He’s gently nodding, still right there at my side. “Alvin, listen to me. Don’t be scared. I think this will help. After you feed again, you’ll have more strength. You’ll heal, and you’ll be able to push back the Obligation.”
No.
No, no, no!
We’ve parked. The music stops when the driver kills the engine. He unbuckles his seatbelt and turns to me. Ican feel the hooks of my hunger deep inside him, pulling him toward my body.
“You’re hurt,” he says, snowy white brows steepled in, deeply concerned, reaching toward me. He seems genuinely moved. He turns and flips a switch at the base of the passenger seat in front of me, which causes it to swing forward, so he has more room to get closer. So he can swivel over and touch my chin with quivering fingers.
“I’m sorry,” he says, as he starts to crawl toward the back. “I don’t ever… uh… doanythinglike this… I want to help you…” He swallows hard, again. His breath ragged. “You’re just so…” He’s brushing the side of my cheekbone with the back of his fingers. “So fucking…” His face is beet red. He’s leaning in toward me, this 240-pound bulk of a man, helpless as a kitten.
My hunger owns him completely.
“Don’t worry, Alvin,” Collin says, squeezing my hand. “This is a good thing. I’ll make sure you don’t go too far. I’ll stop you in time.”
The monster inside me straight-up laughs at that. A full-on tornado couldn’t keep it from doing whatever little thing it wants. Some ghost trapped in a watch doesn’t stand a chance. He won’t be able to stop us.
I’m losing myself fast. The monster’s desire is becoming my own. I try to gather every last bit of willpower I have to fight. To shut this down. My face contorts and winces.
The driver’s face moves closer as he continues to climb into the back seat. He wants to get on top of me. My dick gets hard at that thought. Not because it’s sexy. Because I’m unsheathing a weapon.
Collin notices my panic. I feel his thumb gently rub against the back of my knuckles. “Just let it happen, Alvin. It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”
It’s no easy feat for Dan to squeeze his way toward me. He’s got, like, one knee on the edge of the driver’s cushion and another on the back of the folded-over passenger seat. His palm is flayed out on the headrest next to me, supporting the rest of his mass. There’s a scuffed silver wedding band on his ring finger. Sweat beads on his forehead.
“Kid, I don’t know what it is about you, or why now, but I won’t let anything hurt you ever again. I’m going to make you feel so goddamned good. Ipromise.” Dan is now smiling. Eyes bright. Truly happy. No more struggle. He’s looking forward to kissing me. To having me. To making me feel good. To having the best sex in his life. (Which he will, because unlike poor, stupid, regular Alvin, the monster in me keepsallhis promises.)
It’s that smile that finally does it. This is a good man. And my power is twisting what’s good inside him into something foul. It wants to corrupt everything.
I slam my hands onto the tops of his shoulders and yell, “NO!”
In an instant, everything shatters. Both the monster and the Obligation get shoved back into their respective holes. Hard.
Driver Dan’s eyes collapse into confusion and shame as he rears back his head.
“Oh! Oh, my God,” he says, quickly recoiling back, released from my control. “What the hell am I doing?! I’m so… Fuck, I’m sosorry!”
The two of us are breathing in loud gasps. But he’s still talking. “I don’t know why I just did that! I mean, I’m not even— And you’re bleeding! I should be getting you to a hospital!”
I don’t want to talk right now. I don’t want to be within a mile of anyone, to be honest. I am so full of anger. At myself—for letting it get as far as it did—and at Collin, for encouraging me.
And that’s how I’m able to keep the Obligation in its place. How I’m able to find my voice again.
“It’s okay,” I say, husky, gritting my teeth. “Get us back on the road. I’ll be fine. I just need to go home.”
The driver quickly nods and glides us back onto the freeway. Back on our original route. Back to saying nothing. But he’s not ignoring me. His eyes keep flitting up to the rearview mirror to take me in. He looks guilty, confused, and frightened.
I don’t really know if I’ll be fine. I am definitely injured. The Obligation did some damage. But not so much that I need to go to a hospital or anything. I think.
Iwillbe all right. I have to be.
Collin’s hand is back on mine. He looks at me, deeply worried. “Are you really okay, Alvin?”
“Don’t talk to me,” I hiss out, not even looking at him. I stare forward, boiling with anger. Wanting to be anywhere but here. “Just stay the hell away from me!”
He snaps his fingers back, like he’s just been burnt. “Ah,” he says. I hear pain in his voice.
And I’m not going to lie, I don’t feel great about that. I don’t want to hurt him. Not even a little bit.
