Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
ZAIN
I had absolutely no reason to be surprised.
I had rationally known that the water was on when I had all but barged into the bathroom, finding Bella’s wet, naked body completely on display like some fucking marble statue of a divine goddess.
Yet I still felt like the air had been pushed out of my chest completely, leaving me breathless.
Saint offered me a scowl and I paid it zero mind, already knowing what had happened between the two of them and finding myself far more interested than anything on how she was alive. Jealous also, but mostly fascinated and turned on at the prospect of what that could mean for me.
I was starting to feel like an idiot for not believing Saint about her being able to survive fucking one of us.
My biggest confusion? I could smell death in the air still, which wasn’t unusual, considering him…
but I also didn’t think Arabella had died.
In fact, she looked more vibrant, and her energy was stronger than I had ever felt it.
She almost felt less human, too, and I wasn’t entirely positive how that was possible.
It didn’t help that I was having issues focusing.
The entire room was filled with the scent of her desire and was completely absent of fear or pain.
It was a heady and overwhelming experience that had the urgency from before, the reason I’d shown up in the first place, completely disappearing and leaving me practically breaking down on my knees to crawl towards her.
I wanted to taste her more than my next goddamn breath, my nightmare rattling at the neat cage I kept him in underneath a guise of humanity that I knew made Arabella feel comfortable.
I knew he was frustrated with not being able to experience her like this, but we couldn’t touch her in our other form… not like this. Not yet.
My eyes ran across her perfect frame, a low growl breaking from my throat as a blush hit her cheeks that had my cock hardening painfully.
Apocalyptic terrors were known for being unhinged. There usually wasn’t a separation between our nightmare side and this more ‘human’ element. In fact, we were considered some of the most vile and uncontrollable nightmares there were.
I had been practically feral, living day by day, avoiding humans and other nightmares when I’d come to ISS, but upon meeting Arabella?
My nightmare side had gone quiet and turned into a fucking puppy.
He had been not only terrified of scaring her but had stopped trying to force his way out every time that I felt any extreme emotion.
Which was why I often shifted just so he could experience what it was like to be close to her, even if it was at random times.
Being at ISS had created a peace inside of me I could have never expected, and the only thing that would foreseeably work me up to the point of shifting was a threat to Arabella.
That was clearly not the case here, and despite wanting to touch her and worship the woman, I knew there were larger issues we needed to focus on…
if I could just focus on that instead of the way her plush lips were parted and how her eyes were darkening with heat.
“You know, I came in here for a good reason.” I tilted my head, inhaling sharply as my eyes tracked the water that ran down her silky skin.
Arabella had no right to have that fucking perfect of a body.
Her tight breasts and hard nipples were flushed from the hot water, and her tiny waist and hips had me wanting to bend her over so that I could bury my mouth between her long silky legs.
Holy shit. I was practically drooling.
The best part? She didn’t even bother covering herself up, making me realize I was going to be painfully hard forever, because now I didn’t need to imagine what she looked like naked.
No, I could literally fucking imagine every glorious detail, and when I went to bed at night, stroking my cock to the image of her body underneath mine, I would probably come really fucking fast because now I knew exactly what I was missing.
I tried to form a question. “You are not dead. How?”
Saint let out a groan of annoyance, turning off the shower and grabbing a towel for Bella, wrapping her frame in it despite my growing scowl.
I liked looking at her. He wrapped one around his hips and punched my shoulder in passing, hard enough that I growled, but immediately looked back at the pink-haired goddess that was now stepping out of the shower, looking a bit flushed but very happy.
“Long story,” she mused, stepping closer and running her fingers up my uniformed chest to the skin of my neck that heated under her touch. “But first, what was your reason?”
“My reason?” I arched a brow, my hand cupping her jaw as I looked at her cleavage that was pressed against her tightly wrapped towel. I ran my tongue over my sharpening teeth, wanting to know what her blood would taste like on my tongue. Probably sweet like her.
“The reason you barged into the bathroom.” She smirked slightly.
“Oh.” I nodded and then ran a thumb across her plush bottom lip. “You know, it doesn’t seem very important anymore.”
It was, but not with her pressed against me like this, all soft and warm. Vulnerable to my touch. Fuck.
“Why is that?” She stepped closer, a groan slipping from my throat as her entire body pressed up against mine.
“Because you are essentially fucking naked, and it’s very distracting.
All I can think about is ripping that little towel from your body and bending you over this bathroom counter,” I growled, my cock jumping against her soft stomach.
My hands tightened on her as I tried to not grip her too hard, not wanting to give into the need I had for her.
Not right now. I just needed to keep saying that to myself until I believed it.
“Zain,” she mumbled, “focus.”
A rumble broke from my throat as my nightmare rattled against me, causing me to nearly shift as I met her heated gaze.
On impulse—mostly because I couldn’t control myself—I surged forward, cupping her jaw, and pressed a hard, firm kiss to her lips.
I knew I was about to completely ruin today with my news, so I savored her taste as she let out a soft, breathy noise and went up on her toes to try to deepen the kiss.
I groaned as she nipped at my bottom lip, my tongue invading her mouth as I pulled her completely up against me, her fingers wrapping around the back of my neck.
Holy shit. I loved this woman. I knew I did, but my physical reaction only reinforced that.
I had never given a lot of thought to mating, but all I wanted to do was pin her against the bathroom wall and fuck her until she was moaning my name loud enough for the entire institute to hear.
When I finally pulled back, she pouted and slid down my body, making me nearly smile at the needy heat in her gaze.
I had put that there, and I fucking loved it.
“You were right.” I kept my voice soft and calm. “It is a distraction. We just got word there are more on the way.”
The heat in her eyes disappeared as a clinical shade of coolness invaded. There was also a fierce sense of protectiveness there, for both the institute and the nightmares that lived here. “More humans?”
“Yes,” I admitted. My eyes darted down to the savage bite mark on her neck, left clearly by Saint, as I considered what my own would look like on her skin.
“Shit.”
She ran out of the bathroom, probably to get ready, and I frowned, wanting her perfect, curvy ass back over here.
Before I could say anything or grab her, Saint appeared in the doorway and offered me a knowing look.
It was clear he had heard my comment about the humans, because instead of looking relaxed, he looked stressed and was dressed again in his uniform.
“How?” I demanded.
If it was possible, actually possible, to be with Arabella and not kill her… well, that changed everything. I would give anything to be with her. Not just physically, but completely.
Hell, if someone told me I had to fuck her like glass, I would, if it meant being inside of her and forming that bond I knew was between us. As it was, I had already fantasized about teasing her for hours, punishing both of us for giving into something that could be dangerous for her.
Now, when I slid into her, I wanted to take my time. Giving her every inch of me and worshipping her perfect fucking self. I needed to experience everything that was the woman I loved.
“She’s not fully human,” Saint explained. “We need to sit down and talk about it with everyone. I wasn’t bullshitting before—she can’t die. Well, not traditionally. Technically, she died a little—”
“Razar is going to kill you,” I chuckled. I should have been pissed too, but instead I just felt a sense of exhilaration. Not fully human? What the hell did that mean?
He rolled his eyes at me as Arabella squeezed past him, my eyes running over her dark jeans and tight black turtleneck, all paired with pink-soled shoes with spikes along the heel.
I wanted those around my fucking waist while I made her come. Fuck. This woman was so dangerous for me.
Arabella leaned over the counter, adjusting her hair into a damp, neat bun before sliding on her glasses.
It was done with precision, and I could see energy rolling under her skin, making me wonder how her energy felt so different in such a short amount of time.
I mean, I was worried as well, but usually she was so calm, and now there was a thread of something else underneath it.
One that almost felt more savage and less clinical. It only turned me on more.
“Let’s head out,” she said, sliding past both of us. Saint watched her with interest, affection, and a sense of ownership I found myself jealous of. He’d been inside of her, something I craved, because I wanted to delve into her very being.
I ran a hand through my hair and arched a brow as she strode towards the door, both of us following after her.
“They are a bit away—”
“Not why I am rushing,” she pointed out and slowed down slightly so she was between us. “I have an idea.”
“What’s that?”
Her smile grew as a flash of something dark entered her gaze. “If they are planning an attack, then we will make sure we are ready, but I think presenting a front of terrifying monsters is exactly the way to scare the hell out of them. After all, isn’t that why they hate us?”
“You think we should all shift?” I rumbled, my nightmare jumping at her possible attention.
“That… and I think we have some members of the institute that would be willing to help us out.”
Saint made a concerned noise as I tried to figure out what she meant. “Arabella…”
“Worth a shot,” she pointed out, and my brows went up as we stepped into the elevator and she hit the basement button.
Oh fuck.
“They are unpredictable and don’t want to be here,” Saint grunted.
“They also hate humans.” Her voice was soft and knowing, making me realize that she was completely serious about her plan.
Arabella wanted to let out those nightmares that were far too dangerous to keep in normal society, the ones who slaughtered humans for fun and refused to join the institute as part of a team.
“They could also easily just leave,” I pointed out.
Her gaze met mine as she nibbled her lip in thought. “That’s why we aren’t just letting them out. We are also calling up the guards from there.”
My back went ramrod straight as my eyes widened,.“No way. They are fucking down there for a reason.”
If you had nightmares that weren’t allowed in society, you had to make sure they were guarded by something far more terrifying, so what she was suggesting… well, fuck.
“And we need their help for a good reason.” Her lips pressed together, and then she looked at both of us as the elevator doors opened, revealing a long, dark hallway. She stepped forward and turned slightly, pinning us with a look.
“It’s time to remind the humans why they fear the dark.”