The Power
Page 48
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I laughed, unable to help myself. “Yeah, something like that, I guess.”
Alex smoothed her palms over denim-clad knees. “So, Deacon and Luke were saying you had no idea what you were until Seth showed—”
An ear-piercingly shrill alarm sounded, silencing Alex. My head jerked up, and Alex was on her feet, her hand snaking around her back. A second later she held a dagger in her hand. I had no idea where she’d gotten it from. Thin air? A nifty hidden pouch? It didn’t matter, because I knew what the blaring horn meant.
The Covenant was under attack.
CHAPTER 16
Seth
Pacing the length of my room, I tried to work off the pent-up restlessness that was crawling through my system like an army of fire ants. I’d already run five miles, boxed with Solos, showered—rubbed one off in the shower while my mind conjured up a stream of things I’d done with Josie and things I’d never gotten the chance to—and I still couldn’t sit still.
Not when I wanted to be across the hall. Not when I wanted to go find Colin and remove his balls with a dull dagger, centimeter by fucking centimeter, because I knew he’d gone to breakfast with her this morning. Wasn’t the first time, but usually Deacon and Luke were with them, and that made it different.
And not when I knew Alex and Aiden were roaming this very dorm.
I could feel Alex.
She was a faint hum in the back of my subconscious, like a light far off in the distance, visible but not bright. It was nothing like it had been before, much more muted and a hell of a lot more tolerable. Thank the gods I couldn’t feel what she was feeling, because damn, I would need to give myself a lobotomy. Or she and Aiden weren’t currently screwing like an Olympian god after a dry spell and that was why I wasn’t feeling much. Gods, I hoped that wasn’t the case. If I started feeling what was going on with them, I was going to have to—
Sirens blasted, breaking the silence and spinning me around. The shrill sound was all too familiar, and I snapped into action. Vicious excitement replaced the restlessness, and I knew just how screwed up that was, but right then? Oh yeah, I could use a fight. Yesterday in the quad had been child’s play.
Grabbing the Glock loaded with titanium bullets, I hooked it into the holster and fit it around my thigh. I snatched the daggers off the dresser and headed out the door, not even bothering with grabbing a shirt.
I came to a complete stop as Josie’s door swung open.
What in the holy fuck were Alex and Josie doing together? For just a few seconds, the three of us were literally frozen, staring at each other as the sirens blared overhead.
And then Alex broke the silence.
“Really?” she said dryly, eyeing me with a smirk. “You’re going to fight with the awesomeness of your six-pack as a weapon?”
I arched a brow. “Yeah, you know, I was going to test out the whole abs of steel theory thing. The gun attached to my thigh and the daggers in my hands are just props. Mainly for show. Don’t want to take away from the gloriousness that is my body, though.”
Her smirk flipped into a grin. “Whatever.” She started forward. Up ahead, a tall figure stepped out in the hall, and light glinted off the titanium daggers in his hands. Aiden. Of course their room had to be close to mine.
Of. Course.
My gaze shot to Josie. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She was in the process of closing the door when she frowned. “I’m going to help—”
“You are going to help by staying safe in your dorm and not answering the door to anyone but me or one of the guys.”
“I can fight,” she insisted, her cheeks flushing pink. “You saw me yesterday. I know what—”
“Do you hear those sirens?” I lifted my chin to the ceiling. “This isn’t a fight between halfs and pures. That means something has gotten inside that shouldn’t be inside.”
Her blue eyes deepened to storm clouds. “I know that. I can—”
“Do you remember what happened last time?” I stepped to her, my chest and stomach clenching at the memory. “I’m not going to end the night searching you down and finding you like I did last time.”
Blood drained from her face. “And last time, I was taken from your room. You know, the safe place!”
Well. Shit. She had a point. I shook my head. Time was of the essence here. “Then you don’t answer the door unless it’s me.”
“Seth—”
“Just stay in your room, Josie. You’ll be safe there.”
“I don’t see you telling Alex to stay in her room,” she fired back. “Nor did Aiden seem to stop her.”
“That’s because I know Alex can hold her own.” And truth? I also wouldn’t lose my shit if Alex got hurt. Josie? I would go nuclear on this gods-damned Covenant and level the place.
Josie stepped back, bumping into the door, and I could tell I’d said something very, very wrong to her. I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I’d said a lot of bad shit to her recently, but I didn’t have time to really question it. She turned around stiffly and went back into her room.
At least she was staying put.
Hooking the daggers on to the belt, I took off down the hall. When I hit the lobby, I spotted Colin standing with a group of halfs. I started to order him to keep watch over Josie, but I trusted that she’d only open the door for me. I didn’t trust that of Colin. He was a young half, susceptible to compulsions, and I had no idea what was going on out there.
Alex smoothed her palms over denim-clad knees. “So, Deacon and Luke were saying you had no idea what you were until Seth showed—”
An ear-piercingly shrill alarm sounded, silencing Alex. My head jerked up, and Alex was on her feet, her hand snaking around her back. A second later she held a dagger in her hand. I had no idea where she’d gotten it from. Thin air? A nifty hidden pouch? It didn’t matter, because I knew what the blaring horn meant.
The Covenant was under attack.
CHAPTER 16
Seth
Pacing the length of my room, I tried to work off the pent-up restlessness that was crawling through my system like an army of fire ants. I’d already run five miles, boxed with Solos, showered—rubbed one off in the shower while my mind conjured up a stream of things I’d done with Josie and things I’d never gotten the chance to—and I still couldn’t sit still.
Not when I wanted to be across the hall. Not when I wanted to go find Colin and remove his balls with a dull dagger, centimeter by fucking centimeter, because I knew he’d gone to breakfast with her this morning. Wasn’t the first time, but usually Deacon and Luke were with them, and that made it different.
And not when I knew Alex and Aiden were roaming this very dorm.
I could feel Alex.
She was a faint hum in the back of my subconscious, like a light far off in the distance, visible but not bright. It was nothing like it had been before, much more muted and a hell of a lot more tolerable. Thank the gods I couldn’t feel what she was feeling, because damn, I would need to give myself a lobotomy. Or she and Aiden weren’t currently screwing like an Olympian god after a dry spell and that was why I wasn’t feeling much. Gods, I hoped that wasn’t the case. If I started feeling what was going on with them, I was going to have to—
Sirens blasted, breaking the silence and spinning me around. The shrill sound was all too familiar, and I snapped into action. Vicious excitement replaced the restlessness, and I knew just how screwed up that was, but right then? Oh yeah, I could use a fight. Yesterday in the quad had been child’s play.
Grabbing the Glock loaded with titanium bullets, I hooked it into the holster and fit it around my thigh. I snatched the daggers off the dresser and headed out the door, not even bothering with grabbing a shirt.
I came to a complete stop as Josie’s door swung open.
What in the holy fuck were Alex and Josie doing together? For just a few seconds, the three of us were literally frozen, staring at each other as the sirens blared overhead.
And then Alex broke the silence.
“Really?” she said dryly, eyeing me with a smirk. “You’re going to fight with the awesomeness of your six-pack as a weapon?”
I arched a brow. “Yeah, you know, I was going to test out the whole abs of steel theory thing. The gun attached to my thigh and the daggers in my hands are just props. Mainly for show. Don’t want to take away from the gloriousness that is my body, though.”
Her smirk flipped into a grin. “Whatever.” She started forward. Up ahead, a tall figure stepped out in the hall, and light glinted off the titanium daggers in his hands. Aiden. Of course their room had to be close to mine.
Of. Course.
My gaze shot to Josie. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She was in the process of closing the door when she frowned. “I’m going to help—”
“You are going to help by staying safe in your dorm and not answering the door to anyone but me or one of the guys.”
“I can fight,” she insisted, her cheeks flushing pink. “You saw me yesterday. I know what—”
“Do you hear those sirens?” I lifted my chin to the ceiling. “This isn’t a fight between halfs and pures. That means something has gotten inside that shouldn’t be inside.”
Her blue eyes deepened to storm clouds. “I know that. I can—”
“Do you remember what happened last time?” I stepped to her, my chest and stomach clenching at the memory. “I’m not going to end the night searching you down and finding you like I did last time.”
Blood drained from her face. “And last time, I was taken from your room. You know, the safe place!”
Well. Shit. She had a point. I shook my head. Time was of the essence here. “Then you don’t answer the door unless it’s me.”
“Seth—”
“Just stay in your room, Josie. You’ll be safe there.”
“I don’t see you telling Alex to stay in her room,” she fired back. “Nor did Aiden seem to stop her.”
“That’s because I know Alex can hold her own.” And truth? I also wouldn’t lose my shit if Alex got hurt. Josie? I would go nuclear on this gods-damned Covenant and level the place.
Josie stepped back, bumping into the door, and I could tell I’d said something very, very wrong to her. I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I’d said a lot of bad shit to her recently, but I didn’t have time to really question it. She turned around stiffly and went back into her room.
At least she was staying put.
Hooking the daggers on to the belt, I took off down the hall. When I hit the lobby, I spotted Colin standing with a group of halfs. I started to order him to keep watch over Josie, but I trusted that she’d only open the door for me. I didn’t trust that of Colin. He was a young half, susceptible to compulsions, and I had no idea what was going on out there.
