I stayed in the shower until I got control of myself. Then I quickly dried off and slipped his shirt on. The sun had risen by then, flooding the room with soft light.
Hunter was by the window, his back to me.
“I found a chocolate bar and soda in a vending machine outside. They’re beside the bed. You should eat that before you sleep.”
The covers were also pulled down. My gaze went back to Hunter. “What’s up with the chocolate? This is the second time you’re feeding me a chocolate bar.”
“Sugar. It helps after one of our kind has fed off you.”
Climbing into bed, I slipped my legs under the blanket. While I ate and drank my calorie-heavy goodies, Hunter took a shower. Finished, I wiggled down, folding my hands under my pillow, and waited.
Hunter came back out, his leather pants hanging low on his hips. Wet, tousled hair clung to his cheeks and neck. He went to the wide double windows, his movements stiffer than normal, and tugged the pea-green curtains closed. Darkness immediately descended in the small room.
Curled on my side, I watched Hunter make his way across the room. “Hunter?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He sat in the chair. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”
I frowned. That wasn’t much of an answer. Moments passed, and then Hunter tipped his head back against the wall. The position had to be uncomfortable and the bed was big enough for us both. Taking a deep breath, I rose onto my elbows.
“Hunter?”
“Go to sleep, Serena.”
I ignored his command. “You said that when you go into your true form, it heals you. Right?”
One eye opened. “Why are you asking this?”
“Because you have to be sore.” I took a deep breath. “And it doesn’t bother me when you’re in your true form.”
“It should.” Both eyes were open now. “Go to sleep.”
I sat up. “I’ll go to sleep if you take your true form and heal yourself.”
Hunter didn’t move for several moments, and then he laughed hoarsely. “You are something else, you know that?”
I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but then Hunter rose and, damn it, he was hurt, because he rose from that chair slowly, pushing himself up with his hands.
Hunter didn’t look away like he’d done the last time he’d changed in front of me.
My hands tightened on the blankets and he walked over to my side of the bed, his bare chest chiseled and damp.
The edges of his body blurred out, clothing and all, and then faded into smoke—
into a wispy, shadowy human form. My eyes widened and he took shape, gaining mass until he looked like a human male but different.
He turned to the side and muscles rippled smoothly. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched his arm. He stilled, and like last time, he didn’t move away.
He remained there as I ran my fingers up his arm, and I marveled at the feel of him.
This time I pulled my hand back before I really started feeling him up. Hunter remained in his true form for a few more seconds, and then he blurred out and returned to his human form. No bruises. No hollow pull to his face. Amazing.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, and then flushed because it seemed like the wrong thing to say. Probably also stupid.
Hunter stared at me, eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. Our eyes locked, and I felt his stare in every part of me. The blanket slipped from my fingers as arousal swirled.
He let out a long breath. “Go to sleep.”
I glanced at the chair. “The bed is big enough for the both of us, you know.”
“I know.”
“You can sleep here, too.”
It didn’t seem like he’d respond at first. He stared at me like I was crazy. I didn’t get the look. Several hours ago, we’d shared the same bed. Everything and nothing had changed.
“Shit,” he said, prowling to the other side of the bed.
I lay back down on my side, facing the door. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“That’s not the issue.” The covers stirred and then the bed dipped under his weight.
Had he taken off his leather pants? Probably a good thing if I didn’t know.
“Then what is the issue?” I asked.
There was a beat. “I want to.”
I made a face he couldn’t see. “I don’t see how that’s a problem.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Seconds turned into minutes and he didn’t offer up any more explanation. I didn’t think it was possible to fall asleep after everything, but I felt safe with him and, miraculously, when I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.
Chapter 20
I watched Serena sleep, still haunted by her question. WHY ARE YOU HELPING ME?
Helping her wasn’t a huge risk. It was the nail in the universal coffin.
As much as I loathed being the go-to boy for the DOD, my life had been relatively comfortable and peaceful the last couple of years. I had thrown that away with finesse, and why?
I rose up on my elbow, careful not to disturb her. There were six freckles on her nose and cheeks, forming a constellation of sorts.
For the first time in my entire existence I found myself envying the Luxen. They had the one ability we could never absorb—healing. When I was in the bathroom, I would’ve given just about anything to have that talent, to heal Serena of her bruises and aches instead of patching her up.
Mine.
The whole way of thinking was faulty. Arum rarely settled down with one of their own kind and doing so with a human was even more rare for a shit-ton of obvious reasons, but my sister had and so had Dex.
I didn’t want to claim Serena as mine. It would be better for her if I didn’t, but I never did the denial shit before, so why start now?
I lay back, letting out a low groan. I had been without the opal for just a few hours, but I was already feeling the effects like a damn addict. And that’s what the Arum had become. An addict bred over centuries of feeding off Luxen.
I was restless, skin itchy and my throat was parched. My dick was hard, too, but that had more to do with the curvy body beside me than the lack of opal.
I was still mind-blown by the fact Serena had asked me to take my true form to heal after seeing our kind at our worst. I wanted to say that it was shock that had propelled me to do something so stupid like taking my true form without the opal. Doing so required energy, and energy required that I feed.
But I had done it like a jackass, not because I was surprised by her request, but because Serena had asked me to do it, and I had wanted to please her.
Fucking please her.
And I really wanted to please her into oblivion.
The smart thing would’ve been to go straight for the opal, but I should be able to maintain for a couple of hours. I’d need to feed, though, no matter what. To see this shit through I had to be at top power.
See this shit through exactly how?
Another good question, I thought, grimacing. Man, I really didn’t think this shit through.
Shutting down took longer than normal. I slept. For how long, I really didn’t know, but when I woke up, I was in the same position as I’d been the night prior. My body curved against hers and my arm around her waist.
Fuck.
In her sleep, Serena wiggled her bottom as she got comfortable against me, making my veins run hot.
Double fuck.
Opening my eyes into thin slits, I glanced over my shoulder. Thin streaks of bright sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains. We’d have to get up soon and get on the road. There were at least five more hours to get where we needed to go.