Page 14 of The First Year Continued (Marked Blood Academy #2)

Roxy

He saved me.

“I almost killed you, and you saved my life,” I whispered. “Maybe I really am a vampire.”

“You did not almost kill me. Under the most duress possible, you withdrew and did not drain me. I don’t know a lot about vampires, but I suspect stopping isn’t in their repertoire, at least not unless they have a master making them do it. Come on, Roxy, let’s go home.”

“I’d have said Marked Blood isn’t home, but now, I feel like anywhere you and Sol and Evander are is my home.” I tried to take a step but wobbled and nearly fell. “I might need help. Can you take my arm?”

“I’ll take all of you.” He lifted me into his arms, the second time that had happened with someone tonight, but this time instead of being tossed over a shoulder with my head hanging down, I was cradled gently against his chest. “Come on, Roxy. You’ve had a long night.”

“You don’t have to carry me.” No matter how secure it made me feel. Loved…even. Though we hadn’t said the words.

“I don’t have to. I want to. You’ve ruined your clothes again, by the way. Isn’t undressing before taking our fur, Shifting 101?”

I sighed. “The first time, my wolf was in charge, and she doesn’t much care about clothes. Tonight, there just wasn’t time. I had to fight with my ma—with you.”

He started toward the building. “Say it, Roxy. Say the word.”

“I can’t.”

“Then I can. You shifted and ruined your nightclothes to fight with your mate. Do you have any idea how sexy that is? That my mate wants to fight with me?”

“Sexy?” Panicked was more like it. “What would that thing have done to me?”

“Let’s not think about it. I’m going to take you to the room where you can rest.”

“Mm-hmm.” I let my head rest on his shoulder, arms looped around his neck, while he carried me all the way to my room and laid me gently on the bed. “Thank you.”

“You can let go, mate.” He moved to stand, but I pulled him in closer.

“No, I can’t.” I looked up at the male who’d saved me from the vampire or some approximation of one. “Would you kiss me? Just one time?”

“Roxy, if I kiss you, it won’t be one time. I’m pretty wound up from the whole rescuing the heroine from the villain thing, and my wolf suggests I close the deal with you.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

Lucky we were both naked already because whatever we might have been wearing would have been shredded anyway.

Adrenalin and affection and lust all wound together into a cocktail too potent to resist as my mate’s lips met mine and our bodies came together in a celebration of our victory.

One that involved a lot of kissing and caressing and a frenzy of desire.

I wound my legs around Odin’s hips, urging him closer, nipples scraping the hair on his chest. Like when my wolf drove that one shift, my body was alive in every cell.

But not with pain. Even when he thrust inside me, stretching me beyond what I’d dreamed possible—not that I’d thought about it much—it hurt in a great way, gliding right into pleasure.

We fit together as if we’d been born for one another, which fated mates were, right?

“Easy, mate,” he murmured. “If you keep writhing like that, I won’t last a minute. ”

“Sorry, I’m new at this,” I moaned, not able to cooperate with his request. “But I’m doing my best.”

“That’s the problem. Your best is too good.” He paused for a second, and I squeezed my internal muscles around him, grinning at his groan. “And you don’t play fair.”

“Mate me, mate,” I chanted. “I’m—oh Goddess, I’m going to, ohhhh.” Everything within me tightened on its own, ripples of pleasure rolling over me as my mate brought me to orgasm.

“Too, too good.” His words were followed by spurts of hot cum filling me, and then he bent and sank his wolf fangs into my throat. “Mate.”

Unsure if it was usual but knowing it was right, I returned the favor, marking him, tasting blood but not drinking.

I had another mark, but this one I would wear with pride. We held one another for a long moment before he got up with a sigh. “I would go look for the others if I knew where to go. I don’t suppose one of them left any clothes here?”

“Check the laundry basket.”

“Evander’s shorts. It’s better than nothing.”

He went to shower, joking that he’d bring me with him, but then we’d be in there all night.

I rinsed off next, going over and over in my mind the events of the night.

I realized something. I might not know what that vampire did when I got the second bite, but he did not rape me.

Because my mate’s lovemaking had pierced my hymen.

The smear of blood on my thigh proved it.

He’d been my first. But he wouldn’t be my last because my wolf was convinced two other wolves were my mates as well.

I might need a little time though. Odin had left me sore in all the best ways and places.

Was this over, the whole vampire thing? I doubted it.

Tyrol and his assistant came from not the shifter council but somewhere else, and they were tracking these creatures that could live in daylight and may have other mutations for all I knew.

Were the other guys okay? I wished they’d hurry and get back. Just because one was dead dead didn’t mean he was the only one here or elsewhere. And like many predators, killing one could draw many more.