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Chapter Five

Samara

My body felt like it was on fire. I’d never denied my needs like this before. In fact, usually the days after my menstruation were very fun. It was a perfectly solid excuse to stay in bed and ignore any responsibilities while getting fucked into oblivion.

When I was at Drudonia, I’d often find another scholar, or several, to keep me entertained. After my marriage to Demetri, I’d been a little more limited. He’d been adequate in bed, not the most creative, but I tended to get a little . . . aggressive . . . when I was like this and made it work.

But now, I’d sooner cut off my arm then let him touch me, even if I had no other options. My fingers were going to be fucking aching by the time this was over.

Vail was a silent presence at my side as we made our way back to the dungeon. It’d been difficult, but I’d managed to mostly concentrate during dinner, and I’d been rewarded with lots of useful information between things both spoken and unspoken.

Carmilla was keeping her coup quiet. She couldn’t completely control the flow of information from the Sovereign House—there were almost a thousand Moroi living here on a permanent basis and another thousand rangers who regularly rotated in and out.

But she’d been busy these past couple of weeks, ensuring that the key players were loyal to her and her alone. On my way to dinner, we’d passed several advisors who hadn’t batted an eye at me being led through the halls with guards in front and Vail at my side.

The other Houses had no doubt heard rumors, but Carmilla Harker had a reputation as being an honest and respectable House Leader. They would give her the benefit of the doubt.

And their Houses would fall because of it.

Lucian was a bit of a mystery to me. He hadn’t spoken enough to suss out his motivation or wants. That worried me. I didn’t like having such an unknown adversary.

We passed a hallway that I knew led to some living quarters, and briefly, I regretted not taking Carmilla up on her offer—just so I’d have better access to the rest of the House and therefore a greater chance at escape.

But I dismissed that notion a second later.

Carmilla would have put guards on me at all times, and I wasn’t going anywhere without Draven.

Aside from Vail watching over me directly, the guards were only stationed at the entrance to the dungeons. They did periodic checks of the levels, but there would still be less eyes on me down there. I was sure Draven and I could come up with something—once I made it to him.

That would have to wait another couple of days though because despite my belief that I could work through my stupid horny thoughts, that seemed to be growing more unlikely by the second.

More than once, my gaze had drifted back to Vail during that dinner, and I’d remembered everything he’d done to me in that cave . . . and then the cabin. My thoughts had scattered, and I’d lost track of the conversation.

I couldn’t afford to slip up like that during an escape, and based on the way I was feeling, it seemed likely that I’d throw rationality out the window and just jump Draven as soon as I saw him, caring way more about getting his cock inside me than getting the fuck out of here.

My core tightened at the thought, and I knew if I reached beneath my dress, I’d find myself hot and wet.

“Fuck,” Vail cursed under his breath and started walking faster.

I had to lengthen my stride to keep up with him, which meant even more of my skin showed with every step. Based on the way Vail’s jaw was tightening, I knew he was seeing the flashes of my golden brown skin out of the corner of his eye and it was getting to him.

I should hate him—and I did. He’d betrayed me after everything we’d gone through. After everything we’d done. I’d thought we’d finally gotten past all our bullshit, only to find out it’d all been a lie. My brain and heart were very much on Team Vail Can Eat Dirt and Die.

My traitorous pussy, on the other hand, was very much Team Vail Can Eat Us Out And Then Die.

“Fuck,” I muttered and picked up my pace. I needed to get back to my cell and away from Vail, because while Demetri had zero chance of me hate fucking him, I wasn’t entirely sure I had the willpower to resist Vail for much longer.

Why did he have to smell so delicious? Like the forest after a thunderstorm. That thread linking me to him practically purred as I breathed in more of his scent, though it felt more faint than it had a few weeks ago. Like it was fraying at the edges.

Good. I hoped it fucking vanished entirely.

Two guards stood on either side of the iron and wood door at the end of the hall.

The one on the left nodded at Vail and opened the door.

But the one on right openly leered at me.

Dark brown eyes with cracks of green running through them darkened as he inhaled sharply, and I knew he was smelling my arousal.

Not for you asshole. I’d fuck a pine cone right now.

“Grigor, if you want to keep your head on your shoulders, I suggest you look the fuck away right now and keep your mouth shut,” Vail said in a low, dangerous tone.

The pervy guard—Grigor, apparently—jerked his gaze away from me, but not before sneering first.

Vail waved me forward, and I entered the narrow stairwell that wound down to the dungeon levels, Vail following behind me. Fae lanterns gave off a pale yellow light as we made our descent.

I hadn’t ever gone past my cell, so I had no idea how much farther down Draven was, but I did know he was on the bottom level, thanks to information I’d gleaned from conversations over the past couple of weeks.

There were three levels above me, and considering this was built underground, it didn’t seem possible that it went that much farther.

At least that was what I hoped, because I really didn’t want to run down hundreds of stairs and then have to turn around and go back up.

Fuck. Stairs.

We walked past the first level, and I heard several conversations filtering through the door, but the words were too muffled to make out.

It was the same on the next floor. When we reached the door that led to the room that contained my cell, I almost shoved Vail out of the way to race inside and lock the cell door between us.

I was practically panting, and it had nothing to do with all the steps we’d just walked down. My body was keyed up, and every part of my skin felt hot, and this was only day one. Tomorrow was going to be even more brutal.

Vail opened the door, and I had no choice but to step inside.

Go to the cell , I told myself. He’ll lock you in, and then you won’t have to worry about climbing the delicious mountain of a man standing before you.

You won’t have to resist moaning as he shoves his enormous cock into your dripping cunt, stretching you out ? —

FUCK. My breathing grew more ragged, and I realized I’d stopped moving.

For a second, Vail and I stood there looking at each other with less than a foot separating us.

Silver bled across his dark grey eyes, gleaming slightly from the ever-burning flames of the Fae lanterns.

Something about Vail always looked a little wild, like he wasn’t meant to be contained behind stone walls but out in the forest with the other beasts.

Betrayed. He’d betrayed me. I hated him.

Why was this dance between us always so fucking complicated?

With just the two of us in this small, dark space, his scent enveloped me. He smelled rich and earthy. More than a little wild.

Emotions raced across Vail’s face. Guilt. Lust. Conflict. I understood those last two because they applied to how I was feeling at this very moment. Only, while he felt guilt, I felt rage.

But I still wanted him. And it wasn’t just because of the lust haze coursing through my blood. Nor was it the odd magic connecting us, which I still didn’t understand.

For all his hateful words, Demetri had been right when he’d declared my feelings for Vail and why the Marshal of House Harker had been in a position to hurt me so badly.

I loved him. Body and soul. And that wasn’t something I could just turn off, even if that love was now twisted with hate.

“Fuck it,” Vail growled.

We both moved at the same time, crashing into each other. Vail’s mouth claimed mine as his strong hands gripped my ass and lifted me up. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist, and my fingers wound into his hair, pulling him harder against me as he backed me against the dungeon door.

His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I ground myself against him.

Everything I’d been keeping pent up all day slipped free, and it felt fucking amazing.

Even with the fabric of the dress between my back and the hard wood of the door, I could feel the iron within it seeping into my body.

It felt wrong, but I was too concerned with Vail’s hands on me to give a shit.

We broke our kiss when Vail thrust with his hips, one of his hands drifting from my ass to squeeze my breast. A frustrated growl slipped from him before he tore the fabric, then his hand was on my bare flesh as he roughly ran a thumb over my taut nipple.

“Fuck!” My head snapped forward, and then my fangs were buried in his throat. The richness of his blood coated my tongue as I drank him down.

“ Sam ,” he groaned as the hand that was still cupping my ass gripped it tighter.

That nickname on his tongue was like an arrow to the heart.

Between one heartbeat and the next, I pulled my fangs out of his throat, gripped the back of his head, and slammed it forward over my shoulder—straight into the door—with every ounce of strength I could muster.

Vail’s hands dropped away, and my feet landed on the floor as he stumbled back, a hand clutching his head while blood leaked through his fingers.