Obsession

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“But you, my dear, have nothing to fear from me. I won’t judge you for your obvious lapse in judgment when it comes to who you associate with.”

“Well, wrap me up and call me a Christmas baby. Hunter with a female—a human female.”

My mouth dropped open. Holy shit, Luc was a kid.

Also basically a Mafia boss

Luc’s smile was mysterious. “Humans aren’t as frail as you think they are.”

love with him. Knots filled my

“You feel perfect,” Hunter grunted, slamming up and wringing a strangled moan from me. “You are perfect for me, only me.”

He was right, so damn right. I was perfect for him, only him.

I was hungry for her, starving in a way a man needed a woman. A man—not an Arum.

“I don’t understand Luc,” she admitted as she snuggled closer. Snuggled? Snuggled had become a part of my vocab? Fuck.

I didn’t say anything to that. I got the need for revenge, but if she went back to Colorado, she would be killed. “I can’t allow that,” I said—and, fuck, I felt righteous in my decision. I couldn’t let her do this, because she would die, and I wasn’t okay with that.

And if I was honest, I was fucking terrified of the idea. Somehow, in the relatively short time I’d known Serena, she had wiggled her way into my cold body. She was my light, my warmth, and I wasn’t ready to let her go.

For a moment, I didn’t hear anything as I stared at her. Part of me didn’t know if I was just brushed off with the expression of gratitude or what. Wasn’t like I laid my soul bare or some kind of shit like that, but her response stung like a bitch. I cared for her. Couldn’t deny that shit any longer, but she hadn’t even considered that any of my actions were anything more than a job. Obviously I’d put more into this than she had, and here I was, worrying about her, fearing for her, and she thought I was just doing a job? Fuuuuck.

And I wouldn’t forget him. Ever.

“You are a foolish woman, Serena.”

My mouth dropped open and irritation raged through me like a hot summer storm. “I’m a foolish woman? Well, you’re a complete asshole.” “So I’ve been told,” he replied calmly. “But that doesn’t change the truth.”

Male voices rose, and then I heard Luc say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Hunter is very, very hungry.”

His head snapped toward me, as did the Luxen’s. The light around his arm fizzled out and I swore the stranger’s mouth dropped open.

Daemon!!!!

Jesus, did he get off on bossing me around?

Shit. Next I’ll hold her hand and start talking about butterflies and rainbows. Fuck me.

My heart stopped, literally fucking stopped at those words, and then I rose, bringing the Luxen with me as I shifted into my human form.

I didn’t feel anything, but I knew. In my very soul, I knew who was here. Forcing my gaze up, I met the senator’s brilliant stare. I smiled even though it made my lips ache. “Told you.”

Rage rose like a savage, black wave.

It wasn’t that I was necessarily stronger than them. Luxen were formidable opponents. I was fighting differently than I ever had before. It wasn’t about the age-old battle of Arum versus Luxen. I wasn’t fighting to feed or to work off aggression. I wasn’t fighting because I was told or was obligated.

I was fighting for Serena. She meant everything to me. Knowing that, fully understanding what that meant, I was on a motherfucking warpath.

Light. Darkness. Light. Darkness. Darkness won.

In a second, Senator Vanderson slipped into his true form. The sudden light was blinding for a moment. I rose, losing sight of Serena in the glow. Her scream echoed through my soul, and at that moment, I knew I had one. Human or not, it rocked me to my very core.

It was then when I realized I was still in my true form. She was light against my darkness.

I slipped into my human form, cradling her against me. The words, they came out easier than I ever thought they would. “I love you.”

“I would do anything for you, Serena. You know that, right?”

Well, the good guys really weren’t typical. They really weren’t the good guys at all, but if I discovered anything, there was no such thing as white and black. There was a lot of gray in the middle.