by D T Dyllin
“Sure, no problem,” Jenna added, obviously not feeling as put out by everything as I was. I shot her a glare. Maybe if we had both argued my point with Jeremy and Khol, we would have won. “Stop glaring at me P.J., I’m not going to take your side just for the hell of it. They’re kind of right about this one, as much as I hate to admit it.” I replied by turning away and looking out the window. Maybe she was right… but I didn’t have to let her know that.
“There is no point for you to be there after you indentify this boy from your vision. I’d only be worried about you if you were there with us. That could cause me to make a mistake,” Khol spoke softly, bringing his warm palm up to touch my cheek from the back seat. I hated the fact that my body wanted to lean into the warmth that he offered, hated that my body wanted more, so much more from him.
“Hey. Get your hands off of her,” Jeremy growled. “She isn’t yours.”
“Oh, but she is mine, and I will touch her whenever and however I wish.” Khol shifted, pushing his massive frame into the space between the front two seats and pulled me to him, crushing his lips to mine. I barely had time to process what was going on before Khol’s tongue invaded my mouth in an aggressive kiss. Sparks of warmth seemed to erupt across my skin as all coherent thoughts fled my mind. Then I felt the car swerve and Khol pulled away from our embrace.
“Stop! Just stop!” Jenna yelled. “No kissing and no fighting in my car! We’re on a mission here people, and it doesn’t include a sword fight over who gets to mouth rape P.J. first!”
I slumped back into my seat, my face heating. “That wasn’t my fault and no one gets to mouth rape me because I already belong to Bryn.” I peered around the edge of the seat to see Khol and Jeremy glaring at each other. What was I going to do with the two of them? They just couldn’t seem to get it through their blockheads that I belonged to Bryn already. If anyone got to mouth rape me, it was going to be Bryn. Of course, we would have to be using a very loose definition of rape if that were the case, in fact it would only apply if rape suddenly meant willing participant when it came to Bryn.
“We’re here,” Jenna said as she threw the car into park. My head snapped up to see a high school that looked pretty much like any other high school, except this one apparently had murderous aliens enrolled.
I gulped, the reality of the situation finally hitting me. We were going to do this, we were actually going to do this. I kept staring at the school as I stepped out of the car and began walking up the front walk as if caught in a tractor beam. I heard Jeremy and Khol talking to me, and yet I couldn’t look away, especially when I saw the girl from my vision—the cheerleader—alive and well, and talking animatedly to a group of girls. “This is it. This is really the place,” I whispered. I felt a large warm hand wrap around mine and I looked up to meet Khol’s electric green eyes. “Won’t your eyes and well, how you look, stand out too much?” A thought that—as bizarre as it sounds—I hadn’t even considered until that moment.
“No,” Khol said with a tiny smile. “I can look human when I want to.” And just like that his eyes went matte to look like regular every day green eyes. Nothing else changed really, but with his eyes looking normal, the rest of him looked normal too. Well, if you could overlook how drop dead gorgeous he was, so okay, maybe normal wasn’t the best word to use to describe Khol, but he did at least look human.
“Why did you never do that before? I mean at least when you first met me, so I didn’t freak out as much?”
“I wanted you to see me as I truly am. I want no secrets between us.”
“Oh,” I said and looked away. He was good. And yep, if Bryn weren’t in the picture I’d probably already have given him what he wanted… me. I cleared my throat and scanned everyone around us as we moved closer to the front doors. I glanced back to see Jenna waiting in the car with a frown on her face as she watched us. I hated to admit it, but I kind of sort of wished I were back there with her.
“Ready?” I heard Jeremy ask as I reached for the front door of the school. I turned to look at his solemn face and then looked up at Khol, who had almost an identical expression plastered across his face. I nodded once in affirmation before stepping into the main entrance of the school.
All noise seemed to stop for me. It was as if the ocean were rushing inside my ears, and a weird sense of déjà vu settled over me. I scanned all the faces around me intent on finding the one I was looking for, but he didn’t seem to be there yet. What I really wanted to do was yell at everyone to run, to warn everyone that a crazy alien masquerading as one of their peers was about to use them for target practice. And yet I knew it would be useless. Hell, maybe the alien would shoot me first if that’s what I did, because he would know I knew the truth and he would try to take me out. “I don’t see him,” I whispered, hoping that Khol and Jeremy heard me. Khol simply squeezed my hand and Jeremy stayed silent. I knew they were both scanning the crowd for danger, not liking that I had to identify the alien from my vision for them. If this guy didn’t show up soon, the both of them would probably carry me back to the car because they didn’t like putting me in danger any longer.
And of course, that’s when I saw him. His dark Emo hair was hanging in his face, and as he walked in the front door, he flipped his hair out of his eyes and looked right at me. I felt myself go ashen as I tried to alert Khol and Jeremy, my voice seemingly stuck in my throat. The Emo kid’s eyes narrowed as he studied me, wariness showing as he took in the sight of Khol and Jeremy flanking me, even if they hadn’t spotted him yet. My arm rose on its own volition and pointed straight at Emo alien boy. “That’s him,” I squeaked, tugging on Khol’s arm. “That’s him,” I squeaked again.
Khol moved first, shoving me behind him, just as I felt Jeremy reach for his power to do—well, I’m not exactly sure what because Emo boy wasn’t going to hang around to let me find out. He pivoted on his heels and made a mad dash for the front door. “Go!” Khol commanded, “I’ll protect her.” Jeremy barely glanced at Khol before he took off running after Emo boy. I started to move forward in an attempt to engage in the chase, but Khol had other ideas. He swung around, scooped me up in his arms and suddenly we were back in my bedroom. He deposited me on my bed before giving me a stern face and narrowing his eyes at me, which by the way were glowing again. “Stay,” he growled before disappearing.
I stared in shock at the empty spot where Khol had just been, anger slowly bubbling up to the surface of my consciousness. I couldn’t believe he’d just done that to me. And why the hell hadn’t he just ‘popped’ the lot of us over to the school instead of making us drive if he could transport other people?
“You get your ass back here right now, Khol!” I hissed into my empty room, knowing that he would somehow hear me, or at least know what I was feeling. I got no response. A few moments went by, and then a few more and still nothing. That was it; I wasn’t going to just stay like Khol had demanded. I wasn’t a damn puppy.
I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, and even though I was supposed to be at school, my parents were both at work, so I knew I’d be in the clear. I scooped up the keys to my father’s car, knowing that it would be here because he carpooled into the office and it wasn’t his turn to drive. Normally, my father wouldn’t let me come anywhere near his car. I’d even learned to drive in my mother’s car, but what he wouldn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. At least I hoped he wouldn’t know when all was said and done.
I only paused for a second before starting up my father’s brand new Audi something. Honestly, I didn’t speak car, so I had no idea what model it was. Just that it was an Audi, and new, and shiny, and very pretty, I thought as I inhaled the fragrant aroma of new car smell. I really hoped I didn’t wrap it around a telephone pole or run it into a ditch. I certainly wasn’t receiving any good driver awards anytime soon. I was lucky I’d passed my driver’s test at all—it only took me three tries.
I tentatively eased my way out of the garage, which I didn’t hit, so that was a step in the righ
t direction. I stopped at the end of the driveway and adjusted the mirrors one more time before peeling out onto the street. I felt myself involuntarily smile as I sped off to my destination. Thirty minutes? More like fifteen at the speed I was driving.
* * *
I was about five minutes away from the school when something; or rather someone caught my attention—Emo boy. I stomped down on the brake, screeching to a halt, causing him to swivel around to look at me. Why hadn’t Jeremy or Khol caught him? Where the hell were they? I sat frozen in the driver’s seat of my father’s car just staring at Emo boy when I saw him reach back into his trench coat. I swore as I watched the shotgun emerge from hiding and point in my direction. Uncertainty sprung to life in me. I didn’t know if I should simply duck and cover or run him down. After all, he was pointing a gun at me. The alien smiling from inside Emo boy was enough to let me know that he was about to pull the trigger, so I ducked just as the front windshield of my father’s car exploded all over me. Shit, he’d definitely notice that. Without looking, I hit the gas pedal and hurtled down the street for a short distance before slamming into something hard and immovable. My forehead bounced off the steering wheel—hard. More shots rang out, shattering the remaining glass in my father’s car. But the fact that I didn’t resemble Swiss cheese yet, pointed at Emo boy’s lack of aim and hopefully my chances of survival. I scrambled to get my seat belt off and open the door while staying slumped down in the seat. As soon as I made it out of the car, I attempted to make a mad dash to cover, but something hard slammed into the back of my head. Stars danced in front of my eyes as I hit the ground. I barely managed to catch myself before my face met the pavement. I tried to crawl on all fours, but I was suddenly pushed roughly over and I stared up at a very angry looking Emo boy.
“Guess you’re out of ammo?” I quibbled, unable to keep my mouth shut apparently even in a life and death situation.
“How did you know?” Emo boy snarled as he reached down to grab me by my jacket. “How did you know what I had planned?”
The creature inside Emo boy seemed to shine more brightly from inside him, and I found myself reaching up to touch his face with some kind of eerie fascination. “Can you see it when you look in the mirror?” I mumbled, now feeling pretty sure I had a concussion. “Or do you even know he’s in there? Who has control? Or do you share?”
Both Emo boy and the creature residing inside of him looked at me with shock. “You see? That’s not possible.”
I smiled, feeling more than a little woozy, blinking as something warm and sticky ran into my eye. “Obviously it’s not… impossible.” Sirens suddenly rang out in the distance, signaling that help was on the way. Emo boy dropped me abruptly, causing me to hit my head on the concrete. “Ow. That’s not very nice,” I mumbled as my eyes, feeling suddenly too heavy, slid shut. “And you didn’t even answer my questions.”
All went dark.
* * *
“You were supposed to keep her safe,” Jeremy’s voice vibrated with anger. “Not let her put herself in the god damned hospital.”
“I left her in her bedroom. I thought it was beyond even her to find trouble that quickly,” Khol responded flatly. “And do not think for a second that it doesn’t cause me just as much pain to see her like this.” Strong emotion flared in his voice as it went low and gruff.
“She’s gonna be fine, guys. No need to fight,” Jenna said, obviously trying to play the mediator.
“Yeah, but she could have died. We don’t even know how close she came,” Jeremy grated. “He was shooting at her.”
“But she’s not. She’s fine. That’s the important part,” Jenna interjected. “And I don’t want the two of you fighting and scolding her when she wakes up either.” I heard a grunt from Khol and silence from Jeremy as a response.
I inwardly sighed as I worked on opening my eyes. “Does my dad know about his car yet?” I muttered. At least my mouth was working; nothing seemed to ever put it out of commission.
“You’re parents are on the way,” Jenna answered, just as I finally managed to peel my eyelids open. She was sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed and both Khol and Jeremy were standing towards the foot. It looked like the two of them had been pacing. Both of their faces held a mixture of worry and anger. Khol was the first to say anything.
“I told you to stay,” he growled.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not yours to order around, contrary to what you might think.” I tried to cross my arms over my chest but the IV in my arm got in the way. I turned my anger on Jeremy next. “And don’t you say a word either. I do what I want when I want.”
“I wasn’t aware you wanted to get yourself killed,” Jeremy snapped crossing his arms over his chest, his brown eyes snapping with anger.
I tried to sit up, but stars danced before my eyes along with a sudden wave of nausea. “That wasn’t what I was going for,” I mumbled as I slouched back down into my pillow, the nausea rolling to a stop.
Khol stalked around the side of the bed and came to stand in front of me, blocking out my view of Jenna. “Let me help you.”
“How?” I asked as I eyed his still angry expression warily.
“I can heal you, if you let me.”
“And why the hell haven’t you healed her already?” Jeremy demanded.
Khol tensed, anger at Jeremy making his jaw tick, but he locked gazes with me. “I have to kiss you… touch you…”
Understanding dawned. “Oh,” I whispered.
“Absolutely not,” Jeremy said as understanding dawned on him as well. “I’m not going to stand by and watch you maul her in the name of healing. It’s the most—,”
“Then don’t watch,” Jenna snapped. “He needs to do what he needs to do to heal her, Jeremy. Would you rather her stay how she is? Would—,”
“Fine,” Jeremy groused. “I’ll be outside waiting for her parents. Tell me when he’s done healing her.” I watched Jeremy stalk out of the room so I didn’t have to meet Khol’s eyes. My heart had sped up the second I realized what was needed to heal me. A part of me was looking forward to it, and the rest of me felt like a traitor to Bryn for feeling that way.
Jenna cleared her throat. “I’ll be outside too.” She turned at the door and winked at me. “Try not to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I stared after her, my heart quadrupling in time now that Khol and I were alone. “So…” I said, my face heating as I met Khol’s heated gaze. “Umm…”
He leaned down and kissed me, the normal shot of heat from him hitting me and then intensifying. His body felt on fire and I arched up to meet him. His large hands cupped my face and ran through my hair, sending a tingling sensation along with heat through my system, somehow I knew it meant he was healing me. And it felt really, really good. Better than good, I thought, as I heard a small moan escape from me as his hands slid down my torso skimming over my hardened nipples on the way. My brain screamed for me to tell him to stop, that Bryn was the only one who had ever done anything besides kiss me, and it should stay that way, but my mouth was too busy kissing Khol to protest out loud. His healing magic wrapped around me and made me feel whole again all the while his hands slowly explored my body. My breathing was coming in small little pants and I gasped as Khol slipped his hand up underneath my gown to touch me between my legs. “Noo…” I moaned. The cliché’ of every woman everywhere who knew she shouldn’t be doing what she was doing and protested even though she didn’t really mean it. Or did I? Did I really want Khol touching me the way that he was, helping me to betray Bryn in the worst possible way? The answer of course was no, and yet I couldn’t seem to help myself.
“Let me make you mine. Let me lay claim to you,” Khol rumbled his voice rough with promises of pleasure.
Alarm bells went off in my head. Like we had talked about before, he didn’t just mean sex—no—he wanted to claim me for his dragon mate. He would take me away from Bryn forever if he could, and I couldn’t let that happen. I would surely
die without Bryn. “No. Stop.” I shoved at Khol’s hand and scooted away from him, my face heating with sudden embarrassment. I couldn’t believe I’d let him touch me that way. Bryn should be the only one. Tears began to leak out the corners of my eyes. “That’s not what I want…” At least not with him. Bryn—only Bryn.
“With me,” Khol stated flatly, picking up my emotions. “At least not yet.”
“Never,” I whispered, pulling the sheet up to cover me as if it was some kind of shield.
Khol’s lips turned up into a small smile, his eyes blazing brighter. “Never say never, my little Seer.” And as per usual, he just disappeared.
Jenna and Jeremy picked that moment to come flying back into the room. Thank God they hadn’t come back a few seconds earlier I thought, as my face heated again. I felt so ashamed for letting things go so far with Khol. Why did I have such a hard time resisting him when I didn’t really want him, at least not like I did Bryn? Guilt and shame like I’d never felt before washed over me. Khol and Jeremy kept taking me to new lows. Had it only been such a short time ago that I’d been a virgin and had barely been kissed? I’d given myself to Bryn because I loved him, not just because my body craved his. I’d always wanted any relationship I had to go beyond the physical… I’d always wanted more. More… that word mocked me now thanks to Khol. He said I’d come to crave it and now I had.
“Oh my God!” Jenna exclaimed. “We just saw the news in the waiting room and—,”
“I see you’re all healed,” Jeremy said with heavy sarcasm. “That was pretty fast. And where is he? Did he leave with what he wanted?”
I met his eyes with shock. Why was he being so mean? And there it was in his face; he now thought exactly what everyone at school did—that I was a slut. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. “He’s gone. And no, he didn’t get what he wanted,” my voice cracked as I tried to keep from breaking down into sobs. I liked Jeremy. And I liked that he respected me, or had respected me. I averted my eyes from his, no longer able to see the look of incrimination that was directed at me.