Therefore, Lora could have been killed; and the reason behind it, was suspiciously fuelled by the knowledge of her pregnancy.
Jaz leant forward and looked at him with hard eyes. “Because I think she was a halfbreed and pregnant with your child and someone didn't like that,” she mumbled.
Nik's eyes flickered with astonishment for a mere second. “Why would you think that?”
She didn't hesitate to answer. “Because I read her diary.”
His brows rose, no longer shading his green eyes that burned a hole in her face. He leant forward, even closer than before, his elbows now resting on the edge of her mattress. “How?”
“I found it. It was with some of the books you gave me. She must have hidden it in one of them.”
He bobbed his head as if it made sense.
“I didn't mean to read it. It just happened. And I've not read all of it. I-I just read the bits that weren't really personal and... that she...or you... wouldn't like me reading...” she was stuttering and blushing, remembering the vivid details of Lora's intimate moments with Nik.
He frowned at her for a moment, before letting out a quiet, chesty laugh.
She stared at him gob-smacked.
He didn't say anything but he obviously knew what she was embarrassed about and he continued to laugh. It was the first time she'd seen him laugh so much and unfortunately, it was at her expense. Her cheeks turned a luminous scarlet. She scowled, folding her arms and his laughing died down in response.
She then rubbed her forearms when her fears caved in on her. “I'm sure I'm one too. A hybrid.”
He stopped smiling.
They locked eyes.
“You know it's true. My hand transforming. The fact I haven't Changed. You're seeing the same signs you saw in Lora, minus the claw.”
He looked away.
“I think the Cur Hunters might have had something to do with her death,” she said.
His face was stiff, as solid and impenetrable as stone, but for the first time, his eyes betrayed him. Or maybe he was allowing only her to see inside the windows of his mind. “We can't talk about this here. But we will. I promise.”
She bobbed her head in acceptance.
After a moment of silence, she confided in him. “When I thought I'd Changed... I know it wasn't real but it was like it was trying to tell me something. I didn't turn into what you turn into. I was different. I was smaller, more human-looking than Beast. I doubt I had even half of your strength. And... and I was white-haired.”
His eyes widened a fraction. She knew he'd got the message and she hoped he appreciated how hard it was for her to tell him that. Whether seeing herself as a white-haired Beast was a premonition of future events or her own desires manifesting into a hallucination, it wasn't something to be taken lightly.
She turned away in embarrassment, closing her eyes. They flashed open in astonishment when she felt the bed dip down and his warm lips on hers. She stared at his face as it touched hers; his eyes closed tightly as if savouring the sensation of her lips entwined in his. He kissed her once and paused, his gaze fixed on her lips as if waiting for her reaction.
She should have pushed him away and maybe topped it off by shouting a bunch of swearwords that would have given a nun a heart attack. But she didn't.
She didn't stop him.
She didn't resist.
Jaz realized that was the answer he'd been waiting for when he kissed her again, gently and slowly, caressing her bottom lip between his.
Her response was subtle at first; shy and uncertain. Then after the second kiss made her body weaken and yield to him, she slowly released the tension in her neck, letting her head dip back into his palm. Her eyelids closed, allowing him to take her; enabling herself to give in. She answered him with her own sensual, desiring kiss. His became stronger, and hungrier and she accepted it, opening her mouth wider until they weren't holding back anymore.
For a minute, they were lost in each other's lips. Nik's hands cupped Jaz's face as he knelt on the edge of the bed. Jaz's fingers slithered down his back and over his shaven head. The tiny bristles sent tingles through her fingers that shot through her body, concentrating in her groin.
But then she saw a flash of Lora's face in front of her; saw her anger and pain, and the magic disappeared like a balloon popping.
She released her kiss and pulled back, slapping him across the cheek. He flinched back, his eyes shiny with desire as he stared at her. She gasped putting a hand over her open mouth. She didn’t intend to do that; her hand moved of its own accord.
He did not react like she'd expected. He stayed calm. In fact, he left her even more shocked as he pulled her into him, kissing her again. She didn't give in so easily this time and pushed him away in irritation, though her body was betraying her, wanting to kiss him again.