Page 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

ISOLDE

He is still inside me. My first experience with sex, with my brother’s hot best friend, is still ongoing as CJ groans while I drink from him. The tattoos on his skin are fever hot and when he rolls us over so I’m straddling him, my pussy aches a bit, but I don’t care. I want more. I release him from the bite and stare down at him, his blood dripping from my lips.

“Move your hips, my sweet,” he murmurs. “Ride me.”

He is rock hard inside me, and I tentatively rock against him, gasping at the new sensations this position brings. His hands grip my hips, guiding my movements as I find a rhythm that makes us both groan.

“That’s it, Issy,” he encourages, his amber eyes locked on mine.

I trace the markings on his chest and neck with my fingertips, fascinated by their warmth. Each touch seems to intensify his reaction, his grip tightening on my hips.

“What are you?” I whisper, even as my body moves against his with increasing confidence.

“Yours,” he growls, thrusting up to meet my movements. “That’s all that matters right now.”

The intensity builds between us, a coiling pressure that will shatter me again. I lean forward, bracing my hands on his chest, and the change in angle makes me cry out.

“CJ,” I cry out, feeling myself approaching another peak.

“That’s it, my sweet. Scream my name.”

His deep voice sends a thrill through me and my pussy clamps down on him. I’m aching, but the pleasure washes it all away.

He grasps my hands and links our fingers as I ride him through my orgasm.

Then he flips us over, so he is pounding into me again. He thrusts deep, making a delicious noise, and he grunts, unloading into me again. I wrap my legs around him to hold him close.

“Isolde,” he murmurs and then lets out a feral groan. “Fuck, I’m coming again,” he rasps. “Fuck. That’s never happened before… fuck, Issy. Fuck.”

Eyes wide, I watch his expression turn to one of unadulterated bliss .

“Issy,” he groans, his cock jerking wildly inside me as he has a multiple orgasm. “Gods, you feel so fucking good. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

His words empower me. I know he’s not innocent. He’s probably fucked more women than I’ve changed my underwear, but I know he isn’t lying. I know because I’ve given him something he’s never had before.

He goes still, buried inside me, but then swiftly removes his cock, leaving me desperate for him. He scoots down and parts my legs. He swipes his finger over my pussy with a wicked smile. “Ripped and ruined. All fucking mine.” His mouth crashes against me and I gasp as he uses his tongue to scoop out the mix of cum that is gushing out of me.

He removes his mouth and crawls up over me, pressing his lips to mine as his hand goes around my throat. I open up and he pushes our cum into my mouth with this tongue.

“Taste us, my sweet,” he murmurs against my lips. “Swallow like a good fucking girl.”

I obey. There is nothing left to do but give him what he wants. I swallow our cum and his eyes darken. “So fucking filthy, Issy.”

I cup his face, and he loosens his hold on my neck. “Only for you.”

His mouth quirks into a half smile, and then he climbs off the bed .

“Where are you going?” I ask in disappointment.

“We need to get you cleaned up, and then we need to figure out who branded you.”

I look down at the sigil, having forgotten all about it.

He crosses over to the bathroom, and I hear the shower turn on. I wince, hoping it’s just water this time. I don’t hear him cursing or turning it off, so I assume it’s okay. I climb off the bed and hobble over to him, enjoying the pleasant ache, and extend my claw. His back is facing me as he tests the water, and I scrape it down his back, pressing my mouth to lick the blood off him before it closes.

“Did you mean what you said?” I murmur.

He turns his head to the side. “All of it.”

I wrap my arms around him, and he places his hand on my wrist. “I will accept your name as my own when the time is right, and I will be proud to have it as mine.”

He turns in my arms and stares down at me, his hand closing around my throat again. “You honour me with those words,” he says, his voice thick with emotion I’ve rarely heard from him. “The Aquila name carries weight where I come from.”

“Where do you come from?” I ask, searching his amber-flecked eyes.

His jaw tightens slightly. “That’s a conversation for another time. Right now, we need to focus on this.” His thumb traces over the faded sigil on my chest. “Someone marked you deliberately. Someone who knew about William’s ability to become corporeal under specific conditions.”

He guides me into the shower, the warm water a blessed relief after the blood torrent from earlier. I lean against him as he gently washes away the remnants of our passion, his touch reverent despite the darkness lurking beneath his skin.

“The list of suspects is short,” I murmur, closing my eyes as his hands move through my hair. “It would have to be someone with access to both ancient magic and knowledge of William’s nature and the fact that I can see him.”

“And someone who’s been close enough to touch you since you arrived,” CJ adds grimly. “That narrows it down considerably.”

A thought strikes me with sickening clarity. “Benz, Rayne, that other creep.”

CJ’s hands massage my scalp, and I groan with pleasure. “I’ll rip every one of them to shreds.”

I smile, my eyes closing. When he stops doing what he’s doing, I frown, opening my eyes again. His expression has turned dark, almost fearful. “It’s not a threat, Isolde. I’ve been holding back because I didn’t want you to see the monster that lurks under the surface. I didn’t want you to turn from me. But when Cassiel killed Benz, you didn’t run. You didn’t turn from him. That changes everything, Isolde.”

I lean into his touch, studying the conflict warring across his features. “What monster, CJ? You think I don’t already know you’re dangerous?”

His laugh is amused. “You have no idea what dangerous means when it comes to me, my sweet.”

“Maybe not because you are still keeping secrets from me. But that’s okay. I know it’s for a good reason. I understand the need for secrets, believe me. I have faith that you will tell me when you’re ready.”

“It’s not because I don’t want to… I just can’t. Not yet.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain it.”

His eyes search mine. “You are perfect, Isolde Morvoren.”

“You expected less?” I smirk.

“I expected pressure,” he says honestly.

“Not from me. Not from the woman who knows she wants to be with you despite not knowing the whole truth.”

“You’re taking a big risk,” he says.

“It’s worth it.”

He crushes me to him, his lips savaging mine as he kisses me in a world-ending kiss. The sigil warms up again, and I moan into his mouth as he lifts me up and presses me against the cold tiles. He impales me on his cock, the dull ache between my thighs flares up but I take it. I take it all and demand more.

He hisses in pleasure, “Issy,” he rasps. “Gods, you feel so fucking good.”

I cling to him, my legs wrapped around him as he thrusts into me. His possession of me feels primal and unfettered, and my pussy floods with arousal. Every time he drives himself into me, my power grows, and I know only one thing now, and that’s him.

He holds me there against the tiles, raw emotions pouring from him as he makes me come again. “Fucking mine. You're mine forever,” he pants as I bounce on his cock. My pussy convulses as another orgasm hits me hard and I scream his name.

CJ goes still for a moment, then drops his head onto my shoulder, letting out an almost inhuman roar. The sensation of his hot cum filling me, pushes me over the edge again, and I cry out, my nails raking down his back.

The water swirls between us, washing away the remnants of our passion again. He pulls back slightly, letting go of one hand to trace the fading sigil on my chest. The mark reacts slightly to his touch but doesn’t change much from its dull state; it just seems to sharpen with awareness again. His eyes close when he presses his forehead against mine. “I love you, Isolde. I know it’s fast, I know it’s crazy. I know you think this is possession and another form of control, and you can think all those things. But I needed to tell you. I’m drawn to you in ways that go past the physical. Your blood calls to me. It’s an obsession.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I ask cautiously.

“It’s both,” he says and then drops me gently, cleaning me up again wordlessly.

I don’t speak either. I’m too exhausted.

When we’re both clean, he turns the shower off and wraps me in a towel first before slinging one low around his hips. He carries me to the bed and lays me down before crawling on next to me. I collapse back against my pillows, exhaustion weighing down every part of my body. The towel slips, revealing the curve of my breast, but CJ ignores it and pulls the covers over us.

“What now?” I ask.

“Now you rest. Your body needs to recover from everything.” He trails his fingers over my healed arms, but I shiver, remembering the burn from the blood.

“I can’t rest,” I argue, though I can feel my eyes growing heavier by the second. “They found me. They’re inside SilverGate. And William…”

“Harrington can take care of himself,” CJ interrupts, an edge to his voice that catches my attention even through my fog of exhaustion. “He’s survived a century as a ghost; he’ll survive whatever this is. ”

“Something used our connection against both of us.”

CJ sighs. “I’ll find him,” he promises, his voice softening. “After you’ve gone to sleep, I’ll get Cassiel to watch you and track Harrington down.” He pulls me into his arms, and I melt against him, my face pressed against his chest. His skin is warm, almost hot, and I can hear the steady rhythm of his heart beneath my ear.

“I’m so tired,” I whisper, the words muffled against his skin. “Tired of running, of hiding, of not knowing who to trust. I’ve spent my whole life locked away, and the second I taste freedom, this happens. It’s like I’m cursed.”

“You’re not cursed,” he says fiercely, his arms tightening around me in a protective embrace. “And you’re not alone, Isolde. Not anymore.”

I look up at him, feeling tears streaming down my face and unable to stop them. “Aren’t I? I don’t even know what I’m doing. Everyone at SilverGate either wants to use me or is afraid of me, and I’m hurting people. I’ve never felt more alone, even though I’m surrounded by creatures.”

“You have me,” he says softly.

“You? The vampire who spies on me, threatened to claim me, whether I consented or not? Who fights anyone who comes near me? Who has secrets so deep I can barely see the surface of them? ”

He winces slightly at my assessment, and I feel a twinge of guilt for throwing his behaviour back in his face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m tired and not thinking.”

“It’s fair,” he acknowledges, loosening his hold, as if expecting me to pull away. I don’t. I cling tighter to him. Despite everything, there’s something comforting about his presence, his solid strength when I feel so fragile. “I’ve been difficult.”

“That’s one word for it,” I mutter with a giggle.

“I’m not good at this,” he admits, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. “I’ve never had a relationship before where I cared about the other person, where I couldn’t think about anything except them. You are new to me, this whole situation is new, and I’m not sure I’m capable of being any other way. I want something, I take it. If I can’t have it, I become obsessed with having it.”

“But you have me now.”

“Doesn’t make the obsession go away, Issy. It simply changes course. Now, I’ve got you, I will never let you go. Never. You will be mine forever.”

“That’s fine by me.”

“Is it? Truly? You have been isolated your whole life. You have never had a boyfriend or a relationship. Now you’ve got me making demands of you that aren’t fair, but I can’t help it. If I don’t have you, I will rip this entire realm apart.”

I stare into his amber eyes, seeing the raw vulnerability beneath his fierce words. “CJ,” I say softly, my fingers tracing one of the shifting patterns on his skin. “I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to threaten to destroy realms to keep me.”

His jaw clenches. “You say that now, but you don’t understand what you’re dealing with. What I am. The things I’m capable of.” The pain in his voice makes my chest ache.

I press my lips to his throat, smelling his blood in his veins. “I’m not afraid of you, CJ. I’m afraid of losing you before I’ve even had the chance to know all of you.”

His arms tighten around me convulsively. “You won’t lose me. Death itself couldn’t keep me from you.”

“This place is changing me,” I murmur as I settle down again. “It’s making me darker, less concerned about everyone else, and more focused on me.”

“You deserve to be selfish after being locked away for so long.”

“It’s not that,” I say, scaring myself. “It’s not being selfish. It’s simply not caring.”

“I doubt it. You are the most caring creature I’ve come across.”

“You don’t know me that well, then. ”

“I know enough. And if you are changing, becoming darker, more monstrous, then you’ll fit right in.”

“At SilverGate?”

“With me.”

With him. With Cassiel, the fallen angel who has already taken a life for me. With William, the Butcher. Maybe it is better this way. Maybe changing isn’t the worst thing that can happen. Maybe it will even save my life.