Fanged Desire (Leyore Coven #3)

Epilogue

Hunter

The hospital smelled like disinfectant, stale coffee, and whatever someone had reheated for lunch in the break room microwave three days ago. My sensitive nose hated it all, but there I was, leaning against Addison's desk in her little office, half-transformed and wings fully extended, while she measured my wingspan. Again.

“You know they haven’t changed since last time, right?” I grumbled, trying not to shift too much while she faffed about. My wings didn’t exactly fit in the cramped space, and a coffee pot had already fallen victim to their expanse.

Addison, donning her lab coat and a pair of glasses that I rarely saw her wear, ignored me. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she dutifully jotted down the numbers.

“Measurements are important,” she said matter of factly. “If I’m going to understand vampire physiology, I need to document everything properly.”

“Whatever you say.” I cocked a brow, looking her up and down. “By the way, you look sexy in glasses.”

The clipboard in her hands swatted against my arm before I could even think to dodge. “Behave.”

“Not likely.” I grinned, letting my wings snap closed and leaning against her desk. “You wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t a nuisance.”

Her mouth twitched like she was trying not to smile, and she busied herself with her notes.

We’d been like this for months now – happy, comfortable, content. We’d moved in together a couple of months ago, into a small, cozy apartment just down the road from Penelope’s.

Addison had insisted on adopting a cat, and though I’d been adamant at the start about not wanting one, Tinkle was now my very best friend – much to the chagrin of Maxine who had formerly held that esteemed position. It had taken her weeks to forgive me for that slight.

Addison finished her notes and stepped back, hands on her hips as she surveyed me like a specimen in a jar. “Okay, you’re good to go.”

“Finally.” My wings folded back in, sinking into my spine, and I tugged my shirt back on. “You know, if you keep studying me like this, I’m going to start charging.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? How much?”

“Three forehead kisses every day. And a new cat bed for Tinkle.”

“You could buy Tinkle a hundred cat beds and he’d still choose to sleep in a box. And I already kiss you, literally every day.”

“Fair point. How about you pay me back in the bedroom later?” I leaned forward, brushing a kiss against her temple. “But you have to keep the glasses on.”

Addison rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed pink, before she glanced at the clock on her desk and frowned. “What time is Ethan’s thing again?”

“ Now. And we need to leave if we’re going to make it to the club in time.” I straightened up and slowly nudged her towards the door. “C’mon, you’ve poked and prodded me enough for one day.”

Addison sighed but relented, shrugging on her coat. “Fine. But I need you back in here for a checkup next week.”

No doubt to measure my wingspan. Again.

The nightclub was one of Jordan’s newest ventures, sleek, modern, and buzzing with energy. Addison and I weaved through the growing crowd, making our way toward the bar. I spared a glance at the dancers, grin spreading wide across my face. “Well, look at that.”

Addison followed my gaze, her eyes landing on Ethan. The blond was boogying in the center of the dance floor, dressed to the nines in an outfit that sparkled under the rotating lights. Tonight was his big debut. The blond was a fully-fledged vampire and his performance would kick off the club’s official opening.

“Is that Caden?” Addison chuckled when she spotted Ethan spinning beside our former spymaster.

Sure enough, Caden was under the strobe lights, bad knee and all, laughing alongside his wife, Marcy. Considering Sky and Jordan were also there, burning up the dance floor, I had no doubt Ursula had her hands full babysitting everyone’s kids.

Beside me, Addison leaned against the counter, taking in the scene.

“This feels familiar,” she said with a coy smile. “Almost like the night we met.”

“Oh yeah?” I tilted my head, smirk tugging at my lips. “If you really want a trip down memory lane, how about a private show?”

Her laughter was soft, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. Instead of answering, she grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor.

Addison moved with an easy rhythm, her body swaying to the beat. That wonderfully wicked smile on her face had me following her lead. Her arms coiled around my neck and my hands found her waist, thumbs looping under her belt as we moved as one.

My dance partner knew exactly what she was doing when she pressed her chest against me, throwing her head back and showing off every inch of her slender, pale neck. My eyes traveled down that slope, down to the V-line of her shirt and the small slice of her bra poking out the top. I swear she pushed out her tits on purpose, before leaning forward to subtly graze her tongue along my jaw.

“You’re trouble,” I murmured, my lips brushing against her ear.

“You love it.”

We spun our way through the throng of dancers, every sloppy, thrilling, stolen kiss serving to rile me up further. By the time we reached the secluded staircase I was already unashamedly wet, fire burning at my center. The rest of the world was long forgotten, the booming music drowned out by the all-encompassing heat between us.

Addison’s lips were on mine, her hands gripping my jacket as she careered into me. My back hit the wall and my desire skyrocketed as my cool-headed mate burned up like kindling in my arms. My fingers tightened around her waist and she opened her mouth to me, letting my tongue slip in to graze her teeth. My hands slipped under her shirt, tunneling upwards to cup her breasts and she arched into the touch, her gasp repeated tenfold as it echoed up the stairway.

I kneaded that soft flesh for a moment, before my fingers were moving down again, snaking around her midriff, past the twin dimples of her lower back, to cup her ass. When Addison’s mouth moved to my jawline, then the juncture of my neck, I looked over her shoulder and marveled at the sight of her in my hands.

Her back was arched, a sliver of skin peeking out below her shirt and above her jeans like watermelon rind. My fingers tightened and Addison groaned into my shoulder, bucking her hips against me in a not-so-silent plea.

I flipped us around, planting my elbows against the wall on either side of her head, and captured her mouth again. How many times had my hungry gaze devoured her back at Micere? How often had I fantasized about doing exactly this; stealing kisses, sharing her breath, driving her to frenzy under flashing lights, pulsing beat vibrating through the ground beneath our feet and the wall I pinned her to.

Unable to hold back a moment longer, I dropped my forehead to her shoulder and lowered one hand to her stomach, fingers slipping into her jeans, burrowing under the band of her underwear. My probing digits found her entrance, felt the slick moisture there, and dipped between the folds.

Addison’s breath rattled past my ear while I stroked long, languid lines along her epicenter. She clung to me, fingers fisting in my jacket. She rocked her hips against me and I cupped that soft mound in my palm, felt her nectar pooling in my fingers.

I cast a glance over my shoulder, down the hallway lit up with throbbing bulb lights. The stairway was empty, but anyone could wander past, catch us in the act. Addison didn’t seem to care. Her fingers plunged through my hair, dragging my attention back to her and her parted lips. She crushed her mouth to mine, jerking her hips against my hand that had still not satisfied her with that sweet release she so desperately craved.

My fingers circled her clit, light enough that she groaned with depraved frustration.

Her desperation alone was enough to banish the voice of reason from my mind. The scent of her blood, her arousal, stoked the burning furnace between my legs and I was lost in the moment once again, enamored with the taste of her, driven by desire. Reverberating bass reached my ears, thundered through the floor and up through my body as I kissed her anew, bound to her body in a ritualistic dance.

She murmured my name with the breaths that she stole from me, demanded a thousand dirty things in wicked whispers, crooned sultry requests in my ear.

Then I was driving into her, two fingers plunging into that overflowing honeypot, stroking her inner walls while my thumb circled above. She stretched and tensed around the intrusion, a guttural groan raking from her throat as she hauled me closer, head flung back against the wall.

I drank in the way she shuddered, relished in her quivering thighs that clamped tightly around my hand. Every thrust brought her higher, dragged her upwards, sent flames of burning arousal licking along her limbs. The moment my fangs nicked her bottom lip I felt her muscles seize, and I melded my body to hers, pinned her to the wall as her legs gave way and she came on my fingers, still speared deep inside of her.

I held her there for a moment, listening to her thundering heartbeat as her chest rose and fell against my own. When her ragged breaths steadied and her arms hung limp at her sides, I finally withdrew my fingers, holding her gaze as I slid them, wet and glistening, into my mouth.

Addison’s hair hung over her eyes, her bottom lip drawn in as she watched me lick my fingers clean. When I was done, I pressed my forehead to hers and grazed a hand down the length of her, my own voice breathy and ragged when I spoke. “I’ll never tire of the taste of you.”

She responded by dragging her tongue up my throat, cleaving my lips apart and melding her mouth to mine with slow, simmering intent. When she pulled away, there was brimstone in her eyes, a smoldering flame eager to be rekindled. “Likewise.”

We were preoccupied in that small stairway for a good long while.

When we finally hurried back onto the packed dance floor, slightly disheveled but cheering along, Ethan stepped out on stage. Addison’s laughter bubbled up as we clapped for him, our voices blending with the crowd. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close. Cheek-to-cheek with the woman I loved, I couldn’t have been more content.

For most of my life, I thought I needed charm, manipulation, or coercion to get people to care about me. I couldn’t imagine anyone simply loving me for who I was. But there was Addison, in my arms, proving me wrong every single day.

She loved me. No magic required.

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