Chapter Ten
Dane
As soon as we entered my room, I spun around, jabbing a finger at Malachi. “You claim me? Really? What in the hell was that about?”
He closed then locked the door behind him before turning his dark gaze on me. “If I hadn’t claimed you in front of everyone, Emmett would’ve only been the first attempt for your blood.”
His casual tone pissed me off, because it made my fury seem unreasonable. “You could have at least cleared it with me!”
“So you wanted me to ask your permission, while everyone looked on?”
His calm voice was grating on my nerves.
The very thought of being so attracted to Malachi unsettled me, like a wildfire I couldn’t stop from spreading. And when his gaze pinned me in place, daring me to push further, I felt that fire twist into something else entirely.
Something dangerous.
Something I couldn’t resist.
“Now what, I’m your fucking pet?”
I was unable to control the burning rage churning inside of me. The thought of being his pet made me want to vomit.
It was exactly what Osiris had called me and how he’d treated me. My skin crawled, which only caused my anger to rise.
“You have no idea what that just cost me!”
Malachi shouted, shocking me since I’d never heard him yell before.
“It wouldn’t have cost you a damn thing if you’d just let me go!”
I shoved at his chest, my breathing ragged, hot tears stinging the back of my eyelids. Not just because I was a prisoner here but because Osiris could’ve seriously hurt Kyson, might have permanently fucked his head up, and I was still terrified about Emmett.
But most of all, my anger stemmed from wanting Malachi so badly. Fuck, I was actually catching feelings for him.
“Do you really want to leave that badly?”
Malachi snarled.
“No!”
My eyes rounded when the truth burst free.
I cried out when Malachi hauled me against the wall by my shirtfront, afraid I’d pushed him too far. I had, but not in the way I’d thought. His lips crashed over mine, hungry and unrelenting.
Too shocked at first, I just stood there while he ravaged my mouth.
Then I flung my arms around his neck, yanking him down to me. My heart was beating like crazy. My mind was in a whirl. And I couldn’t get enough of those soft, warm lips. It felt more like a collision than a kiss, each press of his mouth leaving me even more breathless, more undone, as he growled low in his throat.
A hand drifted to the base of my neck, pulling me forward until the kiss became everything.
Before I knew what I was doing, I tried to climb up his body. I hooked a leg over his hip, clutching at him with need. Malachi lifted me up, and I curled my legs around his lean waist.
His fingers tightened in my hair, his lips hesitating for a heartbeat as though grappling with the storm between us. Then the dam broke, and he kissed me with a hunger that stole my breath.
His lips were like a downpour of rain after a long drought, leaving me yearning for more of his intoxicating taste.
I’d thought about kissing him more than once since meeting him. Some thoughts were of us kissing slowly, while others were just like this. Wild, untamed, and… Oh hell . The dark warrior’s lips were lethal, because they were killing every ounce of control I had.
For a moment, it was just us—no arguments, no danger, just raw need. His head tilted, lips pressing deeper, the world narrowing to just the heat between us.
His body pressed closer, an unspoken declaration of the connection we could no longer deny. The brush of his fangs against my lips carried a dangerous thrill that left me trembling. I should’ve been afraid of his sharp teeth, but instead, the touch of them pressed into my memory, a strange mix of fear and intrigue holding me hostage.
I nipped his bottom lip then bit it, pulling on it slightly before letting go. Then the rhythm shifted, from frantic and consuming to slow and savoring, as though he wanted to remember every moment.
His grip at my back loosened, palms flattening to hold me steady instead of pulling me closer. A moan escaped my throat as Malachi’s hands slowly slid up my arms, no longer clutching but gently caressing me.
I hadn’t felt a tender touch in so long that I leaned into it, soaking up the incredible feeling. Thumbs brushed the edges of my jaw, guiding my face closer, more fully into his control.
It was Malachi who pulled away first. A swallow caught in my throat, the motion loud in the silence, his gaze never breaking from mine.
Slowly, he lowered me to my feet, his hands leaving my body. Every part of me screamed to close the distance again, but his stillness pinned me in place.
Sweat prickled along my brow, though I wasn’t sure if it was from exertion or the sheer weight of what had just happened.
Our heads turned when someone knocked on my door. I wasn’t sure whether or not to answer it, but Malachi decided for me.
“Go the fuck away!”
he shouted.
My brow arched.
A slow smile broke across his face, softening his hard edges until he looked almost boyish, like he belonged to a simpler world. The sound that followed, a low, rich laugh, was so unexpected it carved right through me, settling deep in places I thought had been destroyed.
My breath hitched, caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob.
Malachi was laughing.
The sound was like sunlight breaking through clouds, warming the cold spaces inside me. It was a quiet shattering of every wall he’d ever built, and I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up to join his, the sound rising unbidden, fragile yet whole.
It wasn’t just the laugh. It was the way it lit him from within, turning this brooding, controlling man into someone unguarded and impossibly human.
In that very moment, he stole my heart completely.
He framed my face, as though anchoring us both in this crazy moment. “I should have claimed you like this instead. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries.”
Placing my hands over his, I smiled up at him. “I get why you did it, but I’m still peeved you just blurted it out.”
It would have been nice to get a heads-up instead of being blindsided by the declaration, but the kiss more than made up for it.
“Promise me you’ll use every precaution to stay safe.”
Malachi tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I might have publicly claimed you, but it’s still in our nature to feed when we smell blood.”
“Saying that after that mind-blowing kiss…”
I stuck out my tongue.
Malachi quickly dipped his head and sucked it into his mouth. This wasn’t the burning passion we’d just experienced but soft and tender, dragging my heart toward him even harder.
All I’d wanted was to escape. Now all I wanted was to stay.
The room had grown quiet, the kind of silence that wasn’t empty but crackling with tension. Malachi stood there, his gaze fixed on me, and for the first time since I’d met the guy, I saw the struggle behind his eyes.
He wanted me.
And hell, I wanted him too.
But of course, I couldn’t just let that slide without comment. “If you keep staring at me like that,”
I said, crossing my arms, “I might start thinking you actually like me.”
A corner of his mouth quirked up, and I swore I saw a flash of amusement before his usual scowl returned. “You talk too much.”
His voice wasn’t just sound. It seeped into my bones, leaving me unsteady and breathless.
“You’ve mentioned that.”
I took a step closer, the air between us humming with something electric. “But maybe you just don’t talk enough.”
Before I could fire off another quip, his hands were on me, strong and sure, pulling me against his chest. His lips crushed over mine, and for a second, my brain short-circuited. Every sarcastic remark I’d ever prepared for this exact scenario evaporated, replaced by the startling realization that Malachi kissed like a man starved.
And apparently, I was the meal.
His hands slid up my back, tracing every ridge of my spine before gripping my shoulders to hold me steady. It wasn’t a kiss. It was a full-on siege, and I was losing the battle in record time. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer because if he was taking, I sure as hell was giving.
When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, my chest heaving. “If that’s your way of telling me to shut up,”
I managed to say, “it’s a little aggressive.”
“You didn’t seem to mind.”
His voice was a husky growl that sent a rush of heat low in my groin. His thumb traced the edge of my jaw, softer than I expected, almost like he was afraid I’d vanish if he wasn’t careful.
“I didn’t,”
I admitted, and maybe that was the moment I stopped trying to fight this.
His hands found my waist, lifting me like I weighed nothing. My legs wrapped around his hips on instinct, and the low rumble of approval from his throat sent a thrill through me. My back hit the wall, the cool stone a sharp contrast to the heat burning between us.
“Tell me to stop.”
His lips brushed against my ear, his fangs grazing just enough to make my breath hitch. “Now, Dane.”
“Stop?”
I laughed, breathless and half-drunk on him already. “If you stop now, I might actually kill you.”
That was all he needed.
His mouth was everywhere—my neck, my collarbone, his teeth scraping just enough to make me gasp but not enough to break skin. His hands were impossibly gentle for a man who fought like a hurricane, sliding under my shirt to trace patterns that left me quivering. He pressed closer, his presence surrounding me in a way that felt overwhelming and intoxicating.
When he pulled back again, his eyes were glowing, a molten red that should’ve terrified me but only made me want him more. “You’re mine,”
he said, his voice rough and raw and damn if I didn’t want to be.
“Yeah,”
I said, my voice cracking, but I didn’t care. “Yours.”
The words felt like surrender, but for the first time in forever, it didn’t feel like losing.
Pivoting, he walked us across the room. I knew the moment we reached my bed, because he fell forward, taking me down with him. But his strong arms softened the landing, dragging my body farther up the bed until my head was resting on the pillows.
His lips descended on mine before I could utter a word. I whimpered as I pulled at the snap of his waistband, desperate to feel the weight of his cock in my hand.
Malachi’s breath was warm against my ear, his lips trailing down to press a kiss just below it. “You’re so eager,”
he murmured, his voice thick with restrained hunger, vibrating low enough to make me shudder. His teeth grazed my earlobe before his tongue flicked out, leaving a cool, wet trail.
“I think you like it,”
I shot back, my voice raspier than I expected. My fingers scrambled at the snap of his waistband, the leather resisting as I tugged at it.
How hard is it to unsnap some goddamn pants?
Malachi leaned back, just enough to watch me struggle, his mouth curving into a slow, predatory smile. “Go ahead. Work for it.”
The challenge made my hands move faster, pulling and yanking until his pants slipped low enough to reveal his hard cock, standing proud and thick, the tip glistening in the low light. My mouth went dry as I stared, my tongue darting out on instinct.
A sudden warmth brushed over me, and I realized every stitch of fabric was gone from my body. I tensed.
“Don’t.”
His fingers gently touched my chin.
I had been so caught up in the moment, I hadn’t thought about being naked in front of him, Osiris’s handiwork on full display. Jagged lines from deep cuts, puckered marks from burns. Osiris had left his cruelty etched into my skin.
“You’re beautiful, sweetheart.”
Malachi lowered until his lips pressed against one of my nastier scars. His hand skimmed over my side, the pads of his fingers grazing a few more.
“This isn’t beauty.”
I looked away, but tender fingers brought my face back to his.
“This is a warrior.”
His smile was gentle, matching the look in his eyes as he brushed the pad of his thumb over my cheek. “I would be proud to stand next to you in any battle.”
My throat grew tight. He meant it. I could see the truth in his eyes. “I’m-I’m hideous.”
“You’re amazing.”
His lips touched mine, and I opened for him, his tongue sweeping in to steal my very breath. His hands kept skimming my body, touching every mark Osiris had left behind.
When we broke apart, his wings unfurled, shadowing the bed. As he gazed down at me, his glowing red eyes devoured every inch of exposed skin with a look of pure hunger.
My heart thudded as I swallowed, suddenly unsure if I was ready for this. But the way he was looking at me—as if I was the only thing in the world that mattered—made my resolve crumble. His body was a study in power, lean muscles rippling under his pale skin, and I wanted nothing more than to make him come undone.
Sliding down the bed, my hands brushed over the firm, sculpted muscles of his thighs. Malachi’s breath hitched as I wrapped a hand around his cock, the weight of his length heavy in my palm, the heat pulsing against my skin. I couldn’t stop my tongue from darting out to taste the pre-cum dotting the slit, the salty tang sparking across my taste buds.
He groaned, his wings twitching as his hands fisted in the sheets. “Dane…”
His voice sent a thrill through me, spurring me on. The desperate way he said my name could mess me up for life. Everything in me wanted him so damn badly. I just wish I could believe him when he said I was beautiful.
Osiris didn’t leave behind beauty. He left behind nightmares, something I desperately wanted to forget.
Pushing aside those thoughts, I took Malachi’s cock into my mouth slowly, savoring the way his body tensed. My tongue teased the underside of his thick shaft, tracing the ridge before hollowing my cheeks and taking him deeper. His fingers tightened briefly in my hair, not to control but to hold, as though grounding himself in the moment.
“More, temptress,”
he growled, the words torn from his throat.
I obeyed, sliding my hands up to grip his hips, pulling him closer as I worked his shaft deeper. The taste of him, the weight, the low sounds he made—all of it filled my senses, leaving me lightheaded with desire.
He’d been walled off before, but now a sensual creature had been unleashed. This had been building between us since he first sat down across from me at Flaming Wings. This irresistible attraction, rising like a crescendo. Now it was crashing over us, and as badly as I wanted to hide my scars, I wanted him even more.
Malachi’s hips moved, slow at first, his control slipping as his body trembled with every stroke of my tongue. His fingers dug into the mattress, shredding the fabric.
It was a heady feeling knowing I was the one who made this mighty vampire tremble. It was empowering in ways that made me want to bring him to his knees. To feel just as lost, tangled in emotions I’d been fighting against, because he’d been fighting against them too.
When I pulled back, panting, his eyes burned into mine, feral and consuming. “Dane,”
he said, his voice a rough command, “you’re going to make me—”
With a teasing smile, I swallowed him again, and the curse that fell from his lips sent heat through my entire body. His control snapped, his hips jerking forward as he lost himself in the moment, his wings spreading wider, feathers brushing the wall. His cock pulsed against my tongue, and I knew he was close.
“Dane—”
he warned, but I didn’t stop, hollowing my cheeks and tightening my grip on his cock until he threw his head back, a guttural growl tearing from his chest. He spilled his seed into my mouth, his body shuddering as I swallowed, savoring the salty warmth and the low groans that followed.
With the back of my hand, I wiped my mouth, meeting his gaze as he stared down at me with a look I couldn’t quite read. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
I chuckled, crawling back up the bed, our bodies already slick with sweat. “Then I guess we’re even.”
But Malachi wasn’t done. His hands caught my waist before I could react. His lips descended on mine, fierce and possessive, his fangs grazing my bottom lip as his wings folded protectively around us.
“I’m about to claim you in every way that matters, my little warrior,”
he whispered against my mouth, and the promise in his tone sent a shiver racing through me.
His tall, honed body hovered over me then slowly lowered, careful of his weight. Then he used his knee to push my right leg aside, opening me up to him. His lips assaulted my senses, ghosting down my shoulder then back up again.
Lost in the sensations, I barely noticed when he positioned the head of his cock at my entrance.
“Lube,”
I said against his mouth when his lips once again found mine.
“Got it covered.”
A spurt of something bathed my puckered hole. I gasped when I felt my ring of muscle relaxing. Two more spurts followed as Malachi’s tongue wrecked my senses.
A yelp jumped from my throat when the tip of his tongue skimmed over the shell of my ear.
His chuckle was low and teasing. “Someone is ticklish.”
Then his hands clamped hard on my hips, like he would hold me down if I tried to escape.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Slowly, the head of his cock entered me. Oh, the burn, shit. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, my nails digging into his powerful shoulders. His natural lube had lessened the pain, but I still felt the pressure and burn of his cock sliding deep inside my ass.
We both gasped as we lay motionless, his muscles quivering, showing just how much restraint he was using. I wiggled, trying to quickly adjust, but damn. I shouldn’t have been surprised at how big his cock was considering just how tall and lean Malachi was.
“Just…move.”
I dug my nails in harder, causing him to hiss. I started to pull my hands away, until I saw the reverent look in his eyes.
Malachi liked a little pain with his pleasure. I didn’t, but if that’s what pleased him, I would give it to him.
“Wrap your legs around me.”
I did as he asked, and oh my god, it felt like he went even deeper. My toes curled, and I groaned as the feeling rocked through me. His thrusts started out slow, as if testing my reaction. I threw my head back, hissing and groaning, using the heels of my feet to pull him closer.
“You sure?”
His voice was unsteady, a bead of sweat tracing down his temple.
“Fuck me already,”
I snarled.
Heat flared in his red eyes. Malachi reared back, gripped the back of my legs, and spread them wide. He gave me one look, a single glance before he punched his hips forward, his cock pistoning inside my ass.
“Oh, hell,”
I groaned, unable to match his rhythm. All I could do was hold on tight and pray I survived this.
His wings stretched out fully, causing me to pull in a sharp breath. Kneeling between my legs was someone so breathtaking I could hardly believe I was the one he desired.
Me. Broken. Scarred. Trapped in a world I barely understood.
His eyes found mine, claiming me just as deeply as his body. In that one look, my scars melted away.
Malachi Winterhaven was making me his—mind, body, and soul. And god help me, I wanted to belong to him. This magnificent warrior who held the world at arm’s length was letting me in, showing me a part of who he truly was.
I felt stripped bare, not just physically but emotionally, as if this wasn’t just sex, but an awakening.
Our lips crashed together, devouring each other and pouring our emotions into the hellfire kiss.
His mouth broke from mine, his lips trailing down my jaw then my neck. His tongue trailed over my skin, and I knew what he wanted. “Do it.”
Without hesitation, his fangs sank into my flesh, drawing the blood he deeply desired.
“Malachi!”
My orgasm shattered me. My cock pulsed between us as he drank, his wings fluttering as if they were enjoying this moment too.
When he pulled away and licked where he’d bitten me, Malachi threw his head back and grunted loudly, his cock pulsing in my ass.
I clung to him, breathing heavily, knowing my life had just irrevocably changed forever.