Lost Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 4)

“I’m sure there will be.” My voice is too gruff, almost not sounding like me at all. Shit. What the hell is happening to me?

“Are you okay?” Kya asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Yeah,” I lie, grimacing over how much different I sound. My voice is deeper, darker, and definitely rougher than usual.

“You don’t sound okay,” she says, her footsteps quickening like she’s trying to catch up.

If she touches me or gets too close, I might do something I can’t stop. I don’t trust myself enough right now to know my limits.

Speeding up, I put more distance between us, moving faster and faster as she tries to gain on me.

“Chaz! What’s wrong?” she calls out, proving she’s closer than I can handle.

My skin crawls more, and the predator in me demands I turn around and chase her instead of running. I’m battling instincts I didn’t know existed as I force myself to put one foot in front of the other.

Heavy heartbeats thud in my ears—mine and hers—and I can hear her breaths, taste her frustration, and feel her presence like a taunting beacon. My vision brightens the more the hunter within me is fought.

I focus all my energy on staying in control. I never should have taken her with me. This is too much. I have no idea what she’s doing to me. Or even if she’s doing it. The beast inside me may be getting too much control, and I can’t help but wonder how long I can fight it off.

Just as I emerge into a small meadow, my eyes land on what appears to be an abandoned hunter’s cabin, given the setup and location. There’s no sign of anyone having been here for years, unless my new and improved vision is deceiving me.

I swallow down the knot in my throat as I stalk toward it. It’ll be a good spot to lie low until morning. I need away from Kya, so there’d better be a room with a motherfucking lock.

Not that a damn lock can hold out an immortal.

This is hell.

Chapter 10

KYA

Chaz ignores me, and I frown as I follow behind him, rushing to catch up. A small clearing is what I’m greeted by suddenly, and my lesser vision tries to take in all my surroundings.

A flash of blond hair is all I see before I notice the cabin Chaz is disappearing into.

What is he doing?

I’ve tried to be a trooper since we landed in the middle of nowhere, never once complaining, but I’m exhausted. Most immortals can go a few days without sleep, but my mortal half requires sleep daily. Technically I’m still immortal, but I do have some mortal restrictions.

I almost dance for joy when I realize we’re done walking for the day.

Warily, I head inside. Chaz didn’t say a word before ducking into it. And he’s acting weird. Also, he’s ignoring me. Which I guess factors into the weird thing.

He’s the one who forced me to come with him, like I was a damsel in distress who couldn’t dematerialize out of the pit. I wasn’t bothered by that until he started acting like he regretted it all of the sudden.

Jackass.

My eyes scan the house as I walk in. The floor is dingy and rotting in some places. The cracks in the boards show a bit of dirt underneath. The walls are also wooden, rotting, and allowing moonlight to skitter through the cracks between planks.

Dust has gathered over every surface. I wish I had the ability to wave my hand and make it clean. Unfortunately, that’s not in my list of abilities.

“Chaz?” I call out carefully, eyeing the gross set of moldy-black dishes in the haphazard waste bin called a sink.

He doesn’t answer, but I hear some odd sound coming from behind a closed door. Is that growling? Is that Chaz growling?

“Chaz?” I ask quieter, slowly lifting my hands in defense, worried about the curses spilling from his lips on the other side.

Did a demon slip inside him? I can’t tell unless I try to take over his body.