Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)

“No.” Willow and I answered simultaneously, which led to laughter. Damn, she did not look happy.

“You’re home sooner than I expected,” I said, trying to hide the guilty smile that dominated my face. “Glad to see you’re relatively unscathed. How was Vegas?”

“It was a fucking gong show. Apparently, I missed something while I was gone. Want to fill me in?”

I didn’t want to tell her about Phillip. She had enough shit to shovel without me piling that on top. For now, it was taken care of. If anyone else wanted to try to continue what Phillip started, they would end up as he did.

“Not particularly,” I said, avoiding eye contact. “Had a little trouble is all. I took care of it. Nothing for you to concern yourself with.”

I hoped she didn’t force the issue, but I fully expected it. This was Alexa. The most stubborn person I knew.

“Is that so?” She challenged, her tone icy cold. “Looks to me like I was right about leaving you in charge here. Another day or two, and there probably wouldn’t even be a building left to trash.”

I stiffened. It was difficult to keep it together when the sudden urge to hurt her was so dreadfully overpowering. Going through the motions, tossing pieces of broken furniture, I could feel the weight of her gaze upon me. I fought so hard not to look at her. Alexa’s energy sang with irritation and something else, intrigue. She was watching me work and enjoying it from what I could tell.

“Gee, thanks; glad to see you too,” I said with a sarcastic drawl. “Actually, I’m the reason this place is still standing, among other things. Though I don’t expect you to believe that.”

Before she could slap me with a snide retort, Willow approached with Alexa’s dagger in hand. While the two of them spoke, I kept busy. If I didn’t keep my hands moving, I just might give in to the unholy hunger burning within me. I ached for her. It was a deep-rooted, twisted yearning that I possessed no control over. Being so close to Alexa was torture. Her scent threatened to strip me of the precarious hold I had on sanity. The taste of her blood swam up from my memory and with it the remembrance of drowning in her heady wolf energy.

“Why are you back early?” Willow asked, voicing a question I too wanted an answer to.

The two of them walked the length of the building as she scrutinized everything. I listened as she recounted her Vegas visit, leaving out plenty I was sure. When she revealed Arys’s intent to take back control of Las Vegas and her willingness to be part of that, I questioned for just a moment if I’d done the right thing by killing Phillip.

It took a lot of willpower to keep my mouth shut. She didn’t ask my opinion so I wasn’t about to offer it. When she disappeared into the back hall, I couldn’t resist the urge to follow.

Willow began to sweep up some shattered glass. He watched me go after her but didn’t offer comment.

I slipped down the back hall, drawn to her against my will. She was standing in the big suite at the end of the hall. It had belonged to the former owner.

“I’m sorry about the mess,” I said, announcing my approach. “Everything goes to shit when the queen is away.”

She turned quickly, taking a defensive stance. “Seriously? What’s with everyone and the fucking royalty references lately?”

I hated that her instinctive response was to ready for an attack. Not only did it hurt me to see how things had changed between us, it taunted the wicked side of me that wanted her naked and screaming. She didn’t trust me, nor should she. Even as we stood there staring at each other, I was thinking about what she tasted like.

“I guess you’re the only one still in denial about it.” I crossed my arms, feigning casual and hoping she didn’t see the dark desire in my eyes.

“Apparently so.” The critical expression she wore bothered me more than it should have.

Her phone rang, interrupting the tense moment. It was a relief, breaking up the awkwardness, giving me a moment to regain mental clarity… until I heard Alexa’s best friend gush about getting engaged.

Kylarai and I had dated, albeit briefly. She was a kind woman with a gentle heart and a will of steel. Though I’d known early on there was no future for us, I had held out hope that she was what I needed to stay grounded. She wasn’t. I cared for her, but I couldn’t love her. I had already fallen for her best friend.

I watched Alexa’s face go through a series of emotions. Genuine joy shone in her eyes though it was shadowed by envy. Her energy took on a somber tone that resonated through me as if it were my own pain. Alexa believed she would never know the kind of future Kylarai was planning. She was probably right.