Page 24

Every facet of my body begged for the bite. I couldn’t weaken—but it felt so damn good—no! I cinched my eyes shut.

There was the pain of his fangs as they punctured my throat and the mental battle ceased. Lust flared and my clit throbbed. Ren’s grip tightened on my chin and his head burrowed in between my neck, pushing his lips harder against my throat.

His cock ground against me and I rolled my hips toward him, rubbing my ass against his hard dick. With each suck at my neck, it drew me tight as a bowstring. He drank another mouthful of my blood and lights flickered behind my closed eyes.

“Mm, I can’t forget how good you taste,” he whispered against my throat.

A tingle blazed to life and caused my knees to weaken. He sucked again and launched me into an orgasm. Sparks burst behind my scrunched eyelids. I kept grinding against his jeans, riding out the wave of release against the denim. It allowed me just enough pressure, but I wanted him inside me, fucking me, devouring me.

No. No. No. I stiffened.

“Enjoy the memory, blood-whore, it’s the most you will get from me.”

Humiliation slapped me in the face.

“Let me go,” I croaked, breaking my self-imposed silence. There wasn’t a doubt of how wet and ready I was for him. He only bit me and I came.

I was fucking twisted. Every muscle went limp and his grip loosened. I fell to my ass and curled my legs into my chest, huddling under the island.

A sob wrenched free.

He stared down at me, cool and collected as he swiped his tongue across his lip.

I swore I wouldn’t cry in front of them and here I was.

Swiping the back of my hand across my damp face, I hiccupped in a painful breath.

My chest tightened painfully with my inhales. Like a hand wrapped around my lungs and continued to squeeze.

The grip on my lungs engulfed my throat, sending my heart racing. How embarrassing, instead of going out in an escape attempt, my fear would do me in.

“Human, get up.” Ren tapped his toe against my ankle but my body was starting to go numb. I clutched his jeans, clinging to him. My surroundings blurred.

I wheezed, my grip weakening.

I’d lost a lot of blood in the car accident and the little droplets Jax forced down my throat only served to make it manageable to get around without a cast. To not be taken down due to my crippling fear, I needed more of their blood.

Over my dead body.

Movement from the kitchen entrance dragged my focus to the approaching blur.

“Pet,” Asher murmured, gripping the back of my head.

I let Ren’s jeans go and tipped to the side. If Asher wasn’t holding onto me, I would have banged my head on the hard floor.

His arms snaked around my waist, and I collapsed against his hard chest.

I could get through the attack. I could do it. Getting my heart to chill out was the only way and as much as I wanted to deny it, his arms warmed me. A wave of calm settled over my mind and cinched my eyes closed. His palm rubbed down my back in soothing rubs.

It was like he was a life-sized inhaler calming my squeezing lungs. It sickened me how well being held and petted calmed me.

“Ren doesn’t fuck humans, breathe.” Asher’s voice rumbled in my ear, but . . . it held a thicker accent. This wasn’t Asher. “He will not hurt you.”

I locked up, keeping my eyes shut. This will all disappear like a bad dream. I’ll wake up in my seedy LA apartment, the last place I had been before moving to Washington.

When I opened my eyes, it would all be gone . . . my lungs stopped constricting in my chest. I opened my eyes to clash with Jax’s blank gaze. It wasn’t a dream. Tears welled again, but I beat them back. His attention dropped to my throat where it tickled and felt wet.

“Why will you two not leave the girl alone?” Tobias said and crouched. His nose twitched and fangs exploded from his gums.