Gypsy Freak

Her body goes rigid as I fight the pain and endure my chattering teeth, as my heart pounds heavily in my chest.

My fingertips that are touching her almost feel as though they’re about to explode with pulses of the energy that run through me like the conduit I’ve always been.

I feel a drop of blood slipping from my nose as her body tenses all the more, shivering a little under the currents that are coursing through her slower than I wish they would.

I should have used a stronger outlet before attempting this.

I can’t draw out as much energy as what can shoot out of a hotter source.

Fortunately, my inner ramble of worry stops when I feel her drop, and I let go of her arm as she collapses to the snow without ever being able to make a sound.

I quickly let go of the battery, swallowing my whimper of burning pain as I shake out my hot, singed hand. My hair slowly falls back down into place as the static and electric charge begin to wane.

Then I toss my boots in the van—just in case this needs to be done again—and pull Shera to the hidden side of it. I’ll call this payback for the kidnapping.

Hurriedly pushing through the front door, I walk with purpose in my socked feet through the house of vampires, pretending like I belong here. No one even bats an eye at me, which is a major relief, because I really didn’t expect this many to be in here.

Act like you belong and that you didn’t just electrocute one of them. Great plan, Violet. Really great. Glad you thought this through.

It really does make it too easy to be too stupid to live when you sort of can’t die.

Only a few vampires spare a glance in my direction, and then they quickly look away as I jog up the stairs, pretending I know exactly where I’m going.

Isiah walks out of a room and almost runs all over me. “Sorry,” I blurt out when he curses and trips in an effort to stop abruptly.

He manages to not touch me at all, and quickly puts several feet of distance between us before he gives me a tight smile.

“Arion sent for you?”

“Of course,” I say, knowing Shera will tell him I’m a big fat liar later, and the two of them will hate me together like it’s their couple goals.

I can’t picture them being any other type of couple.

“Down the hall and to the right. I can’t believe Shera just lets you wander around in here,” he says as he gestures for me to follow him.

He absently motions to a door before walking off, leaving me behind, and I only hesitate for a second before I push the door open.

Arion is weirdly holding a handful of pencils when I step in, and he grins at me as he tosses them to the desk beside him. They scatter and rattle around, some of them spilling off the sides of the desk.

“Violet, what a pleasant and very unexpected surprise,” he says just before he’s directly in front of me, turning me and pushing me against the desk.

It’s one of those rare moments I decide to take Anna’s terrible advice and do exactly what I want to do, before I even recover from the last stupid thing I did.

My knee slams up hard, connecting just perfectly with his groin, and air heaves from his lungs in a less pleasant, but still very unexpected surprise, visit.

My fist slams across his cheek while I still have him off guard, and I cry out a little, because I think it almost breaks my hand.

“Why is your face so hard?” I shout, whimpering a little as I dance in place and wring my hand like I can shake away the pain.

“For fuck’s sake, Violet. What the actual hell? Are you trying to break your hand?” he snaps, recovering far too quickly as he lifts me and puts me on top of the desk.

Struggling is futile when he easily restrains me and starts examining my hand.

“You’re going to release me from my promise, or you’re going to undo whatever it is you did to me to make me forget when I try to talk,” I say through a pained, strained tone when he runs his fingers over some of the tender sections of my hand.

“Absolutely not,” he says with a shrug. “If you’re going to be violent, don’t make a fist with your thumbs tucked,” he goes on.

He takes my other hand and forces it into a fist, putting my thumb on the outside. “Like this,” he says as I give him an incredulous look.

I hit the guy in the face, and he instructs me how to properly hit someone?

“The nut shot is a ringer no matter how you pull it off, though. You just need more power behind it for longer recovery next time,” he goes on, actually seeming amused. “You held back a little. It was cute.”

His smile falls when the tears waver on the edges of my eyelids.

“I’ll take you to a hospital,” he says like he’s found the source of the tears.

“Remove me from my obligation to you, Arion. You tricked me into it so you could use me. I won’t let you use me again just so I can be whatever pawn you’ve made me be, in order to tape and glue back together your little alpha circle, before you convince them to raise Idun to take my place when I die!” I’m practically shouting by the time I finish my rant, and my entire body is shaking with anger, heartbreak, tears…

A distinct wave of coldness settles into the room, and his expression shuts down as the shutters metaphorically close over his eyes.

“Where did you hear that name?” he asks in an icy tone as he leans forward.

It’s one of those rare times where I’m not afraid, because I know I can’t die. And it’s one of those times where I might not fear panicking either, because at least I could kill him for a little while if he makes me panic. I think. I’d rather not find out, if I’m being honest.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not as stupid as you apparently think I am. Shoving me at them, playing with my head, actually giving me the ridiculous thought that this could be a home for me. Then what? Kill me or wait for me to die so you can unleash whatever monster she is and regenerate the wars?”

One side of his lips tug up, but it’s not exactly in a smile. It’s a dark expression that has me reconsidering the fear aspect, as he gently brushes my cheek with the back of his finger like it’s a warning.

“Violet, the thing with thinking you know what someone else is thinking? It’s a dangerous road to travel. I can assure you that you will never think as I do. As for Idun,” he says, eyes flicking over mine as he leans in closer, lowering his voice, “she can rot for the next thousand years too.”

I roll my eyes, refusing to be gullible with him ever again.

He cups my chin and forces my gaze back to his. A shaky breath rattles out of me when he steps between my legs, forcing them wider apart. Another tendril of fear slithers up my spine when his lips brush mine.

“Trust me when I say I want you. Possibly more now that I’ve finally seen a little fire in you. But save that fire for the appropriate targets, love. I’m not your enemy,” he murmurs, brushing his lips over mine again.

“Fay,” I whisper hoarsely, and he freezes. “Did you—”

“Of course not,” he says, releasing my chin and allowing me to lean back a little.

He grabs my hips and pulls me down on the desk, bringing my body closer to his as he stares down at me, hungrily raking his gaze down to where my legs are spread around his hips.

“I have no interest in sad omega wolves who live in fear. I focus on the ones who would like to see me underground for all eternity. I focus on the ones who don’t understand why alphas are necessary.”

His eyes flick to mine.

“And Idun has no place here. Not now that I’ve seen a much simpler, easier, more reasonable way, sweet gypsy. I only want what we had to sacrifice—the kinship we took for granted before we knew how cold the centuries could be. The loyalty and trust we have between us even now, despite centuries of betrayal. We still know what lines the other won’t cross.”

“In other words, this is so you can all be friends again, and yet I’m not some pawn?” I ask with more bite than he seems to like.

His grip tightens on my waist, staying just shy of painful.

“No, Violet. I went underground wanting a woman to fix everything she broke, because I saw no other way for us to ever exist without the burning, blind fury ever again. Then things changed, and I’ve already explained why.”

His grip loosens, and he cups my chin with a softer touch, tilting my chin up.

“I knew then that Idun had broken us, but she’d never repair us. She’d merely mock us for our pain before causing us more grief, just as she always did,” he goes on, the words getting softer as he invades my space the way he always does, teasing me with the chill of his breath while keeping his lips just a hair’s breadth away.

“But you? You make them almost feel human,” he goes on. “You give them hope. Even Emit, though he’s far more stubborn than I anticipated. You really do have to work harder there.”

My breath of annoyance only causes him to smile.

“There’s that calmer gypsy who thinks before she swings at very dangerous vampires,” he murmurs, nipping my earlobe and causing me to startle just enough to rub up against him.

I’m going to hell. It’s official at this point. I’m blaming him for the vast majority of it, but two burning rejections after sex makes a girl a little vulnerable, and Arion always makes me feel like I’m what he desires.