Set In Flames (Morningstars Book 1) (14 page)

“You might want to get here, Jay.”

“Kinda busy,” he replied.

“Trying to fuck a woman so you don’t need to admit that you are in love with Maya? I don’t care. Get here.”

Something in Lex’s voice had Jaden pack away his dick before moving towards the door of the club.

“What happened? Is she okay?”

“She fell asleep in the game room and was tossing and turning. I don’t know what she was dreaming, but eventually she fell and hit her head on the corner of the coffee table.”

“What in the world was she doing in the game room? You all were home! Why did Colbin allow it?” Jaden wanted to know, not being able to believe that his girl had been among all the warriors; being sweet and innocent and the cutest thing ever.

“She wore that fucking sweater of yours for days after you brought it over a week ago. She thought if she maybe stayed in that room you’d come by. She stayed awake at night for that, too. I guess seven days is a long time to be alone, so eventually she gave up hope… And your sweater. Is that enough of a fucking back story for you to return? She won’t let anyone dress her wounds, Jay, and she’s bleeding all over the carpet,” Lex snapped, but Jaden already was running.

“Don’t let anyone touch her,” he brought out.

“Are you even listening to me?” Lex screamed and Jaden just hung up.

Sometimes he wished the myth was true and they really could fly; but of course that wasn’t possible.

He reached the base twenty minutes later, hoping that by now Maya at least wasn’t bleeding anymore. The club was just too damn far away, but he had worried about one of his fellow warriors catching him in whatever act. Basically what just had happened, only face-to-face.

The smell of Maya’s blood made him freeze in the door like almost always and he cursed, pushing forward. It was overwhelming and he didn’t need anyone to tell him where she was. He simply followed her smell back to her bedroom where all his brothers-in-arms stood, looking both hungry and uncertain.

“Just let me put something on it,” he heard Lara say.

“Get out. All of you. I’m not gonna let you come close to me. I know how it is with vampires and blood and even though it might hurt you when you just sip, the bite still will sting like a bitch. Just go, I’ll be fine! I’ll clean up and… Just go!”

Jaden heard the panic in Maya’s voice, surprised at the fear she hadn’t shown ever before. She trusted those boys, he was sure of it. She especially trusted Lara.

His eyes found Lex and there was an expression of agony on his face. Maya obviously wasn’t guarding her thoughts now.

Whatever it was that spun through her mind, Lex hurt for her.

“Hey, let me through,” Jaden said quietly and the group parted for him. Before entering he gave them all a look, saying without words that they needed to get lost. When the shuffling ended, he turned in the door, finding Maya glaring at him in fury.

He didn’t care though. Her light blue sweater was drenched in her precious blood and he had a hard time calming himself down. He wanted to rush her to a hospital, get someone to check her out, but it was too risky.

She was weak; it was obvious by the way she was swaying every time she didn’t hold onto the bed.

“Let me help you,” he whispered and she stepped back whenever he moved towards her.

“What gives you the impression I’m gonna let
you
come close? You are the only person who could drink me dry without needing to worry. I know how vampires react to open wounds. I know that they can’t resist,” she screamed, panic overriding the fury again.

Hunger was the last thing Jaden felt. His heart was breaking for her and he just wanted to make her all right. Unfortunately only one thing came to his mind, and that required subduing her.

Without a warning he was behind her, biting his wrist to press it against her lips. She struggled; he held on tighter. She needed to get his blood into her system and it would be better almost instantly. She’d be healing much quicker.

Whenever her head wound started to close, he let her go, stepping away. She didn’t turn, just standing in front of him like a frozen statue.

He went into her bathroom, getting a washcloth so he could clean her skin. She’d need to change, but at least she wouldn’t be in pain much longer. She’d be fine in a minute.

Her eyes didn’t leave him as he cleaned her cheek and then her neck, afterwards gently rubbing her fingers free from the red liquid.

He had no idea what she was thinking, but her still posture made him worry.

“I’m okay,” she said woodenly as if she had read his thoughts. Relief poured through him and she shook her head.

“It’s incredible,” she whispered then and he stilled. In his worry he had reacted on impulse, not thinking consequences. Now he remembered that even a little blood could mean her transition was jump-started.

And, what was even more worrying, she could feel what he was feeling.

Her body began to tremble and he wondered what she was thinking. Maybe it was shock settling in.

Before he knew it though she had slapped him and he staggered back a step. She wasn’t that strong, but he was
that
surprised.

“You man slut! I cannot believe that you’d… But then again, I can. I shouldn’t be surprised. Do I have her blood in me, too? That woman?”

She was seething with anger, obviously wanting to hurt him and he welcomed her anger even while he wanted to kiss it all away.

“You reek of cheap female again. Is that your preference? I’m surprised you didn’t fuck me then that day, when you clearly declared me a whore, too. How could I ever think you cared? Just because you brought me a sweater? Made sure my room was warm? You probably simply felt the need to mark your territory,” she snapped and he knew that now stepping closer wasn’t a good idea.

He checked her head wound, being glad that it was almost closed. Any concussion she would have suffered would be gone soon, too. She’d be okay.

Releasing a breath he couldn’t stop the smile from stealing over his features. He had missed looking at her so much.

“I cannot drink anyone’s blood but yours,” he calmly said. Admittedly, it was a fact he hadn’t thought about earlier, either, but now it was back crystal clear in his head.

“How can you be so content? Will that be our life? You sleep with any woman available while I sit here and wait?”

“You’d feel better if I bring them back? Maybe we can share, you know?” he taunted and she swallowed hard.

"Why in the world do you do that? What makes you so happy about being cruel to me?" Nothing, he thought and then lowered his head. She would misunderstand everything he'd say and feel, but he couldn't change that.

"I'm not, Cupcake, and you know it. I just wish you'd stop making life about us. You have yours and I have mine," he snapped, not looking at her again because he just couldn't see her pain. Plus, very soon she'd have a life because that now hardly classified as such.

"How about we just skip that all, huh? The whole turning? You will never have to come close to me and feel responsible. That better?" Her face went fully blank and it scared him that she could appear so unaffected.

He wanted to beg, throw himself on his knees and ask her to understand his dilemma. Not that she could. Not that he'd tell her. Not that he'd ever beg.

"You know what really hurts?" he wanted to know and she picked up a brow, making him think that she could give Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen a run for her money.

"Why should I care?" she replied, turning away from him and then suddenly throwing his sweater at him with preternatural speed. Obviously her vampire side had kicked in again. "Take that shit back. I don't think I want anything from you anymore. I'd cut off the fucking lines on my back if I'd be more agile, so I'd never have to be reminded of you again," she then added, no longer looking at him.

He finally had what he wanted all along: She was done with him. All of the sudden that was not such an appealing idea anymore though.

Maya was glad he couldn't feel what she was feeling because then he'd know how much her whole body was lying right now. Pure power of will and most likely the remnants of Jaden's blood in her had made it possible to calm her heart down enough to not give anything away. Her voice was flat because she felt dead and lost. She knew that she'd never be able to face him without breaking all over.

This needed to end tonight.

"And still, the scars would never go away and you'd be thinking of me the moment you take your dying breath," he whispered, almost fooling her with his broken tone.

"It would be a reprieve from the life you tainted worse than my mother ever could have," she gave back.

"Maya..." Her name leaving his lips sounded like a prayer, a broken cry and a plea all in once.

"Get out," she mumbled, carefully putting all her mental barriers up. If Lex would get just an inkling of what was going on inside of her, he'd have locked her up for real this time.

She knew Jaden stood close to her for a long time, not moving. She knew because she could see it in the reflection of the window. Finally, almost reluctantly, did he move, leaving her alone.

It was still nighttime, which gave her two hours of feeling sorry for herself before she'd forever change the course of her life.

Kaden hesitated before opening the door to Maya’s room. Jaden had returned from the base with more anger and pain on his face than Kaden had seen in a long time. There was no word to get out of him and so Kaden had figured he could at least check up on Maya because if his brother looked like that, there was no telling how the little Origin would feel.

Kaden didn’t risk knocking because he didn’t want to draw any attention to them, but he opened the door a bit, taking a deep breath.

“I’m coming in, Maya. We need to talk,” he called out quietly, finding it weird to say her real name, but he needed her to understand that this was going to be a serious talk and not a friendly visit.

He entered, turning his back to his brother’s Origin while very carefully closing the door. Maybe, just maybe, no one would have taken notice of him being there.

The moment he was facing Maya though his head was all but empty as she jumped into his arms, pressing her lips to his. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in full body contact with a woman. Usually they were on their knees to do him a little favor. In fact, he couldn’t remember his last kiss, either, but even if, this one would replace all the ones before… and it would shine above all the ones coming afterwards.

It took a moment for his brain to catch up and realize that he should be pushing Maya away. Instead he struggled with the female plastered to his body.

“No,” she sobbed, placing butterfly kisses all over his face. “No, no, no!”

Finally he regained his wits, peeling her off him. She looked up, her tear-stained face pale, hopeless.

This time Jaden seemingly had fucked her up more than he had realized. He had left a broken girl back at the Morningstar base.

“Please, it simply can’t be true,” she whispered, more tears streaming down her cheeks as she resigned to whatever thought was playing in her pretty head.

“Share. What’s going on?” Kaden pleaded, framing her face gently before leading her over to the bed to sit down with her. She instantly moved up against the headboard, hugging a pillow close.