by JL Weil
Devin and Chloe were otherwise engaged.
Their timing blows.
Angel’s hands flattened on my chest, and she stared up at me dewy-eyed. “What’s wrong?” Her voice was husky, drawing me back in and away from the voices upstairs.
She might have supernatural abilities, but they weren’t as keen as mine. We weren’t the only ones sneaking around. “Um, to put it delicately…” My hand moved to the small of her back. “…Devin and your mom are otherwise tied up at the moment.”
I watched as understanding dawned on her face. She wrinkled her brow. “Oh—” The word got stuck in her throat as I plunked her off her feet.
We weren’t done.
She gasped, burying her head into the crook of my neck as I hiked her over my shoulder and dashed us next door to my house. I knew that traveling at demon speeds wasn’t her favorite way to get around, but I was so at ease with her I often forgot.
Her pulse catapulted as I blew into the house, and I sensed both her excitement and her desire. It was a heady feeling knowing that I did that—I put that gleam in her eyes.
In sweet slow torment, I let her body glide down the front of me. My demon erupted. It happened so fast I couldn’t control it. When he wanted something, he could be relentless. And right now, he wanted Angel more than revenge, violence, or chaos. It was still impossible to believe that he cared about anyone, but Angel was extraordinary.
We turned the corner into what I was pretty sure was the family room. My mind wasn’t concerned where we were, as long as we were alone. My hands shot out, grabbing her waist. I spun us around, pinning her to the nearest wall with my body, unable to wait a second more—
And before I finished that thought, I was kissing her.
She tilted her head, deepening the kiss before her flip-flops reached the ground. Her arms were fastened around my neck, and I tugged her against me, slipping my hands into the back pockets of her jean shorts, our bodies flushed. The little harlot wiggled against me, and I came undone. The small hold I had on the demon snapped. She felt the change, but instead of shying away or asking me to slow down, she met the demon head on—challenging him even.
When had she become so rash?
A breathy moan escaped her lips, rocking me to the core. Unwilling to pull too far away, I glanced down. Her long lashes fluttered as she dragged in a deep breath. Framing her heart-shaped face in my hands, I was struck speechless. Her beauty pierced my heart—high cheekbones, the fullness of her lips that were always expressive, and her eyes, the color of wondrous polished sapphires, abnormally refractive. Words didn’t do her justice.
Just as I was about to take possession of her swollen mouth again, I heard Travis clear his throat. “Hang on. Let me get the popcorn, because I love a good peep show.”
Infuriating my demon, I whipped around, my heart beating erratically, and a throaty snarl caught deep in my throat, a predatory warning.
Travis held up his hands, but his eyes were alert, ready to move quickly if necessary. “Whoa. You need to check yourself, man.” He leaned against the back of the couch, yet even in his relaxed stance I knew he was prepared. “I totally get being possessive, but you are on the verge of a losing your shit. You could hurt her.” His green eyes moved to Angel.
The fact that he suggested I would endanger her only pissed me off more. I gave another warning roar, but it wasn’t harmful. It was protective. The demon inside was staking claim on what he considered his. Angel.
“Travis, it’s okay. You know he won’t hurt me,” Angel said, lacing her fingers with mine, her body still wrapped around me.
He had to know by now that harming her was something I would never do. It was an insult for him to suggest. His eyes darted between us, surveying the situation before I noticed his shoulders relax. “Do us all a favor. Make it upstairs before you rip each other’s clothes off.”
Angel tried to unwind herself from my arms, but I wouldn’t let her. I was that selfish and not ready to go without touching her. “You read my mind,” I muttered, staring down at the girl in my embrace, Travis already forgotten.
He snickered. “I was just on my way out. I’ll leave you to it.” Travis flew out the front door, undoubtedly to Emma’s.
“Thank God,” I mumbled, laying my forehead against Angel’s.
She grinned. “Think we can make it upstairs without any more interruptions?”
Suddenly, it felt as if there was no place we could go to be alone. My fingers curled against the small of her back. “We better.”
We both moved at the same time, racing for the stairs. Of course, I could have swept her upstairs in a heartbeat, but sometimes there was romance in taking things slower. Not that I claimed to be a romantic guy. If anyone claimed such a thing, I think Angel and I would laugh in their face, though I did have my moments.
We didn’t stop until I reached my room. Fumbling with the handle, the only thing on my mind was privacy. And Angel’s lips. And her petal soft skin. I gripped her hips as she reclaimed the space between us. Sweet Jesus, there was nothing innocent about the way she kissed. Things were finally moving in the right direction as I sunk into the kiss, Angel melting against me. We were getting comfortable when my ears started ringing. My pesky cousin was screeching.
I cussed.
Damnation.
If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn the universe was conspiring against me. It was an honest mistake mixing up our bedrooms. I should have gone left instead of right, but Angel screwed with my head. She turned me inside out.
Lifting my gaze, I was surrounded by gobs of pink. I hissed. “Hasn’t anyone in this house heard of privacy?”
Lexi had her hands on her hips, tapping her grape painted toes. “Hey, butthead, you barged into my room.”
Classic. What were we, five again?
Angel straightened up beside me, tugging her shirt back into place with a hint of a sheepish smile. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Lexi had on her unforgiving expression. “Glad to see one of us got an apology,” she said snippily.
Leave it to my cousin to kill the mood. “Don’t be like that, Lex,” I said, trying to smooth over the only other girl who mattered in my life.
She was wearing the pink pajamas I had given her for her birthday last year. The little rhinestones sewn into the Eiffel tower caught the lamplight. “It’s going to take more than a disarming smile to win me over.”
Lex preferred gifts. The kind that put a deep hole in your pocket, especially the ones that came wrapped in a little sea foam box tied with a white ribbon. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Or not,” she sung sarcastically, shoving Angel and me back out the door, which promptly shut in my face.
I ran a hand through my hair. “I can’t decide if I should be offended or grateful.”
Angel giggled, clearly not insulted as we walked across the hall.
The sound was wonderful.
Now that we were actually alone and behind closed doors, the mood had passed. Go figure. But it didn’t matter. I loved being in her presence no matter what we were doing. Joining her on my bed, I brushed the hair off her face. “I didn’t think we were ever going to get here.” I opened my arm, and she didn’t hesitate to nestle her head on my chest.
“I felt you lose control back there. I know it probably should have scared me,” she said softly.
That we agreed on.
Resting my chin on top of her head, I felt her contentment mirroring mine. It was hard to put into words what it was like being part demon. To me, this was my life. I stopped questioning why a long time ago. “I usually have a tighter leash than that. Being at odds with you didn’t agree with the beast.”
Tilting her face up, she wrinkled her freckle-dusted nose. “He’s not a beast, and neither are you.”
It was no surprise that she saw good in me, but we both knew that I had done terrible things and most likely would again. Regardless, she was able to overlook what othe
rs could never forget. “I’m half demon, not a wounded puppy. You can’t fix me with a band aid.”
The tips of her fingers were running over the tiny stubbles on my chin. “I know what you are, and I still say you are not a beast. What you are doesn’t define you. It’s who you want to be and the choices you make that count.” Heightened color edged into her cheeks.
I skimmed my lips over her forehead. “You make me want to be a better person.”
“What does it feel like, you know, to give in to the demon?” She brought up her leg, resting it over mine.
Always full of questions, it made me smirk. I ran my hand down her hair, silky strands falling between my fingers. “Like I lose my freewill. It’s why I try so hard to keep him at bay. I hate not being in control. He is unstable, and being ruled by the demon is not living. I know the triggers… Anger. Pain. Fear. Passion.” Her expression clouded, and my breath caught. “But even knowing, I can’t always stop it. Like when I’m with you. I find that the demon and I merge together more and more, no longer pulling in opposing directions.”
“Good,” she said sleepily, closing her eyes.
We lay, tangled together until she could barely keep her eyes open. I walked her home, looking forward to the day when we weren’t separated. I wanted to spend every night with her warmth beside me. Tonight, I just had to settle for the scent of her that lingered on my cool sheets.
The demon and I both sighed, missing what was ours.
Chapter 6
I could tell by the smug grin on her face she was bursting to tell me something. The large white envelope she was clutching in her hand, as if she was afraid it would slip through her fingers, caught my eye. I refrained from releasing the grumble that was at the base of my throat. She had sprinted up the stairs, her feet pounding on the carpet, and exploded through my bedroom door.
More than anything I wanted to give Angel everything, but that didn’t mean I held a sliver of her excitement. Whatever was written in that overstuffed letter seemed more like a death sentence. “Well, what are you waiting for?” I asked. “Rip that sucker open.”
“What if I didn’t get in?” There was vulnerability beneath the glimmer shining in her eyes.
I kissed her softly and quickly pulled away. “Then we’ll get married, move in with Devin, and have a gazillion babies.”
If I didn’t know better, I swear her face paled slightly. “Oh God. I can’t be a mom. I’m not even eighteen yet.”
Speaking of, someone had a birthday next month. She had such maturity about her I often forgot that I was almost a year older. Ten months to be exact. I would be spending my nineteenth birthday in September at some college housing—preferably co-ed.
“Just open the damn thing before you hyperventilate. Not that I wouldn’t mind a little mouth to mouth.” I gave her a lopsided grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Can you be serious for one minute?”
“I was.”
“I think we need to give our mouths a rest.”
I wholeheartedly disagreed and was contemplating showing her how much I never tired of kissing her. But now wasn’t the time to make a point. Not when her emotions were a mess, ranging from anxious to eager. They rattled my insides, and I just wanted to get this over with. “Okay, your suspense is killing me,” I said, gesturing toward the package clasped to her chest.
Taking a deep breath, her fingers worked the corner of the envelope. The tearing of paper filled the quiet room. Her eyes scanned the typed sheet of paper, moving from left to right as she bit her lip in concentration. Although only seconds went by, I was itching to snatch the sheet from her fingertips, knowing I could read it twice as fast. Then a burst of joy exploded inside me, and I got my answer.
We were going to college.
I groaned.
She jumped into my arms, squealing. “I got in!”
Instinctually, I tightened my grasp, taking advantage of any chance to hold her. “See, you worried for nothing. I never doubted you.”
She pulled back, looking up at me with bright eyes. “You have to check the mail.”
“Right now?” I was reluctant to let her go yet.
“Now,” she drawled out the word.
How could I say no? How could I tell her that college wasn’t important to me? She was. Her safety. Her wants. Her needs. Whether or not I got a higher education was irrelevant if we weren’t alive. I would be by her side regardless. Nothing was going to stand in my way, certainly not a little slip of paper.
But staring at the hopeful expression on her face, how could I refuse? I just prayed for her sake, she wouldn’t be disappointed. It wasn’t like I had been a model student.
Just as I was about to zip to the mailbox, a flash of blonde glimmered at the corner of my eye. I should have known Lexi would be listening. In my house, no conversation was private.
She popped next to us with pink floppy bunny slippers on her feet. Though her lips were pursed together, it was impossible to take her seriously. “What is all the screaming about? Everyone in the house heard you,” she said.
Only if you were eavesdropping, I thought to myself.
Angel spun in my arms, facing Lexi with a silly grin and her acceptance papers clutched to her chest. “I’m going to NIU.”
Understanding splayed. “Holy crap. We’re going to be roomies,” Lexi shrieked, piercing my eardrums and doing an embarrassing happy dance. If you could call what they were doing dancing.
Angel nodded, which led to the two of them jumping up and down, hugging in the center of my room. My sensitive ears were buzzing, but I wouldn’t spoil their girlish glee. Angel was the first real friend my cousin had ever had. She deserved more than any of us to share this moment with her best friend, and I was just in the way.
Since Angel and I had more or less cemented the final bond, I knew that Lexi felt like she was losing her friend. I didn’t want to take the relationship she had formed with Angel away. As much as I loved Angel and wanted to spend an unhealthy amount of time with her, I knew that not only for us, but for Lexi, some days I needed to step back.
“You know what this means?” Lexi asked.
The look on Angel’s face was priceless. “I’m afraid to ask,” she replied.
“Shopping! We have so much to plan. Color schemes. School clothes. Dorms—” Lexi started ticking of the items on her fingers.
“And this is where I check out,” I butted in before Lexi tried to rope me in as her baggage handler. Not to mention, the prospect of any more screaming, talk of fabric colors, or the possibility of the mall would gag me.
Angel’s lashes fanned her cheeks as she glanced up at me, understanding in her eyes. Before I could sneak a kiss goodbye, Lexi grabbed her hand, pulling her from my room and across the hall. I heard the click of Lexi’s door and the murmurs of their voices as they started to plot.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I needed to clear my head, work out the kinks. All the estrogen in my house was smothering me. I wanted wide-open space, blue skies, and nothing but the sounds of nature. Slipping on a pair of black basketball shorts, I trotted down the stairs into the kitchen where I pillaged through the fridge for a bottle of water. Travis was nowhere in sight. He had been spending more and more time with Emma, knowing that they had only a few weeks before she left for college with the rest of us.
The thought of the little hunter being so close made me cringe.
Angel might have muddled with her memories, but I still didn’t trust her.
I had mega trust issues.
As I stepped outside, a warm breeze washed over my face. Lifting my face, I inhaled the solitude. The sun’s glaring rays beat down over my already golden skin. I preferred summer over all other seasons, and here in Spring Valley, summers were short and winters were long—too long for my blood. It was most likely the demon inside me—the hotter, the better.
My muscles tightened in anticipation, and I rocked on the balls of my feet, but at the last second before I took off, the wind c
arried troubled. It was followed by a hair-raising trickle down my back.
Shit. Not again.
The same apprehension I’d felt at graduation came flooding back. I was being watched.
By who or what, I couldn’t sense.
My eyes shifted, circling the area, the demon coming forward, pushing my humanity further away. I pressed my lips together in a hard line, focusing on a car that was parked across the street. It was a beater, white chipped paint, rust gathering at the bottom, and dents in the sides of the door. But around here, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
I disregarded him for a moment, testing the air for supernatural vibes. The tattoo at my hip, a usual sure sign of mischief, tingled ever so slightly, but I assumed it was Angel’s presence inside the house that caused the tingles. There was something else that I couldn’t identify, but it unnerved me, rattling the peace I sought.
My gaze snapped back to the man.
More than ever, the demon wanted to fight, feeling threatened by an unknown source. And right now, he was targeting the man standing in front of his car. He looked harmless, but it didn’t change the fact that he was interrupting my run. I wanted speed, the wind slapping my face. I wanted to glide over the ground. Then I heard the click of his camera as he snapped a picture of the field. Just like that, a fire erupted in my chest.
Rage.
In a bat of the eye, I was eyeballing the back of his form like I wanted to do him permanent damage. I didn’t even know the guy’s name, but the demon didn’t care.
Him, and his camera, had to go.
His heart beat steady and calm, until he turned around and saw me in his face. “Whoa, you scared me. I didn’t hear you.” He laughed nervously, looking like a deer in headlights. A thick striped belt hung around his neck, hooked to the end of his expensive-looking camera.
That was because I hadn’t made a sound. I wanted to crush the little device with my hand. “Sorry.” I angled my head. “I have that effect on people.”