Before I Wake
Page 58
He laughed, and the sound rumbled through me, triggering fiery anticipation all over my body. Does that mean youre ready? You really want this?
That means I really want you.
Im yours, he said, guiding my leg around his hips. I gasped, then bit my lip and stared up at him. Forever.
12
YOU KNOW, IF wed done that a few weeks ago, I wouldnt have been a very good candidate for a virgin sacrifice.
Tod rolled onto his side facing me, and that one stubborn curl fell over his forehead. I always knew my sexual prowess has the power to save lives.
You can turn anything into an ego boost, cant you?
I have a healthy sense of my own worth. But I have an even better sense of yours.
Aww I pulled him down for another kiss and chose to ignore what neither of us was saying. Losing my virginity earlier might have saved me from Mr. Beck, my incubus math teacher, but it wouldnt have saved me from death. My time was up.
The irony there was that Tods wasnt. Nash was living out his brothers lifeline, and he had no idea what Tod had given up for him.
Well, as much as I hate to leaveand I truly hate to leaveI have a fatal aneurism scheduled for 3:14 He started to sit up, and I pulled him back down.
No, dont go .
Ill be back, I swear. Not even death could keep us apart. He grinned over his joke and I rolled my eyes.
Do you take anything seriously?
Only you. I take you seriously. Everything else goes down better with a jokethe verbal equivalent of a spoon full of sugar. He gave me another kiss, then sat up and started pulling his clothes on. You should get dressed, too. How much longer do you think Madelines going to wait for a report?
Crap. I glanced at the clock to see that it was just past three in the afternoon. School was out, which meant Em would be coming with my books. And Tod was right about Madeline. Come back when you get a break? I said, stepping into my underwear.
Tod pulled me up and wrapped his arms around my bare waist. Ill be back as soon as I can. His grin faded and the colors in his irises went still. Kay, you have to tell Madeline what happened at the mall. All of it. Theres no way any of us can fight Avari in the human plane if we dont all know exactly what were up against.
But Levi
Things have changed, Kaylee. This isnt just about reaper-on-reaper violence anymore, and hell understand that he cant afford to lose anyone whos been up against Avari before. But the doubt I saw in his eyes worried me. Call Madeline. And you should spend as much time with Emma as you can.Avaris gone after her before, so shell probably be high on his list this time.
So will Nash. Fortunately, he and Sabine made up, so she wont let him out of her sight.
Good. Ill check on them, too, just in case. Tod kissed me one last time, then he disappeared and I was alone in my room, in my underwear.
I grabbed my jeans from the floor and dug my phone from the pocket as I sank onto the edge of the bed. Instead of calling Madeline, I texted her, both because I didnt really want to hear her voice and because if she was going to not-live in the twenty-first century, she might as well learn to use the technology.
Im fine. Got the soul. We need 2 talk. My house. 1 hr.
After that, I pulled my jeans on, then slid my phone back into my pocket, and I was buttoning a clean shirt when the doorbell rang. Styx followed me to the front of the house, where Em stood on my porch, holding my backpack. I opened the door and she marched inside, then dropped my bag into a chair.
I was worried about you. Why didnt you come back to school? Her eyes narrowed and I could practically hear her focus zoom in on me like a long-range camera. Why is your hair all tangled? And why is your shirt buttoned wrong?
Was it? Crap.
I looked down and started fixing the buttons, and when I headed for the kitchen, Em followed me. Andnow youre blushing and running away! She cornered me next to the fridge, and her grin was huge. You werent working! You skipped school to sleep with Tod!
I was working. I squeezed past her and pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. I had to stab someone and that really freaked me out, and he was trying to make me feel better, and I wanted to feel something that wasnt scary, and painful, so
Her brows rose in amusement. And losing your virginity wasnt scary or painful?
Well, there was a little pain, but thats a whole different I stopped and scowled when I realized she was kidding. Why do they call it losing your virginity, anyway? Its not like I dont know where I left it.
Ems brows rose. Youd be surprised how many people dont. So? Details? She hopped onto the counter and cracked the lid on her bottle.
I shrugged. There was a hellion, and a dead woman, and a knife, and a triple helping of trauma.
Em frowned. Sex, Kaylee. Details about you and Tod, not the demon slaying.
So glad youre keeping things in perspective. I leaned against the fridge and sipped from my bottle. It worried me that she didnt seem surprised or bothered by the hellion part of the story. That was probably a sign she was spending too much time with me.
That means I really want you.
Im yours, he said, guiding my leg around his hips. I gasped, then bit my lip and stared up at him. Forever.
12
YOU KNOW, IF wed done that a few weeks ago, I wouldnt have been a very good candidate for a virgin sacrifice.
Tod rolled onto his side facing me, and that one stubborn curl fell over his forehead. I always knew my sexual prowess has the power to save lives.
You can turn anything into an ego boost, cant you?
I have a healthy sense of my own worth. But I have an even better sense of yours.
Aww I pulled him down for another kiss and chose to ignore what neither of us was saying. Losing my virginity earlier might have saved me from Mr. Beck, my incubus math teacher, but it wouldnt have saved me from death. My time was up.
The irony there was that Tods wasnt. Nash was living out his brothers lifeline, and he had no idea what Tod had given up for him.
Well, as much as I hate to leaveand I truly hate to leaveI have a fatal aneurism scheduled for 3:14 He started to sit up, and I pulled him back down.
No, dont go .
Ill be back, I swear. Not even death could keep us apart. He grinned over his joke and I rolled my eyes.
Do you take anything seriously?
Only you. I take you seriously. Everything else goes down better with a jokethe verbal equivalent of a spoon full of sugar. He gave me another kiss, then sat up and started pulling his clothes on. You should get dressed, too. How much longer do you think Madelines going to wait for a report?
Crap. I glanced at the clock to see that it was just past three in the afternoon. School was out, which meant Em would be coming with my books. And Tod was right about Madeline. Come back when you get a break? I said, stepping into my underwear.
Tod pulled me up and wrapped his arms around my bare waist. Ill be back as soon as I can. His grin faded and the colors in his irises went still. Kay, you have to tell Madeline what happened at the mall. All of it. Theres no way any of us can fight Avari in the human plane if we dont all know exactly what were up against.
But Levi
Things have changed, Kaylee. This isnt just about reaper-on-reaper violence anymore, and hell understand that he cant afford to lose anyone whos been up against Avari before. But the doubt I saw in his eyes worried me. Call Madeline. And you should spend as much time with Emma as you can.Avaris gone after her before, so shell probably be high on his list this time.
So will Nash. Fortunately, he and Sabine made up, so she wont let him out of her sight.
Good. Ill check on them, too, just in case. Tod kissed me one last time, then he disappeared and I was alone in my room, in my underwear.
I grabbed my jeans from the floor and dug my phone from the pocket as I sank onto the edge of the bed. Instead of calling Madeline, I texted her, both because I didnt really want to hear her voice and because if she was going to not-live in the twenty-first century, she might as well learn to use the technology.
Im fine. Got the soul. We need 2 talk. My house. 1 hr.
After that, I pulled my jeans on, then slid my phone back into my pocket, and I was buttoning a clean shirt when the doorbell rang. Styx followed me to the front of the house, where Em stood on my porch, holding my backpack. I opened the door and she marched inside, then dropped my bag into a chair.
I was worried about you. Why didnt you come back to school? Her eyes narrowed and I could practically hear her focus zoom in on me like a long-range camera. Why is your hair all tangled? And why is your shirt buttoned wrong?
Was it? Crap.
I looked down and started fixing the buttons, and when I headed for the kitchen, Em followed me. Andnow youre blushing and running away! She cornered me next to the fridge, and her grin was huge. You werent working! You skipped school to sleep with Tod!
I was working. I squeezed past her and pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. I had to stab someone and that really freaked me out, and he was trying to make me feel better, and I wanted to feel something that wasnt scary, and painful, so
Her brows rose in amusement. And losing your virginity wasnt scary or painful?
Well, there was a little pain, but thats a whole different I stopped and scowled when I realized she was kidding. Why do they call it losing your virginity, anyway? Its not like I dont know where I left it.
Ems brows rose. Youd be surprised how many people dont. So? Details? She hopped onto the counter and cracked the lid on her bottle.
I shrugged. There was a hellion, and a dead woman, and a knife, and a triple helping of trauma.
Em frowned. Sex, Kaylee. Details about you and Tod, not the demon slaying.
So glad youre keeping things in perspective. I leaned against the fridge and sipped from my bottle. It worried me that she didnt seem surprised or bothered by the hellion part of the story. That was probably a sign she was spending too much time with me.
