Oblivion (Lux 1.5)
Page 84“Sex,” Andrew supplied.
Everyone looked at him. The last thing I needed to think about was the words “sex” and “Kat” in the same sentence.
“What?” He chuckled. “I’m not suggesting anyone have sex with her—”
“Dear God,” Matthew muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“But you all were listing things that burn energy, and sex will do that.”
Dee was staring at the carpet. Adam looked oddly embarrassed, and Ash pushed to her feet and started to walk. “That’s disgusting for a list of reasons that have nothing to do with her being a human.” She stopped beside me and stared with an icy glare. “You can do better than that.”
“She could do better than us,” I replied without even thinking, and damn, it was the truth.
Shock splashed across Ash’s face, and then she started past me, heading toward the kitchen. I caught her arm and met her stare. “Don’t do anything that’s going to make me unhappy.”
“I mean it, Ash.” I ignored her comment. “If I have to come in there and break you two up, I’m not going to like it.”
Her lips curled. “What do you think I am? Geez.” She pulled her free. “I’m not going to hurt her. I just want something to drink.”
Part of me felt like I should follow Ash, but Matthew was already eyeballing me like I was seconds away from making babies with a human, which wasn’t even something I was sure could happen. There weren’t any screams or shouts of rage coming from the kitchen, but I kept one ear out for just that as the conversation continued around me.
This had actually gone better than I thought it would, almost too easy. Unease sprouted like a noxious weed and it continued to grow, making me restless. I stood and walked over to the window. Pulling the curtain back, I peered outside even though I wasn’t sure what I was looking for.
Matthew announced that he would speak to the DOD and the colony. The destruction that had been caused to the road last night would’ve already been discovered, and the DOD would be monitoring the display of energy already. Luxen against Luxen throw-down. That’s what we were going with. While the DOD didn’t know exactly what we could do, the full extent of our powers, they did know we had greater strength than humans. It was probably likely they’d buy that two of us could have wreaked that havoc. Maybe. If we were very, very lucky they would.
Kat returned to the room, a bottle of water in her hand. Our gazes met and then held for a brief moment. She looked away quickly, sitting on the edge of the recliner. She was pale as she sucked her lower lip in between her teeth, and when Ash reappeared with nothing in her hands, I could only guess what she had said to Kat in the kitchen.
“Can we talk for a moment?” Matthew asked in a low voice.
“Let’s take a walk,” he suggested.
I followed him off the porch and in the opposite direction of Kat’s house. I decided to not beat around the bush. “I know you’re worried about Katy, but she’s not going to say anything,” I said, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans as we reached the first outcropping of trees. “I know that’s hard to believe, but she’s had plenty of chances to say something. And what I said about her saving my life last night? I wasn’t exaggerating, Matthew. I was able to take out one of the Arum, but two of them tag-teamed me. The one she killed had been feeding on me.”
Matthew sucked in an unsteady breath. “You came too close, then.”
“I did,” I admitted quietly, ducking my head under a low-hanging branch. “It won’t happen again.”
He didn’t respond immediately, so I continued on. “You should’ve seen her, Matt. I told her to run and to hide, but she came back. Like a freaking ninja,” I said, barking out a short laugh. I could still see her standing there. “Stabbed the Arum with the obsidian blade like she’d done it a million times. It was…yeah, it was amazing.”
“Sounds like it.” He walked side by side with me. “Not many humans would’ve done that. She’s a brave girl.”
“Yeah.” I smiled slightly. “Yeah, she is.”
Frowning, I stopped and looked at him. “It’s not?”
His expression was open. “No. It’s you.”
“Me?” I laughed again. “You need to add a little more detail to that statement.”
“All of this is so very familiar to me. No, let me finish,” he said when I opened my mouth. “I know you’re not your brother and this isn’t the same situation, but you obviously care about Katy. She’s not like the other human girls you’ve had…relations with.”
Huh. I had no idea Matthew kept that close of an eye on me.
“Katy is different to you, and you’re different around her. You threatened us to protect her, and that’s all the evidence that I need to know this situation could escalate very quickly. None of us took a stronger hand with Dawson, and look where that ended. I cannot allow that to happen to you.”
Looking away, I slowly shook my head as I watched a tiny brown bird hop along one of the narrow branches. Kat was different. I couldn’t deny that. “I can’t keep her away from Dee.”