It’s just me and Paul as I step closer to him.
“What are you talking about?” I narrow my eyes at him, trying to ignore the heated blood rushing through me.
“You don’t think your family is actually safe, do you?” I swallow, and he laughs. “Please, short of God the Father Himself hiding them, the angels will find and kill them to draw you in.”
I can hear people screaming behind me, but I ignore them and focus all of my energy on the bastard before me.
“You don’t think I’m going to fall for that, do you?” I whisper at him as anger and fear rolls through me in waves.
“I don’t care if you believe it or not, love, it’s the truth. I was your only saving grace. The only thing that would have kept you and your family safe, but you just had to be a slut like your mother,” he hisses at me with distain, and I feel every inch of my body heating from the inside out as the pressure builds with my anger.
It’s one thing to kidnap and turn my best friend into a vampire. It’s another to kidnap and try to claim me, touching me with his vile mouth and hands.
But when you threaten the family I love? The family that is one hundred percent innocent in all of this, and completely human?
No. I don’t care that I know David said God is protecting them, and that Paul just proved that they’re truly safe.
You threaten my loved ones, you die.
I can feel the anger and power build inside of me as the pressure burns, trying to find an escape, even if it means I’m torn apart in the process.
None of it matters. All that matters is that this man, and his band of merry warriors, don’t gain access to my family.
The pressure and heat running through my veins is starting to get to my head. I can’t hear or see anything other than bright light as the power starts flowing through me, deeper and stronger than I’ve ever imagined it could.
I can’t tell what’s happening, but I am no longer in control of myself. My power is officially controlling me.
Vaguely, I remember that my emotions are my greatest source of power as someone tries to pull me back, but it’s the wrong move. The wrong touch, and I throw them off me, still trying to get deep enough into my mind to take back control, when I’m yanked back into a hard chest.
Struggling to escape feels impossible against the strong arms that hold me.
“Harleigh, sweetheart, come back to me.” I hear Dad’s voice from far away as the scene before me starts to blur into focus, the bright light fading away. “I need you to focus, sweetheart. Focus on my voice, and nothing else. Close your eyes.”
His voice guides me until my breathing starts to even out, and the smell of burning hits me, making me gag.
“Dad?” I blink and lift my eyes to see him, and the guys watching me. Everyone but Brian is here by my side.
“Harleigh, it’s going to be okay.” He turns me around, whispering into my hair as he hugs me tight. “It’s all going to be okay.” He’s trying to calm me, but I don’t really know what he’s trying to reassure me of, because I didn’t see anything. I just felt.
“Dad, what did I do?” I ask in a small voice as I look up to him.
“Your powers overtook you for a moment, sweetheart. You lost control because you got too emotional,” he tells me, and I can feel myself starting to shake in his hold.
“What. Did. I. Do?” I ask again, more impatient this time because I can sense he’s afraid to tell me, but he doesn’t get the chance to answer me.
“He’s not breathing!” Bry shouts from across the room and Dad curses, pulling back to look at me.
“Harleigh, I need you to go and save Darren. Ignore everything else in this room, and just focus on saving his life, alright?”
I nod, thinking back on the power surge, and curse.
“He tried to grab me first, didn’t he?” Dad looks grim as he nods. “I killed Paul too, right?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, you did,” he says glumly.
I feel the nausea build in my stomach.
I killed someone.
He wasn’t a good person, but I’m not a killer. I can’t be.
“Don’t worry about that right now, Harleigh. You will not get into trouble for his death because he was already slotted to die. The person who killed him isn’t important.
“I’m good,” I whisper as the panic sets in. “I’M GOOD!” I scream into the room as the tears burn my eyes before running down my face.
“You are more than good, Harleigh. You are exceptional. But right now, you can’t focus on Paul because Darren needs you.” He’s holding me through my meltdown as he walks me toward Darren’s lifeless body.
“No. No, I can’t have killed two people. No.” I start to pull back so I can run.
“Save him, Harleigh. You’re the only one of us here that has the ability to save his life,” Dad reminds me, pleading.
I swallow, looking at everyone through the blur of tears, and nod. Yeah, okay. I can save him. I can do this. I will not take two lives today.
Taking a deep breath, I kneel beside Darren’s body as sobs work through me.
“I’m so sorry, Darren. Please forgive me. Please,” I sob as I get close enough to his face to start sharing my life force, when Orion speaks.
“There’s nothing to forgive, baby. It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be just fine.” His more distant and cold voice helps settle me a little, and helps me focus.
