Page 12 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn (Vaughn Winery #1)

Thorn

With the hunger clouding his thoughts, it took Thorn a moment to register what Ledger was asking for. He trembled as he pulled away, searching Ledger’s expression.

“You don’t know what you are asking for,” he murmured, struggling to remain in human form as a hunger stared back at him that matched his own.

Desperation came through their link at his denial. It poured over Thorn’s desire like gasoline, making it impossible to not react. “Sweetling—”

“Do it,” Ledger begged, fighting against Thorn’s hold to impale himself on his shaft.

He tried to swallow but his throat burned with the craving to give Ledger everything he was.

Would it scare him? A part of Thorn felt conflicted at what his mate was asking for, what it could mean for them.

It could change everything. Thorn knew what mating with a dhampir in his true form did to a female.

It allowed her to conceive. For Ledger, he wasn’t sure.

The logical part of his brain shouted at him that this should be a discussion had when the hunger to mate wasn’t clouding everything.

Fighting past his need brought its own difficulty with Ledger begging him.

“Do it,” Ledger cried impatiently, struggling harder to get Thorn’s cock inside him.

Ledger, flushed and aroused, was a potent combination. But now, with how he begged and smelled, Thorn’s vampire soul craved that connection that only came when he was in his true form.

“Are you sure? There are so many things I haven’t explained,” he managed to ask past the hunger.

Was he going to do this without talking first?

“Yes. Yes. Yes,” Ledger chanted manically, withering in Thorn’s hold. “It won’t change what I want, I swear. Please give me what I want.” There, in his eyes, was his animal, and Thorn groaned as his resistance melted away and he answered his own question.

Unable and unwilling to deny Ledger anything, Thorn rose out of the water, and it streamed down his naked body as he held Ledger like he weighed nothing. He needed space and the bath, though large, would not allow for his wings to unfurl.

“Wraps your legs around my hips,” he demanded in a silky-smooth tone that got Ledger obeying immediately.

The eagerness its own aphrodisiac. Slippery skin rubbed over Thorn’s as Ledger hooked his legs over his hip bones and squeezed eagerly. Thorn’s cock sat under Ledger’s slick backside and rubbed enticingly over his flesh.

His teeth pressed into his lip as he stepped out of the tub, the enormity of what was about to happen rendering his legs a little less steady than he’d have liked.

Water dripped unnoticed onto the marble floor and candles as Thorn watched Ledger for any sign of a freakout as the two distinct sides of him merged into one.

Thorn became a creature fiercer and more stunning than any other, whom nobody on the planet could compete with, dominate or control. Yet the man he carefully held in his arms, who wore nothing but a look of love, had done it with just a few words.

Thorn and his brothers kept the two parts of themselves separate, a necessity to prevent others from discovering their existence.

Although he had revealed a part of himself to Ledger on that one occasion, there was a deeper piece of him that remained hidden.

His human side was present through their first encounter.

What Ledger was asking for, whether he knew it or not, was for Thorn to become one with his vampire side.

Thorn had less control like this, yet the physical act of merging both parts of himself came naturally.

Through it, Ledger clung tighter to him, stroking a hand over his shoulder blades to where his wings emerged.

Acceptance. Excitement. Love. They held Thorn’s soul as he became what many had feared—vampire.

The sunlight streaming through the window caught on the black feathers as Thorn’s wings unfurled in all their glory.

He shook them for pleasure, enjoying the soft breeze rustling against them like a gentle caress.

But more than that, he revelled in the exquisite joy coming from Ledger through their link, showing how much he loved them.

For a moment, the urgency to sink into Ledger became secondary as his fingers stroked gently—reverently—over his wings.

“Beautiful. So soft and silky.” A deep blush coated Ledger’s cheeks as he met Thorn’s red hazed gaze. “I want to lie on them. Roll over them… naked.”

Thorn chuckle-groaned at the imagery Ledger shared with him while a blush continued to darken his flushed skin.

Wanting to feel the warmth of it, Thorn ran his nose down Ledger’s cheek, then over the side of his mate's throat to his ear.

Fangs brushing over the pounding pulse that was all excitement. “I think that can be arranged.”

Ledger shivered, legs tightening around Thorn’s hips as his cock painted his belly with pre-cum. The ass rocking against his dick covered it in slick, making it hard to concentrate and allow Ledger the time to adjust to the differences.

“I don’t need time. You are stunning to me in either form.”

He read Thorn so well.

Ledger moved and licked at the tip of one of Thorn’s fangs, piercing his tongue before offering it to Thorn in challenge.

The act alone had Thorn release a guttural growl and stomp to the closest wall, easily pinning Ledger to it.

Eye to eye, he held back the desire to ravage with the taste of blood on his fang.

“Are you sure? It will change you once more. I haven’t explained what—”

Yours. I am yours. I want all of you. So prove it.

Fervent eyes followed the echo of the words filling his mind, then Ledger was kissing him, twisting his bleeding tongue around Thorn’s. Encouraged to suck on it, Thorn could do nothing but give in to his vampiric need to claim. To prove to Ledger that this was what he wanted.

They groaned together as he became fully vampire.

His wings moved fluidly, lifting them both off the ground.

Thorn’s awareness expanded and his senses heightened.

He could hear voices inside the house and beyond, his sense of smell so strong he could scent sex coming from miles away.

He felt the slightest shift in the air and the particles, unseen by the naked eye, landing on his skin and feathers.

All the sensations combined were to keep him safe.

Keep Ledger safe, as he allowed himself the genuine pleasure of being his true self in front of his mate.

They swayed above the ground. Thorn slid a large hand around Ledger, stroking over a pert ass cheek before sliding fingers down the crease of his ass to reach his dripping hole. Ledger moaned deep in Thorn’s mouth, his fingers burrowing into the feathers, yet still careful not to tug.

“You can’t hurt me,” he moaned against Ledger’s mouth. “Do what you want.”

A second later, Ledger changed the angle of the kiss, his grip tightening as he rocked into Thorn’s touch and bit Thorn’s tongue. Their blood mixed in Thorn’s mouth as Ledger sucked his tongue like it was his most favourite flavor of lollipop.

Ledger’s sexy scent warmed the surrounding air. It brushed over Thorn’s wings like gossamer, coating them until it was all that Thorn could feel and smell as they moved to hold them up above the ground.

The kisses went from frenzied to slow and languid as Thorn adjusted himself and replaced his fingers with the blunt head of his cock.

Pressing against the slick skin until the muscle gave, Thorn’s vision altered at the sensations flooding through him from the newness of mating in his true form.

He savored it like their most prestigious wine.

He sipped and appreciated the heart of Ledger. The love that was there for him.

Thorn wasn’t sure who was making the sounds that filled the room as he slowly pushed his cock inch by inch inside the convulsing muscles. They tightened to the point of pain around him. He was bigger in this form but despite that, Ledger adjusted easily, his body adapting as that of a true mate.

Gusts of breath hit his lips when Ledger was finally seated on his cock. He released Thorn’s tongue, though he didn’t pull back far to drag in air. “Taste… smell so fucking sublime. Different. Intoxicating.” The words were barely a whisper before he returned to the drugging kisses.

Don’t want to stop even to breathe. Feel you everywhere inside me. There is only you, my winged love.

The confession added to the yearning cresting to its peak.

To the overwhelming feeling of experiencing this for the first time as he moved them, rocking his cock deeper into his dhampir, feeling everything that was between them expand and become one with the universe.

His cock brushed against the entrance of Ledger’s womb.

Fuck… fuckkkkk… again! he cried in Thorn’s mind.

Thorn angled his hips, and he felt Ledger open to him.

His womb sucked his cock deeper into his body, and then his world turned red.

He tore his mouth from Ledger’s, his head arching back, his muscles locking, struggling to do more than fuck like a wildling.

Despite that, his wings cut through the air fluidly while his hips ground frantically against Ledger.

Within seconds, cum scented the air and Thorn’s cock became gripped, milked, making him spill his seed without any effort on his part.

His teeth struck Ledger’s throat with a ferociousness, slicing through skin and muscle like a knife through butter. Blood gushed into his mouth and he groaned at the change to the spicy scent.

“That’s it, drink. Take what you need,” moaned Ledger, whimpering with each draw Thorn took. “Claim me.”

I am, Sweetling. His cock thickened, lengthened further, remaining hard as Ledger’s demand made him lose his sanity. More cum spilled.

Mouth full of blood, Thorn released Ledger’s throat and moved to claim his lips, sharing the blood to seal this unique way of bonding. Ledger clung tighter, swallowing and then biting on Thorn’s tongue once more, his instincts telling him what he must do before Thorn did.

Ledger swallowed greedily, mixing their blood.

The effect continued to have Thorn’s cock throbbing, his balls aching in the effort to give Ledger everything that was inside them.

Soon, Thorn felt his cock bathed fully in cum.

His wings wrapped around Ledger as the final spurts of cum coated Thorn’s skin and Ledger went limp.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as Thorn lowered them to the ground.

Ledger’s mind was blissfully blank as his head lolled back, his eyes now closed, his expression serene.

As Thorn stood there, holding on to Ledger, he gave his mate a self-satisfied grin, one he’d never have used if Ledger were conscious.

He kept his cock right where it was until he felt Ledger’s womb close.

Careful to make sure none of the seed seeped out, he withdrew.

He hissed at the brush of Ledger’s womb pushing him out, holding in all the seed.

He wore a dopey look.

I’ve had a true claiming.

Holy shit.

He stood still, letting the thought sink in, keeping his brothers out of his mind.

His smile grew impossibly wide. It didn’t matter to him he had a male dhampir.

He hadn’t thought he was missing out by not being able to claim his mate the same way his counterparts could with a female—or so he’d thought.

Now, after the fact, he could feel exactly what he would have missed out on, and he was elated to have it all.

While he stared at Ledger, he willed him to wake so he could tell him how happy he was, only there was no sign of Ledger coming around.

Thorn eyed the cooling bath and tray of goodies.

He debated for a moment, then went to the tub, careful not to jostle Ledger as he reached to turn on the hot tap to refill and reheat the water.

His wings disappeared when his human cognisance came forward to take control.

Ledger didn’t stir at the sounds of water rushing into the bath.

He didn’t stir when Thorn finally removed his limp cock and slid him back into the now warming water.

Nor did he wake as Thorn washed him, lifted him out of the bath and, with difficulty, dried him before carrying him into their bedroom.

Under the cover, Ledger didn’t so much as flutter an eyelash, his breathing slow and even.

Thorn hesitated, eyeing the wound on Ledger’s neck where he’d bitten him. The mark, though healing, was much larger than his original claim mark.

Have we taken too much blood?

No.

It wasn’t often he spoke with the other part of himself, so it was a little startling to get such a firm denial. Are you sure?

The lack of response was the response. It told him he was being ridiculous. He returned to the bathroom and quickly dunked himself in the tub, washing away the remaining cum flaking off his skin.

Dried and naked, he carried the tray into the bedroom and placed it at the side of the bed for when Ledger woke.

He crawled in behind him and slipped an arm under his waist, dragging him flush against him and snuggled right in.

Not something he’d liked to do before, but now he couldn’t think of anything he enjoyed more—except for the naked, sexy time. That went without saying.

He splayed his hand over Ledger’s belly and grinned as he nuzzled into the back of his neck. Coming in his womb… he had a moment of uncertainty as a thought ran through his mind. C ould they have made a baby vampire?

A shiver ran down his tailbone as he chuckled at the very idea and the whimsical notion.

The mix of species was uncommon for his kind and though he might have easily accessed Ledger’s womb, that was all part of a vampire claim.

The act. The need to bathe Ledger’s womb with his seed.

It must be making him fanciful after the fact, with how his blood thrummed with Ledger’s essence.

It was too soon to think about such things.

To consider the possibilities, wasn’t it?

He frowned at the odd ache he got under his breastbone.

They’d only been together a few months. Still in the getting to know each other phase.

But a little baby vampire…

He shook off the notion.

You have more than you expected, isn’t that enough ?

Lying there, his dhampir wrapped in his arms, there was only one answer. Yes.

Yes, it was.