Page 47 of Awakened Gifts

Kellan frowns and looks around at everyone. “Shit. I fucked up. I was trying to save her.”

Simone looks over at me, but I refuse to meet her eyes. She’d see the murderous intent if I gave her a single glance.

“Fuck, it hurts,” Kellan growls, clutching his side while sitting up a little better. “I think it’s getting worse.”

He fights hard not to scream out when something apparently hurts him even more, and the table beneath him starts to squeak. Simone gets closer, doing what she can to try and relieve his pain.

His nostrils flare as she steps between his legs, and his eyes shift from cool to crazy, his violet hue seeming to burn brighter. Just as Simone goes to lift his shirt to get a look at the side he’s clutching, Kellan strikes.

It all happens so fast. The wild gleam in his eyes grows darker just seconds before his blood bringers connect with her shoulder, and Simone cries out just before she moans. What. The. Hell?

“Kellan!” Araya and Brazen yell in unison, but it’s too late, and there’s about to be one hell of a show.

He doesn’t release his hold on Simone as he drinks from her, and her moans get louder as she curls into his body, turning herself over in a way that promises she’ll be naked soon. Of all the fucking stupid things for him to do right now.

“Sorry,” he says against her shoulder, his body seeming to heal quickly as he drops to the ground.

He picks her up with one fluid motion, and his lips seal themselves to hers. “No choice,” he says against her lips, and then he’s suddenly gone, carrying away our only fucking scientist that can save Aria.

“Son of a fucking bitch!” Rex yells just as I slam my fist into the wall.

“What the hell just happened?” Grayson asks as he and Angelica become noticeable. “We walk in and Kellan is drinking from Simone like she’s a damn fountain.”

“Kellan just fucked us, and now it’ll be who knows how long before we get Simone back,” Araya groans. Aria doesn’t have that sort of time. I have a whole new reason to want that fucker dead now. “Could we get one day of normalcy? Or just one fucking thing to go our way?” she adds.

“Do you think there’s a way to make her blood tie to me?” I know the answer, but right now, everything is crazy and unpredictable.

Brazen frowns and stares at the screen full of undecipherable madness that swears I’m never going to have her back.

“I wish. If Simone can rejoin Kellan to Aria, it’ll only be because she was already tied to him. The two of you were in the minimum percentage. I thought… I honestly thought this was all playing out to be very different.”

I’ve seen their thoughts on what he’s talking about. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, because I knew it was impossible. Even Aria’s mind had let it slip, but she had even less hope for the possibility that she was somehow trying to make me her counter. Nothing that good ever fucking happens.

“That stupid asshole,” Rex growls, glaring at the door like he expects Kellan to hurry up and return with our only hope.

I’m tired of wasting my time on hope, because all it does is let me down.

Chapter 15

ARIA’S SAVAGE

The ground beneath me vibrates, and an easy smile crawls up my lips. I can smell my blood from here, meaning the time is close. So, so close.

Now that the stupid hybrid counter is gone, there is nothing weakening me. I’ve stripped myself of all the ties I’ve had to the simpletons of this world. The girl sharing my mind is no longer crying and begging me to stop, because I’ve silenced her for good.

The empathic powers kept bringing her control, forcing me to hold back and spare those fools. But now… I’ve been unchained, and there’s nothing holding me back anymore. And the girl is silent—for good.

This world needs to be purged of too much for her to come back. I need her to stay gone. She’s too weak, and I’ve got my mission that doesn’t allow for weakness. Soon. Very, very soon. It’s almost ready to start. I prefer to hit hard and fast, and from here on out, the rest of my battles will be nothing but easy. And bloody.

I can’t wait.

The wind stirs as the air trembles. Licking my lips in anticipation, I stare across the horizon, waiting patiently for the one I’ve sought. She’s coming. She’s finally coming.

In a blur, the distant figure becomes a prominent fixture before me, her eyes burning a brighter violet than mine. But soon that vibrancy will be lost to the dull, lifeless fate in store.

Her dark smile twists up, but I have a smile of my own.

“Finally,” she says in a slow, bored drawl that doesn’t match the eager fascination in her eyes.