Page 25 of Nightshades

Marking me.

I slip the root free, lift her hips, and bury my tongue inside her, wanting her to come again to quench my thirst. The longer I’m with her, the more I want, the more I fucking need.

I want her body, blood, bones, and everything in between.

My fangs slice her sensitive skin as I feast, blood trickling into my mouth with every roll of my tongue. She tastes so good that I can’t help but groan, drinking her down as if I’m a dying man.

Her body begins to tense, her hips grinding down onto my tongue, wanting to come again.

Just as she is about to come, I pull my mouth free and grip the broken headboard with my hands, leering down at her elegant face. Her eyes are almost neon yellow from the tears brightening her eyes. Her cheeks are decorated in a damp sheen.

“You love terror, Little Dream?” I drag my claw down her cheek, leaving another scratch, and she squeezes her eyes shut, giving the slightest shake of her head since she can’t move much more than that.

Gripping the headboard harder, the wood breaks within my grasp, and I lean down, loving to see how she cries for me.

“You ache for the adrenaline of the unknown.” I press my nose against her hair again, smelling all the lies she’s told herself over the years to justify what she craves.

She shakes her head again, causing another tear to break free.

The roots tighten around her throat again, this time, cutting off all air supply.

“Don’t lie to me,” I roar so loud, the entire house shakes on its weak foundation. “I smell it on you.” I reach down, cupping one of her breasts in my hand.

I engulf her. So small. So delicate. How is such a fragile human capable of handling me?

“I can smell how much you crave more than the boring, ordinary life you are forced to live.” I tweak her nipple, and she moans, her wet lashes reflecting the light. Closing the distance between us until my lips are a ghost against her, I smile. “Can you smell yourself on me?” I breathe into her, pressing my thumb against her bottom lip until the flesh turns a lighter shade.

She nods.

“You smell so fucking good. Imagine how you taste.” I press my lips against hers, knowing she is unable to kiss me back.

Not that she would.

Her arousal doesn’t lie, though. It spreads into the air with every motion of my lips against hers. I slip my tongue against her, hoping she can taste why I’m so addicted to her.

Pulling back, I stare into her confused eyes, her lips beckoning me for another kiss.

“Tell me what you fear, Lula?” The black smoke drifts into her nose, and the gorgeous yellow tint of her eyes is filled with black raging seas that drip down her face.

A horn blares outside, then voices shout from seeing the accident. I pull out of her mind, sheathe my roots from her wrists, and she falls unconscious again.

“Another time. I’ll be seeing you soon.” I kiss her forehead, hating to leave her.

I know before I step foot out of this house, I need to do more to claim my territory. This house, this woman, everything inside of it, around it, belongs to me.

Entering her bathroom again because I know there are many things I can defile in here. Taking a peek at her sleeping, I rummage through the medicine cabinet, not finding anything of value that I can ruin with my scent.

Grumbling under my breath, I bend down to open the cabinet below and smack my head on the counter, growling at the damn thing being in my way.

Rubbing the spot on my forehead, I rummage through the bottles of skincare. How much skincare could one woman have? The entire cabinet is full.

“Perfect,” I mumble with a smile, holding a container that is a charcoal face mask. Twisting off the top, I grin, walking over to Lula’s bedside, and swipe my come from her chest and into the bottle.

I twist the lid back on, give it a good shake, and place it back where I found it.

Yes, that’s exactly what I needed to do. I feel better knowing she will smell of me every time she goes to pamper herself after a long day. I write her a quick note on the mirror before leaving the bathroom.

Grinning, I’m unable to walk by her without giving her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll see you soon, Little Dream.” My heart tugs with every step I take away from being by her side.