devil himself, and I can’t control my own actions. It is like my legs don’t belong to me; they belong to her, only her. Every part of me does.
By the time I reach her door, my heart is about to explode inside my chest. My body scorches with need as I open the door and look inside. I used to be more cautious about mistakes, think things through first, but with Gemma, I have no control over anything. She owns my mind, my body, my soul, and part of me wouldn’t have it any other way.
When I see her lying in her bed, I just about lose it. My hands actually fucking shake as I cross the room toward her bed.
She’s resting on her side with a blanket pulled over her, her hair a halo across the pillow, and her eyes are shut. I should leave. I’d be a better person if I did, but I’m a selfish fucking asshole who can’t walk away.
I reach for her and brush strands of her hair away from her face, and all the emotions I felt in the dream crash through me at once. It takes every ounce of strength I possess not to wake her up and rip her clothes off. I want to kiss her, crash my lips against hers, wake her up by spreading her legs and licking every inch of her. But I can’t. I have to stay in control of myself.
She doesn’t move as I stroke her cheek, which seems crazy since the electricity is so damn hot I can barely breathe. Then she lets out a long sigh and nuzzles against my hand.
Shit. It’s time to go. Now, Alex. Just walk away.
I start to back away but freeze as she rolls over onto her back. What I see makes me so sick, so angry, so possessed by rage I can’t see past the anger.
Ropes are cutting into her wrists, binding her hands. Blood covers her neck and stains her shirt.
I sweep her hair back, and my jaw clamps down. There are bite marks on the base of her neck.
I collapse to my knees and cup her face between my hands. Our skin torches as heat flows through my body.
“Gemma, open your eyes,” I beg. “Gemma, can you hear me?”
Her eyelids flutter, but she struggles to wake. I press my palm to her forehead and feel how ice-cold her skin is. I shake my head. If he turned her, I’m going to fucking kill him.
“Alex,” she mumbles, her eyelids lifting open. She blinks up at me, and then her violet eyes widen.
“You’re okay,” I say quietly, but with how pale she looks and with how fast the electricity is fading, I’m really not so sure she is.
GEMMA
At first, I think I am dead, that Laylen drained all my blood and left me to rot away in my bed, that Alex is a ghost, that somehow he died and joined me in death. Or maybe I’m dreaming again.
Then I feel the dizziness mixed with the sparkle of electricity, and my body ignites with fire, waking me right up.
“You’re here,” I mutter, moving to sit up.
As the room spins, vomit burns at my throat.
He places his hands on my shoulders, steadying me as I sway. “Don’t move too quickly, okay?” he says gently.
I lift my bound wrists and touch a finger to my neck. “Ow.” I wince.
“What happened?” he asks, seeming even more urgent and eager than he normally is.
I don’t want to tell him. If I do, he might end up doing something stupid. What Laylen did to me wasn’t his fault. Right now, he’s under the control of pure and utter evil.
“I can’t remember.” I mash my lips together when he glares at me, reading right through my bullshit.
“Gemma, don’t lie to me.” With the knife in his hand, he cuts the ropes and frees me.
“I’m not lying.” I rub my wrists, trying not to think about how the ropes got there, but it’s all I can think about. “And if I did tell you, you’d just freak out.”
“Gemma.” He fights to keep calm. “Just tell me what happened, and I swear I’ll try to keep my cool.”
I think about lying again, wanting to protect Laylen, but then I realize we’re probably in danger and need to get the hell out of the house. I jump to my feet, surprising him and my head. The room twirls with bright colors and blurry shapes like a merry-go-round on crack.