Bite of Vengeance (Shadows of War #3)

35. Kali

Chapter 35

Kali

I was sitting on the bar counter, staring at the closed door that Warner had just exited through. When he gave me the answer to not change him back to human, I couldn’t hide my surprise. I thought he would have jumped at the chance. But the world was a dangerous place right now. He could help more as a vampire.

I heard his heartbeat before he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and I glanced across the room, meeting Zan’s eyes.

“I know you were listening,” I said, arching an eyebrow.

“Is that a problem?”

I chuckled. “No. I know where to go if I want my conversations to be private.”

“Having secret talks without me?”

“Maybe.” My voice was teasing until I spoke the next words. “I heard you and your brothers. We’re going to go after your father?”

He frowned. “Yes.”

“And…you three are okay with that?”

He strode across the room, halting right in front of me, his hands landing on my thighs. He pushed my legs open more until his stomach pressed against the bar. His eyes locked on mine.

“Have I not made it obvious?” he asked roughly. “I will choose you over everything. Over anyone. My father. Rowan. Whoever else is threatening your life is my enemy as much as yours.”

“And Keeva?” I whispered. “What are we going to do about her?”

He sighed. “I don’t know.”

I looked past him, lost in thought until his fingers grasped my chin, and he tilted my face up. “Don’t look so worried. We’ll figure it out.”

“What if I’m the dark?” I choked out. “What does that even mean? Am I bathed in evil like my twin thinks?”

“No,” he growled. “Don’t let their words get in your head.”

“It’s not their words, Zan,” I snapped. “It’s on the note my mother left me. The paper Asami showed me. I’m part of a bloodline that has me bound in a life I had no idea about?—”

His lips were suddenly on mine, and he kissed me hard, nipping at my lip until I opened my mouth and let him take control. My arms went around his neck as his hands slowly trailed higher up my thighs.

“You are not the dark, Kali,” he breathed out, barely lifting his mouth from mine. “You are the light who saved me from darkness. You taught me that life doesn’t have to be cruel and savage. That love is possible.”

My heart squeezed, and I kissed him again, trying to ignore the lingering doubts. His touch was overriding everything else like it always did. He gripped the hem of my shirt, tugging it over my head.

“Zan,” I choked out. “Someone could walk in?—”

“They can all hear what’s happening if they’re close enough,” he cut me off. “They know not to bother us.”

He stripped off my bra before yanking down my jeans and then set me back on the counter. Reaching forward, I pulled his shirt up, yanking it off him, my eyes trailing down his tatted torso. Fuck, he was beautiful to look at.

“Lay down,” he ordered, grabbing my thighs again and pulling me toward him.

I grinned wickedly. “I would say make me—but I’m not sure you could.”

He froze, his eyes slowly traveling to mine as challenge filled them. “You’re lucky I don’t want to destroy Impulse. It’s okay, I’ll make you lay down a different way.”

I giggled. I had a feeling we were mostly evenly matched. My transition halted. My senses and strength had leveled out, and I was getting used to having them. The passage I read flashed through my mind. Their strength rivaled our greatest enemy. Which was Amaros Kane. But I had a feeling it wasn’t just my power. It was mine and Keeva’s. Together , we were greater.

Zan tsked, noticing my attention wasn’t on him anymore. “Worrying does nothing right now. Forget about it all.”

My breath caught in my throat when his fingers brushed my clit. That slight touch had my nerves going haywire. I could easily admit that one of the best parts of this transition was how fucking good sex was.

He groaned, dropping his head to brush his lips down my stomach. “I need to taste you.”

He grabbed my thighs again, spreading them wide. When his tongue touched me, my palms slapped against the bar top. Fuck . It was so good. This heightened feeling of euphoria was never ending when he was pleasuring me. I could spend an eternity doing this with Zan.

A hazy thought crept into my mind, and I stiffened. Eternity. Would I survive that long? Maybe I didn’t deserve to if I really was the dark like my twin believed.

Zan sighed, lifting his head to meet my eyes. “Kali. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

“Nothing you can’t make me forget about.” I rested back on my elbows, giving him a small grin. “Make me lay down on this bar like you promised, Zan.”

He chuckled. “Trying to change the subject?”

I sucked in a breath when he slid a finger inside me. When his thumb landed on my clit, my eyes fluttered as he began circling it slowly.

“Everything your twin said about me is right,” he murmured in a low voice.

My eyes widened, cutting to him. “What?”

I swallowed a moan when he added a second finger, curling them up until I was nearly writhing in his hold.

“I’ve killed. Humans, vampires—it didn’t matter. I did it on my father’s orders, but that’s not an excuse.” His voice was expressionless, and an ache smothered my chest for a moment, until he focused on my clit, making all rational thought fade away. “I deserved all the hate you gave me when we met. The things I’ve done…I had every intention of following what my father wanted for this world.”

“Had,” I choked out, his assault on my clit unrelenting. “You’ve changed. You don’t want that anymore.”

“You changed me,” he admitted gruffly, pushing his fingers deeper into me. “Even before our bond. Now look at me. Trying to save the world—for you.”

“You’re not evil, Zan,” I panted between short breaths, forcing my eyes open to look at him. It was a struggle to even speak when he was touching me. “I know that.”

He grinned, running his thumb over my clit. “And you aren’t either. Those words that Keeva was spewing, it’s not true, Kali. You are not the dark.”

“You don’t know that,” I argued weakly through the haze of pleasure.

“I do know,” he growled. “I know you .”

I let out a cry when he suddenly grabbed me, pulling me off the bar and keeping his arm around me. He set me down on one of the tables, and I didn’t fight when he pushed me back until I was lying down. A shiver rolled through me from the cold, smooth wood, but that was soon forgotten when Zan undid his jeans and pulled his cock out.

A moment later, he slid inside me, groaning as he filled me. “Fuck. You feel so damn good, Kali.”

My husky laugh turned into a moan when he pulled out and slammed back into me. I wrapped my legs around him, spiraling from pleasure as he upped his pace.

“Do you believe me?” he asked gruffly. “That you aren’t the dark?”

My eyes locked on his as he leaned over me. “I don’t know.”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. “Not good enough.”

His next thrust stole my breath, and I clawed at his back, my legs beginning to tremble.

“You are everything that’s good in this world.” He didn’t stop fucking me as he spoke. “You want peace. It’s something you’ve never stopped fighting for—and you’re still doing it even after transitioning to a Shadow.”

He kissed me before I could respond, his tongue clashing with mine as he plunged back into me. Waves of pleasure rolled through me, building closer to my climax. Until he slowed down.

“Zan,” I protested against his lips. “I was right there.”

He chuckled. “I know. But I’m not done talking.”

My glare lacked vigor as he pulled his face from mine, keeping his strokes slow.

“You see the best in people,” he murmured. “Not only do you want to save the humans, but you gave me a chance. Gia too. It doesn’t matter that I’m a Shadow or she’s a vampire. You judge based on if someone is good or bad. There isn’t a piece of your soul that is dark.”

But there was. My hatred for Amaros. The revenge I wanted after what Rowan did to me and Zan. I wanted them dead. Not just killed but tortured. I would do what I needed to protect the ones I loved. That included Shadows and now vampires.

Zan tsked. “I can see you’re still not listening to me.”

“I am,” I whimpered, rocking my hips against him. “You’re distracting me.”

“Am I?”

His smug tone had challenge rushing through me. Since I was almost sure my transition was finished, how strong was I? He pulled out of me, teasing me by rubbing his hard cock over my clit.

“Zan,” I purred, giving him a devilish smile. “If you don’t hurry up, and give me an orgasm, then I’ll give myself one.”

His eyes flashed with warning, a smirk tipping his lips. “Go ahead and try?—”

I squeezed my arms around his neck, twisting him off me. He let out a noise of surprise, his body stiffening as he moved to stop me. But I already had him halfway off me, and he slammed onto the table beside me. Scrambling up, I jumped on top of him as he went for my wrists. I flailed, preventing him from getting a hold of me as I straddled his hips.

“You are faster,” he mused, his hand trailing up my hips. “Stronger too.”

I let out a cry when he sat up, his hand tangling in my hair, and he pulled me on top of him before rolling back over. My spine hit the table, and his amused grin grew as he stared down at me. Just then, there was a crack, and the table collapsed.

Instead of crashing onto the floor, Zan’s arms went around my waist, and he managed to get to his feet, taking me with him. I stood there in his tight grip, giving him a wicked smirk.

“Quick reflexes,” I commented before sliding my hand between us, and wrapping my fingers around his cock. “Now, take me back to the bar and give me what I want.”

“Give me the answer I want.”

I pursed my lips, not wanting to talk about my fucked-up so-called prophecy anymore. I didn’t know the right answer. Whether I was light or dark, what would that change right now?

“No?” he questioned, arching an eyebrow. “Then no orgasm for you.”

I pushed away from him, backing away as he cocked his head, watching my every move. Since I wasn’t near him, my cheeks heated slightly when I remembered that I was naked. Yet, I didn’t feel vulnerable. Not because of my own strength or senses—but because Zan was here. I felt safe whenever he was near me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, a dangerous gleam in his eye.

“To get myself off, since you won’t do it.”

My snarky words had him crossing the room in record speed. I darted to the side, a shriek escaping me when he nearly got ahold of my wrist before I yanked away. Spinning away from him, I raced to the back of Impulse, my heart pumping with adrenaline.

His rough chuckle was my only warning before he pushed my chest into the wall, his hand fisting my hair, tilting my head back. Bracing my hands on the wall, I pushed against him. At first, he held firm, but I exerted more strength, and he grunted as he tried to hold me in place. The fact that his hand was still in my hair made it more difficult, but I managed to spin around to face him.

His sinful smirk had my stomach fluttering, and he let go of my hair only to grasp my hips, lifting me up.

“I think you’re as strong as me,” he admitted. “I like it.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Mm,” he hummed out, running his lips up my throat. “I had to be gentle with you before so I didn’t break you?—”

“Break me? I’ve never been fragile.”

“You were human,” he reminded me as if I should know. “And then you were still early in your transition. But now? Sex will be even better.”

I let out a small laugh. “I don’t think it could get better. It’s pretty fucking great.”

As if to prove me wrong, he held me up as he slowly pushed his cock into me. I wrapped my legs around him, even though he didn’t need any help keeping me against the wall. His hold on me was effortless. He kept a slow, steady rhythm until I squeezed him with my legs, silently demanding he go faster.

“Yes,” I breathed, the pleasure already building. “Don’t stop.”

He slammed into me again, this time hard enough that I could hear the wall creak behind me. But there was no pain, only a craving for more.

“Look at me, Kali,” he demanded roughly.

I lifted my eyes to his, swallowing a cry when he thrust even harder.

“There is no part of you that is dark.” His voice seeped with truth. “Just like me, your future isn’t written. You choose it. And whatever that decision is, I’ll be at your side, making sure you get everything in this world that you want.”

A warmth spread through me, his words hitting me just as much as the pleasure he was giving me. His strokes were hard and fast, stealing my breath.

“Fuck,” I whimpered when he lifted me slightly higher, hitting me at a new angle.

“Scream for me,” he ordered, his fingers digging into my hips.

“Your brothers are upstairs?—”

“There’s a reason their rooms are soundproof. And I really don’t give a shit if they’re listening. Right now, I want to hear you.”

His next thrust had a cry tearing from my throat, whether I wanted to or not. I was nearly dizzy from the mounting pleasure. Drowning in it. In the best damn way. The wall shook every time he slammed into me.

An explosion of pleasure flooded me as I climaxed, and I was barely aware of the scream that passed my lips. My heart pounded against my ribs, my body writhing as Zan kept going, drawing out my orgasm.

His lips crashed to mine, kissing me as if he never wanted to come up for air. He groaned, thrusting into me one more time before burying himself inside me as he came. He rested his forehead against mine, both of us breathing hard. I caught his eye, shooting him a grin.

“Well, at least we know you can’t break me now,” I teased. “But I think we cracked the wall.”

“I’ll give you a second to catch your breath. Then I’m spreading you on the bar and we’re doing this again.”