Chapter 10 Alabaster
ALABASTER
I watch as Calli and Jack approach the large building lit up in an array of neon lights.
They walk arm in arm, almost skipping. I fucking hate this guy.
I don’t trust anyone who is that… happy.
It’s fucking weird. But despite my reservations, I’ve never seen her smile like that before.
Problem is, it’s not me who’s causing it.
Why the hell does that bother me? They seem close… too close.
I could always possess the fucker. That could be fun, but it would ruin her night.
Maybe another time.
I follow behind them as they go to the counter, my eyes zoning in on how well her ass fills out her jeans.
For a goddess that doesn’t get out much, she has the most exquisite frame.
A large bowling alley sits to one side of the entertainment space, people filling the lanes.
Jack shamelessly flirts with the girl handing them their wristbands.
Gods, what an ass. Calli appears to agree, judging by the annoyed look she flashes him as she walks away.
It’s in that moment that I sidle up next to her, my fingertips brushing her hair away from her face.
Her skin pebbles with my touch—yes, she’s already molding for me, and she doesn’t even know it.
“We’re going to have so much fun…” My voice is a whisper, her eyelashes fluttering.
I take a step back, giving her space for Jack to reapproach.
As he shoves the piece of paper with the girl’s number on it in his pocket, he wraps his fucking arm around Calli, escorting her to the arcade doors.
I’ve changed my mind. I’m gonna make their night a living hell.
Calli immediately cheers at the sight of all the games, flashing lights, and neon screens beckoning her.
“Dance battle, milady?” the blond one suggests. Absolutely not on my watch are they going to be that close. I reach my hand out and grab the cord, not realizing this one cord is connected to every game along the wall, which effectively shuts off nearly half of the arcade.
Oh well.
“Oh my Gods!” She turns to Jack, clearly searching for answers.
He can’t give you those, Calli.
Jack’s hand grips the back of his neck. He searches the arcade for another appropriate game, till his eyes land on one I don’t mind them indulging in.
“Want to play air hockey?”
Calli’s face beams. “Fuck yes! Let’s do it,” she says, pumping her fist in the air.
They move to their respective sides, and Jack places four coins in the slot. The machine roars to life and the air makes the puck float around the table. Interesting. Calli cracks her knuckles and readies herself.
“Hope you’re ready to get your ass kicked,” she quips. I creep up behind her, just a breath away. Drawn to her fire.
“You must not know—I’m the reigning air hockey champ around these parts, Cal.”
My eyes roll back into my head, please…
She hits the puck, immediately sinking the first shot before Jack has time to defend.
My hands reach out, gripping her ample hips and guiding her to rub up against my growing interest for her.
She doesn’t even resist, but pushes harder against me.
A small moan slips past her lips, so low I almost don’t hear it.
My, she is impressive. Being so dirty for me where anyone can see, but nobody will know.
“Cheap shot!” he says, placing the puck back on the table.
“You must have forgotten how good I am,” she says, blocking his shot.
“Oh, I could never forget how good you are,” he says, his voice deeper.
I see her give him a sultry look. What the fuck is that smile?
I don’t even blink. My hand snaps out and cracks against her ass cheek.
Her body jerks forward, the sound muffled by the music and chatter of the arcade.
My voice is a growl, low in my chest, as I lean in. “You are mine, pretty girl. Don’t make me take you for the first time over this table.” She has the intelligence to bite her lip, letting out a tiny whimper.
“Do you remember, Calli?” the dick has the gall to say.
“Jack…” Did she just sound breathy for him?
Oh, fuck no. My hand shoots out, shadows going into the machine without thought, forcing it to malfunction. The air stops, and the lights flicker before going dark. Call me petty or jealous, I don’t fucking care. This guy is toying with what is mine, and needs to be put in his place.
Calli’s pale skin is red from embarrassment. She may not know who I am yet or what I will do, but she can’t deny that she likes it.
“What the hell?” I hear Jack complain as he kicks the leg of the table. “I’m definitely leaving this place a bad review. They’ve got to have some faulty wiring.”
“Maybe…” she says, and I can feel her lean back against me. She’s upright now, her whole body shivering as she feels my chest go up and down behind her.
“You good, Calli? You’re really flush,” Jack says, turning toward the employee standing at the door.
“Nod for him,” I rumble, low in her ear. She does. “Good girl. Now get rid of him so we can play.”
“I’m good, Jack. Can you go ask the employee eye-fucking you, though? Maybe she can fix it for us. I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”
I’m honestly shocked the hunter would allow someone like this anywhere near his precious sister. They’ve clearly fucked. And I don’t think big brother knows. Maybe I don’t need to kill him to be rid of him—Cade will do the dirty work for me. As I guide her, a sly grin curls on my face.
“When you said play, I really thought you were referring to something else.” Is she pouting? My, my. I love seeing this side of her.
“We are playing,” I whisper in her ear, my right hand trailing up and down her spine, the other guiding her to aim at the zombies on the screen. I can see the goose bumps rise on her skin at the bottom of her cropped white tank. It’s exquisite.
Callisto isn’t a small girl by any means, but she is dwarfed next to Jack.
I’m still taller… But I want her to understand how to defend herself. To feel a sense of power she hasn’t been afforded.
“If you wanted to kill zombies, we could just go home and play COD,” Jack interjects, ruining our perfect moment.
“But here we get actual guns! Kind of…” She laughs. “Besides, the games we play at home are not the same thing.” He flashes a grin at her, nudging her shoulder. My eye twitches.
“Yeah, you’re also terrible at pool.”
She glares at him. “I sunk the eight ball one time,” she says, looking over at the girls who are still lingering near where this tool came back from. “So, did you get that girl’s number?” She looks at him with a smile.
“I got two,” he says with a mischievous smirk.
Dick.
“I guess you don’t need a wingwoman,” she retorts, going back to shooting zombies.
“Remember that time I snuck you out to the park and that drunk group of girls came up to us? The blond ended up making out with you.”
My eyebrows raise at that. She continues to surprise me.
“Hey, she came out of nowhere.”
“Either way, if you tried to be my wingwoman, you would end up with all the ladies. Which defeats the purpose.”
“That was not my fault. But I suppose you have a point, after all. I am hotter than you.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder—her scent is intoxicating.
“Low blow, Cal. But I can’t disagree.” These two are fucking weird.
I can’t get a read on them. And although the image of Callisto making out with another woman is kind of sexy, a part of me hates the fact that he knows her so well.
That he can sit there, be an asshole, and she’s just having a good time. This makes no goddamn sense.
I’m back in the corner, allowing her a moment of peace, when I sense something near. One of my kind.
Guess my fun is over.
I shift into smoke, moving around the building like a blur. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Alok, staring at Callisto.
No.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I approach him quickly, sizing him up.
He laughs under his breath. “I told you I wanted to know what had you so consumed by this one.” He pauses. “Now I know.”
My heart skips a beat and my throat goes dry.
“You don’t know shit,” I say, attempting to brush him off.
“That mark on the back of her neck.”
“What about it?” I glare at him.
“She is marked for death,” he continues. “Now, I wonder how that happened.”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I answer, attempting to sound convincing.
It’s not technically a lie. Humans shouldn’t have ancient knowledge like that. But I know how they got it. The grimoire. I just don’t know how they obtained that particular artifact.
“So you are following this pretty thing to discover the source?”
“I’m fucking warning you. Stay out of this.”
He smiles. “I will do as I please. And you aren’t going to stop me.” He moves closer, whispering in my ear, “I think I’ll drop in every now and then. You see, I like pretty things, too. You have piqued my interest and I currently have nothing better to do.”
“Leave her out of it. I can deal with this on my own,” I say, head down, ears back.
“Oh, I don’t think I will. And if you try and stop me, I could always inform the council.”
“How petty of you. All of this because you’re bored?”
“Sure. You could say that.” He smiles. “I’m sure they will be intrigued as to why such ancient knowledge is carved into a human’s flesh. A mark that symbolizes worship and sacrifice of our kind.” He looks me in the eye. “Such a binding hasn’t been allowed since before the war of the titans.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Alok. I’ve broken no laws.”
He looks up at me with an aura of authority. “You’re toeing the line, Kai,” he says sternly, using my chosen name. “I will sate my curiosity, and you will not deny me, or I will say something.”
“She. Is. Mine,” I say as the ground rumbles under our feet, my voice a low growl. “You will do well to remember that. I’ll tell you what I know when I know.”
Alok chuckles, patting my shoulder.
“Don’t worry, brother. I’ll keep to the shadows. For now. But expect to see me again. I happen to enjoy watching the way this one affects you.”
I despise being toyed with, and I hate being threatened even more.
He’s not wrong, though. I’ve been able to keep this quiet for so long simply because my kind doesn’t meddle in human affairs. But this, this is different, and my hands are tied. I clench my jaw, that fucker.
I don’t respond. I want to tell him to fuck off, to threaten him.
But it’s not worth the trouble. I doubt he would actually say anything, but the threat is enough to accept the position I’m in.
The council is a bunch of old fuckers, powerful, out of touch, and set in their ways.
Keeping this under wraps is more important than ever, especially with Alok involved.
“See you soon, friend,” he says ominously, grinning from ear to ear before disappearing, leaving me standing there like a dumbass. I rub my face in frustration.
“Fuck…”
I make my way back over to Callisto and Jack as they continue having a good old time.
I need a distraction, and since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it. I notice them playing Pop-A-Shot. Lifting my hand, I begin manipulating Jack’s balls, skewing them just enough to not go in the hoop.
“Wow, you suck at this,” Calli says, laughing at his failure.
Yeah, this’ll make me feel better.