Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Tate
Kyren was taking too long. He told me to wait in his room while he went to check on something, but it’d been over an hour.
Neither of us had an afternoon class today, so we were going to watch the rest of our show. We’d gotten behind in our binge this week.
Mostly on my part.
My lips curled at the thought of Jack. God, that woman. I couldn’t get enough of her. I could kiss her all day, every day. The taste of her lingered on my tongue. My fingers itched to touch her curves and feel her writhe beneath me.
I’d held back from taking her so far. It hadn't been easy, not with the way her scent practically begged me to sink into her.
I groaned and rolled over on Kyren’s bed, stroking a hand down my length.
There was no way I was going to be able to keep this up for much longer. I wanted her everywhere I could have her, and the wait was killing me.
The bedroom door slammed open, and Kyren barreled in. He seethed and prowled across the room. Our bond might only go one way, but I’d learned Kyren’s tells by now. Something had happened.
“Kyren?”
He didn't look at me, his shadows writhing along his arms before spreading across his body and across the floors. Slowly, his shadows filled the room with darkness. A cold brush of shadows wrapped around my ankle.
“Kyren. What’s wrong? What happened?”
His eyes flicked up and locked with mine, as if he just realized I was in the room. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Who?” I twisted around on the bed until I sat on the edge. “Who are we killing today?”
Kyren paused in his pacing. “That fucking hunter. The professor.”
“Oh.” I bobbed my head. “Jack said he was a bit of a tool. Is that where you were?” I grinned at him knowingly. “With Jack?”
Kyren didn't answer, but his shadows receded slightly, brightening the room once more.
“Don’t you think this is a bit ridiculous?” I leaned back on my hands, my tongue playing with my lip ring. “You can admit you like her. It's why you’ve been following her around, holding her during her nightmares, and now showing up to her class.”
I’d only been Kyren’s human servant for five years, and yet I could read him like a children's book. The more he liked someone or something, the more he fixated, and right now, every single switch was flipped to Jack, Jack, Jack. Much like myself.
“I don’t trust him.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Of course, you don’t. Have you ever met a hunter you ever trusted?”
“Jack knows him.”
I frowned. “Well, he is her professor.”
Kyren waved me off. “No. Not from that. He’s too familiar with her.”
“Have you asked Jack about it?” I sat up straight. Kyren had my full attention now. A hunter sniffing around our girl? There was no way that was good.
“She told me it was fine. Practically pushed me out the door but I saw…” Kyren paced the room again, his hands moving wild. “He touched her. And worse, she let him. Who is he to her?”
I slipped off the bed and grabbed Kyren by the shoulders. “It’s all good, Kyren. We’ll figure it out. It can’t be anything serious, or Jack would have told me. Besides, she got a master just like I do. Do you think her vampire mistress would let her hang around a hunter?”
Kyren stared off to the side as he processed my words. “I've never met Alora, but I heard she’s old school. Still sleeps in a coffin.”
“See? Nothing to worry about. Here.” I brought him over to the bed and sat him down. “You're getting yourself all worked up over nothing. You know how hard it is for you to control your powers when you do that.”
Kyren peered down at me and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.
I stroked my hands up and down his thighs, sending soothing vibes down the bond. “That's it. Everything is great. Think of calming thoughts. Rain on a window sill. Fresh powdered snow. The scent of newly baked pestinos like your abuela used to make.”
Kyren closed his eyes and sighed into my touch, his hands falling back to the bed. “You were thinking of Jack earlier, weren’t you?”
His question came out of nowhere, startling me. “Yeah, how did you know?”
Kyren opened his eyes and peered down at me, his hand cupping my chin, his other touching my chest.
“Every time you think of her, you radiate happiness and desire. Why haven’t you taken her yet?”
It used to bother me that Kyren could read me so well. Then I had eventually come to grips with the fact that he would always know my feelings better than I did. It was a blessing and a curse of the human-vampire bond.
At least he hadn’t told me I loved her already. I wasn’t sure I could handle someone else confessing my own feelings to me.
“How do you know I haven’t slept with her yet?” I asked as I shoved aside my other feelings. “There's no way you can tell that through the bond.”
Kyren’s lips twitched. “Because with the desire is frustration. It’s very telling, mi lobo.”
My hands kept stroking up and down Kyren, needing something to do while I talked. I might be the life of the party, quick to get to know the new stranger, but talking about myself had never been my strong suit.
“I thought she’d be just another one of the usual girls, you know?”
Kyren simply listened.
“Then she surprised us with the werewolves and then again, turning out to be my roommate, and now…” I fell back on my heels. “Fuck, I want her so much but… she’s my roommate. Isn’t that moving too fast? We just started to like each other and we make love together?”
I sighed. “I’ve been avoiding our dorm room for that very reason. Afraid that we’ll turn into some kind of fuck buddy situation since we’re around each other all the time.”
“Have you told her that?” Kyren’s shadows had receded to normal, twisting one of my curls around a smoky black tendril.
“No. And I know she’s wondering why I haven’t taken the next step.”
Kyren tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you bring her here?”
I laughed. “You want me to bring the girl we both like to your bedroom so I can fuck her? I’ve heard you suggest a lot of cruel things in our time together, but never something that bad.”
Kyren shrugged. “I’ll know you’ll have her, regardless if it’s here or in your dorm room. Might as well be comfortable and keep your dorm room a relationship-free zone.”
“I’ll think about it.” My fingers crept up to the waist of his pants. “I should probably take her on a date first.”
“Probably should.”
He didn’t stop me from pulling him from his pants, stroking him up and down.
Each of us had our own way of dealing with our emotions. Kyren’s usually involved blood, while I need to fuck or get fucked.
Kyren watched me with heavy-lidded eyes, growing hard under my hand. Without permission, I took him into my mouth, letting my mind clear as I focused on his pleasure. I’d barely had him in my mouth when the bedroom door flew open.
Kyren stiffened beneath me, and I almost choked with how fast he orgasmed, his cum spilling down my throat in fountains with no warning at all.
“Oh… uh… my bad.”
I jerked off Kyren at the sound of Jack's voice. Swiping my hand over my mouth, I stood and twisted around. Jack's black curls were already disappearing around the corner of the door.
“Go after her,” Kyren instructed, a bit of a dazed look on his face.
“You sure?”
He waved me off, confusion settling between his brows.
Not waiting any longer, I chased after Jack’s retreating form. She was quicker than I gave her credit for. Jack had made it all the way back to our room minutes before I reached her.
I almost have a moment of déjà vu, watching Jack pace the room much like Kyren had a moment ago.
When Jack saw me in the doorway, she launched into it right away, leaving me stunned.
“You know, I thought you were just trying to take things slow. My mom said you would know if I wanted to and yet…” She stopped in front of me, eyes full of accusation.
“Is this why you haven’t tried to sleep with me yet?
Are you only into guys? Am I your on-campus girlfriend so you can blend in with your family or something?
You can handle kissing but nothing else? ”
I gaped at her and almost laughed in her face. I quickly coughed covering it up. “No. I mean, yes. I was trying not to rush you since we’re roommates.” I closed the distance between us, my hands going to her arms. “But believe me, I want you… so much.”
Jack shook her head, not meeting my gaze, her voice sounding so small. “Then what was that?”
“I’m bi.”
“Okay.” Jack swallowed and stepped out of my reached, her arms going around herself. “Yeah, sorry, I get it. My bad. We never said we were exclusive. It was my fault for assuming.”
My eyes widened. “Jack. No. Wait. I thought you knew.”
“What?” she snapped as her confusion and hurt quickly morphed to irritation. “That you were seeing other people? No. Sorry, guess I missed that memo.”
“No. That…” I paused and ran a hand over my face. “That I’m with Kyren. He’s my master. You know, the one I’m blood bonded to?”
Jack simply stared at me.
It was then I realized I had completely fucked this up.
“Princess.” I started slowly, trying my best to explain without sounding condescending. “Every human servant here is with their master in some capacity. Either the occasional fuck while they feed or a full-on relationship. You’re the outlier.”
Jack continued to stare at me, her mind cranking behind her eyes clear as day.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I thought you knew.” I reached out for her again, and this time, she let me.
“So…” She cleared her throat. “You’re with Kyren? Like you’re dating?”
“Yes.” I rubbed my hands down her arms, watching her face for any signs of distress.
“But… you also want to be with me?” She ended it as a question, as if she couldn’t understand what anyone would see in her. I’d have to remedy that and soon.
“I mean, yeah.” I tilted her head up to meet my gaze. “Is that okay?”
She pulled her low lip between her teeth and chewed on it. “I mean, I guess? But that doesn’t explain why you haven’t wanted to… you know.” Her face tinged pink like it so often did. Every time, I just wanted to kiss her.
Except this was a serious conversation, and that had to be dealt with before any more kissing was involved. I tipped her chin up with my knuckle.
“We’re roommates, so it can easily turn into being fuck buddies. I don’t want that with you.”
Jack paused before she answered with a nod. “Let’s go on a date then.”
“Were you eavesdropping in Kyren’s room?” I teased with a grin. “I swear he just told me that.”
“Kyren did?” Her brows rose. “He wants you to date me?”
I bent down until my lips brushed hers. “Believe it or not, Kyren likes you.”
“He’s said a whole of two words to me,” she scoffed.
I smirked. “Kyren’s not the talkative type, but believe me, if he didn’t like you, you’d know.”
“Oh.”
“So…” I drew out, holding her hands in mine. “Want to go out tonight?”
Her eyes lit up for a brief moment before diminishing. “I can't, sorry. I already promised I’d do something else.”
“Oh.” I pouted, making her laugh. “I suppose I can wait another day.”
She tapped my chest with her finger. “Xinyi told me there’s a party in the woods tomorrow night. Be my date?”
I frowned. “Are you sure you want our first date to be there? I could take you to dinner. Or dancing. I have killer moves.” I feigned the two-step.
She giggled and shook her head. “Yeah, no. This is great.” She sighed and tucked her hands in her pockets. “Casual. We can do something fancy next time.”
I watched as she closed up on me. My thing with Kyren had made her build up her defenses. I’d have to work for it, if I wanted her to bring them back down again.
That was something I was fully prepared to do.
“Alright, tomorrow night. The woods. But princess? I want you to know that nothing I feel for you is remotely casual.”
Her smile broadened. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
I captured her lips with mine. I wasn’t sure how much she got it, but she would and soon.
If Kyren would just make his move already, then everything would be perfect.