14. Rina
FOURTEEN
rina
My arm was red, scrubbed raw in the hotel bathroom as I’d tried to get rid of the remnants of red on my arm.
Unfortunately, it was no use. The mark had grown, like a tattoo under my skin.
What the hell had we done? I traced my fingers over the fresh addition—a pair of bat wings.
I hated how lovely they were, the way I couldn’t take my eyes off the red markings on my arm.
They were only outlines. I had no idea how it worked, but some part of me knew it would continue to develop if he continued to drink from me.
But what other choice did we have? He’d needed blood, and I was there.
After his insistence on feeding me over the last three days, I owed it to the man.
Even if he’d kept me out of decisions or withheld information that I needed to know, he wasn’t cruel. I didn’t want him to suffer. His eyes had gone pitch black as he’d buried his teeth into my arm, the sensation turning pain into pleasure.
Gods, I couldn’t stop remembering how good it had felt rubbing against him, the seam of my jeans hitting my clit at just the right angle as I rocked against his hard length. From the feel of him, I was pretty sure he was huge, but that was pure speculation on my part.
As explosive as that orgasm was, part of me wondered what it would be like to actually have sex with him. It was a terrible idea, and yet…
I bit my lip, sitting cross-legged on the bed in my pajamas as I loosely braided my hair post shower. Today, at least, we got separate beds. No temptation there.
Otherwise I’d be thinking about straddling him again, what it would feel like if I—“What are you thinking about so hard, witch?” Ezra was sitting across from me at the desk. His nose flared.
“Nothing,” I denied. I couldn’t tell him what I was actually thinking about—because that would be too raw, too real.
And that wasn’t what we were. I tried to hide the blush on my cheeks, not wanting him to see how affected I was by him—by the proximity we still shared.
“What happened back there in the car… It doesn’t mean anything.
It’s not like I like you now, you know,” I told him.
He scoffed. “Of course not. I’m not under any impression that your opinion of me has changed.”
“Good. Because it hasn’t.” Which was a lie.
Even though I didn’t want to acknowledge it, he’d shown me a different side of himself the last two days.
He was still a grumpy asshole, but he also seemed more…
vulnerable? I couldn’t meet his eyes, not wanting to see the uncertainty in his expression.
“Nothing has changed,” I murmured, mostly to myself, as I turned away.
Orgasm or not, I still didn’t want to be stuck with him.
I needed us to slip back into our roles like this, where we antagonized each other—because when we were fighting, I at least knew where we stood. I knew who we were to each other. It was when we weren’t that I felt like I was standing on unstable ground.
We both knew what this was. He reminded me every second he got.
I didn’t want to make another mistake with him—one I couldn’t take back. As much as my body wanted him, sex would inevitably change things between us. But could I resist next time? I wasn’t sure.
“So… what’s so special about my blood, anyway?” I didn’t know why I was going down this line of questioning. Especially when I knew no good would come of it.
He stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“You told me it was my blood you needed.” Not anyone else’s. Mine.
Ezra leaned in close. Close enough that I could smell his cologne, a spicy scent that filled my lungs. “Don’t ask me that again until you’re ready for the answer.” He curled a finger around my hair, tugging on a strand.
Somehow, I knew that whatever he was hiding from me—whatever truth he hadn’t given me—would change everything.
We slept through the rest of the day, finally waking up after the sun had gone down. It had been much needed after how hard he’d pushed to get us to Archer, even though the visit had been fruitless.
Ezra’s skin already looked healthier, with more color in his cheeks. After how terrible he’d looked yesterday, it was a relief.
Though he still wouldn’t let me drive his damn car to give him a break.
“I really don’t mind,” I insisted.
His voice was gruff. “The answer’s still no.”
“Fine.” Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my phone, but the coven group chat was quiet. I drummed my fingers against my leg, debating asking him increasingly personal questions, when I noticed a little furry black and white ball on the side of the road.
Was it moving? I frowned. “Pull over,” I commanded with no warning. It felt like fate telling me I needed to stop. Like it was calling out for me.
Ezra frowned. “Why?”
“Just stop the car!”
He did, easing onto the side of the road. I had my car door thrown open in a flash, hurrying over to the tiny animal on the ground.
It was so small—smaller than I’d ever expected. The raccoon kit didn’t move as I approached, seeing the blood leaking from its back leg.
“Oh, gods,” I said, crouching down in front of it, watching its body shake along with the slow rise and fall of its chest. “It’s still alive.” Barely. The little thing must have been attacked by something.
Ezra stood behind me, his expression grumpy once again. “And probably riddled with diseases.”
I glared at him. “Give me your shirt.”
He blanched. “What? No.”
Gritting my teeth, I held my hand out. “Give me. Your shirt. Now.”
The vampire rolled his eyes, but then he unbuttoned it, handing me the red silk material. “That was Armani,” he muttered to himself.
He had a black t-shirt on underneath, one that clung to the muscles I’d gotten to trace my fingers over yesterday, and I averted my eyes. Really, it was better not to look for my sanity.
I wrapped his shirt around the animal before scooping up the little baby into my arms. “It’s so small.” I couldn’t describe the connection I felt to it, the overwhelming need to help the poor, injured creature.
Was this how Eryne had felt when she’d found Barrett? Of course, he’d been a human beneath the wolf—and her mate, but… Maybe this little guy was supposed to be my familiar.
It felt like he was supposed to be mine.
“We should figure out where it came from and put it back,” Ezra said, scanning the roadside for any trace of the mother raccoon.
Put it back? I cradled the animal to my chest. “No way.” He looked like he’d been abandoned after being attacked.
“He needs help. The wound on his back leg needs to be cleaned.” It looked like tiny teeth marks.
Maybe from a cat or another wild animal.
If his mom had abandoned him, which was likely considering his age, he’d die out here alone.
“Rina.” Ezra gave me a stern look, like he was a parent scolding a young child. Good thing was I was adept at ignoring it.
“Just look at that little face,” I pouted, careful not to jostle the baby raccoon too much in my arms. “I just… I can feel that he needs me, Ezra.” The animal’s eyes blinked open, and he looked directly into mine, letting out a small purr. I rubbed his forehead. “That’s right, you like me, huh?”
The vampire grumbled, massaging his forehead. “Of course he does. How could he not?” He looked back at his car, and then at the baby raccoon. “You’re going to be the death of me, you know that? If he destroys the interior of my car, that’s on you.”
“He won’t.” I wasn’t sure how I knew it to be true, but from the moment the animal’s eyes had locked onto mine, I recognized something in them. “I promise.” I felt like a five-year-old begging her father for a kitten. Ezra was certainly not enjoying putting up with my shenanigans.
He gave a deep sigh. “Fine.”
“Everyone else in the coven has a familiar,” I explained, scratching the little raccoon’s head as we walked towards the car.
To my surprise, Ezra opened the door for me, helping me inside before extending the seatbelt and buckling me in, allowing me to readjust the kit. “Why don’t you?”
“I’d always wanted one, but my father was allergic to animals,” I admitted as he closed the door. The girls had tried to convince me to adopt one after I’d moved out, but it felt different. The coven had all received their familiars in their early teens, and their connections were strong.
I hadn’t wanted to feel like a failure in that aspect, too. Gods knew my powers—and my love life—were enough of a mess. Probably why most of my coven still didn’t know what had happened with my ex.
He put the key in the ignition, starting the car, before looking over at me. “He’s a witch, too?”
“No. Most men don’t like the title of witch, anyway.” I frowned, surprised that he didn’t know that. “In Pleasant Grove, they call themselves warlocks.”
Ezra hummed, studying me. “Right. Not wizard?”
I scrunched up my nose. “That’s reserved for old men with long beards.
But my dad’s a human, actually. My mom met him when she was taking nursing classes during college in the human world—and they fell in love.
It gave him quite a fright when she revealed her powers to him, but he ended up coming back with her and settling down. ”
He looked surprised. “I didn’t know there were humans in Pleasant Grove.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” I scoffed. “My Nana wasn’t particularly happy about my mom marrying a human, but then they’d had me, and she’d loved me enough to accept their relationship.”
“What are they doing now? Your parents, I mean.”
This was a topic I never really enjoyed discussing.
“My father… he never really found his place here. After I graduated from high school, they moved back to his hometown. I guess my mom’s perfectly happy, pretending to be a normal human.
” Looking away, I wiped at my face, hoping he didn’t see the moisture in my eyes. “That’s why I moved in with Nana.”
Ezra’s hand slid over the middle console, landing on my knee. “I’m sorry, Rina.” It was the first time he’d been so sincere, with so much concern and hurt in his tone. Concern for me.