As I slice my finger open and pull my blood out, the sensation floods through me like a drug coursing through my veins. I haven’t felt my hemokinesis in what seems like forever.
“I’ll only come back, Xeraphine. Just like my arm.” He waves his hand; the one attached to the arm I’m sure Chase fed on before running back to hismommy. “Just like you, I am unkillable by Mundane means.”
My nose twitches, and I outstretch my hand to him, shooting sharpened pieces of my plasma straight through his heart. He adjusts in his seated position, bringing his hand up to grab hold of the weaponized crimson liquid, but I release their form before he can. My blood, now flowing into his chest, rushes straight to his brain.
Wetting my lips, I take a step toward him. “Alaric, you filthy fucking liar.”
“Ouch.” He leans forward, his legs spread, an eager smile coming over him. “Go ahead, I’ve been dying to feel what it is like to be under your control.”
Tugging on the string of his brain, right where my blood is starting to settle, I ask, “What are you doing here?”
“Saving you.”
Yuck.“I don’t need saving.”
“You did,” he counters smoothly. “Without me, your Mark there wouldn’t have found you.”
Kairhyse growls behind me, low and menacing, but he doesn’t move to correct Alaric’s audacity. I’ll do it myself.
The back of my hand connects with his cheek, snapping his head to the side and sending his white hair flying across his face.
“Watch yourself.” My voice is sharp. I have so many questions abouthow they found me, but this feels more pressing. Besides, I’d rather sort everything out when it’s just me and Kairhyse.
“What do you want with me?”
Alaric rubs his cheek, leaning back with an infuriating smirk while crossing one leg over the other.
“It’s simple: to keep you protected.”
Humming, I shake my head. “There’s more. Why?”
“The ‘why’ doesn’t matter right now,” he says, his tone smooth and unbothered. “It seems I’ll have to waitregardlessfor my reward for keeping you safe. So, you can wait for the ‘why’.”
Reward. What?
He turns his head away from me, and I glance back at Kairhyse, who has a disgusted look about him. I don’t blame him; neither of us are stupid—Alaric wants me, and Kai is in the way. My assumption is he is right about me not being able to kill him, and as energized as I am, I don’t have the desire to fight him, Brice,andNiyla.
Though that may change after I’m happily fed.
“Just tell me,” I egg him on. “The answer is no, and will always be no. Forever. Until I am dead.”
“Even when he is—” Alaric’s finger points over my shoulder, but in seconds, it’s sent flying across the boat as I slice it off. I’m pretty sure it smacks Brice, because he curses, unleashing a string of profanity.
I hover over him. He’s got his wrist in his grasp, clenching it and growling. “I’m just asking a question…”
“A dumb-ass question, one that has no space for entertaining. When this world crumbles into nothing but an asteroid belt, the answer will still be no.” I lean slightly, catching his frustrated gaze right at eye level. “Tell me, or I’ll toss you overboard.”
Chapter 24
Kairhyse
Alaric didn’t give Xera the answers she was looking for, and she truly did toss him overboard. If nothing else, it’s a testament—to him and his so-called crew—that they don’t understand my girl.
It turned into a near-bloody battle when Niyla brought the boat to a stop to pull him back onboard. They act as if Xera will laugh off their lack of answers. I couldn’t help but comment that she once made a man eat his own dick just for being a piece of the puzzle she needed to solve.
Sydni is playing this carefully; I can tell she’s grown attached to Niyla in some way. She may not trust her entirely, but their bond has deepened. Brice, on the other hand—watching her step between Xera and him—I know she’s getting too close to that Werewolf.
Tonight, I plan to tell my girl everything that happened. More than that, I want to hear about her.
