The Arum turned, and the second before we slammed into each other like two boulders rolling down a hill, I saw him in his true form—dark as midnight oil and shiny as glass. The impact shook the walls and rattled the cages hanging from the ceilings.
“Oh, jeez,” Luc said. “Can’t we all just get along?”
The Arum swept his arms around my waist as I threw him back into the wall. Plaster cracked and plumed into the air. He didn’t let go. The SOB was strong.
Spinning around, he broke my hold and his smoky arm snaked out, aiming for my chest. I darted to the side, throwing up my arm to blast the annoying bastard into next year.
“Boys. Boys! No fighting in my club,” Luc called, sounding irritated.
We ignored him.
Energy crackled over my palms, spitting white fire into the air.
You don’t know who you’re messsing with, the Arum hissed, sending his words straight into my skull, which just pissed me off. I let go of the ball of energy.
It smacked into his shoulder.
He jerked away and then turned his head back to me, cocking it to the side. His form became more solid.
Static crackled down my arms. Light pulsed throughout the room. This guy was really starting to get on my nerves.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Luc said. “Hunter is very, very hungry.”
I was about to show Luc just what I thought about his advice when a form stepped out of the hallway leading to his office. It was a woman—a pretty, blond-haired woman who was oh-so human. Her eyes were wide. “Hunter?”
What. The. Hell.
Distracted, the Arum glanced back at the woman around the same time the Source fizzled out of me. He must’ve communicated with her, because she frowned and said, “But he’s one of them.”
Hunter’s head swung back to me, and his chest rose as he took a step back. A second later, a man stood before me, coming in at my height. Dark brown hair and those damn pale Arum eyes were fixed on me.
“Serena,” he said. “Go back to Luc’s office.”
The woman’s frown grew into a scowl, reminding me so much of Kat that my chest ached. “Excuse me?”
His head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. An instant later, Big Boy strode across the dance floor, wrapping an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “This really ain’t where ya need to be right now.”
“But—”
“Come on, I got some stuff to show ya,” Big Boy said.
Hunter glared. “What stuff?”
Big Boy winked over his shoulder. “Stuff.”
As they disappeared down the hallway, the Arum’s lip curled. “I do not like this.”
Luc chuckled. “She’s not his type.”
Wait—what in the hell was going on? An Arum with a human?
“You want to tone down the light?” the ass**le said. “You’re blinding me.”
Power rippled through me, and I wanted to slam my fist through his face, but he wasn’t attacking, which was strange. And he was with a human woman he appeared to be really with, which was even more bizarre.
I took my human form. “I don’t like your tone.”
He smirked.
My eyes narrowed.
“You two should play nice.” Luc clapped his hands together. “You never know when you’ll need such an unlikely ally.”
Hunter and I looked at each other. Both of us snorted. Doubtful.
The boy shrugged. “Okay. So, this is a very exciting day for me. I have Hunter, who needs no last name and only shows up when he wants something or someone to feed off, and I have Daemon Black, who looks like he wants to do me physical harm.”
“That’s about right,” I snarled.
“Care to tell me why?” he asked.
My hands curled into fists. “Like you don’t know.”
He shook his head. “I really don’t, but I’ll hazard a guess. I don’t see Katy, and I don’t feel her. So I’m assuming your little break-in at Mount Weather didn’t go smoothly.”
I took a step forward, rage swirling inside me.
“You broke into Mount Weather?” Hunter choked out a laugh. “Are you insane?”
“Shut up,” I said, keeping my eyes on Luc.
Hunter made a deep noise. “Our little mutual white flag of friendship is going to come to a halt if you tell me to shut up again.”
I spared him a brief glance. “Shut. Up.”
Dark shadows drifted over the Arum’s shoulder, and I faced him fully. “What?” I said, throwing my hands up in a universal come-get-some gesture. “I have a lot of pent-up violence I’d love to take out on someone.”
“Guys.” Luc sighed, sliding off the bar. “Seriously? Can’t you two bromance it out?”
Hunter ignored him, taking a step forward. “You think you can take me?”
“Think?” I scoffed, going toe-to-toe with the alien. “I know.”
The Arum laughed as he took one long finger and poked me in the chest—poked me in the chest! “Well, let’s find out.”
I grabbed his wrist, my fingers circling his cool skin. “Man, you really are—”
“Enough!” Luc shouted.
The next second I was pinned against one side of the club, and Hunter was on the other, several feet off the ground. The Arum’s expression most likely mirrored mine. Both of us struggled against the invisible hold, but neither of us could do a damn thing to get down.
Luc moved to the center of the floor. “I don’t have all day, guys. I have things to do. A nap I want to take this afternoon. There’s a new movie out on Netflix I want to watch, and a goddamn coupon for a free Whopper Jr. that’s calling my name.”