That was unforgivable.

I had to be stronger and I wasn’t. I’d failed. And if she knew what I’d done, she would be absolutely disgusted with me. I couldn’t blame her for that. I deserved her repulsion and hatred.

Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling. I’d done this before. On purpose. I’d had a goal, to awaken Alex ahead of schedule. It was how I learned I could feed on aether that way. I hadn’t known that I could when it first happened. There was another time I should’ve done better and I hadn’t.

History was always on repeat.

Disturbed, I stepped away from the wall and walked back into the living room. Josie hadn’t moved. I knelt beside her and reached out, my fingers stopping a mere inch above her flushed cheek.

I didn’t . . . I didn’t deserve this with her.

I didn’t deserve her in general.

As I stared down at her, I had to wonder what in the fuck I was thinking. From the beginning I’d known getting close to her was a bad fucking idea. I’d done shit things in my past and was sure to keep doing shit things. No future to speak of. I wanted aether like a damn daimon, and I couldn’t be trusted.

And I had not been able to stay away from her.

I’d needed to, but I hadn’t wanted to.

Need. Want. Back by popular demand.

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Drawing my hand back, I clasped the edge of the cushion. Mindful to not disturb her, I bent over and kissed her parted lips. As I drew back, there wasn’t even a flicker of an eyelash. Josie was beautiful as she slept on.

I rose and turned slowly, looking around the room. I knew what I had to do, and for once in my life, I was going to do the right thing.

Josie

When I pried my eyes open, my brain was full of fog and the webs of sleep clung firmly. It took a couple of moments for me to realize I was lying on the small couch. I felt like I’d slept for a billion years—a billion years curled up in a fetal position.

Wincing, I stretched out my legs and could hear the bones popping. I had no idea what time it was, but I figured if I’d overslept, Seth would be here, shaking me awake.

Seth.

“Oh God,” I murmured, placing my hands over my face. My cheeks felt hot as what we’d done in public did an instant replay, in vivid detail. A strangled giggle escaped me as I dropped my hands to my stomach. “Wow.”

I turned my head to the right and remembered the fries. Holy crap, I fell asleep eating fries. When had I ever fallen asleep before finishing what I was eating?

That was one hell of an orgasm.

Totally one-sided orgasm. He’d taken me to paradise and I’d passed out on him, halfway through a basket of fries before I could do what I’d planned to do to him. Which was a lot, and definitely included getting him naked and me naked and actual intercourse occurring.

I rolled onto my side and squinted at the clock. Holy crap! Adrenaline shot through my veins. Jerking up, my legs got tangled up in the blanket. With all the grace of a demigod, I fell off the couch, my knees cracking off the floor.

“Shit,” I grunted, pushing up.

It was past nine in the morning! What in the hell? Scrambling to my feet, I hopped around the coffee table, kicking my left foot free of the blanket. Why hadn’t Seth woken me up? I slowed down as I entered the bedroom, tugging my hoodie off my head and tossing it aside. Obviously he felt like I needed the rest, but man, I hated being late.

Loathed it.

After the quickest shower I’d ever taken in my life, I twisted my wet hair up in a bun, shoved a million bobby pins in it, and then changed into fresh Covenant-style training attire.

The first place I headed was the room across the hall. I knocked on Seth’s door, waited for a couple of minutes, and when there was no answer, I power-walked my late butt out of the dorm and toward the training arena. Since my schedule was flipped now that Luke was moving into summer classes, I figured that was where Seth would be.

It was slightly warmer outside, which felt like barely above freezing, but the sun was out, and bright, golden light reflected off the marble sidewalk.

Rounding the corner, I stepped to the side as I passed a group of students heading toward the dorms. The school year at the Covenant was similar to the University I’d attended, except they went year-round, with their class schedule changing three times over the course of a year. It ended up shortening the length of time they spent here, but I couldn’t help but wonder what the point was for them. I mean, why get degrees in botany or whatever? Most of the pures lived in the communities and didn’t really interact with their mortal world.

I was halfway down the walkway when the tiny hairs along the back of my neck rose. Instinct drove me to look over my shoulder. The small group of students was openly gawking in my direction. Eyes wide. Mouths hanging open. One of them, a tall brunette, was whispering to the other girl, who appeared to have lost the ability to blink. At first I didn’t get why they were looking at me like they stared at . . .

They knew what I was.

Word had finally gotten out, or maybe I was just now noticing it. Either way, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. Wave at them? Be cocky like Seth and smirk? But I couldn’t really smirk. I tried. I looked like a deranged crack addict when I did. Or just ignore them?

I settled for the latter, shoved my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie, and kept walking. It was weird, but I didn’t have the brain space for that right now.

Pushing open the double doors to the training building, I hurried down the hall and hung a right, throwing open the windowless door. I skidded to a halt, scanning the room.

“Um . . .”

Luke and Solos stood together, by the mats, and Luke looked like he always did when we were training, but Solos was dressed just like him. I’d never seen Solos wearing track pants and a T-shirt.




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