Page 39 of Kai (Alpha Heroes #13)

“She’s kind and sweet, and she never thinks ill of anyone,” I informed him briskly. “But she’s got someone to fight for her now. I’m back, and she’s got me.”

“Okay, all right, don’t lose it, Goofman,” Javier muttered, seemingly to himself. “Slow down the temper, control the emotion, think before you speak. You know the drill.”

I didn’t miss the offense that sparkled in his eyes when he glanced at me.

Or that every muscle in his body was tight, as if he were fighting to control himself.

Perhaps I should leash my temper as well, but it had always served me well on occasions like these.

I intended to test this man to the best of my insolent ability.

Like most men who had come calling at Astor House, he probably just wanted the heiress, not my sister. Plus, he’d called us witches!

“Miss Astor?” His throat rippled with a swallow.

“ I fight for Missy. I love her . Do you read me? I don’t give a fuck about her money.

I’ve never touched a cent that belongs to her.

Never will. I’ve got my flaws. I’ve got some baggage and I’m not perfect by any means, but I adore your sister and I’m not a cash-hungry bloodsucker. ”

“You could be.” I challenged the surge of pride that stiffened his body. “Gold diggers have always chased after my sisters. I’m the one who chases them away. It’s my job to protect my baby sister from you.”

“I get you feel strongly about assholes chasing after you and your sisters,” Javier said, shifting on his feet. “Missy told me about that, and I know you all had horrible experiences—”

“Don’t try to get into my head,” I warned. “Pretending sympathy doesn’t work with me.”

“I’m not pretending shit.”

“You asked about my witchy power?” I deepened the bend of my knees and went back into my fighting stance. “Well, let me teach you what one of my witchy powers is.”

“You…” He cleared the hoarseness out of his voice. “You wanna fight me?”

“Yes.” I stepped to his left, angling for a blow to the liver to begin with. “I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“But… why?”

“Because if you’re not willing to fight for my sister, you’re not worthy of her.”

“Excuse me, I’m sorry, I’m confused. Give me a second here.” Javier rubbed his forehead, and keeping a wary eye on me, turned to Kai. “Is she for real?”

“She’s for real.” Kai beamed a smile at me before he returned his attention to his friend. “Goof, you’re in trouble. She’s a badass. Unless she decides otherwise, she’s gonna come at you with all she’s got.”

“I…” Javier choked. “I can’t fight Missy’s sister.”

“Of course you can’t,” Kai scoffed. “That’s like, obvious.”

Javier’s eyes widened and shifted to me. “I won’t fight you,” he stammered, then tossed a desperate look in Kai’s direction. “What do I do?”

I didn’t register Kai’s reply. My mind was stuck on his compliment. Had Kai just called me a badass?

Some might have taken offense at being called a badass.

But not me. I was a badass—most of the time.

Kai offered his compliments with the conviction of an ally, a man who believed in me and didn’t need to exert any effort to defend, claim, or prevail over me.

Okay, so maybe I didn’t resent him that much for excluding me from the conversation.

I looked at him, attempting to keep my head from floating away along with my heart. His lips were moving as he talked Javier through something, but all I could see was Kai’s aura, bright, pure, and intense, like the man himself.

The realization he’d meant what he said almost wiped the fight out of me and took me out of commission. Almost, but not. Missy’s future was on the line.

“Are you ready?” I glared at Javier. “Or perhaps you’re nothing but a defenseless rake?”

“Not defenseless, not a rake, so stop calling me names,” Javier shot back, his voice firm with renewed certainty. “If you wanna beat me up, then go ahead. But I’m not fighting you.”

“Do you think I’m weak?” I demanded. “That you’re a better fighter than me?”

“None of that toxic masculinity crap.” He clasped his hands behind his back and held my glare.

“I won’t fight you because you’re Missy’s dear sister, emphasis on dear , and I don’t hit women, period.

People like you often mistake me for a brainless brute, and even though my mouth has, on occasion, given fuel to the idea, I own a brain and I use it. ”

His brief speech told me he could string together an argument and stick to it. Hunky Javier was smarter than I’d thought. I kept my feet braced. I wasn’t ready to give him a pass yet, and I needed to test this man’s mettle to the fullest.

“Your vibes are very Casanova, very Don Juan.” I tilted my head and showed him my teeth. “Not the boyfriend my little sister needs.”

“With all due respect, you don’t know me.” He stood his ground. “Maybe I was a version of that at some point, but I’ve changed, and I mean for good.” He surprised me with his open admission. “Since I met Missy, she’s been the only woman in my life.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and watched as his aura began to glow. Oh, shit . Where the hell did it come from? Had I called it?

Hues of red with sparkles of green tinted Javier’s aura.

It swirled around him in colorful eddies that were almost psychedelic.

Every once in a while, flashes streaked the twirling colors, lightning unleashed.

Did those flashes reflect Javier’s temper?

What did they mean? Flexibility? Complexity?

Unpredictability? Another thought led me astray.

His aura was mostly red. Was he as passionate as I was?

Did he and I have more in common than I realized? Would my aura look like his?

Does it matter, Astor?

It didn’t matter, and yet… it did. Pressure built behind my eyes. A wave of dizziness washed over me. I steadied myself on the gunwales.

“Ma’am?” Javier’s voice shook me out of my shock. “Missy wouldn’t want me to upset you. Are you all right?”

Javier’s aura gained brilliance when he mentioned my sister’s name.

Its thrum got louder. Oh, shit. Perhaps my sister meant something to him.

Rubbing my eyes, I shifted my stare to Kai.

His familiar aura glowed brightly and hummed peacefully in my ears, restoring my balance, soothing me with a sense of calm I only felt when he was around.

It eased the pressure in my head and offered me relief.

I didn’t want to look, but my curiosity struck.

A glance at Micah showed me a brilliant but static silver and white outline framing his body.

It contrasted with his dark skin. There was no movement to it.

It was as solid as the man, and yet it almost blinded me.

The sheer luminosity of it turned him into a shadow, a stark outline of his form, a man without expression.

My head ached and my thoughts spun.

What the hell is happening here?

You wanted to know who these men are? Now you’ve got your answers.

Could I trust my eyes, my intuition, and my perceptions? Had my brain short-circuited, or could I really believe that their auras had meaning?

I intended to find out right now.