Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

"How are you not freezing with just a tank and shorts on?" I ask.

He shrugs, and then he leans farther back to prop up on his elbows.

"My metabolism burns quicker than yours. I have to eat more frequently, drink more, and… well, have blood of course. It's enough to warm me up in the coldest of places. I admit, heated spots are a bitch."

I laugh a little, and then I touch his healed shoulder with the tip of my fingers.

"It's a good thing you don't scar after immortality. That would have been a bitch," I murmur jokingly.

His eyes are suddenly burning into mine as his hand rises up to catch mine on his shoulder. I'm worried about what's about to happen, but then Frankie materializes in front of us.

"Hey," I murmur in surprise, meeting his eyes which don't seeming very approving.

"We should talk," he says very seriously, and I look at Thad who rolls his eyes while releasing my hand.

"You're going to have to trust me sometime, warlock," Thad mumbles as he stands to his feet.

"I just want to talk to Alyssa, alone. Nothing pertaining to the case, of course."

"Sure," Thad grumbles. "I need to go flex my muscles anyhow. I have to make sure the perimeter is safe. I'll see you in a bit, pretty girl."

He bends and takes my hand before pressing his lips to the back of it. I blush, and then he turns into a hawk, dropping his clothes in a puddle at my feet before flying off into the trees.

Frankie rolls his eyes as he takes a seat beside me, and I listen as the hawk's screeches become too distant to hear any longer.

"You have to stop getting so close to him," Frankie murmurs in a near whisper.

"Frankie, he just saved my life the other night. Not to mention the battle in the woods where he saved us both while you slept."

"Have you asked him about that?" he muses, his eyebrow arching.

"No, but just because it hasn't come up. What's wrong?"

He sighs out loudly, and then he steeples his hands in front of his face while staring straight ahead into the woods.

"I don't know. This just all… it's so odd. They've already proven to be dangerous. Rain could have killed you."

"But he didn't because Thad tore him to pieces."

He turns to me, his eyes a little worried, as he murmurs, "Exactly. A changer took down a centuries old night stalker under the full moon. Thad shouldn't be that strong, no matter how old he is. The moon fuels a night stalker's strength. The fuller the moon, the stronger the bloodsucker. It scares me, Alyssa. And the way you've been looking at him scares me even more."

"The way I've been looking at him?" I chuckle out, my cheeks blushing.

"Yeah. You act like a schoolgirl wit

h a crush every time he's close lately. Ever think that's a little odd, considering you're head-over-heels for a human?"

Kane's face flashes through my mind, and seriousness takes the place of my humor.

"Kane's safer if he's not with me. As for Thad, it's called hormones… normal hormones. He's sexy, and he has that hero appeal. Sex never fazed me before, but now that I've had it… well… it's like socks."

I blush deeper, staring away from the man I've always viewed as a father figure. This is definitely not a conversation to be having with him.

"Socks?" he asks, seeming amused. "How is sex like socks?"

I laugh a little, my crimson burn stinging my cheeks a little more.

"Well, if you lived your whole life without socks, your feet would be just fine. You wouldn't know the difference. But, once you've had socks and felt their comfort in hard shoes, warmth in cold weather, and softness against the harsh floor, then you become a little spoiled, and you notice when they're gone. You want socks again… a lot."