Page 13

He gives my neck a playful nibble, and I let out a delighted moan. His hot tongue does this swirly thing on my throat that sends shock waves of pleasure shooting through my veins. My skin is literally on fire from his passionate touch, and I’m so lost in the moment that I can’t move or think straight.

"You taste like the sun," he whispers.

His hands masterfully explore every inch of my curves as his mouth works its magic. It feels like everything in me is being taken and given back at once—I want to stay in this dreamy, lustful haze forever.

What the hell am I doing?

My head is in the clouds, my heart racing, taken aback by his contagious enthusiasm.

My hands grip his shoulders, entangling themselves in the scrappy material of his hoodie. My heart thumps like a carnival drum as I utter a few words.

“Wait…hold up. Who even are you?”

His teeth nip gently at my skin before he unwraps himself from me. He stands erect with an air of mystery enough to give anyone whiplash.

“You should rest. You’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

I sink further and further into a trance-like state as he moves away from me. I sit back down against the couch cushions, entirely in his power.

The mysterious man is gone in a flash, leaving only an eerie imprint in his absence. My brain can't catch up to what just happened. I'm bewildered, my thoughts swirling chaotically.

My mouth goes dry like a desert; I feel powerless and exhausted as the adrenaline drains. But along with my fatigue, an undeniable tingling heat still lingers where his lips touched my skin.

I'm alarmed by how affected I am by this stranger— frightened yet enthralled, my skin burning from his touch. I don't know whether to hope I'll see him again or pray he stays away.

A treacherous part of me longs to be consumed by the storm this alluring man has stirred within me. But the rational part of my mind wars against my body's unpredictable reactions—his scent and touch linger hauntingly, igniting a craving I don't understand.

Darkness takes over my vision like an encroaching storm cloud, sleep calling to me insistently. But even as I surrender to unconsciousness, my mind and body remain hyper-aware of his phantom presence.

I'm caught in a riptide, being pulled under by something I'm afraid to confront.

Rhyland

12

I'm storming down the streets, my head replaying the night and fanning the flames of my fury to a goddamn blaze. The second she hit that dance floor, it was like some invisible lasso snapped around me, pulling me to her like a damn magnet.

The beast in me was ready to pull her close, make her mine forever. But something else was at play, crashing against my wild urges. I've got control when it comes to mortals, but this woman, she was a hair's breadth from blowing my cover.

In the shadows, I was spellbound, watching her move, her body speaking a language all its own. But then that slimy fucker touched her, breaking the spell, igniting a primal fury in my blood. He had zero fucking right to tarnish what's mine with his grubby hands!

Right then, I wanted to tear him apart, watch his life flicker out as punishment for daring to lay a finger on her. The raw jealousy and thirst for blood boiling in me was a shock to my system.

Watching them was like getting stabbed in the chest with a glowing hot blade. My dead heart thrashed at the sight, and it took all my fucking will not to wipe that scumbag off the face of the earth.

As they slunk off to the bar, I followed, unseen, my fury burning a mark in my palms. Rage simmered as that asshole spiked their drinks, thinking he was slick. That's when I knew I had to step up to shield her from his sick plans. Not once had I given a shit about a female in this way, but leaving her to chance? No way. She'd stirred something deep down.

Time to get Erik in on the action. I signaled him and nodded toward the two women, letting him know we had a situation on our hands.

Erik nods, “What do you wanna do?”

I quickly ordered him to follow the blonde and ensure she got home safely. Confusion lit his eyes as he took in my murderous anger over a random human girl. In truth, I did not fully understand it myself. Something primal about her stirred long-forgotten passions and feelings within me. I only knew she was mine to guard.

I tracked them outside, my rage burning hotter with each step. It took immense effort to restrain my fists from pounding her attacker into a bloody pulp. The law stayed my hand, but every fiber of my being screamed to rend flesh, to mete out true justice.

I tore him away before real violence could occur. Her safety was all that mattered in those fraught moments. I took savage satisfaction in crushing her would-be rapist, though I regretted not being able to end his wretched existence permanently. I would deal with the troublesome aftermath of my actions later.

Even in her disoriented state, she was breathtaking, her voice sweeter than any siren's song. She resurrected sensations and fierce longings I thought forever buried beneath my stony facade. I found myself stunned, able only to rasp a few inadequate words while she leaned heavily against me.