"She just got a little crazy? Yeah, we were worried about that. She doesn't need to be around Kane for a while, at least until she finally gets over her fear of intimacy. Just bring her to me. I'll take her home."
Kane tilts his head, his grip still firmly planted on my arms.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kane murmurs, sounding irritated.
Thad smirks, seeming amused by all of this. Jackass.
"Have you forgotten? Rule number one about being immortal, don't fuck a virgin. They bond to you. Until we can convince her to get over the idea of... well, you know, she'll stay bound."
Kane swallows hard, looking down at me a little differently.
"She'll go crazy without someone breaking it. I forgot all about that. I guess at the time I never thought it would be an issue, since I planned on being with her. As long as she had me-"
"Yeah, we know. As long as she had you, she never felt the painful withdrawals. Bring her to me. She needs to get away before she does something you'll punish her for."
Kane growls at him, and then he pulls my wrists to him a little tighter.
"I may not be with her, but I know better than to let anyone leave with someone ready to take advantage of a situation. Where's the other one?"
"Gage?" Thad chuckles out. "Believe me; she's in far better hands with me than with Gage. He's barely holding himself back, and her aura is driving every man in town crazy. Now hand her over like a good little fanged one. I've got to try and talk some sense into her, or I've got to douse her in the lake."
Kane tightens his lips, and suddenly Gage appears on the porch beside Thad.
"Figures you'd show up. I swear you're relentless," Gage gripes to Thad.
"I just need the extra help. The two of you have some special connection over magic. I need the upper hand," Thad adds, no remorse in his playful tone.
"You're one hell of a slimy son of a-"
"Stop!" I squeal, my head pounding as all of the blood in my body rushes up to gather in my temples.
Kane glances from me to them, and then I'm suddenly out, the night overcoming my senses as the world shuts down. I feel my eyes going through a series of random colors as I collapse.
The sound of bickering wakes me, and my hands slide around to feel the foreign bed I'm in. I rise to see the rarely-used guest room in Kane's home. I can't believe Gage hasn't gotten me out of here yet.
I realize the bickering is coming from Gage and Zee. As I near the door, I'm able to understand what they're saying.
"She's not some toy the two of you should be fighting over," Zee gripes. "The remedy Sierra has will help ease her... urges, so to speak, and she'll be just fine."
"We're not fighting over her, you ass. I'm not letting her drink anything from here. I don't trust you, and I'm not risking her life just because you say you have some unknown remedy the rest of us have never heard of."
"You're something else!" Kane scoffs. "Aren't you the least bit upset she gave her innocence to me instead of you when it's clear the two of you have been together this whole time?"
"You're a total fool," Thad interjects, cackling. "Gage and Alyssa aren't together now, nor have they ever been. Wouldn't he have already ended this nonsense if they were?"
I hear Kane let out a derisive snort, and then there are footsteps too quick for me to react to as he's suddenly in front of me, catching me spying.
"Care to join the party?" he grumbles, not looking me in the eye.
"I should go. This," I point between us, "is nothing but confusing. It's worse being here. Use the journal, and let me know when you're done so I can get it back to the light."
I try to barge by him, but he catches my hand, noticing a mark on my wrist that I've never seen before now.
"What's that?" I ask as he stares intensely at it, making my whole body ache for more of his touch.
His jaw clenches, and then he shakes his head.
"You need to get out of that house. Now."