Alex Wales: Promise

anything about a ritual to harness anything. She turned to ask Damon, but he was too busy handing out instructions.

“Levi, can you clean this up, please?”

“No problem, Damon,” the teenager said with a small nod. He pointed at the only other person who’d remained. “I’ll get Milo to help me.”

Milo nodded. The scrawny man with long, blonde hair didn’t look much older than Levi, and he hadn’t spoken a word during the entire ordeal. He also avoided looking at anyone but Levi.

Damon smiled. “I appreciate it. Please, make sure there’s not a single bit of blood left behind.”

“Sure. We’ve got it under control,” Levi said.

“Great, thanks.” Damon turned away from the corpse and reached for Alex’s hand. He led her away from the bloodied mess and the unfortunate two who’d been charged with cleaning it up.

“Are they going to be okay with the clean up on their own?”

“Yes. Levi’s very thorough, and Milo’s good at following instructions. Once they’re done with it, no one will ever know someone was killed on this spot.” His green eyes darkened, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he was angry or sad.

“What if someone doessee them clean up?”

“They won’t. Come on.” Damon encouraged her to move forward.

“How do you know for sure?”

“There’s a perimeter sectioned off around the gardens. No one will venture this far until they’re advised it’s okay to do so.”

“Aren’t they a little young to be doing this, anyway?”

“No, they’re not. Both of them turned twenty just recently. That’s old enough to take care of things. Besides, age means nothing around here.”

She continued to walk beside Damon but took one last glimpse over her shoulder. Levi and Milo both looked so young…

Anyway, she had other things to worry about at the moment.

“Is this how you deal with problems around here? By covering them up?” She couldn’t help but ask the question. It had been nagging at her.

Damon sighed and shook his head. “No, there’s usually no need to cover anything up. It’s just too risky to share this news. If anyone else found out about this, there might be widespread panic. That’s the last thing we need right now.”

She pulled on his hand, forcing him to stop. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? If you start telling everyone that someone got mauled in the gardens, they might turn against me, right?”

Damon shook his head as he stood close. “To be honest with you, I don’t know what they would say or do. I just think it’s better not to find out.”

“So, you don’t think everyone else would react like that jerk did? What’s his problem, anyway?”

Damon rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, sending an instant jolt between her legs. Yep, it looks like any skin-on-skin connection with this guy is going to be orgasmic.

“You don’t need to worry about Elroy. I can take care of him,” he said. “Even if I think that you did a pretty good job of putting him in his place.” His smile widened.

“Why doesn’t he like me?”

Damon looked into her eyes. “It’s nothing personal. He just doesn’t like change, feels threatened by it. You don’t need to worry about him.”

When Damon cupped his other hand around her cheek, she gasped. “Whoa.”

“What’s wrong?”

She closed her eyes for a second, letting the crazy sensations filter through her body-afraid she would climax again. “You sure know how to touch a girl.”

He laughed, and his breath played over her face. “Look at me, Alex.”

When she opened her eyes, his lips were mere centimeters from hers.

“Are you going to make me feel this way every time you touch me?” If it meant he had the power to wash away all the horrible things she would see during her life, then she welcomed it. It could get in the way when she needed to keep her wits about her and concentrate, though.

“It looks that way,” he said. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s definitely a good thing for me, though I don’t know how appropriate it’s going to be if you make me come every time you rub your fingers over my skin.”

“Oh, of course,” he said, teasing. “I see how that could make things a little awkward for everyone else.”

Alex sighed. It makes things awkward for me, too. She’d never experienced anything like this before. “So, maybe we need to set some ground rules. How about you hold my hand, but don’t go out of your way to make me feel like I’m about to become a puddle of goo every time you rub my skin?”

He leaned over, covered her mouth with his, and kissed her with so much fervor, he stole her breath away. “I agree.”

She stared deep into his emerald eyes, unable to say anything for a few seconds. As weird as it felt to be doing this after what they’d just witnessed, she couldn’t stop herself.

Alex cleared her throat. “Okay, I’m glad we got thatcleared up.” She let the last speck of desire seep out of her system. “You must be a very popular healer around these parts.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Well, if you have this effect on everyoneyou touch-”

“No, actually I don’t.” He shook his head, and the dreadlocks stirred like snakes around his face. “You’re the only one who reacts this way to my touch.”

Alex swallowed. What the hell do I say to that? Why would shebe the only one he could affect in such a sensual and powerful way? He’d seemed to know exactly what he was doing back in the room. Still, the last thing she wanted to do was ask him. He might start talking about the magic he’d mentioned he sensed in her and other similar nonsense.

She chose to change the subject. “So, we’re going to see the girl?” She still felt a little breathless, and her heart was beating a little too fast.

For a second, she almost told him about the way she’d felt his heart and mood echo inside her earlier, but she decided not to confuse everything more than it already was.

“Yes.”

“How will you get her to talk?”

“I’ve got ways.”

“Care to share any of those ways with me?”

“I think it might be better if you see it for yourself.”

“Okay, let’s go then.” Alex stepped away from him, turning toward the path ahead of them. “Oh, and by the way. I appreciate you sticking up for me, but like I’ve told you before, I can take care of myself.” She winked at him.

“I appreciate you telling me that,but while you’re here, I’ll continue to protect you when I think you need protection.” He caught up to her and grabbed her hand, as if to force his point.

This guy’s stubborn and almost impossible to reason with. I like him.