Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Sage

Once me and Winnie arrived back at the bonfire, Ravage had music on and Luka was nowhere to be found. I sat there quietly with my thoughts before he finally plopped down next to me.

“We good?” he asked, with a sly smile that didn’t really fit the situation.

“Yeah. Why are you grinning?”

His gaze locked on mine, the bonfire flickering in his beautiful blue eyes. “I just love you.”

Emotion overwhelmed me, and my heart swelled with intensity. I was about to respond when the fast-paced music abruptly stopped.

The song changed to “Unchained Melody,” the Smith and Myers version.

Zeke stood and took the baby monitor from April, setting it on the ground. “Come on, babe.”

He pulled her to her feet and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed to the music, and my chest filled with love while I watched them.

Enjoying the moment, I leaned my head on Luka’s shoulder and felt the warmth of his arm as he slid it around me, gently drumming his fingers down my back.

Jimmy got up and approached Nellie. “Would you like to dance with me?” His voice was uncertain, but it filled me with pride knowing he had stepped out of his comfort zone. She graciously accepted his offer and began dancing with him.

“Shit, mama. We can do better than them.” Winnie pulled Lyric to her feet as she giggled. I was happy they were back together.

Erik said nothing as he took Kimber’s hand.

Marcus stood, peering down at Peach with more love than I’d ever seen in someone’s eyes, and held out his hand. “My lady.”

Peach graciously accepted and a happy sigh left me. I had found him earlier, and he assured me he was grateful to be alive and knew I forced Winnie to change him out of love.

Lynx and Carmen had returned to camp earlier, not long after leaving, because they were on the wanted list and Ravage said it would be safer here. I didn’t know Carmen at all, but she seemed nice to me.

Lynx took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

“Aw, shite,” Demi mumbled under his breath. “I’m not gonna let a woman sit.” He rose from his seat and reached his hand down to Stephanie.

She stared wide-eyed, looking around as if confused.

“It’s just a dance, darlin’, not a proposal. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

She laughed, then happily took his hand.

I glanced at Heston, seeing if he had any thoughts about asking Randi. He crossed his arms, leaning back in his lawn chair, attempting to make himself invisible. It took all my strength not to laugh.

Other than us and Ravage, everyone was dancing.

His eyes locked on Luka. “I know I taught you better than that, son.”

Luka pulled his arm from around me and stood, lowering a hand, and I shook my head profusely. “Oh, no. You don’t have to.”

“I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to.”

My heart sped up with the familiar words. Before I had a chance to resist, Luka had my wrists, dragging me to my feet, pulling me into the middle of the other people on the makeshift dance floor.

His hands slid onto my lower back and he yanked me into him. Even though I hated being controlled, the casual possessiveness had me melting in his arms. I wrapped my hands around his neck, laying my head on his chest, swaying in peaceful bliss until the song ended. When it restarted, I popped my head up and Ravage winked at me, and I realized Luka had planned this.

He brought my attention back by grabbing my chin, forcing me to make eye contact. “Look right here, Princess.”

When I locked eyes with him, a sense of calm washed over me, making all my worries and stresses melt away.

Ravage played the song three times while we enjoyed our lives for just a few brief minutes.

Once the song finally changed and everyone began mingling, Luka pulled me away from the bonfire. I didn’t ask where we were going because as long as I was with him, I didn’t care.

We went to the side of our cabin, my forehead wrinkling when I saw my Jeep because I knew I hadn’t left it there. Luka’s hands gently rested on my hips as he effortlessly lifted me up onto it, joining me with a graceful hop.

After pulling me to my feet on the roof of my car, he lifted me once again. “Grab the edge.”

I did what he said and clung to the roof of the cabin before pulling myself up onto it. Luka jumped up next with ease.

“What are we doing?” I asked, catching my breath.

Luka took my hand and guided me to the peak of the roof where a blanket laid and I finally realized he had planned this too.

He took a seat, pulling me down with him. “Showing you this. Look up.”

I tilted my head back and marveled at the vast twinkling stars. “I’ve been out here for months and I don’t think I have stopped worrying long enough to look at the sky at night.”

“I think it’s healthy to take twenty seconds for yourself and look at something beautiful.”

As I glanced over, I noticed that his attention wasn’t on the stars but on me with admiration. I laughed. “Then why aren’t you looking at the beauty?”

His eyes shimmered with a mixture of emotions as he softly whispered, “I am, Princess.”

It may seem cheesy to some, but my heart completely melted. Perhaps only figuratively, but it might have if it weren’t so cold away from the bonfire.

The way he gazed into my eyes compelled me to confess the passion, the happiness, and the affection which stirred inside of me, but the intensity of my feelings rendered me speechless. Each emotion which engulfed me was indescribable, and almost unbearable. It appeared as if there were no words in existence that could help me accurately express my emotions to him.

Well . . . except there actually was.

I diverted my gaze, counting the stars above to gain time. When I got to thirteen, Luka’s fingers slid in between mine, and when he locked them around my hand and squeezed, I felt safe. Secure. A feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

This man was my world, and as I thought about how much he meant to me, pain filled my chest.

He was a vampire and my brain was stuck on that stupid fact. Not because being with him was wrong. Fear consumed me, knowing that one day he would inevitably lose me.

“Your tears are going to freeze.” His voice was deep, sexy, amazing. His free hand raised to my cheek where he ran his thumb across it, wiping away my sadness. “What’s wrong, love?”

When my face turned toward him, his beautiful blue eyes were watching me again—wanting me, needing me. I swallowed my vulnerability and turned my head, making his hand fall away. More tears filled my eyes and I closed them tight, forcing them to stop.

“You’re going to outlive me since I’m human.”

“I can turn you,” he stated with ease.

“That’s not what I meant.” I took a deep breath and exhaled softly. My eyes stayed locked on the sky as I finally said the words we both needed to hear. “I wanted to say I love you. In case that happens.”

His hand was warm as it slid under my chin, forcing me to turn my head. “Look right here. Especially when you say something like that.” The arrogant grin on his face was almost too much to bear. I had missed it dearly.

I sucked in a couple of deep breaths as I stared into his eyes. “I love you, Luka.”

His thumb softly glided over my bottom lip, stopping it from quivering. “It took you long enough.”

I let out a breathy laugh, the warm air from my lungs sending small puffs of smoke into the chilly night sky.

“I love you, Sagelynn. With every breath I take, every drop of blood I bleed. I love you with everything I have. And I don’t know if you know this but . . .” His eyes filled with tears—something I had only seen once before. “You’re the only thing that kept me alive in there.”

“And you’re the only thing that kept me alive out here,” I confessed, sniffing back sobs.

He leaned in close, his nose brushing delicately across my cheek, breathing me in. “I missed that scent. Lavender and vanilla.”

“I love you too,” I whispered against his mouth.

His tongue glided over my bottom lip before he tenderly nipped it. When his lips pressed against mine, the warmth of them consumed me, making me forget the world even existed.

His kisses came harder, faster, exploring the depths of my soul before moving away from my lips, leading down my neck. I tilted my head, giving him room to proceed.

He slid his hand up my shirt, gripping my breast, and I found myself leaning into his touch, craving more.

“Fuck,” I moaned. “I feel like I haven’t been touched in a thousand years.”

Luka moved with urgency and intensity, every touch and kiss sending shivers down my spine. His hand glided down my soft leggings and a realization hit me.

Oh god. I’m so hairy.

“Um, this might not be the right time for this.”

Luka unlatched from my neck just long enough to say, “Every minute of the day is the right time, Princess.”

With his mouth back on me, every ounce of resistance seemed to fade away, leaving only a powerful desire. His hand was between my legs, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body.

I was stuck between wanting to have my brains fucked out and not wanting to scare him with my winter coat.

I whimpered in a not so sexy way, and Luka pulled back. “Do you want me to stop?”

“God no. It’s just,” I panted out fast breaths, “I haven’t shaved. We’ve been so busy that—”

I didn’t even have a chance to argue when he pressed on my stomach, forcing me to lie back. “I don’t give a shit if you grew a beard while I was gone.”

“We are literally on a roof,” I whispered, feeling a slight breeze against my face. “All the vampires are going to hear. They can probably hear me talking now.”

“And all the wolven are going to smell you when I make you come in my mouth.” He ripped my shirt and sports bra both up.

“Luk—aaaaah.” My pleas of resistance quickly faded into moans of pleasure as he skillfully latched his mouth onto my breast, my nipple ring clinking against his teeth.

My hands dug into his hair, gripping tightly as a dire need flared in my lower abdomen. I pushed him down my body, shoving his head between my legs. He latched his mouth on me, sending a warm breath through the fabric of my thin leggings. My pussy clenched, wetness filling my panties.

“Take them the fuck off,” I screeched, and he yanked at the waist band, pulling my leggings down enough for my thighs to fall open.

With skilled fingers, he gently spread my lips apart, his mouth hungrily seeking out my throbbing clit, sucking it with an insatiable appetite.

Intense pleasure washed through my body, causing my back to arch off the roof, a moan escaping my lips. “Oh, fuck. Don’t stop.”

Gripping his hair tightly, I pushed and pulled, grinding my hips with urgency, desperately using him to fulfill my needs.

“Bite me,” I whispered, and he pulled back, my tense body relaxing slightly.

He gazed up at me as his finger dipped into my wetness, capturing my juices, before gliding it along my sensitive clit. He dipped his head back down, and I let mine fall against the roof. With each circular motion of his hand, his lips traced a tantalizing path along my inner thigh.

The sensation of his fangs grazing my skin caused me to inhale sharply and my wetness intensified, trickling down onto my ass cheeks. Clutching the plush blanket, my fingers trembled in anticipation of his impending strike.

My breaths came in short bursts, my muscles began twitching, an urgent need, ready to be released.

In a flash, his fangs sank into my inner thigh, causing a sharp, searing pain that was quickly relieved by the warmth of his venom spreading through my veins.

With each gentle suck of blood from my inner thigh, ripples of euphoria washed over me, ripping a moan from my lips. “Oh, god!”

The orgasm hit me like a powerful rush, causing him to release my vein and eagerly suck on my clit while I rode the wave of euphoria. My moans echoed through the night sky, the stars above us blurring.

My muscles went lax, my fingers gently releasing the death grip I had on his hair as my body quivered, before finally stilling with satisfaction.

Luka crawled up to me, settling between my legs. “They definitely heard that.”

My cheeks flushed and I quickly covered my face in response. “Oh, god.”

“Yeah. That’s the exact words they heard.”

A mortifying giggle left me and I dropped my hands above my head. His eyes locked on mine almost as if he still couldn’t believe I was real. I blinked a few times, sleepy from the venom in his bite.

I grabbed his cheeks, pulling his face toward me. “I love you.”

“Lavender and vanilla,” he said with a grin before he pressed his lips against mine.