The Reset

Chapter Fifteen: Say It Louder

~ 2013 - Portland, Oregon ~

If Kai had seen Bonnie when he'd felt her magic break Andrea Manfred's champagne flute, he would have made love to her right on the grass of Julian Manfred's yard. Propriety be damned. He had always felt that toxic form of possession catch hold of him when it came to Bonnie. That jealousy that he didn't even bother trying to smother out of himself. He almost felt repulsed by it because of how animalistic and carnal his desires were for her. The tantric darkness that always threatened to eat away at what little sensibility he maintained when he was around her - that fierce witch who was the object of his affection these days.

He didn't know when this feeling for her felt like a parasite - the need to feed it, nurture it and let it eat away at his mind and soul. It was tantalizing and soul-crushing all in the same breath. Kai was almost positive that he was both disgusted and enthralled with these feelings - the need to both cage and set Bonnie free. She was both his and not his.

It truly was a double-edged sword.

But after sensing Bonnie's deadly magic - that flame that ignited him from the inside out - he had felt her jealousy and it almost made him laugh out in triumph. Because that meant that somewhere inside of her, she had a darkness blossoming in her as well. He wasn't alone.

Unfortunately, when Kai looked up and saw her nowhere to be found, his confusion set in. Where had she gone? Where did she go that quickly? His eyes spied the cab parked further down the driveway and after he gave Julian's youngest daughter his handkerchief, his legs were swiftly carrying him toward the cab. Had she seen him all the way at the end of the drive?

Kai felt a ripple of something as he dashed as if he could sense Bonnie was close and not so close all in the same instance. It didn't take him long to reach the cab before it set off, his hand slapping onto the roof of the car as he tried to catch his breath. Kai hadn't even realized he'd been holding back air in his lungs in the first place.

"The woman you carried here," he breathed and the driver nodded. "Where is she?"

The driver pointed out the window. "She just left, man. I'm talkin' minutes."

Kai looked over his shoulder to see if he really had just missed Bonnie within seconds of them passing one another before looking back at the driver. "Just sit tight. We're not going to be here much longer ourselves."

"Sure thing, man."

Without wasting another second, Kai started his search across the grounds. Bonnie couldn't have gotten that far. And he could only hope he found her in a foul mood because if she was upset because of him, then he wanted to be the one to make her smile again. Or be on the receiving end of her ire. It had been a while since Bonnie and he had gotten into a magical tussle. He was starting to miss it.

God, he was so fucked up.

Rounding off to the back of the house, he could only assume that Bonnie was trying to hide again. While other times it amused him, this time he couldn't shake that feeling that she was really pissed off with him. But what didn't make sense was for her to hide it. She'd never bothered with it before and he certainly couldn't imagine her trying to keep it smothered down now. Kai knew it would be like pulling teeth to get her to open up about what was eating away at her inside, but it would be worth it. If only to see her nose flare again with another lie.

He quickly ascended the steps of the back porch, dodging a few other witches who were trying to gain his attention. He'd been receiving congratulations since the end of the ceremony and he was getting a crick in his damn neck from trying to keep his posture rigid versus showcasing his obvious displeasure with everyone and everything. Kai just wanted to get the hell out of this place with Bonnie in tow so he could suffocate her with his magic and his body - to watch her wriggle around and fighting him despite how much he knew she wanted his attention.