Page 54 of The Devil's Waltz

He meets me halfway, pulling me against him with an arm around my waist and dips his face to kiss me. It’s over as quick as it happened, but I can’t help the spike of my pulse as I move away from him.

“Xander, you’re at least three drinks behind,” Phoebe tells him with a warm smile before handing him a cup.

He takes it, grinning at her. “I’m sure I can catch up.”

I try to inhale, but my breath gets lodged in my throat. Heat flashes through me from head to toe and the back of my neck tingles as I swallow at the sudden desert in my mouth. Between one moment and the next, the room starts to feel tiny, as if the walls are moving closer, and the music seems louder, the bass pounding in my ears. My limbs tense, and I feel as if my insides are quivering. I press my nails into my palms, desperatelytrying to ground myself, but everything is slipping out of my control, filling me with an inescapable sense of dread. Its tendrils weave through my ribs, circling my lungs until—

I can’t breathe.

I flinch when Adrianna touches my arm, then turn my gaze to her. She must’ve said something because she’s waiting for me to answer.

“Sorry,” I croak. “I just—I need some air.” I set my cup down and hurry out of the room, squeezing through the growing crowd in the kitchen to slip out the French doors to the back deck.

The cool air is an immediate reprieve from the stuffy warmth of the crowd in the house, but I don’t stop moving once I’m outside.

Xander saw me flee the room. He might be giving me some space for a minute, but there’s no chance he won’t follow me. It doesn’t make sense, but I both hope he will and dread it just as strongly.

I make my way down to the dock, and while I can still hear the music and people up at the house, it’s much quieter. The sound of the water hitting the rocks along the shore is soothing enough I can almost tune out the rest of the noise.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shiver from the breeze coming off the water. I should’ve grabbed a sweater before I came outside, and if I’d been in the proper headspace, I would have. Inhaling a deep breath, I hold it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. After repeating the breathing exercise a handful of times, I feel marginally better. The tightness in my chest eases some, and I’m not as worried my legs are going to give up holding me upright.

“There you are.”

My heart lurches at the sound of Xander’s smooth, deep voice, but I refuse to turn around. The dock moves slightly as he walks closer, stopping at my back. I can feel the heat of his body against mine, and the urge to lean into him is so strong, I want to throw myself into the lake.

Dropping my arms to my sides, I swallow hard before I say in a low voice, “What are you doing here, Xander?” I clench my jaw when my teeth chatter over his name.

“I was invited.”

“You…” I shake my head in disbelief. “I thought our last encounter would’ve made it clear you wereuninvited.”

He exhales a soft breath. “I wanted to see you.”

Before I can say anything in response, he drapes his jacket over my shoulders, flooding my senses withhim. His warmth, his scent, everything. It makes my head spin, and I close my eyes against the dizzying sensation. My heart is hammering in my chest, and knowing he can hear it makes it next to impossible to slow down.

“Camille.” His voice is a gentle caress against my senses.

I grit my teeth at the lump in my throat. I’m afraid to speak for fear my voice will break. One of the first things I learned in hunter training—something that stuck with me even after I left—is to never show a demon weakness. It only feeds their twisted enjoyment of playing with their prey. And I have to believe Xander is no different, even though I desperately wish that weren’t true.

Opening my eyes, I stare out into the darkness. “Why are you here? What happened to you keeping a low profile? Last I checked, every hunter in the organization is looking for you.”

“Right. Well, I suppose I should consider myself lucky that your friend has demons as friends instead of hunters.”

I whirl around to face him, unable to keep the shock out of my voice when I say, “There are other demons here?”

He nods. “You might not believe me, but I’m here to keep you safe.”

A strangled breath of laughter escapes my lips. It’s harsh and void of humor, though the sincerity on his face fills my chest with a pressure I fight to ignore. “Safe from what? You’re the one I should be afraid of.”

He pauses, his eyes searching mine for a moment before he says, “Except you’re not. Because there’s a part of you that knows I won’t hurt you, and that is true. But there are demons who would, given the chance. Demons who know how important you are.”

“Important to your mother,” I say bitterly, though I can’t help but feel a tinge ofsomethingat him acknowledging he won’t hurt me. I want to shove it away, because in a sense, he already has. Him being a demon hurts me.

Xander sighs. “Yes.”

“What’s her plan?”

He lowers his gaze, wetting his lips before he looks at me again. “Lucia is going to destroy the hunters’ organization, and she plans to use you to help her do it.”

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