A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill from my eyes. “In a perfect world, we’d have been out of here a long time ago. You know I can’t do that. Not with Lilah and my sister.”
“And Arys,” Shaz added, nodding knowingly. “Yeah, I know. I could never ask you to turn your back on everything. You’re needed here.”
He kissed me again, and I breathed deeply of his scent. Pine and wolf with a hint of cologne. My wolf.
“Stay safe,” he whispered, resting his forehead against mine. “I love you, Lex.”
His jade eyes glistened as he lingered momentarily, but he ultimately forced himself to turn around and walk away.
“I love you, too, wolf boy.”
I sat back down on the bridge, hugging my knees to my chest. I stared straight down into the water, unable to bring myself to watch him drive away. The sound of his car starting got my heart pounding.
Only when it had faded into the distance did I let myself completely fall apart.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Whiskey scorched a fiery path down my throat. I slammed the empty glass on the bar and contemplated a refill.
Josh had given up on keeping me out from behind the bar. He served the patrons and more or less ignored my presence. I made a mental note to give him a raise.
I didn’t want to be at The Wicked Kiss. I could feel Shaz’s absence like a punch in the gut. Three days wasn’t much, but it felt like ages since he’d left. The hunt for Kale was my only distraction from the gnawing ache.
The vampire hadn’t made an appearance, which was starting to make me nervous. If he didn’t turn up soon, I’d have Brogan do another locator spell. I hated asking her for favors; involvement with me had gotten her mother killed, and I didn’t want to endanger Brogan, too.
But, I also didn’t want to hunt Kale like an animal. Maybe he came out of that scary ass hospital in need of some alone time, or maybe they’d driven him too far. Either way, I had to find him, to help him if I could.
Kale’s past had left him damaged. The vampiress who made him had subjected him to horrible things, gruesome things that he wouldn’t talk about. Kale had fought hard to leave that time in his life behind, but he had always walked a fine line between sane and ape-shit crazy. I suspected the FPA had made him snap. That frightened me. I’d seen Kale go a little nuts; I didn’t want to see him at full madness capacity.
The FPA claimed to manage supernatural threats. Thus far, their only interest in the supernatural seemed to be recruitment, threats, torture and death; the FPA had proved to be shady and dangerous. I trusted them about as much as I trusted Shya, maybe less. They would be watching me, and I would be wise to return the gesture. Know thy enemy and all that jazz.
I bypassed the cheap whiskey and grabbed the pricey stuff. The golden liquid went down deliciously smooth. Swirling it in the glass, I watched Crimson Sin with disinterest. The lead singer was a werewolf, which almost explained why the band was willing to play regular shows here.
“Is this seat taken?”
I was surprised to see Willow sliding onto the bar stool across from me. Drumming his fingers on the counter, he peered past me to the wall of booze at the back of the bar. His wings were hidden from sight. He was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a ball cap covering his hair. Nothing about his appearance indicated his true nature.
“Willow, hi. I wouldn’t have expected to see you in a place like this.” I held up the fine whiskey in offering. “Can I get you a drink? It’s on the house, of course.”
He continued thoughtfully, eyeing the liquor selection. “How about some tequila?”
The thought of tequila turned my stomach, but I shoved a tray of limes toward him and reached for a bottle, grimacing at the nasty little worm in the bottom. Depositing the bottle and a shot glass in front of him, I hunted for a saltshaker. He waved dismissively and took his first shot without it.
“So,” he gazed appreciatively at the tequila bottle. “Word on the street is that you and Shya forced the genie back into her lamp, so to speak. She must be pissed.”
“I stripped her power so Shya could bind her, but only after he offered her my supposedly divine blood to break the curse. She shot down his demand for more power, and that was that.” I shrugged and sipped my drink. “He had to be lying, but she didn’t seem to think so.”
“About your blood? No, that was the truth. You’re the light of a twin flame union and one of the legendary Hounds. That is divine in a sense. It’s pure and good, even if you yourself are not.”
I pondered this, turning it over and dismissing it as ludicrous. “I’m not good. Not even close. I have blood on my hands. Innocent blood.”
“Join the club.” Willow clinked his glass against mine and tossed back the strong booze.