CHARGED - CHAPTER 2

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CHAPTER 2

“Oh, come on. Just give the guy a chance.” Briana tossed a pillow at Dakota.

They’d moved the beds so that the ends touched, and they could sit up propped against the walls to see each other.

Having been with The Light Chasers group four years, Dakota had survived the longest. So by natural selection, she mentored the newcomers. Briana had just come into her powers ten months earlier, so Dakota got a new roommate—again.

Tend to run through roomies in the demon hunting business.

“Come on. What’s the hold up? Sean is into you, D.”

“Yeah, and every other chick who sways her hips near him. I mean, look what happened the other night.”

“I can’t believe he couldn’t tell that chick was a Changer. He’s got that whole mind thing going on.”

“Probably too distracted by her big boobs. No brainwaves to read from those, right?” Dakota crossed her arms over her embarrassingly flat chest.

Briana flopped back into her pillows. She grabbed her stomach and rolled to the side, laughing.

“Laugh it up, Newbie.” Dakota pointed her foot so her big toe touched Briana’s fair-skinned calf. A flash of static electricity ignited, cutting through the dimly lit dorm room.

“Hey. No fair using your powers.”

Briana leaned forward and rubbed her calf. With her other hand she put her thumb over her middle fingernail and made like she was going to flick someone. Instead, a pea-sized ball of slush flew through the air right into Dakota’s face.

“Hey, you’re getting good at that.” She slid the back of her hand across her wet cheek.

“Well, they make you practice so much here.”

“Hence the name, The Academy.”

“I’d rather be at Winds Community College if you don’t mind.” Briana sank into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“Yeah, well, this is our college. It’s partially a real one. It has mostly humans here.”

“Bunch of clueless humans wandering around with no idea that we keep the demons at bay.” Briana snorted. “But I left a boyfriend back home. You didn’t.”

“Ouch.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re right. I’m not so experienced in the boyfriend department, but—”

A knock rattled the door. Briana shot up in her bed and Dakota hurtled to her feet.

“It’s midnight, who the heck would be pounding on our door?” Briana’s voice shook.

“Girl. You can freeze almost anything into an ice sculpture, and I can electrocute what I touch . . . I wouldn’t worry too much, okay?” Dakota stepped toward the door. “Can we say too much caffeine?”

“Look who’s talking, Miss I-Wear-My-Combat-Boots-To-Bed.”

Another knock. “Kota? You up?” Sean’s voice trickled through the door.

Dakota froze, heart stopped. But the thought of seeing Sean kick-started it back to life, only to the opposite spectrum. Now it threatened to crack a rib it pounded so violently. She dragged her fingers through her snarly hair, snagging some strands, which made her eyes sting.

Briana giggled behind her. “Want some tic-tacs?”

Dakota scratched her back with her middle finger and gripped the handle with her other hand. She cranked the door open.

“Oh good. You’re up,” Sean said. He shoved his hands into his front pockets, which pulled the beltline of his jeans down, revealing the band of his Calvin Klein boxers.

She snapped her attention to his eyes. That didn’t help. They flickered like pools of ocean water during a sunset.

Get the mental blocks up. Blocks up.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“I just wanted to check on you. You were pretty quiet in classes today.” His gaze navigated down a fraction. “Your neck is still a little bruised. Is it hurting?”

“Yeah.” Something the size of a grapefruit lodged in Dakota’s throat. “Um. No. It’s fine.”

“You’re so sweet to check on her, Sean,” Briana said. “Come in.”

“Ah, no. You can’t come in.” Blocks up. Blocks up. “Um. I—”

Sean grabbed Dakota’s hand, then yanked her through the doorway. The door slammed shut behind her. Her cheeks flamed as he tugged her away from the room. Voices spilled out from beneath closed doors that lined the dim hallway.

“It’s a little late, don’t you think?”

“No. You don’t have class until eleven tomorrow.”

“I hate that you know my schedule.”

“I ought to, it’s almost an exact duplicate of mine.” His pace slowed as they approached a turn.

Dakota knew the third floor lounge was right around the corner. Considering it housed the only TV on the floor, she was surprised to find it empty.

“What’s all this about, Sean?”

He turned around and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

“What are you doing—?”

He silenced her mouth with his. Gentle, like a feather brushing over her, he pressed his lips against hers. The shock of it froze her solid. Hands out to the side, electricity about to zing through them. Instead she lifted herself to her tip-toes for a better angle and curled her arms around his neck.

Okay, so Sean was beautiful. Kind. Sexy. And Dakota had liked him since she first met him three years earlier. He’d even steamed up a few of her dreams. But he had a wondering eye when it came to chicks, and it would break her heart sooner or later. She should stop things before they went any further.

Briana’s voice chimed in her ears. You should give Sean a chance. He’s not human, so you can be yourself around him. Dakota had tried the whole have-a-human-for-a-boyfriend-thing, and it was just too much work.

Boyfriends in general demanded too much effort, human or not. And, well . . . they tended to die when they got involved with Dakota.

“I won’t die,” Sean whispered.

Guess her mental blocks weren’t so strong at the moment.

A spark ignited in her mouth as his warmth overtook her face. She drew in a deep breath through her nose taking in his sporty scent. His soft, warm tongue parted her lips and gently flicked against her teeth. His hands moved from her face to around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

What was she doing? She’d seen him go through girl after girl and didn’t want to be next. He was her partner out there on the street. It would never work.

He pulled away fractionally and drew in a ragged breath. “It’s different with you, Kota.” He pressed his lips to her neck. “You’re not like the others. It can work.” His teeth scraped her earlobe.

There was no putting a wall around her mind with her body on fire like it was. If she didn’t stop him soon, he’d have free reign over more than just her mind, and she knew that would lead to nothing good.

She just had to convince her body to listen to logic.

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