Obsession

that?”

I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but then Hunter rose and, damn it, he was hurt, because he rose from that chair slowly, pushing himself up with his hands.

Hunter didn’t look away like he’d done the last time he’d changed in front of me.

My hands tightened on the blankets and he walked over to my side of the bed, his bare chest chiseled and damp.

The edges of his body blurred out, clothing and all, and then faded into smoke—

into a wispy, shadowy human form. My eyes widened and he took shape, gaining mass until he looked like a human male but different.

He turned to the side and muscles rippled smoothly. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched his arm. He stilled, and like last time, he didn’t move away.

He remained there as I ran my fingers up his arm, and I marveled at the feel of him.

This time I pulled my hand back before I really started feeling him up. Hunter remained in his true form for a few more seconds, and then he blurred out and returned to his human form. No bruises. No hollow pull to his face. Amazing.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, and then flushed because it seemed like the wrong thing to say. Probably also stupid.

Hunter stared at me, eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Our eyes locked, and I felt his stare in every part of me. The blanket slipped from my fingers as arousal swirled.

He let out a long breath. “Go to sleep.”

I glanced at the chair. “The bed is big enough for the both of us, you know.”

“I know.”

“You can sleep here, too.”

It didn’t seem like he’d respond at first. He stared at me like I was crazy. I didn’t get the look. Several hours ago, we’d shared the same bed. Everything and nothing had changed.

“Shit,” he said, prowling to the other side of the bed.

I lay back down on my side, facing the door. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“That’s not the issue.” The covers stirred and then the bed dipped under his weight.

Had he taken off his leather pants? Probably a good thing if I didn’t know.

“Then what is the issue?” I asked.

There was a beat. “I want to.”

I made a face he couldn’t see. “I don’t see how that’s a problem.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Seconds turned into minutes and he didn’t offer up any more explanation. I didn’t think it was possible to fall asleep after everything, but I felt safe with him and, miraculously, when I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

Chapter 20

I watched Serena sleep, still haunted by her question. WHY ARE YOU HELPING ME?

Helping her wasn’t a huge risk. It was the nail in the universal coffin.

As much as I loathed being the go-to boy for the DOD, my life had been relatively comfortable and peaceful the last couple of years. I had thrown that away with finesse, and why?

I rose up on my elbow, careful not to disturb her. There were six freckles on her nose and cheeks, forming a constellation of sorts.

For the first time in my entire existence I found myself envying the Luxen. They had the one ability we could never absorb—healing. When I was in the bathroom, I would’ve given just about anything to have that talent, to heal Serena of her bruises and aches instead of patching her up.

Mine.

The whole way of thinking was faulty. Arum rarely settled down with one of their own kind and doing so with a human was even more rare for a shit-ton of obvious reasons, but my sister had and so had Dex.

I didn’t want to claim Serena as mine. It would be better for her if I didn’t, but I never did the denial shit before, so why start now?

I lay back, letting out a low groan. I had been without the opal for just a few hours, but I was already feeling the effects like a damn addict. And that’s what the Arum had become. An addict bred over centuries of feeding off Luxen.

I was restless, skin itchy and my throat was parched. My dick was hard, too, but that had more to do with the curvy body beside me than the lack of opal.

I was still mind-blown by the fact Serena had asked me to take my true form to heal after seeing our kind at our worst. I wanted to say that it was shock that had propelled me to do something so stupid like taking my true form without the opal. Doing so required energy, and energy required that I feed.

But I had done it like a jackass, not because I was surprised by her request, but because Serena had asked me to do it, and I had wanted to please her.

Fucking please her.

And I really wanted to please her into oblivion.

The smart thing would’ve been to go straight for the opal, but I should be able to maintain for a couple of hours. I’d need to feed, though, no matter what. To see this shit through I had to be at top power.

See this shit through exactly how?

Another good question, I thought, grimacing. Man, I really didn’t think this shit through.

Shutting down took longer than normal. I slept. For how long, I really didn’t know, but when I woke up, I was in the same position as I’d been the night prior. My body curved against hers and my arm around her waist.

Fuck.

In her sleep, Serena wiggled her bottom as she got comfortable against me, making my veins run hot.

Double fuck.

Opening my eyes into thin slits, I glanced over my shoulder. Thin streaks of bright sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains. We’d have to get up soon and get on the road. There were at least five more hours to get where we needed to go.

I was harder than I was a minute ago.

Triple fuck.

I inhaled and all I got was Serena’s scent. It should’ve suffocated me, but it didn’t.

It ended up having the opposite effect, relaxing me. It struck me then that I could’ve lost Serena in the woods.

A cold ache drilled a hole the size of my fists through my stomach. Her life was not safe now, not with me and not without me, which brought along a deep sense of helplessness—a feeling I wasn’t accustomed to. That pissed me off. Anger racked my insides until she made a soft, mewling sound in her sleep.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. PULL IT TOGETHER. When I reopened my eyes, I focused on the flare of her hip. Serena was alive. She was strong—stronger than she probably even realized. Most humans wouldn’t have lasted as long as she had against one of my kind. Hell. And she survived an attack from a Luxen, but…

But I was catching motherfucking feelings for her.

Feelings were not something the Arum inherently had. Dex had, but that Arum had taken a sharp turn into offhisfuckingrockerville.

I was right behind him.

In her sleep, she shifted until her back was against my chest. I froze when her ass pressed more firmly against my groin. I wasn’t going to be falling back to sleep anytime soon.