Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
LEO
Endless, night colored hair was pulled into a bun that let loose strands hang around Alex’s face and exposed her neck, finally making that slim rose tattoo visible.
Her new horns made her appear taller, and more devilish than cute.
But it was the dress—that fucking dress—that made me want to blind every man in the club with us.
It hugged every curve, exposed the pale skin of her shoulders and almost her entire back, where I could see the edge of another tattoo peeking out from the side of her ribs.
My eyes nearly bulged when I spotted another, hovering at the edge of her low back.
Tonight, I die. Cardiac arrest — I’m calling it now.
The black heels she wore made her legs go on for miles, even though her head still barely reached below my chin.
Taboo-topic-implants-not-included. There was no way; no fucking way I could handle getting through the night without burning the place down.
My secret would be shouted from the rooftops then, for sure.
We’d taken a step forward, and I had no idea how to manage it.
If I leaned into our new dynamic, would she pull away?
I didn’t think I’d survive that either. So I fell back on what I knew: keep it short, try not to talk too much and expose myself.
Unfortunately, my ‘minimalist’ attitude came off as more ‘dickhead’, and I’d definitely pissed her off.
Perfect timing, right before walking into a club with endless opportunities and people that would most definitely be watching her every move.
I couldn’t help myself from wrapping an arm around her waist as we entered, Reed flanking us.
Every head that turned toward us made the heat in my chest flare, and I glared at too many Variants to count.
I was marking a territory I had no claim to.
Was I proud of it? No, but Alex shifted through bodies, and I watched every fucking hand we walked by, ready to snap bones if I needed to.
By the time we got to the bar and the bass from the speakers scratched against my brain, I was aching to flee.
Alex touched my hand around her waist as her brows pinched.
Her mouth moved, but the music was too loud to hear her.
She reached up and tugged at my collar, bringing me down to her level.
I was a dog aching to be led, apparently.
Her breath was warm against my skin as she shouted through the noise. “I’m not going anywhere, you know that, right?”
I swallowed hard before turning my nose against her hair, brushing my own lips against her ear. “I don’t trust you not to disappear into the crowd.”
That lemon scent filled my breath, and I wanted to stay there, wanted to drown in it. She shoved against my chest, almost playful as those red lips tilted into a smile.
“Relax, have a drink. I’ve got this, alright?”
That’s not the issue, I thought.
It was the strange possessiveness that built in my chest, and the way my breath gave out once Alex pointed out our target.
Dahlia had managed to get more information on him, now that we had his name.
He stood across the room in a private booth, surrounded by Variants of every shape and size.
Two guards stood with their arms crossed in front of him, scanning the crowd.
Lycean was big; my size, maybe even larger.
He had pointed teeth and ears that reminded me of a wolf, with eyes that glowed gold.
All I could think about was the way he could tear her apart if he wanted to, if anything went wrong.
Alex raised a hand to her ear, to the hidden earpiece that the three of us wore.
“Daydream reporting,” she murmured. “Target in sight. I’ll be making contact now.”
With one last wink up at me, she patted my arm, and pulled away. I wanted to reach out, tug her back and get us out. Every fiber of my being screamed to whisk her away.
“Easy, big guy,” Reed hummed around his glass before sliding one over to me. “Careful not to burn the place down.”
I grit my teeth, the bass so loud it makes them vibrate against each other. Fire flared in my chest, and wisps of smoke began to pour through my nose and mouth. My cigarette hung from my mouth, barely giving the illusion that I wasn’t literally burning from the inside.
Alex kept going across the room lit with purple and blue hues, dim enough to cast each edge of the place into shadows. The bright circulating lights illuminated every curve as she walked. She’d always reminded me of a feather. Light, airy; she could be burned, or broken. It would be easy.
That was the thing, though—Alex never acted like it.
She ran that mouth that she’d painted blood red for the night, bared her teeth at whoever talked down to her.
Alex didn’t see herself as something breakable, and it always made me burn.
I didn’t know why at first. I thought it was irritation, some ideal in my head of what a Hero should be and how she didn’t live up to it.
It took me too long to realize; the idea of seeing her hurt scared the fuck out of me.
But she wasn’t breakable, or fragile. The way she walked, the way her hips swayed in that fucking blue dress and her shoulders tucked back with confidence, the world could crumble at her feet.
I almost wanted to. But now I could only watch as she approached Lycean’s VIP booth.
She was escorted through almost instantly after he looked her over, and when she touched his chest and giggled with those red lips, I wanted to burn it all down.
Heat flared in my veins, and Reed put a hand on my shoulder.
His shield went up, nearly suffocating me.
My body went rigid, but my eyes stayed on her.
Lycean wrapped a meaty hand around her waist, touching the bare skin at her back, and she leaned in.
Every curve of hers melded against his side, and the glass in my hand shattered when he bent down to whisper in her ear.
His teeth were already pointed; like he’d decided to devour her the moment they made contact.
“She’s already pulling him in,” Reed mused. “Watch his eyes.”
My neck ached as it strained, every muscle in my body ready to pounce.
But Reed was right; the gold glow in his eyes started to simmer, and after a moment, they went completely blank.
He tugged her closer, and rubbed his thumb along her spine as she tucked her nose into his shoulder.
I could see her muscles relax, and she propped herself against him as she faded in and out.
To anyone around them, it looked like a couple getting ready to find a room for the night.
I’m going to break that fucking hand.
Every finger, every joint, I’d make sure he could never use it again.
“You don’t share very well,” Reed said, prodding. “Those are boyfriend privileges, you know. She could go home with him after this, if she wanted to.”
I snapped my head toward him and ignored the way my lungs gripped for air. “I don’t give a damn about that.”
I really, really fucking do.
He grinned. “So if I let you go, you’ll behave?”
“I’m not up for your games tonight.” I turned back to Alex across the room, and I was sure I’d lose it.
Lycean traced his fingers down her hips, his eyes still clouded as they gazed at a blank space on the wall.
I knew she was going to try to keep him awake; it would have been suspicious if he collapsed as soon as she walked in.
But the expression on his face made me sick.
I wasn’t prepared to have this kind of reaction and didn’t realize how deep my jealousy ran.
What the fuck are you making him imagine, Alex?
Did I want to know? No. Yes. It didn’t matter; I couldn’t stomach it for another second.
“Release it,” I ground out.
Reed cocked his head, red hair swinging into his mismatched eyes as he faked a pout. “I dunno, Alex told me not to let you interfere. She doesn’t want you to have all the glory.”
I was sure my eyes glowed red when I held his stare. “Who are you more afraid of?”
He paused, as if actually thinking it through. Finally, he sighed and waved a hand. Oxygen filled my lungs, and I took in a deep breath, nearly taking down my cigarette in one breath.
“This is why you don’t have friends, you know,” he sighed. “I’d love to be, if you didn’t fucking threaten me all the time.”
I deadpanned. “Call it my love language.”
His lips turned down as he raised his brows. “Kinky, I like it. Alex still scores above you, though. She went shopping with me.”
My body went rigid as I narrowed my eyes at him. “The dress. That was you?”
He shrugged before holding up his phone, taunting me. “And I have the pictures to prove it. Do you want one? You know, for your lock screen.”
I was ready to rip the phone from his hands when something caught the corner of my eye. Reed spun around with me; even though he was playing with me, he’d been watching, too. Both of us shot up, our stools clattering behind us.
Alex was completely draped against Lycean, and her neck was decorated in crimson.
The bodies around them kept dancing, kept drinking, as if this was a completely normal event.
My fists ignited into flames as I watched him curl his lips over his fangs, digging into her skin as he bit down.
His cheeks were flushed as he pawed at her, pulling her body close with those blank eyes.
Alex writhed beneath him, and I could see the flicker in her own eyes, the struggle to maintain control.
“You have fifteen seconds,” Reed ground out, before dropping to the ground and pounding his fists against the club floor. “Make it count.”
Darkness descended over us. It bled from his palms and stretched out, covering everything except for Alex and Lycean.
Reed rarely used this shield—his pit of black.
Fifteen seconds was pushing it; it was a bend in reality, a closer ability to Alex’s that was always unstable and rarely lasted more than ten.
It blocked everything else out, shielding us from prying eyes as I shot forward.
In four seconds, I’d ripped Alex away from Lycean’s grip, careful to stifle my flames before I touched her.
At six, I gripped Lycean by the neck and smashed his head straight into the ground.
His canines broke on impact; his mouth nearly shattered.
Alex gasped beside me, but I forced myself to focus as I lifted her into my arms and sprinted back to Reed.
His face was pale, and sweat pooled down his face, matting down his bright red hair.
I reached him just as the black abyss started to crawl backward, exposing the flickering lights of the club and allowing the music to pound back into us again.
He went limp, and I shifted Alex before tossing him over my shoulder.
The speaker in my ear was screaming at me as I hauled them out the doors. The crowd began to surge again, unaware of what spell they’d been put under. They wouldn’t know what happened once they noticed Lycean on the ground.
“Cinder?” An agent’s voice crackled in my ear. “Daydream? WildGuard? Please respond. I repeat, I need you to respond.”
Car horns blared as I sprinted through the street. The black sky overhead dressed us in shadows as I ran for cover.
“Daydream and WildGuard are down. We’re heading for the safe house—Lycean is still inside,” I panted, my mind buzzing as I tried to keep my flames from bursting out and burning them both.
“Copy that, Cinder. We’re going in.”
Steam hissed through my clothes by the time I made it to the abandoned warehouse we’d scouted out before entering the Crowns Club. A hive of VIA agents was waiting for us, hands already glowing as Variants with healing abilities reached out.
“Stabilize his blood pressure,” I breathed, placing Reed into the arms of two men in black. “The shield he used fucks with his heart, keep him on a monitor.”
I shifted Alex in my arms next; her body had gone cold and clammy, and the red on her skin made my breath come out in short, quick gasps.
Hands reached for her, but I jerked back, cradling her against my chest; a wild dog ready to attack.
Her eyes lifted to mine, and a weak smile formed on those red lips.
Flecks of blood marred the top of her dress, and my eyes widened at it.
“Relax,” she wheezed. “Just a hiccup. No…no biggie.”
I kneeled down, laying her on the ground as I ran a hand through her hair and checked the wound at her throat. It was shallow—enough to bleed, but not lethal. Still, it made my body heat and my hands tremble as I touched her soft, pale skin.
“We’ve got her,” someone called from behind, but I whipped around on them with a scowl.
“Don’t touch her.”
Alex’s eyes drooped, and her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. “Don’t be a baby,” she wheezed. “Just hold my hand or something. This fucking hurts.”
For once, my blood ran ice cold, and I did what I was told. I clasped her hand in mine, forcing down the fire in my belly as hands started to reach for her neck, a soft golden glow lighting up her skin.
“I’m sorry,” I choked. “I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, and I saw the wound already starting to heal. “No, I screwed up. I was too focused on getting the information—I let go of my hold. He got too handsy, that’s all.”
“I’ll kill him.” My head whipped to the side, staring at the door of the warehouse.
“Did you always worry so much?” She chuckled, her cheeks beginning to turn pink again. “You were calmer in the hospital; this is no biggie.”
Always. All the fucking time. You have no idea how much I’ve fucking ached over you.
“No,” I ground out, my voice hoarse. “Must be a new development, or something. Maybe I’m not a fan of biting.”
By the time her wound was healed, my body grew hot again.
Flashes went through my head of Lycean’s mouth on her neck, those fucking dog teeth piercing her flesh, the crimson of her blood.
I couldn’t stand it anymore. Alex sat up, her eyes brighter, and she reached out a hand.
I didn’t take it—I couldn’t take it. Her brows scrunched, but before she could speak, I bolted.
You can’t control yourself around her, Joon’s voice was a plague in my head. You’ll burn her.
I scrambled outside just in time for my body to burst into flames.
I stood in the open air, orange and yellow whipping around me in a frenzy as I stared at the bay beside the warehouse.
And then I walked. I kept walking until my feet went over the ledge, and my body plunged into icy waters.
It took fifteen minutes for it to stop boiling.
You’re too dangerous.