, but no more powerful than what the act symbolized. Higher and higher I went, until I threw my head back. Spasms rocked through me.

My gasping moans quickly escalated, and once again his lips were on mine, silencing my hoarse screams as I came apart. Hunter quickly followed, his hips pumping furiously until he stilled, pressed against me, inside me.

Hunter rested his forehead against mine, and I could feel his heart pounding just as fast. His body jerked and he groaned. “That was…yeah, that…”

“Agreed.”

He pulled out and rolled onto his side, pulling me into his arms as he pressed a kiss to my cheek and then my lips. And well, that led to other things equally amazing.

Later, much, much later, I stood in front of the window overlooking a patio below.

Hunter and I had only been able to ignore the lure of food for so long and, after eating a hefty dinner, both of us had fallen asleep the moment we hit the bed for a second time.

But I hadn’t stayed asleep for very long.

So much was running through my head. My future was one big fat unknown, but with Hunter by my side, I knew we’d make it. Things might not be orthodox or how I pictured spending my life, but I was alive and I was with someone I loved. However, I did know that things wouldn’t be easy.

I pulled the sheet around me as a shiver raced down my spine.

Mel’s death had been avenged and the knowledge she had unwittingly gained would be passed on, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough. In the end, everything would change even more so than it had already.

Out there, there was a secret government organization working with and against two alien races that not only had infiltrated mankind, but also had become an intricate part of society. There was a whole alien race potentially planning to make war and the good guys…

There was a whisper of movement and then I felt Hunter’s arms wrap around me from behind.

Well, the good guys really weren’t typical. They really weren’t the good guys at all, but if I discovered anything, there was no such thing as white and black. There was a lot of gray in the middle.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

I leaned back, closing my eyes. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I know you have to be exhausted.”

“It’s fine.” He lowered his head, pressing his cheek against mine. His breath teased the corner of my lips. “Are you okay?”

The question was rather large, all things considered. My life was forever altered and would never, ever be the same. Maybe one day I could go back to a job like I had before. Maybe a million aliens would descend on Earth tomorrow. But right now? I had to live in the right now.

Hunter pressed his lips to my temple. And right now wasn’t so bad. I turned in his arms, loving how they immediately tightened around me, fitting me to his chest. I tipped my head back and smiled. “I’m okay.”

His eyes were a deeper blue as they locked on to mine. “I know.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Figured it was the human thing to do,” he replied.

I grinned. “You’re getting better at that kind of stuff.”

Hunter laughed deeply. “No I’m not. But that’s fine. You like me like this.”

Yeah, I did. He was still like the damn panther. If anyone got too close, he’d rip them apart—anyone but me. Emotion clogged my throat as I stared up at him. My gaze memorized every inch of face, and I rose onto the tips of my toes. He met me halfway, sweeping his lips over mine. His lips and embrace were cool, but all I felt was a wealth of warmth.

So right now would do just fine.

Acknowledgments

Writing acknowledgements is never an easy thing to do. Nine out of ten times you end up forgetting someone and that can be a tad bit awkward. And I always end up forgetting someone. First off, I want to thank my agent, Kevan Lyon, for putting up with my crazy on a regular basis, and then Karen Grove, editor extraordinaire, for jumping in on the project. Thank you to Stacey Morgan for reading Obsession and providing much-needed feedback on how to out-snark other characters. A big thank-

you to the team at Entangled for bringing the book to life, and to all the readers of the Lux Series who wanted to see this world brought into the adult playground. Hope you enjoyed!

About the Author

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true.

When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance.

She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Publishing, Disney/Hyperion, and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes Adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn and is published by Entangled Publishing and HarperCollins.

Other books by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Lux Series:

Obsidian: A Lux Novel, Book One

Onyx: A Lux Novel, Book Two

Opal: A Lux Novel, Book Three

The Covenant Series:

Half-Blood

Pure

Deity

Apollyon

Single Titles:

Cursed

Other books by J. Lynn (pen name for Jennifer L. Armentrout):

Tempting the Best Man

Tempting the Player

Wait for You

Content

Obsession
Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Acknowledgments

About the Author