Page 8 of Blood Moon
“We’ll do whatever we have to, but being that I do not see that happening at all tells me that you might be taking a chance with her even seeing you on the phone, too,” Val said sympathetically.
“The phone’s a goddamn conduit for energy too, especially cell phones.” Cole ran a hand through his dark copper hair. “This isn’t fair.”
“Since when has shit ever beenfairin our world?” I said to Cole. “I swear, you guys should have handled me the minute you met me, and we wouldn’t have provoked that demon-witch to trick us into anything.”
“Fuck that,” Zac smirked, “Fucking and loving you is the best thing besides Aria that’s happened in our boring, immortal lives.”
“I agree with Zac,” Zane shockingly admitted. “Things changed for the better after that bond. We need to fight to keep it. Go convince Enzo to come to thegoodside and be done with this shit once and for all.”
“Sounds like an easy plan.” Val rolled her eyes.
“Come on,” I stood. “Let’s say our goodbyes. God, help me. This will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
5
Everything is always easier when you talk shit out, but when you have to put that talk to action? That’s where it all falls apart. Especially when it came to the little life force who charmed us all into a year of happiness and reprieve from all the BS we’d gone through.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered, holding Aria’s doorknob with a death grip. “There has to be another way.”
I turned away from the door as if it would change everything and marched back down to where everyone was waiting for me to bring her into the room.
“Where’s chipmunk?” Logan asked, trying to hold a brave face.
Zane was unapproachable—alpha wolf temper in full attack and kill mode. I wouldn’t look at him, I couldn’t.
My eyes fell on Val’s sorrowful expression. “I can’t. I just can’t.” I wiped tears from my eyes. “She’s as much a part of this family as that strong bond is.”
“Strong bondwas, Elle,” she said, keeping up a brave front for all of us. “You have to let her go.”
“There has to be a spell or something that can stop her from taking all of this from us,” I said.
“Don’t you think I would have suggested that if I knew there was an easier way?” she walked up to me and hugged me, and then she withdrew and sighed. “Listen, you all have to stop looking at this like you’re sacrificing her life to some fake god for powers or something.”
“That’s the dumbest fucking thing you could say, Val,” Braden growled out. “This is a sacrifice for all of us, in different ways, no matter how you slice this bullshit.”
“I’m dead serious, assholes.” She eyed every lethal vamp and shifter stare that was directed at her. “How the hell do you dumbasses think you’re going to, number one, get your longest-running enemy onyour sideto battle this diabolical shit. Number two, actually go to war with Lucifer himself?”
“We’ll manage,” Zane said in a low, calculating tone. “Get the fuck out of here,” he ordered her.
“No,” she fired back. “You might as well get the fuck out because that’s exactly what’s going to happen once this bond is completely dissolved by that sweet girl up there.” She sighed, “Aria can’t control any of this. Her genetics are dormant just like Elle’s were, but she’s a supernatural, and supes find a way to open up their genes quicker than a human mind could. She’s taking from all of you to grow faster and open Pandora’s fucking box at too young of an age. She can’t take this much this fast at such a young age. As it stands? She’s probably already going to struggle with the strength of her genetic makeup. Do this for her if that’s more convincing, not for all your selfish asses.”
“What exactly does that shit mean?” Cole insisted with a deadly tone.
“Wow. I guess I have to dumb this down for all of you even more,” she said incredulously. “Let me ask you, Elle, how does it feel, fucking seven shitheads at will?”
I suddenly felt like the biggest slut in the world, my memories taking me back to our lives over the last year together. “I…” I bit my bottom lip, all eyes on me now.
“You feel like a whore, right?”
I nodded, “I guess that’s one way to put it.”
“Fuck you, Val,” Braden snapped. “I can personally end your damn immortal life right now.”
She ignored Braden. “You see, it’s already happening. The vamps will forever drink your precious lifeblood. It’s a drug to them. Aria’s powers will never take that desire away from them because they’re four strong immortals who were created to drink from their fated Life Blood.” She offered. “These assholes who you needed in your bond?” she pointed to where the shifters stood together, opposite the vamps, “They’ll just be done with your ass, and you’ll be done with them soon enough. They’re feeling it already, but they’re dogs and aren’t saying how they really feel. When’s the last time you rolled around and enjoyed a good fuck from one of yourfated shifters, Elle?”
“I swear to God—”
“Shut up, Bren,” I cut the other shifter off. “It’s been a while since I’ve been with the shifters,” I admitted. “And it’s probably becauseIdidn’t wantthem, not the other way around.”
