Bite of Vengeance (Shadows of War #3)

8. Kali

Chapter 8

Kali

I was barely aware that Zan took me to his bathroom until the shower turned on. The pain from my back radiated through every cell of my body. Pressure built in my chest to the point of explosion, and I realized I’d been holding my breath. Zan set me on the counter before grabbing my shirt and pulling it over my head.

“Zan. What?—”

“The hawthorn is sitting on your skin,” he interrupted me as he grabbed the hem of my leggings and carefully tugged those down. “You need to wash it off.”

My back throbbed, proving the hawthorn was still working its way out. Once I was naked, he lifted me from the counter, and I let out a shriek, anguish ripping through me. But then I remembered we’d left Warner with Amaros in the rotunda. Fear cut through me.

“Is Warner okay?—”

“He’s fine. Gia is taking him back to his room.”

Right now, that answer was enough to pacify me since thinking of anything other than the wildfire of pain on my back was next to impossible.

“Cold,” I said hoarsely. “I need cold water. It’s burning.”

Keeping one arm around my waist, he reached over and adjusted the water temperature before pulling me into the large stand-up shower. The water hit my back, and I writhed in pain, Zan’s hold the only thing keeping me under the showerhead.

“You’re okay,” Zan soothed, standing in front of me, and gripping my hips. I buried my face in his wet shirt, trembling against him. The water was rinsing the hawthorn off my skin, but it was stinging the rest of me as it dripped down my body.

Even with the cold stream, every part of me was burning. I heaved out labored breaths, trying to think of anything other than the pain.

“Let me help, Kali,” Zan murmured, kissing the top of my head.

“How?” I mumbled as I squeezed my eyes shut. “Can you get the hawthorn out of my tattoo faster?”

“No. But I can put your focus somewhere else.”

I nodded against his chest, squirming in his hold as another wave of pain held me hostage. But then his hands were on my cheeks, and he tilted my face up.

“Your senses are heightened,” he said in a low voice. “Hearing. Sight…touch. Which is why this is so painful.”

I groaned. “That’s great.”

He ran his thumb across my lips. “Trust me, Kali.”

I frowned, meeting his eyes for a moment before he lowered his head, brushing his lips against mine. My heart thudded wildly from shock, but when I didn’t resist, he kissed me harder, pushing his tongue into my mouth. I jerked when pain rippled through me again. He pulled away, only to start kissing my jaw.

“ All your senses are heightened,” he repeated between kisses. “Pain. Pleasure. Choose which one to focus on.”

By now, his lips were trailing down my neck softly, and I shivered for a different reason. His kisses had always been good, but this was a whole new level. Was sex better as a Shadow? I shook my head. I was becoming something I loathed. Nothing good would come of it.

“You’re fighting it,” Zan breathed out, nipping at my ear. “Stop. There are good things about being eternal, Kali. This is one of them.”

I nearly let out a moan. Goosebumps skated across my skin, and I leaned into Zan without realizing it. The hawthorn was still tearing through me, but the pain was dimmer. So much more bearable as he continued to kiss me. He traced my collarbone with his tongue, and I threw my head back, losing myself to his touch.

“That’s it,” he coaxed as his fingers found my nipple. “Focus on this. On me.”

He held me up with one arm while he continued to tease my breasts with his other hand. His lips didn’t leave my skin, his kisses soft and hot. I arched my back when he dropped to his knees and slowly dragged his mouth down to my stomach. Another stab of pain shot over my back, and I writhed in his hold, my breath locking in my chest.

“You need more,” he said, his voice thick with desire.

“Going to fuck me?” I couldn’t help but tease, trying to distract myself.

He went rigid, his hold on my hips going tight. “No.”

I glanced down at him, a frown on my lips. Until I remembered what Amaros did. How deep did entrancement go? Could Zan defy his father’s command? From the harsh way he just answered, I had a feeling he couldn’t. My heart thundered in my chest. What else could Amaros force him to do?

“But I can give you what you need,” he continued, letting his shoulders relax. “Turn around.”

He didn’t give me more than a second to heed his demand before he spun me around, and my palms hit the rough stone wall. My back was still under the cold water, washing away the hawthorn that was still seeping from my pores. It burned as it trailed down my body, but then Zan’s movements were keeping my attention.

He was sitting on the shower floor, and he slowly pulled me down on top of him. I realized what he was doing when he laid down on his back, keeping his head between my legs.

“Comfortable?” he asked before kissing the inside of my thigh.

“Are you?” I countered, knowing the hawthorn was going to hit his face with him underneath me.

“Kali, there is nothing fucking better than you sitting on my face.”

He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he situated me where he wanted and swiped his tongue across my pussy. I sucked in a sharp breath, pleasure ripping through me. At this moment, I didn’t care if other vampires could hear us. All that mattered was how fucking good Zan was making me feel.

The pain on my back ebbed away as Zan licked and sucked on my clit. I squirmed against him, my palms staying pressed against the wall. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me harder against his face, plunging his tongue inside me. I let out a cry, closing my eyes as water streamed down my face.

He focused on my clit again, sucking and nipping at it until I was writhing against him. My legs trembled as I rocked my hips, only focusing on the pleasure instead of the pain on my back. It was easier than I thought. Being able to block out the hawthorn and feeling everything Zan was doing to me. If this was a part of the transition, I could get used to it.

I let out a whimper when his teeth grazed me before he sucked hard, making me thrash against him. The waves of pleasure built, and my chest heaved as he brought me closer to the edge. He wasn’t going slow or dragging this out. He was intent on getting me off as fast as he could. The strokes of his tongue were fast and rough, coaxing me closer and closer to an orgasm.

“Fuck,” I whimpered, my muscles going tight.

He wrapped his arms around my thighs, preventing me from escaping when the pleasure became overwhelming. He didn’t slow down, his pace steady as he swirled his tongue around my clit.

My body locked up as I crashed over the edge with a small scream. He didn’t stop, dragging out the orgasm as long as he could. When my body relaxed slightly, he swiped his tongue over my pussy, letting out a groan as he tasted my release.

I sagged down, my body completely spent. The pain from the hawthorn was still present but not nearly as bad, and I hoped that meant it was almost gone. Zan lifted me up, twisting me until I was sitting down. He pulled me against him, pressing my back to his chest.

“Zan,” I protested, wiggling against him. “The hawthorn?—”

“I’m fine,” he murmured, brushing a kiss on the side of my head. “It barely hurts.”

Knowing that my arguments wouldn’t do anything, I rested against him as he ran his fingertips softly down my arms. Water was still flowing on top of us, and even though I wasn’t in anguish anymore, I didn’t want to leave the comfort of the shower. Being in his arms made me forget about reality, even if only for a moment. The second we left here, it would all come crashing down again.

“I feel bad for shooting you up with hawthorn,” I mumbled in a hushed voice. “Now that I know how bad it hurts.”

He chuckled. “Is this you admitting you don’t hate me for what I did to your best friend?”

I blew out a long breath, trying to work through the mess of tangled feelings. But one thing was clear. I didn’t hate Zan. He saved Warner. I detested that Warner was a vampire now, and he was trapped here with Amaros. But he was alive. And I hoped I could get him free.

“Is this how you survived the torture when the Clovers had you?” I asked, changing the subject. “By blocking out the pain.”

He paused. “Yes.”

He was still rubbing my arms, his gentle touch relaxing me.

“What did you think about to forget the pain?” I whispered quietly, knowing he could still hear me.

“You have to ask?”

My heart skipped. “Me?”

“I don’t know why you’re surprised.” Amusement laced his voice. “You’re the one who keeps saying I’m obsessed with you.”

“Because we might be bonded.” My words came out harsh, but it bothered me that it might be some invisible string forcing my feelings about Zan.

“That doesn’t matter anymore, Kali,” he murmured in my ear, his voice barely a whisper. “Whether we are or not, I choose you.”

A shiver ran through me, his words a dark promise. He would never let me go. The problem was, I didn’t want him to. His feelings weren’t one-sided. There was a sense of wholeness when he was with me, no matter how hard I fought it.

But it wasn’t just about us. His father was using me. The freedom I always craved was slashed the moment I came to this property. I wasn’t sure if Zan knew that I heard his conversation with Amaros in the rotunda. That I was some kind of natural leader of the Shadows. If that was true, then this could change everything.

Because then I would have my own army.

One so strong that there was a chance I could kill Amaros Kane and end the reign of vampires.