Alex shoved me away and cursed. “I’ll go get Mason.”
I found my voice. “What? Why? What’s going on, and why can’t I breathe?”
“So the prince’s kiss is poison,” Alex mused out loud. “Timber must have thought it would be amusing to protect you from power — all soul-sucking power and since I’m a siren and we feed off of emotions, just like demons… I can’t…” He paled. “I can’t touch you without hurting you.”
“But without touching me—” I swallowed. “Without…” I squinted up at his beautiful face. “You could die, right?”
“Eh, I’ve lived long enough.” He smirked.
“That’s not funny!” I jumped to my feet and swayed toward him, happy that I could actually be in the same room with him without thinking dirty thoughts, but even with his powers dulled toward me, I still wanted his hands all over my body. Damn him.
“Am I laughing?” Alex shrugged. “The best I can do is keep you alive until Timber stops playing his childish little game of Gotcha…. Mason can at least…” He gulped as tension filled his gaze, fists clenched he said through clenched teeth. “Please you. Touch you. While I can’t.”
I shook my head as tears filled my line of vision. “You’re just going to pass me off now?”
“Hell, no!” Alex roared. “You think I want him touching what’s mine? You think I’ll enjoy the fact that his dirty pinecone loving hands get to feel how silky your skin is while I sit downstairs and freaking burn?”
I gasped.
“You…” His eyes were back to that scary looking red, as a powerful shudder ran through him like a visible ripple across his muscled torso, his teeth snapped together, and the colors from his hair went completely black. I’d never seen him jealous — now I knew what it looked like — darkness itself. “…have no idea, the pain I feel when I can’t touch you.”
He’d slipped.
I knew it.
He knew it.
Because he’d just admitted that I wasn’t replaceable. And even though the situation was dire and terrifying, I found myself trying not to smile — even though he looked terrifying.
“Smug little elf,” he teased.
“Arrogant, hot-headed siren.”
His grin grew. “I can hear your heart pound, your blood soar…” His black eyes rolled back into his head. “The pleasure I could bring you right now… The places I would take you.” He swayed toward me licking his lips like he could already taste me.
My breath hitched. “Do it.”
Alex’s face turned to stone. “Believe me, the pain wouldn’t be livable.”
“But—” My palms began to sweat as his eyes scoured my body. Slowly, tendrils of heat pulsated between my legs as I clenched my thighs together and then cried out in pain. “Oh!”
“Right.” He cursed.
“Why Mason?” Pain burned me from the inside out, and all beca
use what? Alex had tried to give me an orgasm without even touching me? Two days ago I would have been horrified. Right then? I was disappointed. What had he turned me into? “Why not Cassius, or Ethan?”
With each name I mentioned Alex’s expression darkened more and more. “Werewolves are healers.” He gulped. “The others would hurt you. Cassius would freeze your ass. Ethan would end up sucking you dry because vampires just love blood, and he would lose all control. The last time he killed by accident, it was nearly impossible to live with him.”
“Oh good, so it’s about his conscience.”
“More or less.” He grinned with a wink. “Stephanie would most likely hurt you, she’s horrible with controlling her powers, and I take it you haven’t ever swung that direction. Am I right?”
My cheeks heated. I gave him a jerky nod.
“So that leaves.” He swore violently. “WOLF!”
A pounding sounded on the stairs, and then Mason was in our room, panting, his brown hair wild around his face as he wiped a dirt smudge from his face. “What?”