At that, I begin walking again. She has to scramble to catch up to my stride.
"Aura, I'm not entertaining this." I use my sternest tone to shut this down.
"But why?"
"Because," I roar, whirling on her. "You don't think I wanted to? You don't think I was affected, penetrating you? When I didn’t keep fucking you with that toy like I wanted to, shoving and dragging it in and out until your legs collapsed and you gushed all over the damn sheets?”
My voice drops to a lethal rumble I’ve only ever used when I meant to kill someone. Never with her.
“It's because I want it so badly that I can't. We're crossing too many boundaries, acting as if I touch you, I won't sear your flesh off. It's only a matter of time before I forget myself, or you forget yourself and you get hurt, and I can't handle that. You think Snow came up with a revelation I’ve never considered? That I haven’t already realized I could pull on a pair of gloves and finger fuck you until you convulse and come? Many,manytimes, Aurora."
Her eyes widen to saucers as she takes it all in. Some part of me can't believe she didn't know how much I’ve thought this through, tortured myself with ideas. “But all these scenarios end the same way. I hurt you, and neither of us get what we really want. Because unless it’severything, it won’t be enough.” The last word comes out on a hiss.
My spine stiffens as the night air is suddenly thick and charged, leaving my instincts prickling. Something is off.
“Talon, I—” Aurora starts.
A blur.
Arushof wind.
Something slams into my side with the force of a cannonball, throwing me into the brick wall so hard my vision sparks.
Aurora cries out, but before she can react, the shadow lunges for her, arms vise-tight around her body,fangs baredat her throat.
A vampire.
Not justanyvampire. A hungry one. Desperate.
Aurora thrashes, snarling, but he grips her tight as his fangs pierce her throat.
For once, I don’t hesitate to lay hands on someone. Roughly grabbing his bare arm, the vampire releases a loud cry of pain. I don’t let go, not even after he’s released Aurora and she stumbles back, covering her neck with a hand.
Despite the burning pain he must be suffering, the vampire throws a punch to my cheek. The contact throws me off-balance.
The second my grip slips, the vampire snarls and launches at me again—fangs bared, eyes wild.
I catch him by the throat mid-lunge and slam him against the opposite wall. Brick cracks behind him. My hand flares with heat.
“Bad choice,” I growl.
Smoke curls between my fingers. His scream tears through the alley like a dying animal.
I hold him there, burning him from the inside out, until the stench of scorched flesh fills the air. It takes longer than it should, considering how desperate to feed he was.
Still, I don’t let go until his thrashing turns to twitching. Until his body crumples to ash and bone at my feet.
Aurora stares, pale and wide-eyed. “Holy shit.”
I shove down the shame and discomfort at her seeing how I’ve disposed of all the bodies. I’d been chosen by her parents because I’m unaffected by her power, but the sweet second benefit is no one can identify the ash I leave behind.
“We need to move,” I bark, already ushering her toward the apartment, careful not to touch her. “Now.”
We half-jog the remaining blocks, Aurora keeping pace beside me. Her breath is quick but even, the adrenaline still riding her hard. Mine isn’t. I’m already doing the calculations. The questions. Thewhy.
When we slam the door behind us and lock the deadbolt, the silence feelstooloud.
Aurora paces, running a shaking hand through her pink hair. “What the hell was that? Was that random? Is that just what happens in the city? Like getting mugged?”
