Page 44 of Zodiac Hybrids

I dropped my gaze to the faucet, letting my hair hide my face from the world around me, and I fixated listlessly on the sheen of the metal spout. The old sink had a slow drip, and each tink of the water on the drain stopper reverberated through my brain like it was a hammer on a nail.

No it was fine. I was in control. I was always in control.

My whole fucking thing was being in control. I was not the one who was a slave to my urges. I wasn’t the one who couldn’t hold back. I consciously made every choice and decision in my life.

That was the one thing that was mine. That no one would ever take from me. I had control.

Deep breath.

I stood up straight, and I stepped into the common area of my shared room. Adrian hadn’t come back yet. I didn’t know where he was, but so long as he wasn’t with her, there was nothing to worry about. He had clearly been feeling that draw as intensely as I had, so I was sure he’d be keeping his distance from her. too. If she knew what was good for her, she’d already be back in her room, staying safe and getting some rest.

I shook my hand through my hair, and I grabbed a coat before I stepped out.

I wouldn’t hit my trigger. It wasn’t that hard to avoid the Aquarius’ moon. Nothing to worry about.

I kept repeating that phrase, over and over, trying to convince myself.

The halls were silent as I exited the room. It was nearing midnight, and outside of the receptionist who covered night shift, everyone was safely asleep in their rooms. I could hear the quiet sound of snoring or restful breathing through the doors. I wasn’t sure which room was Lila’s, but at the moment, I wanted to avoid her anyway.

I moved through the lobby into the night, and I took in that surge of the moon again. Without her prattling at my brain, it felt nice. Peaceful even. I was rippling with raw energy and it was invigorating and refreshing.

It was my power, coursing through my veins as my true birthright. It was what made me stronger than everyone else. I was an Alpha, and no one was above me.

Ordinarily, eleven months out of the year at least, I loved full moons. Sometimes twelve months out of the year, if August lined up with the right circumstances—that one was hit or miss though. The raw lunar surge was both a reminder of who I was and it just felt good. It fueled my hunting instincts while also making every win more satisfying, like living in a permanent and natural high of pure adrenaline and endorphins.

I lived for those moments. Maybe I’d only been alive for twenty-six years, but I couldn’t see this ever getting old. I used to fear the darkness, which had made me a laughing stock to vampires and shifters alike, but after everything I’d endured, I’d learned to love the hunt. Everything was better as the predator than it could ever been when you felt more like prey.

I passed by the bamboo walls that hid the private, segregated baths. The co-ed pool was empty. I wished I could be in it tonight, enjoying some apple pie, but that didn’t quite work out. The timing just wasn’t meant to be.

I was only just getting to know her anyway. She meant very little beyond the intense emotions she helped me stir up in my brother. I should probably take care to prevent falling into my own trap, and end up accidentally growing fond of her in earnest. Though maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

I didn’t see any reason sex required friendship or shared feelings, but she definitely had a pussy I’d like to revisit. Maybe Adrian wasn’t the only one who struggled with commitment, considering my conception. The only difference was that he saw my birth as part of his childhood trauma, and I saw my birth as proof that people can rarely find everything they need in only one person. Maybe we were both fucked up in our own way. I set up this game to force him to make some changes, but would it be so bad if it forced some changes on myself?

Still, there was no need to rush things. We could bond over months, and I could take her back here and do this properly if I so desired.

The sound of water sloshing interrupted my thoughts, and my gaze darted towards the women’s bath where the sound radiated.

A late night bather?

I ran my tongue over my teeth. It would be nice to feed right now, but… it was too risky right after she’d gotten out of the bath. Besides, what if it was—

That cinnamon scent hit me at the same time I heard the woman in question step out of the water. My flight instincts kicked in, but my hunger rejected them in favor of my fight. My need to taste her blood was winning out over my logical brain, and that was only made worse by the speeding of my heart. For others, elevated heart rate meant excitement or anxiety or stress. For a vampire, it only served to pump desire and need through me faster.

Why couldn’t I taste her tonight? Blood wasn’t my trigger, and no one else was around. Adrian wouldn’t have to know. I could compel her and make her forget afterwards. One taste. That was all.

No, she just got out of the bath. That was beyond volatile. What if she was with someone else?

What if she wasn’t. If she was totally alone, naked, wet, and vulnerable, while letting off a scent so spicy and delectable.

Rational thoughts. Rational thoughts.

I’m still in control, I practically screamed in my mind. Because I had to scream, or I wouldn’t hear myself. I was losing my ability to listen to logic and letting temptation coax me into a dangerous addiction.

I forced sanity by focusing on analytics, stopping to really think about the situation.

She must have stayed out for a private bath. Maybe she couldn’t sleep. With all that magic buzzing through her veins, she was probably too wound up to rest. I recalled my first full moon all too vividly, and it seemed, truly, like this might be Lila’s first true full moon. Who could rest when their body wanted to do nothing but run and hunt.

Or perhaps her body wanted to be hunted. That scent wasn’t something earthy that one could camouflage. It wasn’t something meant to hide in the trees or bushes. It was a scent of attraction. It was the kind of fragrance that asked every predator in the vicinity to devour her.