Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

I wasn't struggling; I was just casting a spell to keep dark entities out of Kane's home when they were all dark. My spells were thought to be malfunctioning, when it was merely my messed up love life that was the problem.

Gage's vague explanation about chanters does answer some of my questions, but not all of them. I follow him in only to be nearly deafened by the music. For a centuries-old being, this chanter's taste in music is terribly obnoxious.

"What's the game plan?" I ask while clutching him a little tighter as a stray hand from one of the drunken fools lands on my ass.

He quickly draws me to him and eyes the guy who crossed the line. The guy backs down promptly, and turns away to rejoin his group of laughing friends who are amused by his silent scolding.

"Your magic is growing, and your aura is channeling all the wrong vibes. You're going to be fighting with all sorts of unwanted attention if you don't figure out a way to cap it off."

"Cap what off exactly? I'm angry, tired, frustrated... well, every form of calling me cranky to be exact. What can I possibly be putting off?"

He smirks, and then I see a blushing hue form in his perfectly defined cheekbones.

"You really don't know, do you?"

I narrow my eyes, not feeling like playing twenty questions tonight.

"Witches can't see their own auras, jackass. What am I putting off?"

He lets a laugh free and then shakes his head while pulling me away from the next groping idiot before he has a chance to make contact. My back is suddenly against Gage's front as he holds me to him, shielding me.

"Sexual energy," he says while leaning down to my ear, making me shiver.

My whole face burns, and I'm so frigging happy he's not in front of me right now. He pulls me closer as we stop in the doorway of a crowded room.

He holds me to him the way a lover would as he protectively keeps me safe from any unwanted attention - well, unwanted physical attention. He can't stop the gawking. I haven't gone out in a while. Now I'm glad I haven't.

"How?" I finally manage to squeak out. "I'm not... I mean... it shouldn't-"

"You just had your heart broken, Alyssa. It leaves the doorway open to so many dropped emotions. One of your strongest connections to Kane was the fact he was your first."

I look up with wide eyes taking over my face. "How the hell did you know that?"

He smirks as he scans the room, avoiding meeting my gaping gawk. "It's obvious. When a mortal loses their virginity to an immortal, they're tied to them in some way. You're still mortal right now, making you no different from a human. Until you... find someone else to fill that void, your aura will wreak of wanton desire. Sorry, babe. That's just how things are. So, find someone to kill the connection, and you'll be free of all the excess attention."

I cross my arms in a huff, suddenly feeling violated in even more ways, thanks to Kane. I can't just screw some random guy in an effort to stop the excessive drooling from the mindless humans.

"I'm glad it isn't affecting immortals."

He lets a loud burst of laughter free, and I start to tilt my head up when a guy bumps into him from the back. It forces Gage into me a little harder, and I realize that I am affecting immortals.

I swallow hard as his firmness presses up against me more to let others pass. He laughs again when he sees my expression.

"I think you just learned otherwise," he murmurs against my ear, making me shiver all over again.

I never knew this, and now I feel like an absolute idiot. His hand slides around my waist as he moves out from behind me, and we start heading away from the crowded spot that is forcing us to share too much intimacy.

"Sorry," I mumble, forcing him to laugh even harder.

"I can deal. Just be careful. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming and it could start affecting you physically."

What?

"Care to elaborate?" I ask, looking anywhere but at him.

It would have been really, really nice to know this sort of thing. I'll add it to the list of things to ream my mother out over once she's fully recuperated.

"Well, it could either make you foolishly throw yourself into the arms of someone really dangerous in a desperate desire to kill the urge you only think you're dealing with, or it could drive you back to the arms of the one who hurt you. I'm sure you see why it'd be a bad idea to risk going back to Kane."