Page 28 of Ashes
Pulling Nova into his arms, Kole brushes his thumb over her neck. He doesn’t speak, just stares into her eyes. She stares back, then folds herself into his embrace.
“Here.” Tanner hands her a bundle of clothes, kissing her temple when she takes them from him.
“I’ll change.” She gestures to the bathroom.
When she’s inside, door locked, I turn to the others and shake my head at them. “Seriously? What the hell were you doing?” I wave at the window. “The town’s swarming with reporters, the SDB is on its way, Nova’s all over the news, and you four decide it’s a good time to—”
“The SDB isn’t coming.” Mack interrupts me. “Tom finally listened to me. He called them off. He’s coming alone at sunset.”
“Alone?”
Mack nods.
“Right.” I search their faces. “Okay, so putting aside the SDB and the fact Kole justbitNova and seems to be totally fine, where’s our friend Nico? You just left him to his own devices while you had your little party back there?”
“Nico went to the hospital.” Nova appears behind me, arms folded. “He volunteered to retrieve my blood test results, so we can prove I’m telling the truth about being human.”
My mouth drops open a little. I laugh and rub my hand over my closely shaved head.
“Luther?” Mack asks, “What’s going on?”
I breathe in slowly. I don’t even know where to start and, after what I just saw, my head is a mess. “When did he leave?”
“About an hour ago,” Nova says. “We’re waiting for him to email the results to Mack.”
“Then we have time to talk.” I point to the door. “Downstairs. Kitchen. Coffee. This is going to be a lot to digest. You’ll need the caffeine.”
14
NOVA
In the kitchen, Mack makes coffee, but no one sits down. Tanner stands next to Kole, watching him carefully. I put my hand on Mack’s back and stroke it lightly. He looks at me over his shoulder, his eyes grazing the mark on my neck. He smiles and brushes my hair from my face. “You’re okay?” he asks.
“I’m okay.” I turn and look at the others. “Really.”
I can still taste you. Kole’s voice catches my focus and slithers through my body.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” I ask him, hoping that if I stick to out-loud questions, I might be able to ignore the tugging sensation in my stomach that takes hold when I look at him.
“I’m all right, little star. I’m sorry if I—”
“We don’t have time for this.” Luther stands in the middle of us all. He’s almost as tall as Kole, with bulky upper arms and runner’s legs. “Do you need a meeting?” he snaps at Kole?
Kole’s throat makes a grumbling sound.
“You just drank from her. The last time you got within a sniffing distance of her blood, you went full-on vamp. And we don’t have time for you to lose it. Not now. So, I’m asking… do you need a meeting?”
The air quivers as Kole and Luther stare at one another. “No,” Kole says stiffly. “I don’t.”
“Fine.” Luther nods for Mack to hand out the coffee, then turns to me. “You’ll want to sit down.”
“I’m fine just here,” I say defiantly, leaning back against the countertop, pissed that he’s walked in here and started giving orders.
Next to me, Mack takes a deep sip from his mug and watches Luther carefully.
“All right,” Luther says. “I got a phone call yesterday from someone you know.”
I frown at him; I barelyknowanyone.