Whisper to a Scream (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6.5)

“I’ll stay as long as you need me, unless I get called away.”


She sat stiffly beside me. Abandoning the notion of awkwardness, I brazenly put an arm around her and drew her close. She relaxed against me with a soft sigh, and I had to stifle one of my own when she took it a step farther and rested her head on my chest.

For a long time, we sat there in comfortable silence. The early dawn rays broke through the curtains, casting a warm glow through the apartment. The sound of Christina’s slow, even breathing signaled that she was asleep. I very carefully lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom.

I paused in the doorway to her small, girlish room. A frame on the dresser drew my gaze to a photo of Christina and a big yellow lab. Twenty-year-old Christina grinned at the camera, her arms tight around her furry friend.

The rest of the dresser top was littered with jewelry and other assorted accessories. A pair of red underwear that was barely more than a scrap of material forced my gaze back to the bed.

Carefully, I laid her down and covered her with a sheet. I watched her sleep for a moment, telling myself this had to be the final goodbye. It was over now. It had to be, before I did something that we would both regret.

“Willow,” she whispered my name, her voice groggy. “Don’t go.”

Her word was my command. Done with my internal battle, I shoved the guilt aside and lay down beside her. She reached for me with a soft murmur.

Facing one another, Christina snuggled in close, and I wrapped her in my embrace, enjoying the way she felt when she pressed against me. It was uncanny how we fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Her wet locks tickled my face, but I didn’t care. I was elated.

Her eyes opened, and she smiled. The small voice in my head grew silent. I gave myself over to the moment and kissed her.

The rush of excitement was dizzying. The touch of her mouth on mine struck me dumb. All sense or thought vanished. All I could focus on was the sweetness of her, the way she moved those soft lips to kiss me back.

She held me still with a hand on my face when I would have pulled away. Our connection held an intimacy that I hadn’t dreamed possible. Observing humanity had done little to prepare me for this lively expression of emotion.

The barest touch of her tongue filled me with shockwaves of delight. How could it be that such a simple act could be so deep and profound? My stomach tightened, and my breath came fast. I had never felt so human. It was wondrous.

My name was a murmur, the only sound in the room other than our breathing. Christina sought to pull me closer, pushing my hands against her bosom. I groaned, drawing hard on what remained of my willpower.

“I can’t,” I whispered, pulling back to stare into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded, a small smile curving her lips. Stroking a hand down the side of my face, she said, “Don’t be.”

After pressing a small kiss to my cheek, she settled in against a pillow and closed her eyes. Long after she had fallen asleep, I lay there watching the dawn. I concentrated hard, making note of every detail: the way her hair fell across her face, the steady rise and fall of her chest and even the dust motes floating in the beam of light streaming through a crack in the blinds. I needed to savor every second of having Christina in my arms.

* * * *

I visited Christina everyday for the next week. Until her bruises healed, she was avoiding people as much as possible, especially clients. It gave us plenty of time to enjoy one another’s company.

Most days we stayed in her apartment, pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist. It was just the two of us. We often lay entangled on the bed or the couch while random movies played on the television screen. Kissing and holding her was enchanting, though it grew harder to resist the desire to make love to her.

I was stupid to think it might not all catch up to me, but I’d cloaked myself in denial. As soon as Serene made an unexpected appearance while I was home alone, I knew things were bad.

“I assume you know why I’m here,” he said by way of greeting. He slid into the seat across from me at the kitchen table and fixed me with a fierce stare.

“Perhaps you should tell me anyway.”

Serene clasped his hands on the table and regarded me with sympathy. “Willow, I’m here to deliver a warning. You must stay away from Christina.”

Embarrassment warmed my face. I searched for the right response and came up empty. “I don’t want to.”

“I see that. You know the laws. She wasn’t to know about us.”

“That was Shya’s doing. He came to taunt me.”

“Which he would never have done if you weren’t casually strolling about with a human woman, one that isn’t even your charge.” Serene spread his hands wide. “What are you hoping to achieve by spending so much time with her?”