Silas says, glancing at the TV once more. Tomorrow we can walk there, get a flight back to the U.K., and find somewhere to figure out our next move.”
The others glance at one another, no one else speaking until Hazel finally gives a firm nod. “That’s good enough for me.”
That issue seemingly settled, the group disperses, ready to turn in for the night now that everyone is safely back at the motel. I watch as Hazel, Xander, and Ruby file out of our suite and into their own, leaving me standing there with the guys’ eyes on me. I feel unexpectedly put on the spot, and blush a little, ducking my head and turning away from the others. “I, ah… I’m pretty tired,” I announce. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit.”
“You’re not the only one,” Landon agrees, yawning. One by one, the five of us bunker down in our makeshift nests on the motel floor, turning on the lights and curling up in silence. The only sounds are the air conditioning and the guys’ breathing. The feeling of their bodies next to mine fills me with more comfort than I can possibly articulate, but even as my eyes drift closed, I can’t help but feel like things are only going to get more complicated.
Chapter 3
I don’t sleep well that night, and not just because I’m sprawled out on the hard motel floor. My dreams are restless and impossible to remember, a nonstop parade of incomprehensible, anxious fragments; I’m reminded of a time back when I was still in human school, the night before one of my most difficult final exams. It was pre-calculus, as I recall, and I’ve never been what you would call mathematically inclined. That was back when I was living with one of my worst foster parents, a man whose temper and perfectionism extended past his own children and to me as well. Afraid of the outcome, I spent the night thrashing around in bed until my sheets were drenched with sweat, equations, graphs, and numbers floating through my mind one after another. I ended up sleeping so badly that I nearly drifted off during the exam, but I was lucky enough to be moved to a new foster home before having to face the wrath of my then-caregiver.
This time, it’s different. Instead of maths running through my mind, it’s images of fire, destruction, and death. There’s Silas, half-dead and strapped to a laboratory table; the convention centre going up in flames; Hawthorne and his goons closing in on us from all sides…
This last one is what jerks me awake, my breath coming in fitful gasps as I put a hand to my chest, closing my eyes and counting to ten. It’s only as I come to that I realise where I am -- or rather, who I’m currently curled up next to. Hunter has me safe and secure in his lanky arms, pressed against his lean chest with his body curled protectively around mine.
Slowly, I feel myself start to relax, my heart rate returning to normal as I lean into the warm embrace of the vampire shifter. His breath is slow and quiet, the movement of his chest soothing against my back, and for a moment I wonder if he even intended to hold me like this. Did he sidle up to me before he fell asleep, or is he clinging to me subconsciously, trying to keep me safe even as we all slumber? A bright spot of warmth pools in the pit of my stomach at the notion, and I can feel my skin flushing even in the darkness of the room. Hunter has always been the more reserved type, although what I once mistook for a bad attitude has turned out to be years of insecurity about his own power. I’d like to think I’ve been able to defrost him a little, and it’s true that with my help he’s finally, finally learning how to harness his abilities, but he has a long way to go before he’s fully come into his own.
Part of me feels guilty. Whether I chose to be or not, I was the catalyst for everything that’s happened to these guys. Their lives are never going to be the same because of me, because of what they were put through to make me what I am, and now we’re on the run together because I can’t seem to stop sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.