Ethan's temporary loss of control spread throughout GA faster than Eden losing her virginity to Lucas.
If you can even call it that.
Because everything on a Vampyr grows back. Including a hymen. Which means she'll be reliving her first time for the rest of eternity.
Not that Lucas minds.
Me... I'm just trying to keep my mate from slitting his wrists-or whatever Vampyrs do to kill themselves-from the guilt he still carries. I want to spend forever with him, and I'll be damned if I let anything else get in the way of that. Which is easier said than done when something or someone out in the world wants me dead.
"Are you okay?" Lucas comes rushing up to me in the hallway at GA, like the big brother he is, to check on me.
"I'm fine. It's nothing and there's barely a scratch."
"You mean it's nothing now." He gives me a pointed look that tells me not to downplay this. "He could've killed you, Ali."
"But he didn't." I dish the look right back. "And everyone making a big deal out of this isn't helping me or him."
Narrowing his eyes at me, he replies with a smirk on his face, "In other words, he's licking his wounds. Which means no Vampyr on Siphoner action for you."
"Yes!" I sulk. Wishing this would all go away. "Do you know how long I've waited for us to have a second chance?"
"I know you wouldn't have needed one if you hadn't pushed him into that dead girls arms."
My mouth drops open and I gape at Lucas for being so insensitive.
"What?" He shrugs.
"Her name was Zara."
"I really don't care."
"You're a horrible human being." I narrow my eyes at him.
"What I am is insulted. When have you ever known a human to look this damn good?" He lifts up his shirts to point to his Godlike abs.
Shaking my head, I leave. I can't talk to him when he's like this.
Laughing, he jogs to catch up to me and his expression turns serious.
"Something is wrong with Ethan, and until we know what it is, I think you should be careful. If something ever happens to you, what I'll do to him will make Armageddon feel like Christmas."
"If something ever happens to me, you won't get the chance to do anything. Because Ethan would do it himself. Now is not the time to split loyalties Lucas." I tell him.
"Who told you I was loyal to Ethan? I simply tolerate him because you follow him around like a lovesick puppy. There's also the part where he shares similar chromosomes with my mate." Lucas chuckles.
But we both know he's lying through his teeth.
"Would it kill you to admit the little bromance thing you and Ethan have going on?" I quirk my brow at him. Unable to help but tease him. "You like him."
"We have more of a... no-mance thing. As in, there's no way in heaven or hell we will ever be besties."
"Mm-hm." I smirk.
"Anyway... I need your help with something." Lucas instantly becomes nervous.
"With what?"
"This..." He opens his jacket to pull a little black box out of his pocket.
After making sure no one of importance is around, he opens it to reveal the biggest diamond ring I've ever seen. At first, I'm happy for him. But when he starts talking about how he wants to propose and wanting my input on where and when he should do it, I find myself fighting back tears.
Thankfully the bell rings and we go our separate ways. But my relief is short-lived when Ethan walks into class and sits down next to me. I try my best to keep my emotions in check, but halfway through class he grimaces and turns to look at me.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
I start to lie to him just to get through class, but one glimpse of his haunted eyes tells me pushing him away might not be the smart thing to do. So, I tell him the truth.
"Everything. You... me... everything."
Sighing heavily, he grabs me by the hand and walks me out of the classroom against the teachers demands for us to retake our seats.
Sybil will hear about this...
And though she won't lift a finger to punish her precious grandson, the same can't be said for me.
Backing me up against the wall in the hallway and trapping me in-between the two arms he has firmly planted against the wall on either side of me, his eyes delve into mine. Imploring me to talk.
"Explain."
"Lucas is going to propose to Eden, and... I don't know... seeing how happy he is and knowing how happy she's going to be when he does... it kind of... it made me think about us and just how screwed up things are between us. I mean, you haven't even been able to look at me lately." I emotionally vomit my feelings all over him.
Nodding, Ethan lowers his gaze to my mouth before meeting my gaze once more. The intensity in his eyes going super nova.
"Our situation isn't as dire as you might think, Ali. And my not being able to look at you has everything to do with me not trusting myself to be near you, than it does me not wanting to be near you. For instance, I want nothing more than to kiss you right now. But-"
"Then do it." I cut him off. Desperate for some sort of connection to him.
Some sort of affection.
Ethan's hesitant, but he can see the desire in my eyes. So, he humors me. Leaning into me and softly crushing his lips to mine. Which causes a million tiny explosions go off inside me. I grip him by his shirt and pull him into me. There, in the empty hallway of GA, the two of us collide. Our frantic lips seizing one another as we breathlessly embrace each other.
"Stop." Ethan pleads. Just when it's starting to get good.
Reluctantly, I pull away from him and it's a good thing I did. His fangs have descended, and his baby blues have turned crimson.
"When was the last time you fed?" I ask.
"This morning."
"Human or animal?"
Ethan gives me a look that says, what do you think?
"You can't keep doing this to yourself. Your nature is to feed on human blood, Ethan. And while I understand your aversion to doing so, you must. It will sustain you for longer periods of time and make you stronger." I give him the third degree.
"I hear you, and I understand your concern, but the only blood I seem to crave lately is yours. Add that to the fact that some part of me has been programmed to want to kill you, and I just don't think it's safe." He sighs. "If that means drinking the blood of every animal on this planet, then I will do so before I ever take another drop of your blood. End of discussion."
Narrowing my eyes at him, playfully, I tell him, "You're becoming a bigger pain in my butt than Tristan and Lucas."
His lips curl up into a heart-stopping smile that stalls my beating heart. His laughter sending me into cardiac arrest.
I love his laugh and his smile...
"I love you." I tell him. Peering into his eyes.
"I love you more." He replies.
Right before a gagging sound rents the hall and we turn to find Eden and Lucas watching us.
"Seriously, the two of you need to find the nearest room and just get on with it." Eden deadpans. "No one will judge you for it."
"They'd probably throw a party to celebrate all the sexual tension that will no longer be suffocating the students of GA." Lucas chuckles. Pretending to die from asphyxiation.
Um... embarrassing!
Blushing, I bury my face in Ethan's chest to hide my crimsoning cheeks.
"You're one to talk." Ethan levels a look at him.
Now it's Eden's turn to blush.
"Well, not to break up your little PG-13 moment, but Tristan and Kaia have found something, and they want us all to meet at the library after school." Eden tells us.
"Speaking of two people just needing to get it on..." I roll my eyes. "If they eye-banged each other any harder she'd be pregnant right now."
"Jealous?" Lucas smirks. His little jab aimed more at Ethan than it is at me.
"More like disgusted."
"Regardless, have your ass there after leadership."
"And go to class before the two of you get into trouble." Eden smirks. Shifting her gaze between Ethan and me with amusement.
Rolling my eyes, I take Ethan by the hand and walk back to class with him. Mrs. Gelati scolds us for leaving class without permission and hands us both a detention slip.
Which... great.
I've always wanted to spend more time at GA... not.
But I guess it's the price you pay for totally skipping out on class to have a come to Jesus moment with your boyfriend...
After class, Ethan walks me to the food court to get a bite to eat and our friends meet us there. All except Kaia and Tristan who are more than likely knee-deep in whatever they've stumbled upon. But Lexie and Kyle are also there waiting for us. We haven't had much time to talk or spend with each other since Lexie became a Vamp and Kyle was rescued from being buried alive.
Something I wish to remedy starting now...
After waving them over to our table, I hug them both. Wishing the hug could last forever. But they both frown at me as if they believe I've lost my mind and look to Ethan for answers. He shrugs, because clearly I'm in my feels right now.
"Have you stopped by to see dad?" Lexie asks me.
"Not lately. I've been busy." I shake my head.
"Too busy to visit your own father?" Kyle shoots me a disapproving look.
"Is he our father? Because at this point I'm not sure what to believe."
"He raised us, Ali. Whether our DNA matches or not."
Yeah... he's got me there.
"What's with you anyway?" Lexie asks me. "You've been emotional, yet you've been distant. And if you hug me one more time I'm going to have you committed to an insane asylum."
Our entire table erupts into laughter, including Ethan.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just happy to have you both here." I shrug. Then I glance over at a smiling Ethan. "And to have my mate back. I miss this... having you all around. It almost makes me afraid to lose you again."
I'm smiling but they get the hidden meaning in my words. And they offer me a sympathetic smile in return.
"You won't lose me. Not again." Lexie assures me.
"Ditto." Kyle nods in agreement.
My gaze shifts over to Ethan, and he frowns.
"Ali, I was never lost to you. Unavailable... yes. But never lost. Not to you."
Smiling, I'm tempted to pull him in for a hug, but everyone in the room suddenly goes still. Frozen in whatever position they were in.
Everyone but me.
Scanning the food court, I search the room until I find what I'm looking for.
Several cloaked figures, all dressed in black, with a megaton of power radiating from the person standing in the middle...
Also cloaked from head to toe in black.
WTF?!
Turning to Ethan, I'm about to unfreeze him when his hand shoots out and wraps around my neck as he climbs to his feet. All traces of my loving mate gone. Replaced by the predatory side of his nature that is hellbent on ending my life.
I'm lifted off my feet, struggling for air. Forced to choose between the love of my life... or myself. Only, the choice is taken away from me when the thing inside me snaps.