Page 42 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Cedric

“You’ll let that happen?”

Lily’s words haunted me, keeping me from chasing her into her dreams. She’d been physically sated and emotionally exhausted, her mind easily taking her under for some much-needed rest.

But not mine.

My mind refused to do anything other than repeat that phrase and the feelings that had followed.

I hadn’t been able to answer her. Not out loud, anyway. Because I didn’t much care for the response— “I won’t have a choice . ”

Silvano would force me to break the bond. He didn’t allow for such complications, and as my maker, I would have no choice but to follow through on the command.

He’d take my sweet flower and ruin her.

Unless I killed her first.

I drew my fingers through her hair, reveling in the silky texture. Her soul had married mine, making her immortal. Which meant her life would be prolonged to withstand eternity. An intimate gift vampires very rarely bestowed upon a human mate.

Lily would be much harder to kill now.

And if something did happen, her spirit would simply draw energy from mine and revitalize her.

At least until the Erosita bond broke.

That act required one of two things to happen—my death, or intimacy with another male.

Oh, but not just any intimacy. I could share her with a friend, let him fuck her mouth, and she’d still remain mine. But vaginal intercourse—and anal—would shatter my hold over her. Only I could intimately penetrate her.

As I’d never intended to take a mate, I didn’t know much about the fragile link other than the basics.

Such as the origin story, which claimed that the supreme goddess of all, Nyx, had gifted her vampire creations the ability to take mates after her first line of Blessed Ones had voiced sadness over outliving their human counterparts.

But there were rules that accompanied the magic that tied humans to vampires.

And faithfulness was one of them.

As with all things my kind did, they’d tested the boundaries. Vampires could in fact take more than one Erosita —and several had done so, once upon a time—and they could share to an extent.

Male Erositas could not receive anal, unlike female Erositas . An interesting distinction that once cost a vampire his mate.

Or so the story went, anyway.

But that was often the case with the Erosita bond. It was once so revered that few vampires spoke about the nuances, as they considered the details to be too intimate to disclose .

Having undergone the process now myself, I understood the desire to remain silent.

It felt too special and rare to discuss with anyone other than Lily. And yet, Silvano would likely require me to provide every bit of information regarding my bond to Lily.

He’d be furious with this development.

While Erositas were once cherished among my kind, they were now strongly frowned upon. Humans were too weak to be worthy of such a connection.

However, I found Lily to be the worthiest of them all.

A dark part of me had recognized what our frequent blood exchanges would lead to. It only took three complete exchanges—three different instances of her imbibing my blood and three occasions of me drinking from her—to initiate the bond with a human virgin.

All I’d needed to do at the end was deflower her.

Had anyone else come before me, even a human, the magic would have lost its power.

But she was still untouched where it mattered, allowing me to claim her.

The blood exchange might have been why I’d felt so compelled to take her, to keep her, to make her mine. Except I’d been infatuated with her from the moment I’d laid eyes on her.

All this silky hair.

Long, stem-like legs.

Air of blissful innocence.

A spirit that refused to die.

Then she’d hit me with those breathtaking eyes, begging me to teach her how to pass my class.

I’d been lost to her ever since.

And it didn’t improve now as her thick lashes parted to reveal her stunning irises. They practically glittered in the dark, drawing me to her that much more.

She’d been awake for the last several minutes, listening to my mental musings because I hadn’t bothered to shut her out.

I let her hear everything from the history of the Erosita bond to what little I knew about it to the fact that it was frowned upon in today’s world.

I even went as far as to share some of the old world with her, providing her with memories of life when lycans and vampires lived in secret.

Her mind soaked up the information like a needy sponge, lost to the world I once knew.

I also supplied her with a glimpse into the current political games and told her how any sort of relationship with a mortal was considered to be a sign of weakness.

Only two humans could be turned immortal every year, a rule I didn’t technically break, as Erositas were still allowed, just frowned upon.

I could fight to keep her. I might even try.

Political nonsense had never appealed to me.

There was also a sovereign in Jace Region who had recently taken an Erosita .

The difference, of course, was that I answered to a self-proclaimed sadist, while the other sovereign reported to a proverbial saint.

Oh, Jace wasn’t perfect. He had his own tastes. But he wouldn’t try to destroy his sovereign’s new toy the way Silvano would mine.

It helped that Darius, the sovereign in question, had mated a rare blood virgin. Her addictive flavor would protect her, assuming he willingly shared her with Jace—which rumors confirmed he was doing. And frequently, at that.

Lily possessed a sweetness I found alluring. But it was a sweetness Silvano would sour immediately .

I would sooner kill her myself than place her in his path.

She shivered, hearing that threat.

But rather than slide away from me, she rolled closer and pressed her lips to my jaw. It served as a silent kiss of forgiveness, one I didn’t deserve.

I should have killed her months ago and saved us both the eventual pain. However, I’d been too consumed by her to end this unhealthy infatuation.

All I had been able to think about while away from her was how soon I could return.

Just for a month.

Not even thirty-one days.

Where she could be mine.

I palmed her cheek, my thumb tracing the hollow beneath her eye. “Good evening,” I whispered, my voice deep with false sleep. I had never really rested, but I hadn’t spoken either.

“Hi.” She pressed another kiss to my jaw, then moved to hover near my lips.

I didn’t speak or issue a demand. I merely waited for her to do whatever she desired. I owed her that much after everything I’d put her through, after everything I would put her through, too.

She heard every thought. Every intention. Every regret. I kept nothing hidden, including the knowledge of my ability to shut her out. Which meant she knew I freely gave her this access to my mind. She marveled at that, stunned by how easily I’d let her inside me.

But when she realized the extent of my feelings for her, she understood.

It surprised her. I heard that shock in her thoughts as she tried to process her reactions to everything I’d shared.

Then she shut it all off and kissed me .

She didn’t want to think; she wanted to feel.

And I was very on board with that decision.

I pulled her over me, loving the way her legs automatically parted around my hips.

Already wet for me, I mused into her mind. My beautiful, weeping flower.

She hummed back, her tongue sliding along mine as she pressed herself against my hardening cock.

Fuck. I arched up into her. You’re so goddamn perfect, Lily.

Maybe she was my weakness after all, an addiction I couldn’t stop tasting.

I threaded my fingers through her hair and deepened our kiss, needing more of her. She acquiesced, giving me all the control.

My name rolled through her thoughts, the warmth underlying her tone doing something to me. Something dangerous.

It made me want to hear that voice every day for the rest of my life. That soft, whispering caress filled with desire and trust.

I gripped her hip with my opposite hand, shifting her in a way that allowed me to slide into her. There was no resistance, just a subtle clench that begged for more.

Lily, I breathed. Sweet, beautiful Lily .

Most humans would be sore after everything we’d done, but she wasn’t mortal anymore. She was tied to an ancient bloodline. My bloodline.

Which left her feeling very much alive. Strong, even. And beautifully wanton.

She gave a tentative flex of her hips, taking me deeper inside her. A soft little moan left her mouth, and then she began to move.

I let her lead, my palm resting on her thigh as my other hand moved to the back of her neck .

It was my way of telling her to play, and she didn’t disappoint. She kissed me and rode me and ran her fingertips all over my abdomen.

I loved it, feeling her take her own pleasure and indulge her needs.

She eventually sat up, the new position causing her head to fall back on an alluring sound, reminding me yet again of a siren. Her breasts swayed as she moved, a pretty flush dancing along her skin.

My palm slid from her thigh to her hot center, my thumb finding her swollen little numb. She jolted in response, goose bumps pebbling down her arms. Her nipples tightened into enticing peaks, that blush spreading and darkening as her pleasure mounted.

“Are you close, sweet flower?” I asked, my gaze catching hers.

I knew she was, but I still enjoyed her hissed response. “Yes.”

“Mmm.” I applied a little more pressure. “I want to feel you tighten around me, Lily.” I stroked her a little faster. “I want to listen as your mind unravels.”

Her movements were erratic now, her irises glazed with passion as she chased her pleasure.

“Will you do that for me?” I asked softly. “Will you shatter for me?”

An unintelligible noise escaped her lips, the words sounding like strangled consent.

“Now,” I added, lacing a subtle demand through my tone. “Come for me, Lily.”

Her back arched as she fell apart on top of me, her quivering intensity vibrating every inch of my being. It was so fucking hot that I nearly followed her over the edge.

But she moved, taking away her sweet cunt.

And replacing it with her mouth .

“Fuck,” I grated out, both shocked and enthralled by her abrupt move. She was still coming, her moans teasing my shaft as she took me deep into her throat.

No gag reflex.

No hesitation.

I hated to admit how well the university had trained her.

But I couldn’t deny it in this moment.

She took me so damn perfectly that I couldn’t stop the growl rumbling in my chest. “ Lily. ”

Her throat contracted, reminding me of her pussy, and her continued pleasure swirled through my mind.

She was stroking herself.

Teasing her clit with her fingers.

Prolonging her orgasm while she sucked me off.

It was the hottest goddamn moment of my life, except for maybe last night. Or maybe all of it together qualified. Fuck if I knew. All that mattered was her and her rapturous tongue. Her sweet little mewls. The scent of our arousal. Her striking eyes.

Fuck me, she was staring right at me.

Taking me deep.

Swallowing around my head.

Watching my cues while playing with herself.

I wove my fingers through her hair again, applying just enough pressure to tell her what pace I liked, but she didn’t even need it. She knew. Because she was fucking made to be mine.

“Just like that, Lily,” I said, pumping into her and loving how beautifully she took me.

“ Fuck , you’re killing me.” I was so close to exploding, and I sensed her own climax rising for a second time.

“Get yourself there, sweetheart. I want to feel your moans around me while I come down your throat. ”

She released a little moan in response, providing me with a preview of my request. Then she took me impossibly deeper, proving that her high marks were more than accurate for this activity, and brought herself over the edge.

The power of her orgasm rippled through me via our link, her mouth vibrating my shaft with the sounds of her ecstasy.

It was the most exquisite combination of sensations, causing me to explode down her throat in a near-violent manner. But she embraced it, swallowing me and my essence and sucking me dry. All while riding the high of her own orgasm.

The moment the last drop hit her tongue, I grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up and over me. Then I claimed her mouth in a savage kiss filled with blood. Mine. Hers. Ours . It wasn’t human. It was animalistic. Just like me.

This woman had just blown my fucking mind. I couldn’t think beyond claiming her. Cherishing her. Thanking her with my tongue.

She shuddered against me, her heart thudding madly.

I rolled her to her back, my lower half settling between her splayed thighs. But I didn’t fuck her. I simply continued to kiss her, sharing with her via my mind how much I adored her. How much I wanted to keep her.

I hated this world.

I hated the rules.

I hated what I knew I had to do.

Breakfast this evening was proof enough of how little control I actually possessed in this current world. The royals made the rules.

However, I’d always been a rebel. I didn’t care much for authority .

Which put me in a very dangerous position indeed.

Because I wanted to slay the world for this woman. I wanted to claim her for always, not just for a month.

A lethal desire, given what it would cost.

But maybe she would be worth it.

Maybe we would be worth it.

I didn’t have to decide now or even tonight. We still had a few weeks.

Assuming Khalid didn’t lose his shit over this development. Because he would know the moment we arrived at breakfast—a shared knowledge that had Lily tensing beneath me.

She saw where my thoughts went and the very real concern that Khalid might exude his power over me… and break the bond himself.

In which case, this would end before it even began.

There were many vampires I could kill with ease in this world.

Unfortunately, Khalid wasn’t one of them.

If he wanted Lily, he would take her. And my bonding her had just made her that much more valuable.

Vampires loved a good power play.

And I was about to deliver Khalid a winning hand at breakfast.

The question was, would he play it? Or would he leave it for another day?