CHAPTER 22
It took all Kian’s willpower not to gasp again. Alec’s tone stopped him more than anything else. There was an iciness that frightened him.
“Hello, son.” Kian had only gotten a glimpse of the man as Alec blocked him completely from sight. “May I ask what it is you think you are doing?”
Alec’s spine stiffened at the question. “It is not what it looks like, Father. He is just a friend.” Again, his hand squeezed Kian’s, as if willing him to stay calm.
That might have been simpler if he didn’t feel Alec’s uneasiness. Not sure if Alec’s father would be able to read his emotions as easily as Alec did, Kian tried to keep himself in control.
“Really, because it looks like you have gotten involved with one of them.” The man didn’t wait for a response as he continued. “Do you have any idea the danger you have put us in?”
“Father, I-.”
“I do not want to hear your excuses.” Cutting Alec off, Alec’s father sounded angry. “You know the rules. I am Captain of the Sentinels, Alec. What would you have me do?”
Kian moved a little to try and see the man who raised Alec. He regretted it immediately for he was quite menacing. Standing the same height as Alec, his hair was jet black but his eyes looked terrifying. They were black as night, yet he could swear they looked like fire was burning in their depths.
Alec bowed his head in remorse. “I would never ask you to break the rules for me, Father.”
Kian wasn’t sure where this was leading but his instincts were shouting at him to stop this. Steeling himself for what he was about to do, Kian stepped out from behind Alec. “Look, whatever you think is going on is none of your business.” Alec’s arm went around his waist pulling him against him.
Alec’s father stared at Kian in astonishment - then a smile played on his mouth. At least he knew where Alec got the gesture. “My job, sir, is to protect you from our kind.”
“Do I look like I need protection?” Kian asked, not caring that he interrupted him.
Chuckling, his eyes went to Alec. “He always like this?”
Alec’s arm tightened even more. “Yes.” Even Kian could hear the affection Alec felt for him in his voice.
“You know it is considered rude to talk about someone like they aren’t even here. Especially since I don’t even know who you are.” Standing a little straighter, Kian tried to show him he wasn’t afraid of him. Fact was, if Alec hadn’t been holding him, he probably would be a quivering puddle on the sidewalk.
The man before them gave him a small bow. “Tarak, Alec’s father.” Turning his attention back to his son, “Well, I can see why you are attracted to him, son, but the rules are there for a reason.” He looked genuinely upset to say that.
“What does that even mean?” Kian wasn’t about to let Alec be punished because of him.
His eyes softened a bit as he explained. “It means that Alec will have to come back with me. I promise you no harm will come to him but the longer he stays around you, the more likely he will do something I will have to punish him for.”
Gripping his hand, Kian was unwilling to let him go. Shaking his head, Kian refused to contemplate Alec actually leaving. “No. He can’t go.” He was surprised to hear the desperation in his voice, but it was nothing compared to the clawing need that was trying to break free from deep within.
“Kian,” Alec’s voice was filled with fear. “Stop before you say something that can’t be taken back.” His mouth was lowered to Kian’s ear. “If you care about me at all, you will let me go.”
Spinning around, Kian’s lips found his in a searing kiss. He wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck bringing him closer. Everything he was feeling was in that kiss. When Alec stepped back, ending the kiss, he silently pleaded with him to stay.
“I am sorry, Kian.” His words were barely audible. Then before his eyes, he disappeared. Pain unlike anything he’d ever felt before lanced through him. Kian stood there for what seemed like an eternity willing Alec to come back.
He didn’t know how long he’d stood rooted to the spot but eventually Kian blindly made his way back to the house. Collapsing on the floor next to his bed, he didn’t have the strength to get up. Tears wouldn’t even come. He just couldn’t grasp what had happened.
The following day, Kavi came back from the holidays to find him still sitting on the floor. The devastation he was feeling must have been clearly written all over his face because Kavi rushed over to him and dropped down next to him.
Kavi whispered, “Want to talk?”
Slowly, Kian shook his head. When the others got back, they all sat around him, trying to bring Kian out of his stupor but nothing worked. The shaking started as it got dark. The release it provided, allowed Kian to finally cry.
Kavi held him, trying to soothe Kian, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Around midnight, worried and tired, his friends got him into bed, staying with him until exhaustion finally dragged Kian into the darkness.
For a short time, the relief his friends felt when he finally closed his eyes was profound. Even Kian, asleep, felt a sense of peace knowing that he wouldn’t have to think about anything for a few hours. He should have known better.
The first scream ripped through the room an hour later, terrifying his friends. They begged Kian to wake up, shaking him, and even pouring icy water on him to drag him from the nightmares.
During the day, things weren’t much better. Kian ended up using the same technique he’d learned as a child after seeing his mother’s murder - numbness. He wore it like a blanket - blocking out everything except for his classes. But even those didn’t hold much interest any longer. If he was honest, Kian didn’t feel anything anymore.
Except at night. At night, the nightmares returned with a vengeance, leaving anyone who could hear them shaken to the core as Kian’s screams sounded like something from a horror film. But they were the real thing. Terrifying, soul shattering, ear piercingly real.
The only small silver lining in Kian’s life was that finals were almost there. The others would go home for winter break and forget all about Kian’s night terrors, and hopefully, he would be able to get back to the place where his nightly reminders of his mother’s death wouldn’t wake up everyone in the vicinity.
Although, in complete honesty, the visions at night weren’t just about his mother, but it was the only one he’d been willing to talk about. There was no way he was admitting that the worst of the screaming came from watching Alec disappear over and over again.
Avoiding sleep like the plague, Kian poured himself into studying. No amount of cajoling or threats would get him to go to the various end of semester parties. Tonight, he was able to study in his room.
Jace was the only one there with him, which Kian was convinced was on purpose. They never left him completely alone, if possible, especially at the house. But that was fine because they would be leaving shortly for home. Kian couldn’t wait to be alone.
“Kian?” Jace appeared in the doorway. “How’s it going?”
Kian tried not to scowl at his friend. He knew his friends were concerned about him, but he really didn’t want to talk about it anymore. The nightmares were more than he could bear. There was no way he wanted to relive them by talking about them during the day.
Smiling at Jace, Kian tried to reassure him. “Fine. Just studying for finals. I haven’t been doing as well the past few weeks so I really need to cram.”
Jace didn’t take the hint, instead, coming in to sit on his bed. “I know you don’t want to talk about this…” Jace darted his eyes away for a moment before pinning Kian with a determined stare. “We’re worried about you.” Jace placed his hand on Kian’s leg. “The nightmares aren’t getting better.”
Putting down the highlighter, Kian faced his friend. “I appreciate your concern, but you’re right, I don’t want to talk about it.” He didn’t mean to sound so harsh but just thinking about Alec had tears pricking his eyes. There was no desire to go down that road again. Crying over Alec had been exhausting.
Kian wasn’t certain if it was the words or the tone that caused Jace to remove his hand as if he’d been bitten. “What is it about this guy that has you feeling this way? You haven’t even known him that long.”
Kian closed his books, stuffing them quickly in his book bag. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to study here.
“Kian, please, talk to me.” Jace apparently wasn’t giving up so easily.
The thing was, Kian was far more stubborn than Jace. Grabbing his backpack, he stood. Feeling bad at the worry and sadness in Jace’s eyes, Kian said, “I don’t know why I feel like this for Alec. Ever since I met him, it’s like we were drawn to each other. Neither of us could stay away from the other.”
Tears rimmed Kian’s eyes but he refused to let them fall. “Even now, I feel my life is on hold until he comes back. I can’t explain it, it just is.” Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Kian walked out.