Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout Read Free Book Online

through, furrowing his dark brows.
    “Well no, but I haven’t heard any pures bitching about anything.”
    Aiden took a deep breath. “Then you haven’t been listening. They aren’t allowed to go anywhere unless they’re in groups. They can’t leave the island unless they’re with a Guard or a Sentinel—”
    “Whoa.” I laughed harshly. “Those poor pures have to have babysitters? At least they don’t need to get permission to leave. We don’t even have that option.”
    “Aren’t you grounded from doing anything anyway? And preventing the halfs from leaving the island is to keep them safe.”
    I clenched the dagger, squeezing it so hard I thought it would shatter. “The new rules aren’t fair, Aiden. You have to see that. I know you’re a pure, but you can drop the act around me. You don’t have to say you agree with it because you’re expected to.”
    “This isn’t an act, Alex. And this has nothing to do with me being a pure. I agree that drastic measures need to be taken. If the half-bloods have to sacrifice a couple of weeks of partying and jumping dorms to ensure—”
    “Sacrifice a couple of weeks of partying? Are you serious? Do you think that’s why we’re upset?”
    Aiden stalked toward me. “You’re upset because you’re being irrational and stubborn. You’re letting your emotions rule your logic, Alex. If you’d stop and think for five seconds, you’d see that these rules need to be in place.”
    I jerked back a step, unable to remember the last time he’d spoken to me like that. An icky feeling started in my chest and spread.
    “So let me get this straight.” My voice shook. “You think it’s okay for them to restrict where we can go and what we can do? That they can search our rooms at any time? You think it’s acceptable for them to subject us to full body searches? And it’s just okay for them to launch a witch hunt the moment they think there’s another daimon?”
    “No one’s starting a witch hunt, Alex! I agree that certain measures have to be taken, but I don’t agree with—”
    Anger pounded through my blood. I threw the practice blade to the floor. “My gods, you’re just another pure, Aiden! You’re no different than the rest of them. How irrational of me to think otherwise.”
    Aiden flinched as if I’d hit him. “I’m no different than the rest? Do you hear yourself?”
    “Whatever. Who cares, right? I’m just a half-blood.” I pushed past him before I did do something irrational, like cry in front of him. Turns out, I didn’t make it very far. I kept forgetting how fast Aiden could move.
    He blocked me, eyes flashing silver. “How can you even say I’m like the other pures? Answer me, Alex.”
    “Because… because you should know that those rules aren’t fair to us!”
    “This isn’t about the damn rules, Alex. I’m like the other pures?” He gave a low, sharp laugh. “You really believe that?”
    “But you think—”
    Aiden grabbed my arm, pulling me right against his chest. The unexpected contact fried my brain. “If I was like every other pure-blood, I would have had you by now, without even thinking about the consequences for you. Every day is a struggle not to be like them.”
    I stared up at him, shocked to hear him put it out there so bluntly. Words—and I always had words—totally escaped me. I would have had you by now. I was pretty sure I knew what he meant.
    “So don’t tell me I’m like other pures.”
    “Aiden—I’m—”
    “Forget it.” He released me, a cool mask slipping onto his face. “Practice is over.”
    Aiden left the room, and I stood there for several minutes. I’d never really argued
    with him before. Not like that. Sure, we disagreed on things all the time—like favorite TV shows. He liked the golden oldies—the kind they showed in black and white. I hated them. We’d come close to knocking each other out over that, but we’d never argued over who we were.
    To add insult to injury, Guards were