Undying Thirst (Crimson Coven #2)

20. Jax

TWENTY

jax

Asher kept looking at the kitchen exit long after the girl disappeared. Love-sick fool. A thought I’d never thought to have about Ash in general. And even less after turning. Emotions and vampires didn’t mesh. We didn’t fall for anyone, yet this slip of a girl had her hooks in my Coven. In a way Imogen never had. I shoved him to bring him back down from whatever cloud he floated on. He staggered, an offended look on his face. He brushed at his shirt like I’d left wrinkles. His attention focused on me, then slowly dropped to the bulge outlining the seam of my jeans.

“What do we have here.” Smug bastard.

“Fuck off.” I sneered.

“Or . . . and hear me out.” Asher waved a finger down at my stiffy. “Fuck on.” Asher and his stupid fucking antics.

I’d been on the verge of joining their feeding session. Too close.

Blood dripped down my arms under my shirt where I sliced my sharp claws into my inner forearm to stop myself.

“Look at how you’re all doting on the little traitor.” I filled my voice with as much disdain as I could. The traitorous little human should suffer. How dare she make me care for her only to turn around and stab me in the back.

It was her pussy that did me in.

Just that reason was why she confused me. Humans were nothing. The lowest on the food chain, how could I care for one?

I only craved her because she drank my blood, all I felt was the blood-bond. My scent was all over her, but it was beginning to fade, overpowered by Ren and Ash’s scent. I gritted my teeth, the urge to feed her my nectar a suffocating urge. Desperation to not let my scent fade from her knotted my insides.

“Why do you act like you don’t want her? Violently—cruelly?” Humor faded from my twin’s gaze. His eyes narrowed. “I warned you to stay away from what was mine. But I still shared even when I didn’t want to and you threw her away.” Asher hissed.

“Was that how it was, Asher? You never cared if we all shared,” Ren smirked. Sharing came as easily as feeding for all of us.

We both ignored Ren.

“How can you want a traitor?” I switched to our native language, so the interloper didn’t interject with each sentence.

“Cheap,” Ren snorted. “私でもできるよバカ.” He tossed as he walked away.

“If she did, it does not change that she is ours.”

“If?” I narrowed my eyes. “You were as sure as me that she had.”

“I have my doubts.”

“Her pussy is transformative.” Sarcasm spilled from my voice.

Asher pursed his lips.

“It is.” He raised an eyebrow. I hated how true that was. She refused to unlatch from my mind. They took over, overwhelming my waking thoughts. Fucking my hand while thinking of her had to be the most shame I’d experienced since I became a vampire.

My life as a human remained veiled behind a shroud. Making it seem elusive to grasp onto, but when they managed to formulate, the memories served as a reminder of greed. Something I’d been well acquainted with as a human.

She surfaced emotions that left a coat of distaste on my tongue. Feelings made me feel weak—feelings that I had not experienced since I was human. How could a human cause me to long for her presence? I hated her for it.

“Are you thinking of Imogen again?” Asher slitted his eyes.

Imogen. I loved her. I admired her. My loyalty belonged to her . . . why was a human causing me to buckle?

“Enough of your angst.” Asher waved his hand like swatting my thoughts away. “Our female is here now. Imogen is ashes.”

I sneered. He’d said variations of this to me over the years. It’d been a while since the last because I’d beat him bloody. Harder than we’d fought before, but he kept running his mouth.

“Have some respect for our Sire,” I spat.

Asher waved his hand in the air again.

“What we need to do is make our Pet happy.” His eyebrow twitched. “You know, she’s probably worried about her cat’s whereabouts. Or assumes he was killed in the fire.”

I bared my teeth.

“Fuck off. No.”

“Morph or I’ll tell her you’ve been beating your meat to her every night.”

A new to me colloquial term, but I understood what he meant.

“I ordered you to stop sneaking around invisible.” I shoved him back. He brushed his shirt dramatically. “And stay off the internet. Your use of slang is giving me a headache.”

She could not know how deeply she’d dug her human fingers into my soul. She could not know that if she simply asked for me, I would cave. Asher would doubtlessly ruin it by telling her if I didn’t do as he said.

I shucked my clothing and tossed them at my twin. He hung them on the stool while I morphed. Heat stretched across my flesh on the heels of a shiver. My body shrunk until I stood on all fours.

“Perfect.” He swooped and lifted me in his arms. I yowled, but he managed to take hold of me. “Making it believable and all that.”

I flexed my claws into his arm, gouging blood free. Asher gritted his teeth.

“Oh, Kitten ,” Asher moaned emphatically in my ear. He was mocking me. The fucker did spy on me! I hissed. He took that as my assent and started walking. I kept my claws flexing in his arms, reveling in the blood dripping on the floor with each step.

He reached the second floor and turned right toward his bedroom. He rapped on the door once and popped it open.

She looked over from where she sat on the bed, glaring up at Ren. She was dressed in a long shirt that reached her knees. Bastien sprawled on the bed, watching them. Not maddened. Just watching her.

Her eyes dropped to me. She sprang up and a smile spread across her plump lips. Creases formed in the corner of her eyes with how hard she smiled.

She never looked at me like this.

“Binx,” she cried, rushing forward. Relief leaked from her posture.

Asher lifted me by my torso and shook my limp body. My hind legs wobbled side to side.

She collected me to her warm chest. Her succulent aroma blanketed my senses.

A purr vibrated free.

No.

Hissing, I sank my claws into her arm. She gasped but didn’t let go.

Her blood would send me into a frenzy, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from fucking her, so I begrudgingly calmed in her arms.

Ren chortled from over her shoulder.

Her eyes flitted from him to Asher. I pricked her arms. Watch me .

“I’m so happy he’s still alive! We need to get him kitty litter and . . .”

I fought the urge to nuzzle into her plump breasts.