September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)

After uttering an apology to Father Andrew, I marched back to the car. We left Falon standing there, glaring after us. When I glanced back, he was gone.

I burned with a raging hot fury. Shya thought he could have his demons stalk me as I searched for the scroll too. Screw that. Having Shya put an end to my hunt for the scroll as soon as it began was not an option.

* * * *

I was reluctant to bring my search to an end. But a sudden surge of strength and a shiver down my spine told me that my dark vampire was almost home. When Arys touched my mind to tell me he had just landed at the airport, I was relieved and unsurprised. He wanted to meet at The Wicked Kiss. The search would have to wait.

It had only been a few days, but I couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Arys. During the drive back to the club, the familiar flutter of butterfly wings beat a steady rhythm in my stomach. I felt like a lovesick teenager. How ridiculous.

In the parking lot of The Wicked Kiss, I fussed with my makeup before heading inside. Shaz followed Willow in, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Pulling my fingers through my hair, I stared at my reflection in the visor mirror. I thought about Doghead. It was important to form an alliance with Dayne and his wolves though I couldn’t blame him for wanting nothing to do with me or the vampires tied to me. Maybe it was better for the wolves to stay in their own little world.

I glanced at the front door of the club where a queue of people waited to get in. Shaz didn’t belong in there with the vampires. He belonged at Doghead. He just didn’t know it yet.

I headed inside, breathing a sigh of relief at the absence of Kale’s Camaro. Avoiding me was probably best for both of us right now. Willow was right. Kale and I did need to talk, but it would have to wait until we could be rational. That could be a long time.

I bypassed the line and strode inside. Arys wasn’t there yet. That gave me a few minutes to consider my next plan of action. Shya had been searching for the scroll for years. I had a lot of catching up to do.

Willow and Shaz were at the bar. I joined them, slipping behind the bar with Josh, the bartender, to help myself to a glass of whiskey. Every time I sipped the deep gold nectar, I was reminded that my time to enjoy my favorite human vice was running out. My enjoyment of the drink was marred by thoughts of Falon who had happily pointed out my impending doom.

“What do you think, Alexa?” Shaz asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry, what?” I flashed him an apologetic smile. “I’m just a little distracted. What were you saying?”

“Tomorrow before sundown. We should get an early start on the rest of the churches on our list.”

I nodded. “We might have to split up so we can cover more ground. We’ll need more people too.”

Willow eyed me thoughtfully. “If Shya tracks anyone, it’ll be you, through his mark. You need to find a way to use that against him. Lead him away from where you’re really searching. Send someone else to those places.”

“Good call,” I said, savoring the whiskey burn as it slid down my throat. “What would I do without you, Willow?”

He nodded and squeezed out a tight smile. “One can only imagine.”

The two of them chattered on about the scroll, discussing possible locations. Shaz was certain we had to think bigger, outside the obvious. A cramp in my brain made it hard to follow. There was just so much to consider.

I scanned the club, admiring the recent renovations and changes. One of the few local bands that were brave enough to play here rocked the new stage. People clustered around the stage and spilled over onto the dance floor. Humans partied their asses off while vampires moved among them.

The activity at The Wicked Kiss had always been excessive, but these days it was especially wild. Patrons were pushing the boundaries, breaking the rules. As I watched a couple dry humping on the dance floor, I shook my head and sighed. I still didn’t know what went on there while I’d been away in Vegas, but I was pretty sure Kale had hosted one hell of a party.

Before I could ponder ways to find out, a cool breeze flowed through me, and Arys walked in. In jeans and a t-shirt with that sexy black mess of hair, he made the world stop for just a second as all I saw was him. My heart stuttered, and my breath caught. Then I flew into action and dodged people as I tried to get to him.

Arys grabbed me in a hug that lifted me off my feet. A spark of light lit up the space around us as our power collided. Being in his arms, I felt safe and strong. How had I missed him so badly in just a few days?

When my feet touched the floor again, Arys tipped me back and planted one hell of a kiss on me. His lips moved on mine, commanding and passionate. Several sets of eyes were upon us, but I didn’t care. Damn I had missed him. I melted into his kiss. It was the perfect greeting, ruined only by the sarcastic observation that drew me out of the moment.