Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

"So, how is it that she's so certain you are, and you're so certain you're not?"

He puts his blinker on and pulls up to stop at the curb on the side of the road. As he turns to face me, his eyes are that perfect emerald green I fell in love with.

"Because I've never once felt anything but brotherly toward her. It's not like Deke and Sierra, but Amy is desperately grasping for someone to care about her. She's gone through a lot, and for a while, I tolerated her bullshit simply because I felt sorry for her. She continues to take each kind gesture as something more. Sierra is like her alpha. She is protective, nurturing, and maternal toward her. It's in their nature to side together. Pack mentality and all.

"I've never once felt toward anyone the way I feel toward you, and I'm perfectly capable of deciding who I am and who I am not meant to be with. I don't ever want you to view me the way I view Amy, so I try not to press you too hard, but, Alyssa, you feel it, too. I see it in your eyes when you look at me the way you're looking at me right now. You're young and confused. I understand that, too. But I'm not leaving your side until I know for sure you won't be mine."

My heart sings and cries out for him, but my mind keeps restraining it. He turns to face the road again, but before he can push it into gear, something happens. We're frozen almost instantly, and I hear Kane gasping for air.

I can't move anything on my body until I push forth with all my strength, feeling an invisible fabric tearing as I slip over onto Kane's lap and slam the car in drive.

"What the hell?" he strains out.

"It's her. She's trying to make one of us her third victim."

It's not an easy task to drive while in someone's lap, but the farther away I get us, the less I feel the pressure of her attack. I feel Kane's arms slipping around me as he pulls me to the side and takes over the wheel.

I'm still partially in his lap, as he takes back over the pedals, and I feel my stomach try to come up in my throat as he slingshots us around a curve, making me cling to him to keep from flopping around in the car.

"How did you fight that?" he asks as we round another deadly curve. "I could barely breathe. That wasn't a human witch's power; that was a spirit's force. You shouldn't be able to withstand or overcome something like that."

He almost sounds panicked right now. If that little bit of extra power scares him, he can never understand who I really am.

"And you said you wouldn't freak out over all my secrets, yet here you are freaking out over something as simple as fighting off a holding power."

"A crushing power, Alyssa. Not a holding power. You hardly even stumbled. I felt my chest caving in on me. I'm not freaking out, I'm just shocked. Possibly a little impressed. More than anything, I'm scared to damn death about how close I just came to having to watch a spirit rip you to shreds."

I frown as I lean into him. "Drackus would save me before she could do it. Either him or Mom would. I need to call him."

The car skids to a halt, and his arm wraps around me to keep me from flying through the windshield as the tires screech out their agony.

"He's your father," Kane says in a barely audible whisper.

I suppose I gave it away just then with the way I spoke. I turn to face his wide-eyed face, and I nod just the slightest bit to confirm his fears. His head drops back, and I climb over into the passenger seat and fasten my seatbelt as he puts the car back in gear and speeds away.

"It all makes so much more sense now. That's what you've been afraid to tell me. That's why you're involved with so many dark. And that's why he came to save you from Castine. Holy shit."

"Kane, I know you're probably terrified of me right now, and I know you more than likely want me out of your life, but you can't tell anyone about this. His enemies would use me as a bargaining chip. The things they would do-"

"Alyssa! Damn it! I'm not going to say a fucking thing, and I can't believe you think I would."

I slink back, feeling a little scolded. A tear slips free from my eye as we slide into the hotel parking lot. I start to get out, but he jerks me to him, pulling me into his lap before his lips find mine.

I'm shocked by the fiery kiss, considering that's the last thing I ever expected from him again. More of my tears fall, and he collects them with his thumb as he pulls back, leaving me breathless.

"I don't want you out of my life... ever. I'm not scared of you at all. I'm pretty fucking scared of your dad, but that's a typical guy reaction to any girl's dad."

I start laughing through my sniffling, and he pulls me to him, letting my head rest on his chest as he kisses me through my hair.

"Absolutely no one from my coven will ever hear about this from me. I assume Dray knows."

I nod, flinching lightly. "He made a deal with Drackus to keep an eye on me as long as my father didn't touch you. He was a little pissed when he thought you were playing games with your prey."

Kane swallows hard, nodding at nothing in particular. "That all makes so much more sense now as well. Dray jumped my ass every time I said something to you. He was worried I would go too far, I suppose, and then you would tell your father to just do it."

"I'd never-"

"I know, but Dray doesn't know you like I do. I wish you had trusted me with this, Alyssa."