I opened the sliding door, indicating that she should go first. I noted how she hesitated. Her eyes strayed to the pane of glass in remembrance. We’d both been thrown through it. I relived that memory, too. I couldn’t say I blamed her for never forgetting.
When we were inside, I shut the door and pulled the curtain closed. I quickly set about making coffee, needing my caffeine fix. I said nothing to Zoey while it brewed, moving about the kitchen while she watched me with cold eyes. I could feel her judging me. The energy rolling off her grew heated, furious. Finally, I slammed my coffee mug on the counter and spun to face her.
“Look, I know what you’re thinking. This house rightfully belongs to me now. He left it to me. Ok? Besides, he left you a load of cash. So stop thinking whatever awful things you’re thinking about me. Either we find neutral ground or you leave. I don’t have to help you. I’m doing this for Raoul.”
I downed my first cup of coffee in a few swallows. I couldn’t get the caffeine in my bloodstream fast enough. Pouring a second cup, I steeled my nerves and tried to get in the right zone to do this. A flurry of fearful thoughts flashed through my mind. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I failed or made it worse somehow? Only one way to find out.
I didn’t entirely know what I was doing, but I relied on the wisdom Harley had shared with me to guide me. I had nothing else to go by.
Clearing my mind of all thoughts, I sat down on the floor a few feet from the black wolf. I envisioned her as I remembered her, the last time I saw her as human. I tapped the waiting power in my core, letting it flow through me. It grew in strength, encompassing me in a heady rush that pushed the boundaries of my control.
Zoey stared at me expectantly. She was patient though, allowing me the time I needed to concentrate. The vampire and werewolf power flowed into one sensational stream of energy, growing fast until it was bigger than I was. I reached for Zoey, placing a hand on her forehead. Her fur was soft and smelled musky, like wolf. Looking at that coal black fur beneath my hand flashed me back to a different time and place, with Raoul.
I shook the memory away. Not now. I closed my eyes, blocking out all sight. A roar like thunder filled my ears, a crash like ocean waves on the shore. My body vibrated with the power that flowed through me, and I fed it into Zoey with only one thought in mind: human.
The energy was stronger than anything I’d ever felt. It ran through me like I was no longer in control. I was merely a vessel transferring it as it sought its purpose. Please, I prayed. Don’t let this go wrong.
A surge shook me, a backlash as the power found its destination. It hit me hard, throwing me back across the kitchen. My back hit the cupboard doors below the sink hard enough to rattle dishes on the counter above. A yelp came from Zoey and then nothing.
The breath was crushed from me, and I opened my eyes to find my vision blurred as everything grew dark.
Before the darkness claimed me, I saw Zoey’s crumpled form on the floor where she’d sat. She was naked, bruised and unconscious, but she was human.
Chapter Twenty
A hand continuously slapped my face. It wasn’t painful, just annoying. I swiped at it, realizing as I did that I was cradled in Shaz’ arms. I blinked a few times, peering up at him with confusion fogging my head.
“Lex? Are you alright?” Shaz furrowed his brow and helped me sit up. My head spun, and I felt weak, but otherwise, I was fine.
“Yeah … where’s Zoey?” A glance around the kitchen revealed that she was nowhere to be seen. I started to panic, fearing the worst.
“Upstairs with Kylarai. Ky took her to get cleaned up. She seems fine, but she’s kind of out of it. Not speaking or really acknowledging what’s around her. I guess that’s understandable, all things considered.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I did it. I freaking did it! Zoey was human, and I had done it all on my own. I wasn’t such a bad student after all. It had taken a hell of a lot out of me though. No sooner had I focused on my exhaustion than the blood hunger rose up with a vengeance. My eyes went to the pulse in Shaz’ neck.
“Easy now, babe,” he chuckled, knowing me so well. “I’ll gladly donate a little red for the cause, but don’t go all vamp shit crazy on me.”
“Sorry,” I murmured. I could hear the beat of his heart. My senses were amplified.
Even the scent of him was so much stronger, like the scent of a fresh steak to a starving wolf.
I was grateful for Shaz. He frequently gave blood to ease my cravings. I didn’t require much, just enough to take the edge off. Sometimes I feared that when the day came that I did rise as a vampire, human blood wouldn’t satisfy me after having his heady werewolf blood.