My smile split wider. They were all equally my treasures, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. Sliding from Asher’s arms, I grinned as I strode over to Darian and let him take me in his arms.
~ Locke ~
It took two hours of carrying the tomb in the wretched daylight for us to return to Lyr’s hideout. The entire time I could hear the ancient king’s rapid heartbeat thudding faintly from inside his coffin of stone. It was beating faster than when we’d first found the tomb in the crypt, and I was starting to wonder whether our actions had woken the devil. Not that I gave a fuck. If what Lyr said about the tomb being magically sealed was true, whether he was awake or in slumber was of no consequence to us. The bastard could suffer in there for eternity for all I cared.
At one point when the king’s heart had sped up to the point it was erratic, Kade’s gaze had slid to mine, and I’d wondered if he was thinking the same damn thing as I was. That it was a punishment worse than the curse itself, and it would be better if the other monsters in Katakin didn’t know how to pull off such a feat.
When we arrived at the camp, Soren took us through a back entrance that led directly into a private area that the other monsters didn’t have access to. We left the tomb in a cell where it could be guarded until it was time for us to transport the king to the fae. The plan was to leave for the House of Saceris the next day during daylight hours when it was more likely that the outliers in the city would be sleeping. We could only hope that Darian would be able to reason with the siren bitch, Cordelia, but she was as untrustworthy as they came, and I knew Darian was dreading his return to his former house.
“I’m goin’ to hunt for some food,” Asher told us as he broke away from our group, and Darian went with him, mumbling about needing to find more wine before his encounter with the sirens.
Kade placed his hand on the small of Raine’s back and guided her into our room, and I followed after them, closing the door behind us. By the time I’d turned back around, Kade was lounging naked on the bed, soiling our sheets with the dust and grime he’d collected at the crypt, and Raine was staring at me intently, her concerned gaze flicking over my face.
“I look worse than I am,” I reassured her.
“Well, that’s a relief because you look like death,” she said with a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Is it because we were out in the daylight?”
I shrugged, moving further into the room, but she only followed me.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you drink from any of those black vials since we’ve been back in Katakin. Don’t you need the blood to survive?” she questioned.
I spun toward her only to find her inches away from me, and I stared into her fiery amber eyes. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. How could I tell her that since tasting her blood, the synthetic stuff tasted like ash in my mouth? How could I tell her that her blood had sustained me for nights, far longer than synthetic blood ever had and that when she was around me, the urge to sink my fangs into her neck had me wanting to give into every primal need I had? I’d nearly given in when I’d taken her in the washroom only nights ago. The memories of her blood filling my mouth when we were in the fae realm were almost torturous.
“Locke,” Raine repeated, breaking me from my thoughts, and I lunged for her. She gasped against my lips as I kissed her, and then I was lifting her to the bed and placing her onto her back beside Kade.
My thigh moved between her legs, pressing against her core, and she moaned deliciously into my mouth. Her lips warmed to the point they sizzled against mine, and smoke filled my mouth. Realizing what she’d done, she pulled back quickly. “Sorry,” she rushed out.
I blew the smoke into the air and gave her a wicked smile. “You don’t ever have to apologize for who you are, Raine.”
She swallowed thickly and writhed as I pressed my thigh against her again. “Neither do you,” she gasped, and my attention was so focused on her lips that it took me a moment to realize what she meant. ThatIdidn’t have to apologize for who I was. I would have laughed if I had it in me.
“Oh, my beautiful Raine, if only you knew how wrong you are,” I breathed. Leaning down, I grazed my fangs along her neck and enjoyed the way she squirmed and panted. Kade chuckled from beside us, and I turned to see my wolf brother fisting his cock. I smirked, thinking of the times when we’d bedded females in the past. How long had it been? I’d wager over a century, at least.
Kade, Asher, and Darian had been with Raine many times over the past nights, but I’d held back, knowing my thirst might get the better of me. I’d hoped I’d find a way to stomach synthetic blood again, but no matter how many vials I choked down, her blood was still all I could think about. I was at the point that if I didn’t do something about it, I was going to become a real danger to her.
“Locke’s never been the best with words,” Kade growled, his eyes sparkling mischievously, “and he’s even worse at admitting his faults out loud, but someone needs to explain that since drinking from you in the fae realm, the synthetic blood isn’t sustaining him. It’s why he’s been so moody these past nights.”
Raine frowned in confusion, and I glared at my wolf brother.
“Is that true?” she asked softly, and I steeled myself for her judgment. When I didn’t answer, she prompted, “Locke.”
I unclenched my jaw and let out a long breath. “If you’ll let me,” I finally said with reluctance. “I won’t take more than is necessary. But your blood…” I trailed off unable to say the words out loud. Even now I was still ashamed of what I was. Ashamed of being a monster who needed to feed on the blood of others to survive like a damned parasite.
But as I peered at Raine’s accepting face, she smiled widely at me, desire shining in her eyes, and I could swear there was the flickering of actual flames in her gaze. “Why didn’t you ask earlier?” she said quietly like she was struggling to contain her own excitement. Before I could answer, her finger transformed, showing the tip of a dragon talon. “Wow, I did not think that was going to work,” she said with a grin, staring at the claw. Then she slashed a shallow cut on her neck. Her blood welled at the wound, and the scent of her filled the room, igniting my hunger like nothing else ever had.Fucking seven devils.
“Mahare,” Kade growled in warning as my eyes changed to pure black and my claws extended. “What are you doing?” he asked, his body tensing like he was preparing to protect her from me.
“Oh, fuck. I was trying to make it easier for him. Did that not help? I mean, I have blood. He needs and wants my blood. So, um, maybe he should just drink already?” she said it like it was the obvious solution, and when she worded it like that, I could believe that it was.
I stared down at her, all too aware of the blood pumping through her veins, and her beautiful body still beneath me. “You’re too fearless for your own good,” I growled.
She smiled and bared her neck more, her words coming out soft and breathy. “I’m not afraid of you Locke, and if this is what you need, take it. I trust you.”
Fuck.“I don’t deserve your trust,” I rasped, but she waited patiently for me. Closing my eyes, I made a tortured sound and fought to control myself as I let the scent of her blood draw me closer. A snarl ripped from me as my lips neared her throat, but she didn’t flinch or shy away. She remained still, and when I opened my eyes, her gaze burned bright with anticipation as if she was as eager for me to drink as I was. This female was made for me. I felt it deep in every part of me, and I would protect her like the queen she was.
My lips brushed against her cut, the blood smearing around my mouth, and she gasped as my fangs sank in. My venom spilled into her bloodstream, making her moan as the taste of sweet, toasted coconut overwhelmed me, her fiery blood burning deliciously as it slid down my throat.So fucking delicious.Power crackled through me, every part of me seemingly coming alive as energy flooded my system.
More.I sucked in deep, and Raine whimpered. Growling started from close by, but before Kade could intervene, I released her neck, hissing as I licked her blood from my fangs. Kade watched me carefully, observing my every move as if he was still ready to tear me from her if needed, but when Raine blinked up at me, her wide eyes still cloudy as she felt the bliss my venom was giving her, my mind was clear. I would never hurt my mate.My beautiful Raine.
