Freak of Nature (The Lost Witch Trilogy #1) by Katie Lee O'Guinn

he could pass for his early thirties.”
    Sarah shook her head in wonder. “That is so crazy.”
    Lash held her hand and looked at her sadly. “Sarah, do you think I’m, . . . gross, or evil now?”
    Sarah looked away frowning, not wanting to meet his eyes. Within her was the desire to help and heal and she knew Lash needed healing. From his father’s abuse and from his new addiction to blood. But she was still disgusted too.
    “Lash, you’re not gross. What you’ve done is gross. You’re not evil. What you’re doing is and what’s been done to you is. But if you keep going down the path you’re on. You’ll be just like your dad. I would hate that. And I know you would too.”
    Lash nodded his head, looking determined. “I refuse to be like my dad. I won’t be. I was freaked out that you found out. But you’ve given me hope that there’s a way out. I didn’t know there was one.”
    Sarah smiled and patted his back. “I’ll go to the library during the next period and get you the information on the 12 steps. Will you start today?”
    Lash nodded his head and smiled. “I already have.”
    Sarah smiled and grabbed Lash’s arm. “Come on; let’s get back to school before someone thinks we’re out here making out or something,” she said with a laugh.
    Lash frowned. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
    “I would,” said a low, angry voice.
    Sarah and Lash turned around and stared at Zane. Sarah’s eyes widened at the expression on his face. He looked seriously ticked. She remembered what Zane had done to Drake yesterday and stood in front of Lash just in case.
    “Zane, we were just talking,” she said, holding a hand up defensively as his expression darkened and he looked over her shoulder at Lash.
    “Well, I did kiss her,” Lash said cockily.
    Sarah groaned and reached back and elbowed Lash in the stomach. “Shut up you idiot before Zane rips you in half.”
    Lash snorted. “You’re assuming he could. There’s no way.”
    Zane started forward. “Why don’t we find out,” he said, his voice sounding as violent as his eyes looked.
    Sarah threw herself in front of Zane, pushing against him with all her might. “No Zane. You don’t understand what just happened. Lash, take off. I’ll talk to you later.”
    Lash looked like he wanted to stay and fight with Zane, but she shook her head at him pleadingly and he nodded. He turned and walked away without saying another word.
    She turned and looked up into Zane’s wary eyes and felt tired all of a sudden.
    “Please don’t look at me like that. I don’t deserve it.”
    Zane turned away from her, crossing his arms across his chest. “Did he kiss you?” he demanded, sounding horribly disappointed.
    Sarah walked up behind Zane and wrapped her arms around him from behind, sending her energy out and around him. She felt him relax slightly. “He did kiss me, but I hurt him for it. He still doesn’t have feeling in three of his toes and the power slap I gave him was strong enough to fry a few brain cells.”
    Zane’s shoulder’s relaxed and he turned around, looking down at her. “He sounded way too happy about that kiss. He didn’t sound like he was in pain at all.”
    Sarah groaned and lifted her face to the sky. “That’s because he was having too much fun torturing you over it.”
    Zane rested his hand on his hip and looked down at his feet. “I could feel you across town. Every day, I can feel you more and more. I can feel your emotions. I can feel your energy. You’re embedded in me somehow. I could tell you were upset and mad. And I could feel this anguish coming from you. It was tearing my soul out. I grabbed your stuff, threw it in the jeep and rushed back. I thought something horrible was happening to you. But then I felt this pity and compassion. Like you wanted to wrap yourself around something or someone and protect them from harm. It was so sharp it was painful. It hurt me. Like it was stripping me from the inside out.