Running a sharp, jagged nail down my cheek, he hissed, “You are more powerful than I imagined. I am very pleased.”
I looked around to see whom he was talking about, because he couldn’t possibly mean me. I hadn’t done squat. “Are you smoking crack?”
“Angel,” the real Chase growled in warning, still behind the invisible shield and still very much trying to break down the wall.
He was no fun, but the sound of his voice and the bright glow of his eyes brought on a wave of courage.
Fine. So he didn’t want me to do anything stupid, but I had to do something, right? “What makes you think I’m so special? Because I don’t feel special.” I said, trying to ignore the stank of Alastair’s fiery breath.
He tsked his forked-tongue. Ick. “Not yet, dearie. You will be. You just need to have patience. Chase and I both want the same thing.”
“Right. Me. I got that. There is just one teeny tiny problem. I don’t want you.” I might have just issued my death sentence, but no matter what mask this demon wore, he would never be my Chase.
Alastair grabbed the back of my head, clutching a handful of my hair. The pain registered, harsh and brutal as he yanked. He lacked a gentle touch—douche. His face was inches from mine, our noses practically touching, and I held my breath, wondering what he was going to do next. He closed those awful eyes and inhaled a long drawn-out breath, smelling me.
Gross.
Finally, from somewhere in all that useless crap floating around in my head, I pulled out an idea as old as time. Love. There was no way I could defeat a demon on my own. I lacked Chase’s superpowers, but I believed in him, believed in us. Love was supposed to be the greatest power and all that mushy crap, so what I needed to do was get back my connection to Chase, and then maybe we had a chance.
He had severed our link for a reason, so it must be important.
Just how was I going to get it back?
I figured I was over thinking this. It was probably a simple solution. Here goes nothing—literally.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I concentrated on that feeling I got when he walked into a room. On his one-sided smirk that made my belly go topsy-turvy. On how much I loved the moron; we are taking about an unhealthy amount of love here.
It was a total longshot, but, hey, it was better than letting some demon lick my face off, or whatever crazy ideas Alastair had running amuck in his yucky head. If I could break through his shifter charm and see the real demon, then maybe I could break the rest of the illusion he had over me. I really missed being able to feel the jerk’s emotions. Chase gave me strength.
Closing my eyes, I shut out the sight of Alastair’s face and focused everything I had on how Chase made me feel. The light that burst inside me when I first saw him. The way he kissed me in his toe-curling way. The way he looked at me as if I was the only girl in the universe. His emotions were as much a part of me now as my own. I loved what we shared even when he was acting like the biggest butthead this side of the Midwest. No amount of power, fear, or intimidation from Hell could change that.
With each memory, I felt lighter, and the demon breathing down my neck seemed to travel farther away in the distance. And just like that, Chase’s emotions slammed into me, rolling and tumbling with mine. A smile touched my lips.
I freaking nailed it.
My celebration was short-lived, because it became too much.
A sudden darkness rushed me, void of feelings and thoughts. Chase bellowed my name as I sunk into its murkiness, unable to do anything else. There was no fighting something that powerful and out of my control.
***
“Hey there, sleeping beauty.” Chase’s voice penetrated through my cloudy thoughts.
My head was in his lap, and he was running his fingers through my hair. If I didn’t have these utterly messed up imagines spiraling in my head, I would have stayed just like this forever. “Please tell me that was a really bad trip, and someone slipped me a shroom.”
“Afraid not, Angel Eyes.”
Sighing, I pushed myself up. “Couldn’t you just tell me that anyway?” I mumbled, trying to get my eyes to focus. We were sitting on his couch, and slowly my brain started to function. He brought me here just in case my mom showed up, fewer questions. I struggled to remember what day it was and whether or not she was working.
He snorted. “I could, but you’d still remember, and I doubt that will stop him from coming back.”
I rubbed the back of my stiff neck. “How long have I been out?”
He shrugged. “An hour or so.”
“An hour!” I ran a hand through my tangled hair. “What happened anyway? We’re still breathing, so that’s a good sign.”
His eyes ran over my face with the tiniest smile playing on the corner of his lips. “I’d like to think so.”
“Did you a least catch me before I face-palmed the ground?” I asked, rubbing the side of my head.
He gave me a lopsided smirk. “Have I ever let you fall?”