Heading to the fridge, she grabbed a bottle of OJ from the fridge. “Yeah, it was just books.”

I stared at her back. “I know there probably aren’t any Arum around right now, but you can never be too careful, and you have a trace on you that will lead them right to our doorsteps. Right now, that’s more important than your books.”

Shooting me a dark look over her shoulder, she placed the bottle on the counter and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. “Drink?”

I sighed. “Sure. Milk?”

She gestured at the fridge. “Help yourself.”

“You offered. You’re not going to get it for me?”

“I offered orange juice,” she replied, taking her glass to the table. “You picked milk. And keep it down. My mom’s asleep.”

Shaking my head, I pushed away from the doorframe and helped myself to a glass of milk. I brought it back to the table, sitting next to her. She’d pulled her hair up when she got into her car after school, and with all that dark hair pulled back, there was no mistaking the faint ruddy flush to her cheeks. My eyes narrowed on her. What was she thinking about right now?

She carefully rolled the glass between her palms. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Depends,” I replied smoothly.

“Do you…feel anything around me?”

“Other than what I felt this morning when I saw how good you looked in those jeans?”

“Daemon.” She sighed. “I’m being serious.”

“The back of my neck gets all warm and tingly.” I traced a circle on the table with my finger. “Is that what you’re talking about?”

She peeked over at me, and the corners of my lips tipped up slightly. “Yeah, you feel it, too?”

“Whenever we’re near.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“Does it bother you?” I asked, serious. She didn’t answer as she stared at her drink, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I took a sip of my milk. “It could be a…side effect of the healing.” I paused, thinking of how flushed she looked. “Are you feeling well?”

“Why?”

“You look like crap.” Which was only partly true.

She glanced at me. “I think I’m coming down with something.”

I frowned as I stared at her. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t know. I probably got alien cooties.”

I snorted. “Doubtful. I can’t afford for you to be sick. We need to get you outside and try to work your trace off. Until then, you’re a—”

“If you say I’m a weakness, I will hurt you.” Anger flooded her voice. “I think I proved that I’m not, especially when I led Baruck away from your house and I killed him. Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

My brows flew up as I sat back in my chair. “I was going to say that until then, you’re at risk.”

“Oh.” She grinned faintly. “Well, then, I’m still not weak.”

Something about her impassioned rant got to me. I quickly moved out of the chair and knelt down beside her so I was looking up at her. “I know you’re not weak. You’ve proven yourself. And what you did this weekend, tapping into our powers? I still can’t figure out how that happened, but you’re not weak. Ever.”

Kat stared down at me, the lines of her face softening.

I fought a smile as I stood. “Now I need you to prove you’re not weak. Get off your butt and let’s work off some of that trace.”

She groaned. “Daemon, I’m really not feeling well.”

“Kat…”

“And I’m not saying that to be difficult. I feel like hurling.”

I folded my arms, not missing how her eyes tracked the way my shirt stretched over my shoulders. “It’s not safe for you to be running around when you look like a damn lighthouse. As long as you carry the trace, you can’t do anything. Go anywhere.”

She pushed up from the table. “I’ll get changed.”

Taking a step back, I stared at her in surprise. “Caving in so easily?”

“Caving in?” She laughed drily. “I just want you out of my face.”

I chuckled deeply. “Keep telling yourself that, Kitten.”

“Keep using your ego steroids.”

A burn started under my skin as she walked toward the doorway. I moved faster than she could see, blocking her exit. Her eyes narrowed and then flared as I prowled toward her. She backed up, placing her hands on the kitchen table behind her.

“What?” Kat demanded.

There wasn’t an ounce of fear in her steely gray eyes as I placed my hands on her hips. The moment I touched her, the hard glint in her gaze gave way to something else. She warmed as I bent my head, brushing my lips against her chin. Kat gasped at the contact and swayed toward me.

Dropping my hands, I stepped back. Our gazes met. “Yeah, not my ego, Kitten. Go get ready.”

Her jaw jutted out and then she stomped past me, flipping me off on the way. I laughed and then listened to her climb the steps, plodding the whole way up, completely past caring about the fact that her mom was home, likely asleep.

I turned back to the table, picking up the two glasses. I washed them out and then placed them in the dishwasher, the small niggle of unease growing in the pit of my stomach. Was she really sick? Or being difficult despite what she claimed? Because that girl lived to make things difficult with me. I didn’t get the whole sickness thing. I mean, I understood humans going through colds, flus, and worse, but it was a foreign concept to our kind. We didn’t get sick. Ever.

About five minutes later, Kat returned to the kitchen, dressed in loose nylon pants and a long-sleeved thermal. She looked sort of…adorable as she stalked past me and went out the front door.

Kitten had her hackles up.

She was halfway off the porch when I stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind us. “You sure you can do this?” I asked.

Halting on the steps, she twisted around. “I didn’t think you were really giving me an option in there.”

Now I sort of felt like an ass, because, well, I was an ass. I walked to the steps. “Look, Kat, if you’re really not feeling well, I’m not—”

“I’m okay,” she said, turning away and hurrying down the steps.

Watching her for a few seconds, I cursed under my breath and then joined her in the driveway. We started off with a light jog, and I figured once she was warmed up and I was sure she wasn’t going to keel over on me, we’d pick up the pace.

But we only made it to the end of the access road leading to our houses before Kat stopped suddenly, planting her hands on her hips.

Slowing down, I stopped and faced her. “Hey…”

Shaking her head, she dipped her chin. Her shoulders rose high as she dragged in a deep breath. A moment passed. I stepped toward her.

“I…need to go home,” she said quietly.

Before I could respond, she pivoted around and started power walking up the road. I called out to her, but she didn’t answer. Concerned, I followed her back to the house.

“Kat!”

“I’m done for the day,” she said, running up the porch steps. She threw open the front door. I started up the steps after her, really worried now, but she turned on me, holding up her hand. “I’m fine. Please. I just n-need to get in here. Please just leave me alone.”

I drew up short, pressure slamming into my chest. Please just leave me alone. Those words were a plea, a sincere plea, and they hit me square in the stomach. I didn’t stop her when she rushed inside, barely stopping to close the door behind her.

I didn’t go after her.

Chapter 3

I frowned as I reached the top of the stairs, and Dee’s bedroom door opened. Out came Adam, his blond hair sticking up in every direction like someone had run her fingers—

Oh hell no, I could not allow my mind to go there.