SEDUCTIVE PREY

SIPHONER GENES

I don't know how long Ethan sits there holding me while I lose my shit. Or how much more of the purging of my emotions my body can take. Weak, tired, and emotionally exhausted, I'm in no condition to go anywhere or do anything. I try several times to get Ethan to go help our friends instead of worrying about me, but he refuses to leave.

Not until my tears have dried.

And not until I am better.

"You just lost your wife and the crown. All in the same two-week span. I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

"Yeah, well I've had years of experience learning how to cope with loss. You've experienced more than a lifetime's worth in a single year." Ethan replies. Threading his fingers in mine.

Silence settles between us as we both sink deep into thought. Paralyzed by our own individual traumas. Coping through an agony so deep, we've buried it behind layers and layers of defense mechanisms and emotional walls we've padlocked and cemented shut.

Feeling and calling to each other's pain.

Frozen.

Devastated.

Connected through the mutual trauma neither of us wishes to unpack.

At least not right now.

Staring into Ethan's eyes, I want nothing more than to kiss him. But when I lean in to do just that, he turns away from me, and I'm struck with a new kind of pain.

The pain of rejection.

Embarrassed, I untangle myself from his arms and climb to my feet.

"We shouldn't leave them to do all the work." I flash him a smile that doesn't reach my eyes.

"Ali." He sighs. Pity and an apology in his eyes.

But I don't need his pity.

Nor do I want an apology.

Neither will change the fact he's not ready. No matter how much I might be. And though I have to respect that, the sting of his rejection has me bolting for the door to save face.

Before he can stop me I join our friends. Who all look surprised to see me smiling when I walk in. Not knowing I'm smiling through the stinging rejection of my mate. A mate who joins us a heartbeat later. His eyes trailing my every movement. Watching me like a hawk because he knows what that just did to me.

"So, are we going after Lexie or what?" Aden asks.

A knock on the door interrupts us and Ethan answers it. Without an invitation, Lucas, and his daemons, come waltzing in. Crashing our little planning party.

"So, are we going after Lexie or what?" Lucas asks. Mimicking Aden's words a second earlier.

They all look to Ethan who deflects to me. Because she's my sister and this is my decision to make. So, after taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I give them a nod and they jump into action.

While they decide on the best place to find Lexie, Ethan and I gaze at each other across the room until I look away.

"Care to tell me why you and Ethan are eye-banging each other from across the room, but you both look like someone has kicked your puppy?" Lucas asks.

I didn't even know he was watching us.

I start to lie, but I could really use a guys advice.