Page 58 of White Hot Kiss
Our eyes met, and I knew he was waiting for me to tell him it was okay. That I was cool with things now, and I wouldn’t be upset over Danika. I didn’t say anything, though, because I wasn’t okay with it and jealousy and bitterness were like bitter pills exploding in my stomach. This was more than a crush unreturned. He was my friend—the only friend who really knew me—and I was losing him.
Shaking his head, Zayne shrugged. Then he went to my bedroom door, stopping to look at me over his shoulder. “I am sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t make me feel any better,” I said just because I wanted to be a bitch.
A muscle ticked along his jaw. Several seconds passed before he spoke. “You know, you’re constantly griping about everyone treating you like a kid. It’s kind of hard to treat you as a grown woman when you act like this.”
Ouch. He could’ve hit me and it would have hurt less.
For a moment he looked like he regretted saying it, but the expression was lost as he rubbed his hand over his face. He opened the door. “By the way, Father spoke to the Alphas last night.”
My heart faltered in my chest. “The Alphas?”
He gave me a curt nod. “They’re coming here tomorrow.”
Everything else was forgotten in an instant—the whole thing with Lilith, even the sharp ache his words left behind. “Are you meeting with them?”
“No. They only want to speak with Father.”
I nodded slowly. “So I shouldn’t be here?”
“No. You shouldn’t be here.”
11
The Alphas really were like the boogeyman to anything with a trace of demonic blood in its body. Even the Wardens weren’t entirely comfortable around them. I kept an eye on the clock, knowing they’d come before nightfall. I should’ve already left the house, but I really had no place to go and...and I wanted to see them again.
I puttered around the kitchen while Jasmine tried to get a snack in the twins before she settled them down for the night. Izzy and Drake were at the table, in full gargoyle mode. Their little black horns bobbed up and down as they giggled.
Jasmine stood between them, suddenly stiffening.
Her reaction caused a nervous flutter in my chest. I set my glass of juice down. “Are they here?”
“Not yet.” She smoothed her hands over the front of her cap-sleeved blouse. “But the men are preparing for their arrival.”
It was weird how they all were connected. Seconds later, I heard them moving around upstairs. I hadn’t seen Zayne all day. It was official. He was avoiding me. I needed to see him, because after staring at the ceiling all night, I knew I should apologize. I was putting too much on him, expecting things I shouldn’t be. He did care, but the warping was on my side, because what I felt for him was more than I should.
“Where are you going to go?” Jasmine asked, quickly cleaning away the boxes of apple juice and animal crackers.
I tucked my hair back. “I don’t know. I’m hoping I can find Zayne before they get here. If not, I guess I’ll hang out in the tree house.” Like a loser...
A tight look pinched her features. “How will you know when they’re gone?”
“I don’t know. If I can’t get ahold of Zayne, I guess someone will call me.” At least that was what I hoped. “How long do you—”
A loud rumble cut off my words. Glasses shook in the cabinet. Stainless-steel pots clanged off one another. I backed away from the counter, clasping my hands together. In an instant, all the air sucked straight out of the house. Static permeated the room. I didn’t dare move. Even the twins seemed to sense their arrival, staring wide-eyed at their mother.
Alphas sure loved their fancy entrances.
A burst of energy raised the tiny hairs on my body. The rumbling stopped and the air smelled of something musky and sweet. It wouldn’t smell like that to everyone. Heaven smelled however you wanted—like what you desired. Roses? Pancakes with maple syrup? Burnt rubber. Whatever. The last time they’d been here, it had smelled like winter mint to me.
Jasmine glanced at me, but I was already moving around the counter. Instinct told me they were in the library. I crept down the hall, stopping several feet away. Soft, luminous light seeped underneath the door, slipping across the maple floors, climbing the buttercream walls. The light pulsated, becoming more of a living entity as tendrils crossed the ceiling, dripping bits of bright light into shiny puddles on the throw rug.
It was the light people saw moments before they died. And it was beautiful. Heavenly. For some, there was nothing to fear in death. Not when this waited for them.
This was as far as I could go. They already knew I was here, somewhere in the house, but I couldn’t pull myself away. My throat started to burn, and my skin tingled. It was sheer torture to be near something so pure and not want to...well, devour its essence.
I knew I needed to leave, but I reached out, running the tips of my fingers through the light. Gasping, I jerked my hand back. It was hot—burning. My fingertips were pink and they throbbed. Thin wisps of smoke drifted from my hand.