Obsession

Chapter 19

I was marginally surprised when Serena seemed to pull herself together. Then again, I wasn’t giving her enough credit. The female was tough as tungsten, but given how quiet she was as the three of us walked back to the cabin, which was so unlike her, I half expected her to freak out and start running again. So I kept an eye on her, and something about the way she kept her arms wrapped around her, making her appear smaller than she was, more vulnerable and fragile, made me want to hold her close.

Back in front of the cabin, I took in what Dex had brought me. “I thought I told you something inconspicuous?”

Dex smirked as he ran his hand over the hood of the midnight blue Porsche. “You said you wanted something fast. This is the fastest thing I have.” He touched the car lovingly. “And if you get one scratch on this baby, I will kill you and make it hurt.”

“Your car will be fine.” I glanced over at Serena. She was standing near the Porsche, staring at it. Her head was tilted to the side, and even in the darkness I could see the bruise along her cheek and the swollen lower lip.

I turned back to Dex. “Stay here with her. I’ll be right back.”

Dex nodded and I turned, heading back into the house. I grabbed what I needed quickly, and when I returned they were exactly where I’d left them. But Dex had an odd look on his face.

“What?” I asked.

He pursed his lips, then said in a low voice, “She hasn’t spoken a word.”

“I doubt that will last.” I gestured at the Expedition. “I need you to get rid of this SUV. Everything else has been taken care of.”

“All right, man.” Dex held out his hand. “Take care of yourself.”

I hesitated for a moment, and then I shook his hand. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Grabbing the luggage, I tossed them into the trunk. When I closed it, I found Dex standing beside me.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do with her,” Dex said, voice low, “but she’s a human, Hunter. You’re going to have to be careful with her. They break easily.”

I snorted, but then in a moment of clarity, I turned to Dex. “Did you ever worry about breaking Eliza?”

The Arum met my gaze with equally pale eyes. “Every damn day.”

“Then why are you with her?”

Dex placed a hand to his chest. “Because of what’s in here—what I feel for her will never allow me to hurt her.”

“You speak of love?” I shook my head as I clutched the keys. “Very foolish to rely on a human emotion to protect her.”

“It’s also very foolish to think we’re incapable of being more human than Arum.”

And with that, he was gone.

I stood there for a moment. More human than Arum? Impossible.

Turning around, my gaze landed on Serena. Under the moonlight, her hair was a silver halo around her bowed head. As I approached her cautiously, she looked up.

Close as we were, I could see the deep purplish marring of the bruise across her cheek, the dried blood under her lip.

Shit. I wanted to kill Raz all over again.

When I reached around her, she flinched. “I’m just getting the door. That’s all.” I opened it for her and she climbed in and huddled in the front seat.

Closing it behind her, I had one last thing to take care of. Moving to the back of the Porsche, I bent and tugged up my pants. Slipping my hand under the opal-encased tracking device, I knew removing it was a straight “fucked if you do and fucked if you don’t.” But without it, the DOD couldn’t track me.

And without it, I wouldn’t have the opal to enhance my powers and minimize my need to feed. I’d need a new piece of opal, one hopefully not wired with a GPS, and I knew where to get one.

I wrenched the anklet off my leg. A fissure of energy rippled through me, and then a red light flickered on the piece of opal. Holding it in my hand, I crushed the device, letting the tiny pieces sift through my fingers like dust. The only part that remained was the opal and I tossed it into a nearby bush.

In that moment, I hoped I knew what I was doing. I didn’t really have a plan other than to get another piece of opal, and then what? Anyone’s guess. Mainly I hoped I wasn’t just delaying the inevitable for Serena and exposing her to more pain.

I stalked around the car and slid in behind the steering wheel. We needed to get to somewhere safe. And I needed to get a good look at her to see the extent of her injuries. She would need to rest.

There were a lot of “she needs” in my thoughts.

Throwing the car into reverse, I spun it around, kicking gravel into the air as the tires squealed. Good thing Dex wasn’t around to see that. Hitting the main road, I glanced over at Serena.

“You should put your seat belt on.”

Face pale, she slowly unwrapped her arms and fumbled with the seat belt until it clicked into place.

“Are you okay, Serena? Raz, he…” I trailed off because I was sure I was going to flip my shit when I thought about what Raz had been trying to do her.

Serena nodded. The trees crowding the road blurred and it wasn’t until we had left the community, easing onto the main highway, that she spoke.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice sounding tired.

I shifted my weight in the seat, feeling her gaze on me. “Someplace we can hole up for the day.” A quick glance at the dashboard told me I had only a few hours before sunrise.

“Then what?” Her voice sounded stronger.

I smiled. “I’m hoping to figure that out at some point.”

Serena returned to staring out the windshield. Her hands were opening and closing in her lap. I wondered if she even knew she was doing it? One of her hands, her left, looked pretty mangled. The nails were broken off, chipped and bloody.

Rage settled in my gut as I thought about all she had been through. Honestly, I never gave two shits to the problems of humans or the perils they faced simply by walking from the kitchen to the bathroom, but with Serena, I thought about it. Fuck. I was obsessing over it.

Gripping the steering wheel with one hand, my eyes narrowed on the dark road. I didn’t realize what I was doing until I reached over and wrapped my fingers around her hand, careful to avoid her fingers.

Serena didn’t pull away. She squeezed my hand.

And I squeezed back.

…

I hadn’t known what to say. Even though my brain seemed to have caught up with the events over the last couple of hours and I was relatively sane, I just didn’t know what to say. Was a thank -you in order? Seemed inappropriate somehow, and by that time, I was so… numb to it all that I couldn’t say anything.

And I couldn’t stop staring at the hand wrapped around mine. Hunter’s hand looked human, graceful bones and skin. His touch was much cooler, but besides that, it looked no different than any human male’s hand.

The way he held my hand, as if he was afraid of hurting me somehow, created a thick lump in my throat. It was a gentleness I don’t think he even knew he was capable of.

I stole a look at him.

He’d fallen quiet, and right now he looked like he always did: insanely good-looking and serious, a strange combination that had intrigued me from the beginning. But there was a taut pull to his lips. The hollows under his cheekbones looked more severe. In the shadowy darkness of the car, it looked like there were bruises starting to appear on his face.

Concern rose swiftly. He and Raz had fought so violently—a true death match. I’d never seen anything like that. It was straight out of a movie, and it was insane that he was still breathing and standing.

“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

His gaze slid toward me. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“How could you be okay after fighting like that?”

He didn’t respond immediately. “I’m used to it.”

Used to that? That made me hurt for him. “You must heal differently than…than humans do.”

“We do.” He paused, withdrawing his hand. “When we take our true form, we heal.”

“That’s convenient,” I murmured. My hand felt empty and cold, and nothing was said after that.

Dawn had begun to creep along the eastern horizon, casting the sky in vibrant hues of deep blues, by the time Hunter had taken the exit ramp and pulled into a small motel nestled in the valleys and farmlands. We were still deep in the middle of West Virginia, but had put several hours and miles between the cabin and us.

I waited in the Porsche while Hunter checked in. Luckily he got a room along the back, so the car could be parked behind the motel. He didn’t seem to be worried that anyone would know who we were, but I kept expecting aliens and DOD officers to jump out of nowhere.

“The motel doesn’t look too shady,” Hunter said, grabbing our luggage from the trunk. “You should be able to get cleaned up and get some rest.”

Weary, I followed behind him, scanning the dusky lit parking lot. Something struck me then. “Do you sleep? I’ve never seen you sleep.”

“Yes. Sleeping is my third favorite thing.”

“What are the first two?”

Opening the door, he cast a look over his shoulder. “My second favorite thing to do is eat and I think you can guess what my first favorite thing is.”

I felt my cheeks redden. I had a good guess.

The motel room wasn’t bad. The bed linens on the queen-sized bed seemed clean and smelled fresh, not of disinfectant but a nice wildflower scent. There was one bed.

No couch, only an uncomfortable-looking, burnt orange chair in the corner beside a small desk. Hunter placed our luggage by the desk.

Tired, I started to sit down, but Hunter suddenly appeared in front of me.

“I wish I could move as fast as you,” I said. “You never did explain how you move like that.”

Hunter arched a brow. “It’s actually easier for me to move this fast. It takes more energy to move slower, at a human pace. Don’t sit down. I want to get a good look at you.”

I was pretty sure he’d gotten a good and intimate look at me before the night went to shit. “I’m fine.”

“Humor me.”

Too tired to argue, I let him lead me into the brightly lit bathroom. Sitting down on the toilet, I winced. “I think I bruised my butt.”

“I can take a look at that, too.”

I grinned, ignoring the tender pull on my lower lip. “I’m sure you could.”

Disappearing back into the room, he reappeared with a bottle of peroxide and a bag of cotton balls. Now I knew what he had returned to the cabin for.

He placed them on the counter and then knelt. Reaching down, he started to roll up the leg of my jeans.

“What are you doing?” My gaze flickered over the faint red marks on his cheeks and jaw.

He raised his brows as he pushed both pants legs up above my knees. “Cleaning you up. You’re kind of a mess right now.”

I felt like a mess. “You don’t have to do this.”

Picking up the bottle, he shook it. “Don’t argue with me.”

“God, you’re bossy.”

He smiled tightly.

“I’d never seen anyone fight like that tonight. When you fought the Luxen in my apartment it was nothing like that.” I focused on the top of his bent head. “I think I forget what you really are.”

He tipped his head up, his eyes locking on mine. “You should never forget that, Serena.”

“It’s hard. You’re so much like a human.”

“We’re very different. So are the Luxen.” Chin lowered, he inspected my legs. “I don’t really need to breathe, but it’s become a habit.”

Jesus.

“Feels strange when I don’t do it,” he added. “I eat a lot—need to. Our metabolisms, like the Luxen, are extremely fast.”

“Must be nice,” I said, fascinated.

Hunter dabbed at the angry skid marks on my knees. My skin stung, bringing fresh tears to my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Done with my knees, he picked up my left hand. His hold was achingly gentle. My chest tightened.

“If I were a Luxen, I could just heal you,” he said, smoothing a clean cotton ball over my palm. “A lot easier than this. It’s one of the things the DOD studies about them. They can’t get sick. Think about what that would mean for all the human diseases.”

I tried to wrap my brain around that. No flus. No colds. No cancers. “What about your kind?”

“We don’t get sick , either, but we can’t heal like the Luxen. They try not to do it to humans. Apparently it can change the human DNA, depending on the severity of the injuries, or if it’s done multiple times.”

My gaze was latched onto his face. His brow was lowered in concentration. “What happens to the humans?”

“They mutate, take on some of the Luxen qualities.” Hunter lowered my hand to my lap and picked up the other one. “They’re called hybrids and some of them are stronger than the Luxen.”

“Jesus,” I whispered, reeling.

A small grin pulled at Hunter’s lips as he placed my other hand in my lap. His cool fingers found my chin next, tipping my head down. “This will probably sting more.”

I shivered at his touch, unable to reconcile how gentle he was being right now and how fierce and terrifying he’d been back in the woods. Those hands could kill in a heartbeat, but right now, they were carefully tilting my head to the light.

“How bad is it?” I asked.

His fingers slid away. “Not that bad. There’ll be some swelling. Ready?”

I nodded.

Eyes narrowing, he pressed the fresh ball under my lip, and it did sting like holy hell, but I remained still as he swiped it along my lower lip. The liquid fizzled a little, tickling my chin.

“Your cheek is a little swollen, too.” He reached for another ball.

I closed my eyes as he cleaned up my face. “It could’ve been worse.”

“It could’ve been.”

He continued playing doctor, and unfortunately not the fun kind. When he was done with my face, he put the lid on the bottle. “Hurt anyplace else?”

I ached all over. “No.”

He looked like he didn’t believe me. He was damn observant for a man…and an alien.

I took a shallow breath. “Why did they come after us? Was it because of the DOD?”

“Remember the day you were at the gazebo? They followed you, and I stepped in before they got to you, putting Raz down in front of the others. Our kind has to dominate. And to do so, you have to be stronger than everyone else. So he needed to prove to his friends that he was the alpha.”

“He barked up the wrong tree.”

“Exactly.”

Hunter was still there, kneeling in front of me. He was checking out my knees again, frowning slightly.

“You broke your tracking device, didn’t you?” I asked. “That’s what you were doing outside of the car?”

All he did was nod.

“Why? I don’t understand why you’d do this for me.”

He was silent for forever. “I don’t know.”

“You still don’t?” I shook my head. “When you broke the device, does it notify them—the DOD?”

“Yes, but they won’t find me.”

“But that’s a lot to risk if you don’t know why.”

Hunter’s lashes lifted. “I don’t know, Serena.”

I let out a breath. He didn’t know hours ago and I doubted he’d know hours from now. Did it matter? Yes, whispered a tiny voice. It mattered to me. “Thank you,” I blurted out. “Thank you for helping me and not letting them…well, kill me.”

Hunter stood swiftly. “You should shower. Then rest. You’ll feel better.”

In a daze, I stared at him. Wasn’t expecting a big your-welcome, but damn, he didn’t take a thank-you well. He disappeared again from the bathroom and then returned with a shirt of his that was long enough for me to wear. Without saying a word, he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

A couple of minutes passed while I sat there, trying to process the additional stuff I’d learned. It felt like the wheels in my brain had broken, because nothing was happening between my ears.

Standing, I stripped off my ruined clothes and turned on the faucet. Stepping under the pelting hot water, I winced as the water sliced over numerous cuts and abrasions. I didn’t know what it was about those tiny licks of pain, but tears welled up and this time I couldn’t stop them. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying. Was it for Mel? Was it for me? Or was it just total overload?

I stayed in the shower until I got control of myself. Then I quickly dried off and slipped his shirt on. The sun had risen by then, flooding the room with soft light.

Hunter was by the window, his back to me.

“I found a chocolate bar and soda in a vending machine outside. They’re beside the bed. You should eat that before you sleep.”

The covers were also pulled down. My gaze went back to Hunter. “What’s up with the chocolate? This is the second time you’re feeding me a chocolate bar.”

“Sugar. It helps after one of our kind has fed off you.”

Climbing into bed, I slipped my legs under the blanket. While I ate and drank my calorie-heavy goodies, Hunter took a shower. Finished, I wiggled down, folding my hands under my pillow, and waited.

Hunter came back out, his leather pants hanging low on his hips. Wet, tousled hair clung to his cheeks and neck. He went to the wide double windows, his movements stiffer than normal, and tugged the pea-green curtains closed. Darkness immediately descended in the small room.

Curled on my side, I watched Hunter make his way across the room. “Hunter?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

He sat in the chair. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”

I frowned. That wasn’t much of an answer. Moments passed, and then Hunter tipped his head back against the wall. The position had to be uncomfortable and the bed was big enough for us both. Taking a deep breath, I rose onto my elbows.

“Hunter?”

“Go to sleep, Serena.”

I ignored his command. “You said that when you go into your true form, it heals you. Right?”

One eye opened. “Why are you asking this?”

“Because you have to be sore.” I took a deep breath. “And it doesn’t bother me when you’re in your true form.”

“It should.” Both eyes were open now. “Go to sleep.”

I sat up. “I’ll go to sleep if you take your true form and heal yourself.”

Hunter didn’t move for several moments, and then he laughed hoarsely. “You are something else, you know 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.