“You don’t get cold?” I shot back, somewhat astonished. They still looked and acted like humans, clearly had blood pumping through their veins if the warmth they emitted and healthy flush to their bronzed cheeks meant anything. They also ate, because they had their own food in the cafeteria. I was still rocking the advanced human angle, so maybe one of their advancements was that they completely controlled their body temperatures.
My curiosity about what they were continued to grow. I was almost certain vampires were out, as they didn’t fit any of the lore I knew. They could be werewolves, because they were huge and angry a lot. Well, Lexen was huge and angry a lot. Maybe they were something weird and obscure? I hadn’t exactly had a chance to research. My theories were so far all formed from movies and television.
Jero chuckled. “We get cold. Just not … at these temperatures. And you’re not wearing a lot of clothes.” There was definitely a low rumble in his chest now.
Without thought I slapped his arm. “No! Sit back there and be a good little sleaze.”
From my peripherals I caught his wide eyes and slightly open mouth. “Did you just … hit me?”
He lost it then, laughing hard enough that I swear the car rocked from side to side. “You have brass ones, girl. I’m kind of glad you decided to friendly-stalk us tonight.”
He was just so much like a teenage boy in that moment. Like a human. I turned fully in my seat, watching him, trying to unravel the mystery. I learned nothing from his cocky grin, so I let out a sigh and faced forward again. Staring out as the trees flashed by, Lexen remained silent, which was a blessing. He didn’t speak again until the car started to slow. Leaning forward, peering through the front, all I could see were trees, spookily lit up by the play of lights from the car. There was maybe a small clearing up ahead, but it was hard to tell.
“Stay in the car,” he said as he opened the door. I didn’t know if he was speaking to Jero or me, and it really didn’t matter. No way was I getting out in the spooky forest.
A sliver of unease wrapped itself around me and wouldn’t let go. For some reason I wanted to reach out and pull Lexen back into the car. I didn’t like him going out into the dark either. Which was a really weird thing to feel.
What is wrong with you, Emma?
“You’re wasting your worry, sweetheart,” Jero said softly. He had moved forward again. “Lex is the predator in this situation.”
I let out a low huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “He’s holding me hostage. I don’t care if he gets eaten by bears.”
“And yet you haven’t fought that hard to get free. Why is that?”
Jero was starting to annoy me. I let out another huff. “Because I want answers. Because your council seems to know about my guardians. I followed you to figure out what was going on. I still don’t know, therefore I will be staying until someone tells me what I need to know.”
“Uh huh,” he said, sounding not at all convinced. “Don’t put your heart in Lexen’s hands, honey. Trust me, he’s not for you.”
I didn’t bother to reply again; more protest would only make it worse. I remained silent, my eyes locked on the figure visible in the headlights of the car. Actually, make that figures. Lexen had been joined by three other tall men, all of them pretty much equal to his giant height, all of them broad shouldered and throwing off an aura of menace I could somehow feel from the car.
Jero, losing his relaxed attitude, focused on them as well, his body tense beside me as we stared. Despite the lights from the car, I couldn’t really make out the features of the other three. One was very blond; another looked to have a shaved head. The last was hidden in the shadows.
“Who are they?” I asked, not expecting Jero would answer. He just leaned even farther forward, pushing me to the side with his bulk. His scar was shining in the dimly-lit interior, and I looked closer – this was the first time I’d been in close proximity.
“How did you get your scar?” I tried, pausing when I realized how rude it might be to ask that. I was on edge; my brain and mouth were working independently it seemed.
Thankfully Jero just winked at me. “Chicks dig scars, right? Lexen gave it to me when we were younger. He lost control of his … temper. He says it was an accident, but since I had been annoying him at the time, I wonder if there wasn’t a little intention behind it.”
Jero didn’t seem torn up about it, and he was kind of right. The scar gave a rakish look to his handsome face. It didn’t detract at all. “Lexen is a bastard, but … your scar is pretty cool. I wouldn’t go around thanking him for it, though. He could have taken your eye out.”
He laughed, tugging annoyingly on a few strands of my long hair. “It takes a lot to scar us. We heal … fast. Lexen lost control. It happens.”
Movement outside the window caught both of our attentions. I forgot what I was about to ask, focusing again on the group of four. My eyes sought out Lexen, feeling some relief that he was okay.I shouldn’t be this tense.Seriously, it was weird. Because he was a stranger, a dangerous, scary, supernatural stranger.
I tried to relax. The only thing I should be worried about was this situation getting out of hand and someone attacking me. I did not care about my kidnappers.
Screw you, Stockholm.Screw. You.
Before I could beat myself up any further about my apparently overly huge heart, the little clandestine meeting broke up. The four dispersed off into the shadows. Well, three did, the other bad boy made his way back to our car.
Jero relaxed back, and by the time Lexen opened his door to slide inside, you would never have known that his brother had been worried at all. It was a silent drive back to Daelight Crescent. I bit back multiple questions. I hated mysteries. Even in books it was a genre I avoided, and if I did happen to find one where there was a huge mystery involved, I was sometimes guilty of reading the last page when I was only halfway through.
I made no apologies for that. People should just be straight up.
“How did you end up on Daelight Crescent?” Lexen’s question took me completely by surprise. I left an awkwardly long period of time before I answered.
“As you know, Sara and Michael … my guardians,” I added quickly, “search for supernatural happenings around the world. They picked up a lot of signs in Astoria, and packed us up to move here. Apparently a shack in Daelight Crescent was the only rental in Astoria we could afford.”
