Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

Stays?

"It doesn't matter if you accept her or not. You're the only one here whose opinion I don't give a fuck about," he growls, and then I lose the connection.

"No," I mumble, waving my hand over the phone, but nothing happens.

Shit. He must have called someone else, or they called him.

"Ready?" Thad calls from the living area, and I drop my head back momentarily while sighing in exasperation.

"Yeah."

Ready for my life to make sense.

The rough winds scrape across the house thought to be abandoned deep in the woods. Crackling out its strength, the fireplace warms the room.

I've gone from cold weather to hot weather so many times that I'm finally getting sick.

"You okay?" Thad asks as he sits down beside my shivering body.

"Yeah. I think I'm getting a cold."

"Can't you do a healing spell or something?"

I laugh in the middle of a sneeze while shaking my head.

"Sure, if I want to end up crippled for all eternity. Healing spells have to be done by very well practiced witches. Not even Frankie can pull off a healing spell. My mom is the only one I know to successfully do it without side effects."

"Did not know that," he murmurs while wrapping his arm around my shoulders, and I eye him suspiciously when he feels too close.

"I'm sick, not desperate."

He smirks, and then he leans over to my neck, making my breath hitch. I feel his breath on me, warming my skin, and the warmth suddenly travels through the rest of my body, relieving me of my chills.

"Wow," I murmur while wiping my nose with a tissue. "Any cure for the sniffles inside your breath?"

"Let's find out," he says before pressing his lips to mine, and I sneeze while laughing as he draws back with a look of disgust.

"I think you did that on purpose."

I shrug, feigning innocence, and he rolls his eyes while leaning back and letting his head rest against the couch. My phone buzzes, and he rolls his eyes.

"That boy never takes a hint, does he?" he grumbles under his breath.

I glance down, realizing it really is Kane… again, and then I put the phone back down.

"He'll forget me eventually," I strain out, trying not to show the truly devastated emotion teetering on the edge. "Can you give me a minute?"

"I'm exhausted. Please don't make me move," he groans while stretching out. "You can listen in. I swear I won't judge or comment."

He closes his eyes while breathing steadily, but I put the phone down instead of listening. Just hearing Kane's voice would probably make me cave and beg him to come risk his life just so I can have his arms around me.

Selfish bitch.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the warlock needs your help ciphering a code outside," one of the night stalkers murmurs.

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute, Rain."

Rain's eyes glow blue momentarily, as if he's taunting me, and then he smirks before walking out.