Chapter 22 – First Kiss

“Are we seriously doing this?” Jax groaned. “You know this is going to be nothing more than a bunch of teenagers getting drunk and trying to hump each other.”

“Trying to hump?” I raised a brow and laughed. “Are you twelve?”

He punched my arm hard enough to make me wince, but then he laughed. “It’s a high school party, Trent. This is going to be lame.”

I couldn’t exactly argue with him about that. “I know, but they’re partying at the falls, which is surrounded by woods. The same place our kind like to hunt. If nothing else, we need to be there to make sure this doesn’t turn into a bloodbath.”

“Now that would be a fun party.” He grinned.

“Knock it off.” I shoved him toward the front door. “Chloe’s going to be there, and I have a feeling Isach will be, too. I need to make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

Jax rolled his eyes. “That’s what this is about? Chloe?”

Lately, everything was about Chloe. I didn’t tell him that, though. He already harassed me enough about her. “Shut up and get in.” I yanked open the truck door and climbed in behind the wheel.

We drove to Bushnell Falls. The place was packed with cars and students. I hadn’t realized this many people attended Keene Valley school. Then again, I really hadn’t been paying much attention to anyone or anything beyond Chloe. I parked down the street, and Jax and I walked toward the party. Loud, thumping music filled the night air, broken only by the occasional whoop of joy. The scent of sweat and stale beer was repugnant, and I scrunched up my nose.

“Jesus,” Jax muttered.

I scanned the area for Chloe, but I didn’t see her anywhere. Had she changed her mind about coming tonight? I honed in my hearing, and that’s when I heard her voice. She wasn’t in the thick of the party but a little farther away. I smacked Jax’s arm and nodded for him to follow my lead. He did, and the closer I got to Chloe, the faster my steps became.

A slight sense of fear clung to her, and her heart was pounding erratically. What happened to frighten her? Then I noticed Isach standing too closely to her. I narrowed my eyes, my steps hard and purposeful. The last thing I needed or wanted to do was face off with Isach here in front of a crowd, but I would if I had to. I wouldn’t let him harm Chloe.

My gaze flashed to Isach, who gave me a challenging smirk. Chloe attempted to move away from him, but he grabbed her around the waist and turned her to face him. Instant fury exploded in my chest, and I snarled, barely keeping my fangs contained.

Isach lowered his head, his mouth inches from Chloe’s. Her eyes widened, but she made no effort to push him away or move. Did she want him to kiss her? My fury morphed into fiery rage, and I curled my hands into fists.

“Isach,” I said, my voice deep and full of warning. “Don’t even think about it.”

Jax and I stopped right in front of them, forming a human shield in an effort to block whatever was about to happen. Of course, that didn’t stop everyone standing near the pickup from silently watching.

Isach leaned even closer to Chloe’s mouth, and she whimpered. I was going to kill him, and I didn’t care who saw me.

“Who’s going to stop me, Halstead?” Isach asked, his expression turning sinister. “You?”

“Don’t do this to her, Isach.” My voice was tight, teeth clenched. “She doesn’t deserve this, and you know it.”

Chloe was nothing more than an innocent bystander, unlucky to be caught in the middle of a decades old feud. I knew the only reason Isach was messing with her was to get to me, and I hated that I was responsible for Chloe being in this position. Maybe if I acted like I didn’t care, like Chloe wasn’t as important to me as she really was, he’d get bored and move on.

“You going stop me?” Isach asked, his gaze wandering to Chloe.

I wanted to gouge his eyes just for looking at her like that. And while I was at it, I was going to tear his arms from his body for having the audacity to hold her against her will.

“You know what to do.” Even though his words were for me, Isach’s gaze never wavered from Chloe.

Slowly, as if snapping out of some sort of daze, Chloe wiggled in Isach’s arms. “What?” she muttered.

That’s when the truth hit me—Isach had been using magic to force Chloe into submission. If I hadn’t wanted to kill him before, I certainly did now. Indecision warred inside of me. The only way Isach would let her go was if I made a public display of my feelings for her. He wanted to force my hand, but if I gave in, he’d know how important she was to me, and that would put her in significantly more danger. But if I didn’t… I didn’t want to think about what he’d do if I didn’t give in to his ridiculous demand.

“Trent,” Jax warned. “Don’t be stupid. You can’t do this.”

“Tick tock, Trent. Time’s running out,” Isach taunted.

“You’re losing your touch, Zoya.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Chloe gasped for breath, then cringed. Isach was slowly loosening his magical hold. I needed to act soon, but how could I kiss her here in front of everyone? That’s not how I wanted our first kiss to be, especially when my emotions were raw. No way I’d be able to hold myself in check.

“Trent,” Jax warned again.

“She’s already been claimed,” I said coolly, ignoring my brother. “You’re too late.”

Before I allowed myself to fully weigh the consequences, I yanked her out of Isach’s arms and into mine. I didn’t give her time to react before slanting my lips over hers, and I swore every nerve in my body crackled and sizzled for a split second before igniting. She didn’t hesitate to welcome my kiss, either, which only made me burn hotter for her.

Her lips were incredibly soft and pliant against mine. She tasted sweet, too, and I needed more. I put one hand on her back, pulling her closer, and my other hand was bunched in her hair, holding her in place. She put her arms around my neck and threaded her fingers into my hair, pressing herself closer. My soft moan flipped the switch in my brain, and I was powerless to stop what happened next.

I pushed too many thoughts and feelings into her mind. Images of Annmarie and Rector and Sean. The complicated love they had for each other. The heartache. The fear. I never wanted her to learn of these things this way, but I couldn’t stop kissing her right now if my life depended on it, not when she was so eager to kiss me back.

She whimpered against my lips, but instead of releasing her like I knew I should, I deepened the kiss, each flick of my tongue more desperate, hotter. Only when the scent of her salty tears hit me did I realize what I’d done, how I’d overwhelmed her. I took her face into my hands and slowed the kiss.

“Trent,” she gasped when I finally released her lips. She opened her eyes and looked at something behind me.

“See you around, Chloe,” Isach said.

I ground my teeth.

“What was that? What is going on?” Chloe demanded. Then, out of nowhere, she laughed. She clamped her hand over her mouth.

I studied her through dark, narrowed eyes and rubbed at the back of my neck. I had hoped maybe she hadn’t seen and felt all those things, but that was too much to ask for, I guessed. I was an idiot. I never should’ve kissed her here, not under these circumstances. If she hadn’t been sold on the idea of me before, she really wouldn’t be now, either.

Chloe took a deep breath, then pressed her lips to mine. My shock lasted only a second, and then I put my hands on her waist and pulled her closer. If she wasn’t totally freaked out after last time, then I wasn’t about to push her away. Not when she was the one kissing me.

I focused on keeping my emotions in check so that I didn’t overwhelm her again. Instead, I simply enjoyed the feel of her in my arms. The taste of her soft, supple lips working against mine. The taste of her breath mingling with mine. God, I wanted to spend an eternity kissing her. I loved her so much it terrified me.

Reluctantly, she pulled away and met my gaze. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

Clasping my hands behind her back, I rested my forehead on hers. She deserved answers, no matter how hard they’d be to give her. I lifted my head, placed a quick kiss to her lips, then released her. “Not here.”

I took her hand in mine with every intention of leading her to my truck so we could go somewhere quiet to talk. But as I turned around, I came face to face with Jax. His gaze was murderous, and for the first time in my long existence, I was actually terrified of my own brother. He had a hair trigger temper on a good day. I held his gaze, pleading with him to understand. But how could he?

Kissing Chloe like I had was bad enough—a very clear and public declaration that she was mine—but to do so in front of Isach… I might as well have painted bullseyes on our backs. Isach was already causing trouble for us, and now he’d be even more impossible. I knew I shouldn’t have kissed Chloe, but I wanted to. I needed her to know how I felt, even if I was too much of a coward to just tell her.

With a disgusted shake of his head, Jax spun on his heel and stormed off. I’d have to deal with him later. Right now, I needed to tell Chloe the one thing that would undoubtedly send her running for the hills and straight out of my life for good.