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The whinnies and squawks from the magsiths outside pulled me from my dream, but it was the hard column of flesh against my ass cheeks that really woke me up.

I was still the little spoon, and Drak was draped around me like a protective mantle.

I certainly couldn’t have lain like this all night with Zandren or Maxar because they were so warm-blooded. But Drak actually helped to keep me cool.

I stirred a little, adjusting my position to roll over onto my back to get comfortable. That woke him up, and he inched away from me, slowly opening his eyes. A bashful-pink filled his cheeks, and he removed his pelvis from against my hipbone. “Sorry,” he murmured.

“So even vampires wake up with morning wood, huh?” I asked with a playful smile to hopefully put him at ease. “Not all of you isundead.”

He rolled his dark-blue eyes. “I can’t control it.”

“I know.”

The magsiths outside grew louder. The sound of a gate opening caused their hooves to stomp wildly, followed by the unlocking of a door. Then it was like a small earthquake and a thousand giddy horses running around the house. Thefoundation shook from their many hooves and their noises of excitement filled the air.

He propped himself up on his elbow and glanced down at me. “Do you still feel them alive?”

I closed my eyes and dug down deep, searching for them in my soul. I didn’t feel any emptiness where my love for them resided. I opened my eyes and nodded. “I do.”

Drak’s nod was stiff and singular.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I got impaled by a large-clawed monster.”

Smirking, I sat up and made him roll over onto his back. Then I peeled back the enormous T-shirt he must have borrowed from Shoy, to inspect the injury. It was mostly healed. All that was left was a red and pink puffy scar surrounded by a dark-green bruise. There was no hole anymore, and he was breathing a lot better than he was last night. I gently ran my hand over his chest, pulling the T-shirt up higher. His ribs were bruised a purple color, and I was sure they ached when he breathed. But from what I could tell, his collapsed lung had repaired itself and his cracked ribs were healing.

“Does this hurt?” I asked, tracing my fingers lightly across his chest.

His gaze seared me. “No.”

I swallowed and heat filled my body, pooling in my lower belly and between my thighs. I continued on my exploration, getting him to roll over a little to inspect the exit wound on his back. It too had healed enough, forming a nasty pink and white scar. He rolled onto his back again and caught my hand in his. A quick glance down at his shorts proved that the morning erection from earlier was still very much there.

I swallowed again, my eyes on his as need shone back at me with overwhelming intensity.

My bottom lip snagged between my teeth as his grip on my hand tightened and he pulled me downward until our faces were just inches a part. My chest rose and fell quickly, and my breath grew ragged, stuttering out of my nose like I was scared. And in some strange way, I was. Scared of how much I cared forthis vampire when I still knew so little about him. Unlike Zandren and Maxar who kept no secrets from me, Drak was still full of them. He remained guarded. Did that mean he didn’t trust me?

Would he ever trust me?

My lips hovered over his now, his cool breath mixing with mine. Our eyes remained open, fixed on each other, and I pleaded with him to open up and let me in. He insisted that we mate from nearly the moment he stepped into my life, but if he wanted me to want him the way I wanted the others, then he needed to tear down some of his centuries-old walls.

His other hand fell to my hip bone, sliding down to curve around my ass, he gave a little push with that hand and a little tug with the other that held my fingers, crushing our mouths together.

He took what he wanted, and I gave him everything. I held back nothing, hoping that he saw how willing I was for us to mate-bondifhe opened up. If he gave me everything in return.

But even as he kissed me with a tenderness that nearly brought me to tears, I could still feel that he was guarded. He was restraining himself, holding back, and it frustrated me to no end.

Carefully, with his guidance, I threw one leg over his body, straddling him like I did last night. His hands moved up under my tank top and he eventually peeled it away. I shoved down his shorts, revealing the hard length of him, and ditched my sweatpants.

Then there was nothing between us.

With his eyes on me again, but his walls still up, I gripped him by the base and notched him at my center slowly sinking down to take him inside. Our mutual moans filled the room as I started to rock back and forth, setting a pace that worked for both of us.

He cupped my ass with both hands, tugging me closer, and himself deep inside of me. The rocking motion and tighter fit made my clit rub against his lower belly, sparking new pleasure inside of me. I rested my hands on my thighs, careful not to push on his chest, but he fixed that by releasing my ass, and grabbing my arms, then placing my hands on his chest. Blue fire flickered backat me as I continued to ride him, as I continued to give all of myself to this mysterious, grumpy vampire.

But he just kept those walls up.

My teeth dug painfully into my bottom lip, and my hips rocked, taking him deeper and deeper. Tingles filled my arms and legs, and I could practically see the healing sparkles flowing from my body into his. His chest and abdomen glowed, and with each passing breath he just seemed stronger.