Page 137 of Stone Cold Touch

Drawing back, I lifted my head, preparing myself to tell him what the crone had said and what Roth had admitted to. I had no idea where we’d go from here, but everything had changed and I had to deal with that.

I didn’t get to speak, though.

Zayne cupped my face with both hands, smoothing his thumbs along my cheekbones. My eyes fell shut again and as his breath danced over my lips, the troubles eased off, temporarily retreating into the background. Kissing him shouldn’t be high on the priority list, but he was safe with me, and I needed to be reminded of that in this moment when I felt like a monster.

His mouth brushed over mine in the sweetest way possible, and my lips immediately opened to him. A deep sound rumbled from him as he deepened the kiss. I breathed in his taste, moaning against his lips as we both took the kiss deeper.

A tremor coursed through Zayne’s hands, and his fingers curled in, digging into my cheeks. The spark of pain snapped my eyes open. His were wide, unseeing and I... I feltit.

It gathered in the pit of my stomach, like a tight ball of energy. I grasped his wrists, hoping to break his hold before it was too late.

But it was already too late.

I could feel Zayne’s essence—his pureness—and it tasted like peppermint. The tremor in his hands spread to his body. Panic dug in with nasty claws. I struggled against his bruising hold, but he was locked on.

And I was taking his soul.

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The purity of Zayne’s soul, the power in it, hit every cell in my body and the demon inside me soaked it up like a flower thirsting for water and sunlight.

Horror seized me as his pupils dilated until there was only a thin slice of blue. I was taking his soul—takingZayne’s.His body shook as his hands—his claws—dug into my cheeks. Fiery pain sliced through me as wet, warm liquid spilled down my face. I had to stop this. In an act of desperation, I slammed my knee into his stomach.

He broke free, lurching back. A ghastly shade of white replaced his golden complexion. His lips parted.

“Zayne...” I reached for him, but he went down before I could stop it.

His body hit the floor with a heavy thump and he didn’t move. Not even a twitch. Terror flooded my senses, erasing the pain. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way. It didn’t make sense. We’d kissed before and I hadn’t fed, but this time—oh God—this time there had been no hesitation. The moment his lips had touched mine, I had done the unthinkable. I wasn’t latched on to him for long, but the damage...the damage had been done.

And part of his soul swirled inside me, a glowing ball of warmth and light that was almost too beautiful to comprehend.

I never felt uglier, more monstrous, than I did in that moment.

Dropping to my knees beside his prone body, I placed my hands on his chest. I couldn’t feel any movement as I grasped his shoulders. “Zayne! Come on, Zayne! No. Oh God, no.” His head lolled to the side as I shook him. “Zayne!”

There was no response. Nothing.

Panicking, I shot to my feet and raced to my bedroom door. Throwing it open, I wasn’t even sure what I screamed, but I screamed something that was answered by pounding feet. Within seconds, Wardens crested the top of the stairs.

Dez’s eyes widened. “Jesus, Layla, your face!”

That wasn’t important. I whirled around, heading for my bedroom. “Please! You have to help him. Please!”

Dez followed at breakneck speed. When he saw Zayne on the floor, he turned ghost-white. “What happened, Layla?”

I dropped to Zayne’s side as Nicolai and several other Wardens filled the room. Slipping my hands under his head, I blinked through the haze of tears. “I don’t know how it happened. He kissed me, but—”

“Oh God,” Dez whispered, placing his hand on Zayne’s chest. He lowered his ear over his parted lips. “Come on, man, come on.”

My entire body shook as tears streamed, stinging when they made contact with the wounds on my cheeks. “Please. You have to help him. Please.” I looked up, my blurry gaze moving over the faces of the Wardens. Danika was by the door, her hands placed against her mouth, her eyes full of horror.“Please...”

And then Abbot was there, pushing past the Wardens. He drew up short, his mouth dropping open. He stumbled a step, his large hand flying to his chest. “Son?”

There was no answer from Zayne, and a ragged sob rose from the depths of my soul. My heart cracked wide-open. “I don’t understand...”

Abbot raised his gaze to me. “You...you did this?”

I curled my hands around Zayne’s, shoulders shaking. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. He kissed me—”

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