I ignored his yelling in my head and continued walking through the house. With every step I took more and more ice released itself from my body, melting into a puddle on the floor.
Stephanie seemed agitated, a quick learner, her thoughts were getting harder and harder for me to read, as if she’d put up a block.
A block of something hazy.
Gray.
I couldn’t see through it.
And at times, I wondered if she even knew it was there, if she realized that even now, she flirted with things she had no knowledge of.
“Living room,” Alex called after me. “They’re watching Beauty and the Beast.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course they are.”
Bickering was what I was greeted with as Stephanie took a seat as far away from me as possible, her eyes trained in on the fireplace, watching the flames lick and hiss.
“All I’m saying,” Ethan said as he stood, spreading his hands wide. “Is why can’t they make movies about Vampires? I mean a beast? It’s ugly as hell! What if—” He held up his pointer finger. “—the beast was really a Vampire prince, held under a spell, and the rose was her blood—”
“You’d ruin the entire story”! Mason roared. “Besides…” He sniffed the air. “I am beast.”
“You were the reindeer yesterday,” Ethan pointed out. “From Frozen, you can’t be every character that’s an animal just because you’re the only one with claws.”
“Man has a point.” Alex came in behind me and slapped me on the back. Mason, as if suddenly realizing my presence looked at me then at Stephanie, and then, unfortunately at her feet. “In three, two, on—”
“What have you done!” he roared. “My favorite wolf friend was white!”
Stephanie’s eyes widened and then she looked down. “Oh, um, Cassius convinced me it wasn’t your type of wolf.”
“All wolf is my type.” Mason gnashed his teeth.
“Be still, Wolf, before I throw a pinecone at your ass,” I hissed, sending a shock wave of icy cold air directly at his face.
He tumbled backward cursing then mumbled, “Didn’t hurt.” As he shot to his feet and took his place back on the couch. “And I’d appreciate if you’d kindly remove my people’s fur from your feet!”
Slowly, Stephanie peeled off the boots.
Genesis bit down on her lip and held out her hands. “Those look really warm.”
“Ethan’s warm,” Mason barked. “Use him as a blanket, not these.”
He snatched the boots and hugged them close to his chest.
“Ten bucks he sleeps with them tonight.” Alex chuckled.
“Where were you guys?” Genesis stretched her arms above her head and yawned. I smiled at the gesture. She was so sweet, so… pure.
Ethan shot a glare in my direction. Good to know he still didn’t trust me even after finding my own mate.
A mate whose destiny was now threaded with mine.
Heaviness weighed all around me, inside, outside, settling on my shoulders like a boulder.
“Do Dark Ones drink?” I wondered aloud.
Alex clapped his hands. “Let’s find out, I’m bored and the last girl I took wasn’t to my liking, too much…” He shuddered. “Talking.”
“You are supposed to talk when you mate,” Mason said under his breath while all eyes shot in his direction. He looked up. “I mean, that is our… way.”
Alex sat down at Mason’s feet. “Ooh, a bed time story. Continue when you’re ready… don’t leave any sexy parts out, those are my favorite.” His eyes glowed for a few brief moments as his essence nearly choked the life out of the room, causing even the potted plant to strain toward him in adoration.
“Alex.” Stephanie made a face. “Learn how to turn off the charm.”
“Since when do you care?”
“Since now!” She clenched her fists, her eyes going completely white, while Alex stood, he never could help himself when there was a chance to bicker or fight.
“Cease,” I whispered as the air in front of his face crystallized, the world spun in slow motion as I made my way over to Stephanie just as she lifted her hands into the air to blast him with what would be a painful blow of icicles.”
I caught the icicles mid air, one of them missed my hand hitting me in the side. With a wince, I fell to my knees as time began again, and the ice crashed against the ground.
“Cassius!” Stephanie was immediately at my side. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I just… he was making me angry and—”
“Learn how to control it,” Ethan snapped, his eyes green with rage. “Council member or not, I would not hesitate to remove your head from your body if you harm Genesis.” Fangs elongated out of his mouth as he let out a loud growl. Mason protectively covered Genesis with his body, while Alex paled, his thoughts nothing but confusion and hurt.
“It’s not you,” I said.
“She’s getting worse,” came his answer back to me. “Fix it.”
“I can’t.”
Silence.
Admitting that this was a battle she could only fight on her own, one that she had no training for, one that I could not win for her.