Chapter 26
26
EVANGELINE
I dumped Blake on my bed, not caring the pristine silk coverlet was instantly stained with grass and mud. Not caring about anything except the exhaustion dulling his brown eyes.
The lack of shadows dancing around him.
I hadn’t truly noticed his magic until right now. Or rather, I had noticed how that dark, shimmering aura made him appear bigger, how my skin prickled with energy whenever he was near.
The presence of that power had terrified me.
The lack…scared me even more.
“Let’s get you comfortable.” His face was clammy, gaze unfocused as I stripped off the coat, then his shirt, boots and socks. The weapons belt took longer, filled with enough steel to take down an army.
“Was all this really necessary?” I asked, lips twitching as I unfastened his belt, trying to ignore those perfect ab muscles right beneath my fingers. “This weighs a metric shit ton, you know.”
I finally dragged everything off, pulled out two handguns, shoved the vase of roses to the side and set them carefully on the nightstand before dropping the rest to the floor, kicking off my own shoes in the process.
“I have to keep you safe, Evie.” His hand drifted down my back, pulling me closer. I thought he’d kiss me—I was dying for him—but all he did was cradle me against his chest and hold me there, a sigh brushing over my hair when his big body relaxed beneath me.
“And now…now I can’t even do that.”
“Nonsense.” I curled myself around him, “You kick ass with or without your broody black shadows. Besides, this isn’t permanent.” I chewed my bottom lip. “We’ll figure out how to get your magic back, because Aria’s fuckery was complete bullshit.”
“Yes, it was.” His chest rumbled in a bitter chuckle that sent tears pricking at my eyes.
“How I’ve missed you, Evangeline.” His hand drifted down and cupped my ass. “I missed this, of course.” He gave my ass cheek a firm squeeze. “But even more, I missed you . Talking to you…being with you. I’ve gotten used to loneliness, but I never remember solitude cutting quite so deeply as these past days.”
“I know.” I nestled closer, my lips brushing his throat, “the whole phone thing probably made everything worse.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He pulled back. “That phone was my lifeline. Until I heard your voice, I was going fucking insane, roaming around Markham Hall while ghosts howled about the past.”
“Houses don’t talk, Blake.” But dread prickled through me, because I knew, in fact, houses did talk. “Anyway, you’re back.” I put my arm around him, sinking into his delicious heat, letting his scent permeate my senses. “In my bed. Though someday, I’d love to see where you grew up.”
He was quiet for so long I wondered if I’d asked the wrong thing, then he finally sighed. “Like me, Markham is a shell of its former glory, Evie. Best you don’t see what it’s become. Trust me, I wish I hadn’t. ”
“Blake…”
“Just…” Another one of those long, broody sighs. “Give me some time to work through this. I lost a piece of myself today.” He buried his face in my hair, wrapping his arms tighter. “But this…this is worth any price.”
I could feel Blake’s pain. Actually feel the dull ache of loss like it was my own. I was dizzyingly aware of him right now. His mouthwateringly musky scent—how his powerful arms flexed while he held me, his calloused palms scratching roughly over my skin, every racing heartbeat. I’d never been so perfectly attuned to anyone before, and the feeling was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.
I wiggled free to press a kiss to the scar cutting a wicked, crooked line down his too-pale face before I pulled back. “May I ask you for something?”
“Anything, Evie. It’s yours.”
“I want you at my throat. I want to feed you, to…” I swallowed. “I want to take care of you , Blake.” I skimmed my fingers across his chest, across the spot where my own heart ached so fiercely.
“You always worry over me…” I swallowed. “Just this once, let me worry over you, Blake. Can you let me do that?”
His eyes scanned my face, then dipped to my throat, a frown tugging at his lips. “What if we…waited? I should make sure the spell worked…make sure I’m safe. I can’t stand the thought of hurting you.”
“The only way to be sure is for you to feed.” He went to speak and I laid my finger across his lips. “Let me do this for you, Blake. Please.” I went to my knees, cradled his beautiful face between my palms, if only to keep looking, keep touching him.
“I love you.” I brushed my mouth across his, stealing one taste, then another. “I trust you.” I laid my hand over his thudding heart. “I trust this. We made a decision today to be together always, and waiting longer is not an option.”
This time I didn’t hold back, sucking his tongue into my mouth, kissing him deeply, like I’d dreamed about every single night since we’d been apart. He tasted like smoke and thunder, like the promise of a future, our tongues tangled together as everything—all my lingering doubts—fell away.
We broke apart, both of us panting. “I’ve been aching to do that for a week.” I murmured, stroking my thumb down along that rough, raised scar. “Let’s see if Aria kept her word. Let me feed my mate. Let me make you feel good, Blake.” I tugged him to my throat, moaning when his teeth nipped my jaw, hot breath skimming over my too-sensitive skin.
Gods, everything about Blake was overwhelming and I shifted so every inch of my body was pressed against his, writhing with base, animal want, all my rationale gone at that first brush of his hungry mouth against my skin.
“Get one of my knives. Evangeline .” I started to laugh and he gripped my arms, held me firm until I stopped giggling. “Take one of my knives and you hold it to my chest and if I so much as start to lose control, you stab me hard enough to incapacitate me, and then you run.”
“Blake, you’re being…” In response, my mate shook me. Hard .
“You put a knife to my heart or this doesn’t happen.” He growled. “That’s the fucking deal, Evangeline. That, or nothing and it is taking everything I have to hold myself back right now, so be quick.”
I scrambled off the bed and yanked a knife—a particularly nasty one—out of his belt, climbed back on the bed, then eyed his bare chest. His skin was pebbled with scars, too many for me to add to the count. I shook my head, my palm sweating .
“I can’t.” I raised my eyes to his. “I can’t hurt you, Blake.”
“If the spell worked, you won’t have to.” He curled his huge hands around mine and lifted them, along with the knife to his chest, set the point for a killing blow. My entire body started to shake.
“One mouthful, then I’ll seal you up, mate. If I snap, you stab.” Blake instructed steadily. “The knife is only in case things go wrong, and I would very much appreciate you not stabbing me, since I know how good you are with a blade.” But he held that wickedly sharp knifepoint in place.
With his other, he tenderly cupped my chin. “I would bleed for you, Evie. Crawl for you, cut my heart out and leave it bleeding at the altar of your feet. You are my everything. My goddess, my queen, my entire world. I belong to you. But I will never risk your safety. Not now, not ever.”
“Okay.” I sucked in a shaky breath and tipped my head back. “But if I have to stab you, I will be so pissed.”
“Let’s do this, then.” His tone was flippant, but hunger burned on his face, his fangs gleaming, eyes glittering with pent up want.
“Let’s.” I already knew if he did lose control, if this did go wrong…I’d let my mate feast on me until he drank me dry. As if Blake saw my thoughts, his hand tightened over mine, holding the blade firmly in place.
His lips skimmed over me again, my throat flexing beneath him, anticipating the pain—the pleasure—the privilege of feeding my mate again. There was something so primal in giving him the essence that kept him alive, yet another bond tethering us together.
“ Evangeline .” My name coasted like a promise over my skin, then he bit down, leaning harder into the knife point when he sealed his soft lips on my throat and took a long, deep draw. Fire burned through me like a phantom echo, a faint crash of power I dimly recognized as Blake’s before his tongue lapped at my throat, sealing me up.
He dipped his head, drew a shuddering breath, and we waited—five seconds, ten, twenty—until his hand finally slipped from mine. The knife clattered across the floor when he tossed it away, then I was pinned to the bed, trapped beneath a mountain of hard, delicious muscle, the bulge of his cock grinding deliciously against my core.
I wiggled, widening my thighs until I had him pressing right where I wanted him, except for these fucking jeans.
“Fuck, Evie.” His gaze drifted back to my throat and I turned my head, presenting myself for the taking.
His deep breath released something inside me, some worry that this would be different, but it was like the weeks apart never happened, like time didn’t matter, because Blake had stamped himself so permanently on my psyche, nothing mattered except him.
I pulled my mate back to my throat, where he was supposed to be.
“Take what you need, Blake, take everything, I’m all yours, anyway.” And when his teeth sank in and he began to drink, my entire body ignited.
“Don’t you ever stop.”