“I am nothing like my father,” Hudson grinds out, sounding more offended than I have ever heard him. “Nothing!”
I don’t contradict him, even though it seems absurd for him to try to pretend away the similarities in his agenda and his father’s. Sure, they went after different factions in their search for supremacy, but that doesn’t make them different. It just makes them two sides of the same coin.
And I would do well to remember this before I get us all killed.
Because Hudson won’t be in my head forever. And what he will do when he’s out is anyone’s guess.
Jaxon must be thinking the same thing, because he leans forward and says, “No matter what we have to do, we can never let my brother loose on the world with his power. My father killed the entire gargoyle race. Who knows what Hudson will do?”
44
Two Heads Aren’t
Better than One
I wait for Hudson to explode, but he doesn’t say a word. In fact, he’s so quiet that after several minutes of silence, I’d think Hudson had fallen asleep if I didn’t see the way his foot is tap-tap-tapping on the ground as he stares out the window.
I don’t know why he doesn’t respond to Jaxon’s words—maybe because he realizes everything Jaxon said about him is true. Maybe because he’s embarrassed. Maybe because he got his burst of anger out earlier. I don’t know. I just know that I expect some kind of response from him.
I’ve known Hudson for only a few days and already I know that it’s not like him to be quiet. And it’s definitely not like him not to have a comeback or six…
A sudden sadness swamps me, along with a wave of exhaustion that has me fighting back a yawn. Jaxon sees it, though—of course he does—and says, “Come on, the rest of the research can wait until tomorrow. Let’s get you back to your room.”
I want to argue, but I’m fading fast, so I just nod. “Don’t we need to clean up first?” I gesture to the table where the candles still burn.
“I can walk you to your room, then come back and clean up.” Jaxon starts gently herding me toward the library door.
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll take ten minutes, and then we can head back to my room.”
Turns out, it barely takes five minutes to get everything picked up and put away before we’re on our way to my room. When we get there, I know Jaxon expects to be able to kiss me like he did yesterday, but Hudson isn’t asleep now. He’s not talking to me, but he’s very definitely aware of what’s going on, and I can’t just make out with Jaxon when his brother is watching—especially not when he’s watching from inside my head.
The last thing I want is for him （or anyone） to know what I’m thinking when Jaxon kisses me…or worse, what I’m feeling. It’s personal and private and nobody’s business but mine.
So when Jaxon moves to set the huge vase of flowers on the floor beside my door, I put a hand on his arm to stop him. “Three’s a crowd,” I tell him.
He looks confused, but my meaning must register because he nods and steps away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then? We can meet for breakfast at ten, then research at the library after that, if it works for you?”
“I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning than with you,” I tell him.
“Good.” He starts to hand me my flowers, but I wrap my arms around him in a huge hug first, pulling his face down to mine so I can give him a superfast peck on the lips.
“Thank you for tonight. It was awesome.”
“Yeah?” He looks embarrassed but also a little pleased. I’ll admit it’s an adorable look on him.
“Yeah. You’re…” I trail off as I struggle to put my thoughts into words.
Jaxon leans against the doorframe then, a shit-eating grin on his face and a huge vase of flowers in his arms, and somehow still manages to look sexy as fuck. “I’m what?” he asks, making a ridiculous face.
“A total dork,” I answer after I burst out laughing.
He laughs, too. “Not quite what I was going for, but I’ll take it.” He hands me my flowers, then bends down to kiss my cheek. “Because I’ll take you.”
My heart turns into an actual puddle—there’s no other word for it. “Good,” I answer. “Because I’ll take you, too.”
And then Jaxon is opening the door and I’m floating inside, heart and head full of this boy, this powerful, perfect boy who makes me feel things I never imagined possible.