His frown disappeared. He swallowed and took a step back. “I mean, welcome to the festivities.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, may your night be filled with debauchery, your drinks plentiful, and may you find your way home in the literal or scoring way.” He winked, but his throat was still trembling when he was done.
“Down, Kellan.”
Damien swept into the room, appearing from I had no clue where, and I didn’t care because my demon had not been satisfied. I wanted to demolish this human in the most glorious and bloody way. I wanted to feel his blood dripping from my hands—
“Okay.”
Shay’s voice in my head stopped my thoughts cold.
“Calm down,” she added, touching my bicep.
Damien stood between his fraternity brother and me. He didn’t say a word.
I was on the edge, teetering there.
If I fell, I’d take everyone with me I could—all souls.
I’d never been this much on edge, ever.
“Something is wrong with me.”
Damien grunted. “You think?”
“He has this new bloodthirst. I noticed it befor
e his dad summoned him—”
“HIS DAD SUMMONED HIM?”
I shared a look with Shay. Had we not shared that with him? I guessed from his bulging eyes that we had not.
Both Damien and Shay were in my head, but I shoved them out. “I need space.”
I felt Shay’s hurt gasp. This was becoming a pattern, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
I wanted to hurt.
I wanted to maim.
I wanted to destroy.
I wanted to bring the Underworld here, and I wanted to start with this fucking fraternity party.
I tore through the house, going straight for the liquor. The ants moved aside for me, like the parting of the sea. The females liked to look at me. It was always like that—in high school, at college. Some were braver than others, trying to approach me. The males usually had better instincts, staying way the fuck away from me. But they all scattered for me today.
Alcohol did nothing to me, not usually. A demon could get drunk or high from a kill or sex, but that was mostly it. Still, I was going to try.
Shay had been right. My bloodthirst was greater, but it wasn’t sudden. It’d been rising in me for a while. There’d been a jolt, electrifying it.
It had grown and grown, and now, it was almost out of control.
I can’t trust myself around Shay.
No. That wasn’t right.
Shay was the only one I could trust myself around.
I frowned, pulling back that thought. I brought it front and center, examining it.