Page 48 of Fated In Blood (Nocturne Vampire Clan #1)

48

EVANGELINE

I was still dazed when Blake finally stopped in the center of the red-tiled greenhouse floor, a lush forest of orchids and ferns pressing close enough to brush my face, the dappled sunlight filtering through the mind-boggling array of vegetation crammed inside the glassed building.

Flowers of every color and shape bloomed and bees and butterflies bounced from bud to bud, sipping nectar.

In the center of the chaos a tiny woman with wild salt-and-pepper hair tipped a watering can into a lemon tree covered in fragrant white florets. She was slight, dressed in a plain dark-blue dress shot through with silver threads. “Blake Marten.” She never even looked up. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Her husky voice, layered with ancient power, wove through me like a song, searching for a way inside. Just as quickly, something cold wrapped around me and Blake gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

That’s only her magic. She won’t harm you.

“Aria. This is beautiful.” He pulled down a flower and sniffed. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Cut the shit, Blake Marten. You don’t know a geranium from a gardenia.”

She had yet to look at me, but that odd searching sensation never stopped, like she was trying to worm her way inside my head.

“It’s been warm this spring. Lots of rain,” Blake observed, as if we had all the time in the world and weren’t on the run from my murderous family. “In a few months, these gardens will be beautiful.”

She set down the watering can and wiped her hands on her skirt. “Alright. Since that’s about as much idle chitchat as I can stand, might as well tell me why you’re really here. And don’t bother telling me it’s because my gardens are beautiful, because we both know you couldn’t give two shits about plants.”

Her eyes dropped to my boots, the mud still clinging to the heels, and her lips thinned out.

Oh God, she was totally going to kill me for fucking up her lawn .

“My friend has a tracking brand on her. I was hoping you could tell us more about it.” Blake hesitated when her eyes landed fully on me. “Or maybe remove the mark, if you have the time?”

She sniffed, as if she was smelling me. “Drop your ward, you protective bastard, so I can get a better look, and I’ll see what I can do. I swear, you vampires are all the same, such greedy, over-possessive bastards.”

Given the conversation we’d just had, her comment was perfectly timed, to say the least, and the second my eyes met Blake’s, I couldn’t help but grin.

I see it’s not just me. Everyone knows you’re a pushy bastard.

“She’s my progeny, Aria. Mine ,” Blake said firmly. “Just so there’s no question when I drop this ward. Riordan has accepted her into the clan, so she also has the protection of the Nocturne King.”

Okay, that didn’t exactly bolster my confidence. And why did he lie about who turned me, unless he really didn’t trust this witch.

Then it was too late as the icy sensation ebbed away and that probing sensation grew stronger, like greedy, sharpened claws dragging over my face, my arms, and my body.

“By the Goddess, how dare you bring a Silverwood into my domain?” The luxurious greenery faded away until we were surrounded by the blackened husks of dead plants, gnarled vines, and broken branches. Above my head, the shattered glass of the greenhouse hung loose, and instead of butterflies and bees, three ravens perched in a line along the peak of the broken roof.

Normally, I would have said I told you so , but I was pretty sure I was about to die, or get my eyes plucked out by those birds. The rich, humid scent of growing things had been replaced by the reek of rot… identical to that strange odor seeping up from the Vault .

Had my father used witch magic to seal the Vault?

“She is mine , Aria. The Silverwoods have no claim to her. Not anymore.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” She jerked her head toward me. “The brand on her back says otherwise. What did you do, Slayer? Steal from your own family?”

I wanted nothing more than to dematerialize and get myself somewhere far, far away from this place that smelled like death. But I couldn’t vanish on command, and Blake had brought me here for a reason.

“I took the Harpe Dagger out of the family vault. It seems the door was protected by some sort of spell. Blue light, the color of an aquamarine, but that’s all I remember. Now my family can track me anywhere I go.”

They’re probably heading here as we speak.

Aria shrugged and turned to Blake. “So let them have her. She’s a thief and can’t be trusted. You’d be wise to learn your lesson before she double-crosses you, too.”

“She stole the dagger for me and Riordan,” Blake murmured, grinding a blackened bloom between his fingers, the dust spilling to the floor. “We’re going to use the weapon to kill Laurent.”

Aria paused, thinking, and ever so slowly that strange sensation faded away and I could breathe again. “You have the Harpe Dagger, and you’re going to kill Laurent Tyrell,” she said slowly, as if she was trying to convince herself she’d heard him right. “I always knew you were reckless, Blake Marten, but I didn’t think you two idiots were suicidal.”

“Can you remove the mark or not? Because if you can’t, then we should get moving, unless you want to entertain a houseful of bad-tempered slayers.” As if to prove his point, Blake glanced over my head, across the now overgrown and dried-out lawn, back the way we’d come. “Come on, Evangeline…”

“Evangeline Silverwood?” Her voice sharpened in recognition, intelligence shining from her eyes. “ Daughter of Silas Silverwood?” She put such an emphasis on the word daughter ; I’d never wanted to be Silas’s daughter less than I did right now and that was really saying something.

“Yes.” I figured one-word answers were best until I figured out where this conversation was heading. Nowhere good, I was sure.

Aria studied me for a long moment, as raptly as the ravens peering down from overhead, and dread crawled over my skin. There was something so cunning, so pointed in that dark stare, like I was a gift that had fallen into her hands.

She finally nodded. “Come into the house and let’s see what I can do about that brand, girl.”

The paint was peeling off the screen door, and the massive house was crumbling down around itself, shingles weathered to worn-out gray, the windows—the ones that weren’t broken—so dirty the bright afternoon sun filtered through in pale, dust-choked rays.

Every flat surface of the kitchen was covered in bottles and beakers, small containers with yellowed handwritten labels, crushed herbs, and dog-eared books. “Don’t touch a thing,” she snapped, then proceeded to sweep her hand across the counter. Bowls and jars crashed to the floor, splinters of glass and God knows what sorts of chemicals flying.

She went up on her tiptoes and yanked down a book, opened the pages, blew out the dust, and ran her fingers along the lines of text. In the margins were about a thousand hand-scribbled notations, some of them faded to nothing. Blake kept his attention pinned on her and one hand on my lower back, but I couldn’t help my gaze from wandering.

This place had been magnificent once, a real mansion, with a bank of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water, the city a pale smudge in the distance.

“Coat off. Shirt, too.” Blake stayed close as I carefully hung the leather jacket over the back of a chair, turned my back to them both, and stripped off my shirt.

Blake had seen me in far less. Had put his mouth on practically every inch of me, but somehow, that intimacy made me more nervous, and I blushed as I folded my shirt, laying it overtop my leather, shivering as I crossed my arms over my bare breasts.

“Oh, Evangeline .” My name came out of Blake's mouth in a low almost-moan, and I hugged myself tighter as warm breath washed over me, his finger lightly brushing the mark. That weird tightness in my chest returned, constricting like a band around my heart.

“Get out of the way and let me see,” the witch snapped, and I reached up, tangled my hair around my hand, and lifted it up so she had a clear view.

I couldn’t explain the flash of fear when she came up behind me, this tiny, wizened creature who barely reached my shoulder, but I could hardly breathe, caught inside my own inexplicable fear.

“Not the handiwork of my coven. This is older, before my time.”

Every hair on my body stood up, my instincts buzzing, telling me to run, run, run.

I looked up, and in the curved, reflective surface of a copper pot, she was so close—too close—hand outstretched, a glow of power outlining her palm a few inches from my skin.

“Don’t fidget, girl. I’m trying to get a read on the magic.”

It’s okay, Evangeline. Give Aria a minute to see what she’s dealing with. She’s the best witch in New York. If anyone can remove that brand, it’s her.

“Bloodmoon Coven magic. At least four hundred years old. You should have brought her to me the minute she was affected; now the best I can do is put a blocker on it, since removing it will kill her.”

“What?” I cried. “This only happened a few hours ago.”

“Like I said, you should have come sooner.” She raised her eyebrows like I was the one being unreasonable. “Now, do you want my help or not? I have things to do, like fix my yard where you mucked up the grass.”

Blake’s voice was quiet. “Yes, Aria, please put a blocker on the mark, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

“This is going to hurt.”

I closed my hand into a fist, then Blake’s fingers worked their way between mine, giving me a tight squeeze. Close your eyes, little slayer. I’ve got you.

I obeyed and the center of my back tingled, a pleasant sensation, like the ends of my hair dancing across my naked shoulders. Then the tickle turned to an ice-cold bite, which turned to something entirely different.

“That… fuck, that hurts .” My entire body clenched against the cutting frost, even crueler than the searing heat that had burned the mark into my flesh to begin with. I gripped Blake’s hand, my body folding over itself as I fought to breathe.

“Almost there, almost over,” he chanted softly, letting me practically crush every bone in his fingers. “Try to breathe through the pain, Evie, just?—”

“Fucking stop talking ,” I sobbed, air hissing between my teeth. “There’s no fucking…breathing through… this .”

“How much longer is this going to last?” His low growl sounded too harsh to come out of his mouth. “This had better fucking be worth the pain, Aria.”

“So fucking protective. You never had a problem with my methods before,” she sniped back.

I let them argue, my body bowing beneath the pain, trying not to end up on the floor that was strewn with broken glass and fuck knows what else, because if I survived this clusterfuck, the last thing I wanted to do with the rest of my shitty day was pick shards of glass out of my knees and get a tetanus shot.

“Because I’ve never given a flying fuck about who you were hurting before,” Blake hissed, his other hand landing on the small of my back, thumb rubbing circles on my skin. Just that small move took the edge of fear away, letting me draw a full breath.

His voice softened. “But this time…this time I do care.”

I returned to Crimson House draped over Blake’s arm like a limp noodle, every last ounce of energy drained. I couldn’t take a single step when he set me down in the upstairs hallway, one arm hugged tight around my waist.

“Let’s get you into bed before you fall down, little slayer.” There was a light, teasing note to the nickname instead of a venomous bite, but that was worry in his voice, in the careful way he supported me and how he hadn’t left me alone for a second.

“Shouldn’t we make sure Riordan has the dagger?” After everything I’d gone through to steal that thing, I couldn’t believe Blake had whisked me away and abandoned the weapon.

“For your information, you are far more valuable than the dagger. But yes, Rohr’s got the weapon locked up in his office safe. Can you stand?”

“Of course I can stand. I have feet, don’t I?” I groused, even though I honestly wasn’t sure. Aria had done a number on me, and my legs were a mix of rubber and molasses.

“So grumpy. Here we are. Riordan had some of the staff get everything ready for you.” He swung the bedroom door open, the lemony smell of furniture polish hitting me full in the face.

“I hope you like it. We tried to think of everything, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had to worry about anyone’s comfort but our own, and frankly, neither of us needs much these days.”

The brand-new bed had gauzy curtains and was piled with feathery soft duvets and pillows in a pretty dove gray, thick rugs covering the floor beneath. Fresh flowers overflowed enormous vases on the nightstands. Fancy bags were lined up on the dresser, emblazoned with the names of high-end New York department stores, and a bank of candles burned on the mantel, filling the room with a mix of florals and citrus that chased the dusty smells away.

With the tall Gothic windows, arched ceiling, and wooden beams, the room looked like something out of a fairy tale.

“Riordan…did all of this? For me?”

I was struck dumb by the sight, my feet rooted to the spot while my brain processed how and why and when this had been accomplished.

“This wasn’t all Riordan. I helped, too.” He sounded awfully defensive. “We got this ready before we left for Virginia, in the hopes we’d be bringing you home with us.” Blake’s voice grew tighter with every word, tension straining the air. “Whatever you don’t like, we can change. The colors, the rugs…”

He strode across the room and blew out the candles, batting away the smoke. “Maybe the candles are too much. Yeah, they’re too much.”

That was doubt creeping into his voice.

Like he was wondering if he’d made a mistake.

“I’ve never…” I swallowed around the knot clogging my throat, blinking away the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. “Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before. Ever . I’m just…trying to take it all in.”

Damn it, I was going to sob like a fucking baby and ruin everything.

“I need to pee.” I staggered past him to the bathroom and shut the door, bursting into tears the second I was alone. Who would have thought that kindness would break me apart faster than cruelty?

But I’d been hardened against cruelty my entire life.

I had no defenses against kindness, especially not from these two.

And how pathetic was that? That I could endure pain and torture at my father’s hand better than I could endure pretty things and fragrant candles from two males trying to make amends? How broken did I have to be that just the slightest hint of kindness made me run away and hide?

I swiped the tears away, but they wouldn’t stop, as if the floodgates had been opened.

Nobody had ever spent a moment of their time trying to make my life better. Trying to make me happy. Showing they cared.

And maybe that was what this was all about.

I didn’t know how to be happy, because I was too busy being ruined. And ruined things were sharp and jagged and ugly, and that was exactly how I saw myself.

But maybe…maybe Blake and Riordan saw me differently.

By the time I wiped my tears away and put myself back together, the bedroom was empty, and the only thing left of Blake Marten were the two deep footprints he’d left in the brand-new rug, right in front of the bathroom door.

Silver.

I was so nice and warm. So comfortable.

Evangeline.

Go away, I thought grumpily, winding the blankets tighter around me. I refused to be disturbed from the first good sleep I’d had in forever and in an actual bed, no less. Besides, I’d just fallen asleep. Come back tomorrow.

Trust me, I don’t want to wake you, but you must feed. You’ve gone too long without blood, and if you wait much longer, you’ll fall back into bloodlust.

My heart galloped. That was Riordan’s voice and, even in my dreams, his scent affected me like a drug, quickening my blood, my fangs punching out until they touched the tip of my tongue. He was right , I thought grumpily as a fresh wave of demanding hunger rolled through me. I am starving. My empty stomach growled, fine tremors skating down my legs and up my spine.

And as hungry as I was, disappointment shivered through me. Part of me had hoped Blake would return, so I could thank him properly for the bed and the candles and for making me feel special.

Come, Silver. I know you can hear me. Wake up.

“Fine, I’m awake, Your Majesty. Hold your fucking horses.” I might be starving, but I wasn’t making this easy for him. He’d woken me out of the best sleep I’d ever had, and he deserved to be punished.

“This could have waited until morning.”

“Maybe, but I didn’t want you getting close to that edge again, Silver. Better you feed before you reach desperation. This is the way you learn self-control.”

“Really? You’re here to lecture me about self-control?” I opened one eye and glared up at him, all gussied up in his fancy clothes, not a single hair out of place. I had the wild impulse to drag my hands through those perfectly brushed locks, to turn him into an undone, rumpled mess. To make him pant for me like I was always panting for him.

His grin turned crooked and look at that fucking dimple in the middle of his chin . Kill me now .

“Oh, but I do pant for you, Silver.”

“Stop reading my mind,” I snapped, sitting up and wrapping the fluffy duvet around me so I didn’t punch his perfect nose.

“How can I when you’re practically shouting your thoughts at me?” His smile deepened while he pushed my tangled hair out of my face. “We need to work on that, too. You’re as transparent as a sheet of glass.”

“I’ll have you know, not one of my cousins could read a single facial expression during training. So stop with the creepy vampire voodoo mind tricks. It’s not fair.”

“What if I taught you the creepy vampire voodoo mind tricks and evened out the playing field, would that be acceptable?”

I mulled that over. “Yes, that would be acceptable.”

He loosened his tie, tossed it on the end of the bed, and nudged me with his hip. “Scoot over. Unless you really want to leave your nice warm bed and take this over to one of the chairs?”

No, I took one look at that cold floor and shivered, but having Riordan in bed with me…I eyed him. Fully dressed, right down to the custom-made shoes. He seemed safe enough, as long as that powerful body remained covered from head to toe. “Stay on top of the covers. No funny business.”

“No funny business. Got it.”

“I’m still pissed at you,” I added for good measure.

“I’m well aware,” he said wryly, puffing up the pillows and moving to take my nice, warm spot while I was regulated to a cold, very unwarm spot. “I’ll remind you we struck an alliance to pause our hostilities until Tyrell is dead. Until then, we work together while I guide you through your transition.”

“You’re not Yoda, just so you know. How much longer?” I demanded, watching him unbutton his shirt, long, elegant fingers deftly working. Fingers that had been inside me not so long ago while I screamed his name. I tore my eyes away and tried to ignore the flush of heat rocketing through my body. Maybe the bed was a mistake.

“How many more times do we have to do this?”

“You’ll be happy to know today is our last time. After this, your need for blood won’t control you and you’ll no longer be a danger to others. You will still need to feed, of course. Wherever you and your sister decide to go, I will make arrangements with the closest clan. There are plenty of resources; you’ll never have to go without blood.”

I stared, fingers gripping the duvet.

This was… the last time?

“I’d feed from…complete strangers?” I didn’t like the idea of feeding from anyone but Riordan, and Blake, especially after yesterday. Didn’t like the fact that after barely a week, I already had a comfort zone when it came to…vampire stuff.

Why the hell was this freaking me out so much?

“Think of this like…a consenting blood bank. Every clan provides a public service for blood, because not everyone is fortunate enough to have a partner. Even fewer are lucky enough to have a mate. This is a tried-and-true solution that keeps humans safe and, by extension, keeps us hidden. Our kind has been doing this for two millennia. After your first time, you might even decide you like the anonymity.”

A flare of panic swept through me, and I gripped the blanket tighter, nerves flaring as I began to panic. I didn’t want to get used to something different. I wanted…

“Silver,” Riordan spoke calmly. “Breathe. You don’t have to decide right now, just…” His hand was on my back, rubbing in circles, slow and steady, then he sighed and tucked me against him, bringing me with him when he fell back against the pillows.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. That’s a problem for another day. For right now, it’s just you and me, okay?”

I took a shaky breath, heart racing. What was wrong with me? I didn’t even want to be here. I was only biding my time before Angel was free and I took my sister far, far away and never looked back.

Riordan had been clear from the beginning. Feeding and fucking and nothing more. Not ever . I was the fool getting all tangled up over him.

“Let me feed you, Evangeline, one last time.” Riordan’s powerful arm tightened around me, pulling me into his lap, his voice deepening. “Let me feel your fangs in me.”

Panic whipped through me.

Oh God, this was really our last time?

“This is what I want you to do.” His thumb stroked up and down my spine. The barest touch, but I felt that skin-to-skin contact to my very core. “Strike hard, take three swallows, then seal me up. We’ll wait five minutes, then you’ll feed again. You have to pace yourself, to stop these urges before they get out of hand. That’s why I woke you before your hunger became too demanding for you to control.”

I nuzzled at his throat, smelling him, touching him, my hands rubbing up over his hard, tattooed chest, my lips skating up the vein until I found his pulse point. Riordan was addictive, and I couldn’t imagine giving this up, not having…Panic flared again, sending my heart racing.

Silver. Stay in the moment. Stay with me.

I closed my eyes, lips tasting his skin, fangs ready to pierce. I don’t want this to ever end . The plea flew out of my scattered thoughts as I bit down, hard and sure, blood flooding my mouth, his throaty groan of pleasure vibrating through me. The duvet slipped down and down, then I was pressed to him, shoulder to hip, legs in a tangle, the fine wool of his trousers sliding like silk against my bare legs.

One mouthful. Two. Three.

I didn’t want to stop, wanting more and more and more, but with great effort, I licked the bite closed, cleaning him with my tongue, lapping up his musky taste along with every last trace of blood. His essence sizzled through me, chased by a flare of power, molten and fiery and consuming, and I disappeared inside the glorious rush.

Every time we did this was like being reborn.

Like I was leaving a little of my old self behind and becoming something new. I was acutely aware of the strength of his body tensed beneath mine, of his hard cock throbbing against my belly. He was power personified, and I was done denying myself.

My gaze dipped to the pulse beating in the base of Riordan’s throat.

In another life we could have been different. Destined, perhaps, to be lovers in a gentle world devoid of darkness. But we were born to be monsters, trained to devour this world with teeth and claws and a rage furious enough to shake the stars from the sky.

And this was my last chance to take everything I’d ever wanted from Riordan Graves.

“If that’s what you want, Evangeline, then that’s what you’ll have.” His voice was like gravel, hands tightening on my hips. “Just business,” he added roughly.

“Just business,” I repeated, searching his beautiful face and those smoldering eyes that made my breath catch in my throat as the truth struck me.

I didn’t want this to end.

I wanted us to be like this forever, with the world far, far away, and the two of us connected by something unbreakable and everlasting.

I yearned for that deeper connection, for the crippling pleasure that hungry look on his face promised, his fangs descending while I watched, white and sharp and deadly.

But no matter how hard I wished, this would never last.

“I want you to drink from me, Riordan.” The quiet plea came from far away, as if someone else had spoken, and his expression turned feral, mouth drawn back in a near snarl as I slowly ground myself against his muscled thigh. “If this is our last time, I want to feel your cock inside me at the same time as your teeth. Make me remember this, Rohr. Make me remember you .”

A shadow passed over his face, then he flipped me onto my back, breathing heavily, every breath mixing with my own as his knee worked between my thighs.

I wasn’t wearing much. A clean t-shirt and a pair of panties from one of the bags, the barest slip of pink silk and lace, which he ripped off in one swipe.

I tore open his stuffy white shirt the rest of the way open, buttons pinging across the bedroom until his tattoos were a map of black beneath my hands, my mouth tracing the sharp cut of his jawline. His needy, rasping groan pulled my fangs from my gums, and I dragged the sharp tips over his chest, his collarbone, but I wanted more. I wanted everything.

I flipped our positions, shoved him down onto the bed, straddled his hips, and dragged my pussy up and down his hard cock, soaking his expensive trousers with my juices.

Maybe I was marking him, maybe I was so lost in this heady bliss I couldn’t stop myself, but I writhed, trying to harness the building pressure in me long enough to reach a climax.

Riordan’s fingers dug into my ass, holding me still, and my eyes flew open to take in his devilish smile. “You’ve ruined my shirt and my pants, you wicked thing. Now I have to take them off.” His eyes burned when he dumped me backwards on the bed, his hand going to his belt as he toed off his shoes.

I blinked and he was naked, cock jutting out, the belt looped in his right hand as he prowled closer. “Let’s play a game, Silver. You want to remember this night?” His voice was so soft I strained to hear, every word sending a shiver down my spine. “Then I’ll make sure you never forget what I’m about to do to you.”

That white magic glowed at the tips of his fingers, and I scrambled away, nearly reaching the edge of the bed when something cold wrapped around my ankle and yanked me back, dragging me across the bed on my stomach. That was his magic . A glow of light rippled across the ceiling and the walls, coating everything in blue.

His hands were firm as he caught one wrist, then the other, then the pressure of his belt wrapped around them and bound my hands tight behind my back. “Riordan,” I gasped, trying to wiggle away. “You can’t tie me up. With magic .”

“I can’t? Or you don’t want me to?”

The question hung in the air as I lay there panting, hands tied behind my back, the cold shackle of magic around my ankle slowly pulling my leg wider. I didn’t tell him no. I closed my eyes as his hand traced up the back of my thigh and the curve of my ass.

“You are beautiful, Silver. I want to fuck you, but I’ll stop if you say no.” His fingers dove between my legs, tracing a sinful path up through my wet pussy, his mouth closing down on my shoulder until sharp fangs pinched tender flesh. My breathing picked up, hips bucking uncontrollably as he slid a finger into me.

“That’s it. That’s my dirty girl. You like being helpless, don’t you?”

“No. I don’t.” But my lie was ruined by the needy moan that slipped out as another loop of cold caught my other ankle and pulled me apart until I couldn’t move. His finger plunged into me to the knuckle, the tip curling as he dragged it out, my hips swiveling to stop him from withdrawing all the way.

“What a little liar.” Riordan’s voice was like sandpaper as he added another finger, his thumb teasing my clit mercilessly. “You want me to slide my cock into you so you can feel that big, blunt head part your tender flesh like a sword. Tonight, I won’t give you any quarter, Silver. This is the last time I’ll be inside your body, and I plan to go deep enough to brand myself on your soul.”

I moaned, a pathetic, drawn-out sound that turned into a whimper when he pressed my knees beneath me, raising my ass high in the air. I turned my head so my cheek lay flat on the comforter, hands tied so tightly I could barely wiggle my fingers, his magic drawing my ankles even further apart.

“I’m going to pump you full of my seed, then I’m going to fuck you again to make sure you’re filled to the brim.” His hands squeezed my ass, probing fingers dragging moisture up between my ass cheeks. I whimpered again, trying to escape, but he held me in place, his fingers skating up and down the seam of my ass before he pressed his thumb into that tight hole.

“I only wish we had more time, Silver. The filthy, filthy things I could teach you to enjoy.” He pressed a kiss to the base of my spine. “But since we only have tonight, I’ll do what I can.”

I closed my eyes with a little sob. I was so wet, so wide open he saw every inch of me, and I was so fucking turned on I wanted everything he’d offered.

I wanted him to brand me, I wanted him to use me, I wanted…

His mouth landed on my swollen pussy with all the savagery of a feral wolf. I was so close I came as soon as his tongue pierced my folds, my tense thighs quivering, his amused chuckle vibrating up through my core as he licked up and down, over and over, like he couldn’t taste me fast enough.

“Fucking hell, that’s it. Come all over my tongue, dirty girl.”

Cold air washed over me, then his muscled thighs were braced against my ass, his cock lining up with my entrance, the wide head pressing into my opening so much bigger than I remembered.

“I’m going to fuck you now, Silver. I’m going to fuck you the way I’ve wanted to fuck you from the first time I saw you fighting and hissing like a wildcat. Take a deep breath; this won’t be gentle.”

He drove himself into me in a brutal, stabbing thrust, and tied up like this, with his magic holding my ankles apart and my hands behind my back, all I could do was endure the storm that was Riordan Graves as he claimed me like his prize, his cock driving deeper and deeper until I felt every stroke in my belly.

“Goddamn, you are tight. So fucking tight. You feel like heaven.” Some part of me preened at his words, warmth blooming in my chest. “I need to go deeper.”

One hand curled around the back of my neck and pinned me down, and this time he grunted, driving into me hard enough to drive me across the bed, my cheek dragging across the mattress. His other reached beneath me to tease my clit, my chest heaving as I fought to get enough air, my body caught in the push-pull tightness of pleasure, the thickness of him inside me, and the wave that was ready to crash down and obliterate me.

Every hard, possessive stroke did exactly what Riordan promised. Branded me from the inside. This was everything I craved, yet not enough.

I was fracturing apart and moaning out his name, a foul curse, a plea for this to never end.

“That’s it. Come for me, Silver. Drench my cock before I fill you up.” He teased my clit, driving into me with long, powerful glides, holding me in place like I belonged to him. Pressure built in a devastating swell of power, then the world shattered apart, sending me spinning away into darkness and light, blood pounding in my ears.

Aftershocks rocked my body, my core clenching around his pulsing length, still buried inside me to the hilt as he pumped into me with short, brutal strokes. His seed coated the insides of my thighs, the room smelling like sweat and pure sex as he drove into me one last time.

I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath as his warmth filled me up, my core contracting around him like my body wanted to wring out every last drop.

Then the world flipped and I was on my back, hands still bound, blinking in confusion as the gauzy drapes were replaced by Riordan’s face, his jaw set like stone, eyes hooded in lust. “Do you still want my cock and my fangs in you at the same time?” he asked tightly, hand gripping my waist. “Because if you?—”

“Yes. I?—”

He drove himself into me in one powerful thrust and I turned my head, offering him my throat, preparing myself for pain but still wanting everything he was about to unleash on me. He remained buried inside me, my core contracting around him while soft lips traced my throat, gentle as butterfly wings.

A swipe of his warm tongue, a pinch, and I was floating, lost in a euphoria I’d never dreamed possible. His mouth moved against my skin reverently, like he was worshipping me as he drank, both hands cradling my head.

I felt every strong pull from my throat to my pussy, his deep groans vibrating through me. I didn’t think we could be any closer if we shared the same skin, my fingers drifting up and down his strong back, letting him drink his fill.

I didn’t know how long we remained like that, bodies linked so tightly together I could feel his heart beating like it was my own, wondering if he felt the same. Then he sighed in contentment, his tongue licking up my throat in long, soothing strokes.

“You taste like you fight.” He pulled out then slid back in, a slow, taunting glide that had me biting my lip. “Like pure fucking violence. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone like you, Silver.”

His eyes blazed with fire as he moved inside me, teasing out another low moan, and his lips stained red from my blood was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen in my life.

That dark, coiling pressure built faster, higher, my hips rising to meet his until we found a rhythm, our bodies moving together, racing toward the same goal. His cock swelled inside me, I bore down on him, and he was groaning out my name, filling me up again while we both rode out our pleasure.

I was flying.

Flying so far above the earth I couldn’t feel my own body trembling, couldn’t feel Riordan pressed against me, his lips in my hair, kissing a trail down the side of my neck, murmuring words I couldn’t hear as he freed my hands, rubbing the feeling back into my arms.

I was so, so fucked.

I’d asked him to bite me and fuck me, and now…now there was no going back. We’d crossed some kind of line, and everything had changed.

I had changed.

I was falling in love with Riordan Graves.

That was the only explanation for this fullness threatening to burst out of my chest, the warmth flooding through me, and the tears pricking my eyes at the knowledge we’d never share a moment like this again.

“Go to sleep, Silver,” Rohr murmured, hoisting the blankets up over us both.