Nova frowns and lifts her arms up, looping her hands behind my neck. “Of course, I do.” She rests her head on my chest. “You’ll be back soon.”
“We’ll be back soon.” I breathe in her scent as I hold her close.
We stay like that for a moment. Her heartbeat merges with mine. I don’t want to leave her. Everything in my body is telling me not to leave her, but the voice she heard hasn’t told us to stay put. So, I’m assuming we’re doing the right thing.
Downstairs, Sam and Luther are playing cards, but Mack is nowhere to be seen.
“Snow needed to blow off some steam,” Luther says. “He’s been cooped up for too long. You’re all set?”
“All set.” I glance at the door. Kole’s bulky frame is outside waiting for me.
“Head for Rev’s. Ask her what’s been going on. Watch and learn only. You need to be in and out of Phoenix Falls before sunrise.” Luther fixes his eyes on mine. “Right?”
“Right.” I pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
Something I don’t sense very often from Luther fills the air around him. He’s genuinely scared for us.
“We’ll be fine,” I repeat. “And hopefully, by the time we’re back, you’ll have had some luck on the research front.”
Slightly guiltily, Nova and Sam look at each other, then at the discarded laptop on the table. So far, their archive searches have resulted in sweet fuck all. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be lucky eventually. Right now, I’m praying to the moon they will be. Because if we’re going to figure out how we’re supposed to save the world, we need more to work with. A lot more.
“Good luck.” Sam stands, leaving his hand of cards face up and causing Luther to release a frustrated growl. “We’ll keep researching.” He nods at me then hesitates. “When you see Sarah…” He stops, clearly unsure what he wants to say to the woman who both abandoned him and helped save him.
“I’ll tell her you’re doing good and that you’ll see her soon.” I pat his shoulder, smile, then ruffle his curly black hair. “See you soon.”
I kiss Nova one more time before leaving. By the time I reach the door, Sam’s arm is around her waist. Outside, I pause for a moment and inhale slowly. Waiting on the bottom step, Kole looks in my direction.
“They’re a good fit.” I trot down to join him. “Sam and Nova. It’s happened fast, but he’s one of us. You feel it too, right?”
Kole presses his lips together and makes anmmmsound. “Yeah, I feel it. Which means she almost has her five…”
“That’s not a good thing?” I ask, trying to interpret his growl.
“Could be,” he says. “Or it could be that the fifth guy tips the balance, triggers what’s about to happen, sets things in motion…” He stops and shakes his head. “Or I could be talking bullshit.”
“You’re a seer. Shouldn’t you know if you’re talking bullshit?” I ask, raising my eyebrows playfully at him.
In another time and place, Kole might have reprimanded me for back-chatting him. I’d have let him, and one thing would have led to another. A flash of heat passes between us. But there isn’t time. Not now.
As we start our journey through the trees, I glance back at the cabin. Soft orange lights glow from the windows. “The fifth has to be Luther. Doesn’t it?”
Kole looks back at the cabin too. A strange expression crosses his face. “Perhaps.”
“What does that look mean?” There’s something he’s not telling me.
He glances at me then flexes his fingers at his sides. Shoving a branch out of his way, he says, “Luther told me he can’t stop thinking about her. Since the club. Apparently,allhe can think about is her.”
I pause, trying to figure out why Kole seems so pissed. “Okay, and that’s a bad thing? Didn’t you expect it? There’s been a simmering, hate-you-but-want-to-fuck-you tension between the two of them ever since she arrived.” I laugh a little and push my fingers through my hair. “And after the club? They were atSpinetogether. They slept in a hotel room. In the same bed—”
“I get it,” Kole snaps at me. He inhales deeply then repeats, a little more calmly, “I get it, but Luther’s not exactly known for treating women right.”
“You’re worried his intentions aren’t as pure as yours?” I deliberately hold Kole’s gaze. He rubs the back of his neck; he knows I’m talking about the biting. About the fact that, just because it’s making him superhero strong instead of psycho-killer strong, we all seem to suddenly be okay with him drawing blood from her.
“That’s not fair, Tanner. It’s different. We share a blood bond. We’re—”
I hold up my hands. “I get it.” I nudge his elbow with mine. “All I’m saying is that every single one of us is drawn to her, and we all have our own issues to contend with. Luther’s history with humans is complicated. So, maybe he’s struggling to make that fit with how he feels about Nova.”
“She’s not human.”