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rigid in his arms. It didn't matter that he covered her in kisses. It was a jarring reminder that she was human and he was not.
"Will, don't," she breathed. Her arm was around his neck, her fingers in his dark hair. They both froze, Will held onto her, refusing to release the moment.
"I won't," he answered, his voice ragged. "I'd never force you." He leaned his forehead against her cheek for a moment, before saying, "I never thought this would happen. I tried so hard to keep you away from them, to protect you, and I completely failed. And now this..." He set her down, but before he could step away, Kahli took his wrists.
"What about this?" When he didn't answer, she squeezed his hands and said, "Will, this isn't your fault."
"This is totally my fault. I was supposed to stay away. I was supposed to protect you. I was supposed to get you to your...," he trailed off. "I'm not supposed to keep you for myself." He pulled his hands away and rubbed his face. Looking at her, Will smiled softly, "You're not mine, but I wish you were. I can't hide it, not now that we've - " He turned form her, not finishing the thought. "I've made too many mistakes."
Kahli reached out and took his hand. Will glanced at their fingers, as she wove them together, and then pulled their hands up into her face. "I don't know what this is, but it isn't a mistake."
Will was looking into her eyes. The bottomless lakes of blue peered back at her unconvinced. Before he could say anything, her fingers lifted to touch his lips. She trailed the pad of her finger across his mouth slowly before saying, "Show me."
Will's response to her was automatic. His body knew what she meant, what she wanted. He tensed as his fangs descended in front of her. Lifting her finger, she touched a smooth white tooth, dragging her finger across the needle-sharp tip. Will closed his eyes as she did it, careful not to move. When Kahli was done, she placed her hands on the side of his face and turned him toward her.
"Why do you pretend to be human?" she asked sadly.
Will smiled wanly. "Why do you hate vampires?"
"They're not like you." She smiled at him like she meant it, like she wanted him to believe it.
"We're more alike than you realize," he said, looking away.
Kahli took his face in her hands and tilted it up so she could see his eyes, "The Bane may be, but you - Will Tatum - are not."
Will's breath caught in his throat. The way her hands felt on him, the way they brought his runes to life, burning beneath his skin was intoxicating. Kahli made him feel more alive, and more secure, than he'd ever felt in his entire life. It wasn't just her endless curves and bright hair - it was her wit, the way she made him laugh, and the way he felt whole around her. So much of him was gone. Will never thought he'd feel this much for one person. He wanted to protect her. Will wanted things for her, things he couldn't give. Kahli was everything he wanted and everything he couldn't have. Before he could do something stupid beyond repair, Will looked away. He forced the moment to shatter and Kahli's hands slipped from his cheeks. Her absence was felt at his core.
Chapter 13
Cole walked back to the men's quarters and found the other guys huddled in the corner. There were no guards, but the nervous chatter was hushed. As he walked up behind them, he heard one thin guy named Chaucer asking, "And they think we'll just do this? And that the girls will let us?"
Cole's heart sank. Plural, Chaucer said girls, meaning more than one, and from the way they were acting, they were talking about the Pairing. Apparently, Alice wasn't the only one who got her date pushed up.
Cole sat on the arm of the couch. The conversation didn't stop with his arrival. Cole seldom spoke, so when he opened his mouth to say something, everyone looked at him, "How many were chosen?"
Brent, another dark haired, skinny guy looked at him like he was crazy. "Wrong question. You should be asking who'd they pair you with? Every single one of us was paired. Dates for Pairings are listed on the front board. Didn't you see it?"
Cole shook his head. "No, I didn't."
Chaucer cut in,