Chapter 28
· Aubrey ·
Agony like never before rushes through me as I sink my teeth into his neck, Rhett’s mark burns violently and I worry I will pass out from the pain before my mark embeds.
Gosh I hope it does. The thought of being tied to Rhett for the rest of my life terrifies me, especially when my reason for wanting to live is clutching me like he needs me just as much.
Soren’s hand moves in my hair, his calling rushing over me, easing the pain some.
I blink, disoriented as I feel the mark on my neck suddenly go numb.
However, the pain in my chest still throbs along with my heartbeat.
Pulling back, I find myself in Soren’s strong arms. My heart pounds against my ribcage.
His glacier-blue eyes lock onto mine, filled with an intensity that both thrills and terrifies me as he wipes his blood from my lips.
“Aubrey.”
“I love you,” I blurt, praying to whatever goddess is listening that he can feel the truth of those words even if this bond is only one sided. What I would give to know he still feels the same. Soren nods, dropping his head against my shoulder, his breath shaky yet warm against my collarbone.
He rearranges me, setting me beside him on the bed and for a split second I think he doesn’t believe me.
“We need to talk about your bond with Rhett.”
I suck in a sharp breath, my hand instinctively flying to the mark on my neck. The connection to my mate pulses beneath my fingertips, but the bond right now feels different, numb, like it’s me feeling his agony.
“What’s there to talk about?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Soren’s large hand engulfs mine, pulling it away from the mark. “I can help you break it,” he says, his tone gentle. “You don’t have to be tied to him forever.”
I nod, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
“Nothing is unbreakable,” Soren insists, his grip on my hand tightening. “Not even fated mate bonds.”
As he speaks, I search his face, noting the set of his jaw, the fire burning behind his eyes.
There’s more here than just wanting to help me.
He wants to claim me for himself, to erase every trace of Rhett from my being and I want nothing more than that.
Even if it means dying. There is only one person I want to be tied to and he is the man I just sank my teeth into.
“I will mark you, and when I do, I’m changing you and I’m not waiting. I won’t risk you, so if you have any doubt you need to tell me now because once I mark you, it won’t be reversible.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rhett marked you, and now you’ve marked me, your bond to him won’t be broken until I’ve changed you. I need to mark you and change you.”
I nod, the idea of him marking and changing me no longer scares me, not if it means I will be free of Rhett and free to be with him.
Soren gets up and moves to the small bar area by the windows. He reaches for a crystal decanter and returns, grabbing a glass on the nearby bedside table, his movements fluid and purposeful. The rich, ruby liquid sloshes as he pours it into two ornate glasses.
“Here,” he says, pressing one into my hand. “This will help.”
I stare at the wine, its deep color reminding me of blood. “I don’t think drinking is a–”
He thrusts the glass toward me. “You’re going to want to drink it. I can’t use my calling on you when I mark you.”
My hands shake as I take the glass.
“Trust me, Aubrey,” Soren interrupts, his voice low and compelling. “My mark will hurt, my venom even more; I can’t mask you from it.”
Hesitantly, I bring the glass to my lips. The wine is sweet, with an underlying bitterness that makes me wince. Soren watches intently as I drink, his own glass untouched.
“More,” he urges, passing me his glass, and I stare up at him. He takes my now empty one, already refilling it. “You need to trust me, I know you’re scared.”
As the alcohol warms my insides, I feel a slight loosening of the ever-present tug in my chest—the one that always points me toward Rhett. It’s not enough to completely erase it. It’s never enough.
Soren leans in closer, his eyes dark and hungry. “Once I’ve changed you, I will have to remark you once you go into heat. Though it won’t hurt like the first time will.”
The intensity of his gaze is magnetic, drawing me in despite my reservations.
Every part of me wants this—wants to belong to someone who hasn’t betrayed me, who promises to cherish me.
Another part recoils at the thought of such an irrevocable step, though it won’t stop me from going through with it.
He taps the glass, wanting me to finish it, and I do before accepting the third one.
He watches me for a second before taking it from me and pulling me to my feet.
“I had planned to do this differently, so you’ll just have to forgive me.” He leads me to the bathroom, bringing the decanter and the glass.
My heart quickens as we cross the threshold of the dimly lit room. The fragrance of sharp disinfectant and subtle lavender mixes in my nostrils, giving it a strangely comforting scent. The cold ceramic tiles touch against my bare feet, sending shivers up my spine.
“It’s going to be okay,” Soren says softly, drawing me close to him. His eyes are still dark and solemn as he studies my face. His fingers brush my cheek, grazing over the gashes caused by Bianca which I had forgotten about. I flinch at the pinching pain.
“I want to shower first,” he tells me. I look at the bath. “Or we can bathe together?” He steps away moving toward the huge spa bath. He turns on the faucets.
With a soft hum, the tub begins to fill, steam clouding the mirrors and creeping across the ceiling. He looks back at me, his eyes a question and a reassurance all at once. With a hesitant nod, I agree to the bath.
“May I?” Soren asks gently. Nodding, I lift my arms as he lifts my dress over my head, careful not to graze against my injured cheek.
A shiver courses down my spine from the sudden cool air hitting my skin but also because of him, standing so close yet maintaining an invisible barrier between us.
His gaze rakes over the rest of me, taking in every inch.
Uncertainty dances in my mind, my stomach twists in anticipation or fear, I can’t tell which.
My heart pounds in my chest, my mind spinning with the possibilities and outcomes of what’s about to happen.
“Get in,” he commands gently, gesturing toward the tub.
I do as told, the heat seeping into my bones almost instantly.
I watch as he undresses himself. He hesitates a moment then climbs in behind me.
The intoxicating mixture of warm water and wine helps to numb me from reality, makes this all feel like some dream or illusion. The weight of Soren behind me, his chest pressed against my back, is real.
He runs a hand down my arm, tracing circles into my skin causing goosebumps to rise in anticipation.
Soren pulls me impossibly close to him before reaching over and grabbing the decanter which he left on the basin.
He places it in my hands. Then he does something that has me moving to grip his hand when he tears into it with razor sharp teeth.
He squeezes his fist over the rim of the decanter and his blood starts steadily pouring into the wine.
He then drops his hand into the water, tinging the water a deep red before pushing the decanter to my lips. He leans back resting against the side of the tub, dragging me with him.
“Drink it, every drop.”
I stare at the decanter, my eyes widening. “I’ll be drunk,” I warn him.
“Precisely the point.” I lift the decanter to my lips and he sweeps my hair over my shoulder watching me.
I drink from the decanter and just when I think I can’t force anymore down, Soren’s hand holds it in place forcing me to drink the rest. I choke and sputter on it, wine spilling down my chest. Only when I finish it does he let it go, allowing me to suck in a much needed breath.
Soren sets the decanter aside, and drags me closer. I stare at him for a second as he rearranges us so I’m facing him, the cool air brushing my backside. Soren sweeps my wet hair back before gripping my chin, and tilting my face toward his.
His lips caress mine gently, extinguishing the taste of wine and metallic blood. He slides his hands down my back, tracing the curve of my spine with a tenderness that makes me shiver.
“Just relax,” he murmurs against my lips, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down my already quaking body. His fingers continue their journey downwards, barely grazing my sides, gliding so gently that it’s featherlight.
I close my eyes, allowing myself to sink further into the sensation of him. His touch evokes a heady mixture of pleasure and fear which I don’t quite understand, but don’t resist, either.
His lips pull away from mine momentarily and I whimper at the loss. Then he’s kissing down my throat, his tongue lapping any traces of wine that have trickled down. A soft groan escapes me at the feel of it and one of Soren’s hands tightens around my waist.
Something about Soren fills me with an inexplicable trust even as he turns me around so my back is against his chest.
The warmth of his skin against mine feels like a fever dream. His hands roam lower, tracing patterns over my stomach and hips until one cups me between my legs.
I arch into the touch, moaning softly as he circles his fingers over my soaked folds.
Every muscle in my body tightens in anticipation.
His other hand glides up to cup my breast, teasing one of my nipples, sending shockwaves of pleasure through me.
I grab onto the edge of the tub, trying to hold onto something as the world begins to spin around me.
His blood in my system makes everything spin.
I lie back against his warm chest, a soft moan escapes my lips as he reaches my most sensitive spot, gently tracing circles with his fingers.
My body responds instantly as he slowly slips in one finger, then another.
I feel myself quivering with every stroke, my muscles clenching around him.
He works his fingers in and out of me, building a steady rhythm that has me panting and writhing with pleasure.
An orgasm starts to build deep within me, growing stronger with each stroke.
Just as I’m about to reach my peak, he lifts me up effortlessly and positions me over his impossibly hard erection.
With one swift movement, he enters me, filling me completely.
I cry out as he grips my hips, rocking my body while his cock moves inside of me, each push and pull sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body.
I feel myself getting closer and closer to release as he picks up speed.
Suddenly, he leans forward and sinks his teeth into the tender flesh of my neck.
I scream in ecstasy as my orgasm rips through me.
But just as it begins to fade, a sudden surge of pain follows, an intense heat spreading through my veins like liquid fire.
It’s his venom coursing through me, heightening every sensation.
Chasing away the remnants of my high replacing it with unbearable pain.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, pulling his teeth from my neck, blood washing down my chest. All I can think about is the way pain is consuming every sense, overriding everything.
Panic seeps through the fog of pain, and I struggle weakly against him. “Soren,” I gasp out, my voice barely above a whisper. For a moment, he doesn’t respond. His body is still, his grip on my hips ironclad.
And then, I feel his lips pressing gently onto my shoulder, a soft sigh leaving them. “It’ll be over soon,” he assures me, but his normally smooth voice is rough with what seems like regret.
I want to believe him, the man whose touch turned me into a sea of simmering desire just moments ago. Yet the burning sensation spreading from where his fangs had sunk into me feels like it’s consuming me whole.
His hands start gliding over my body once again. His touches are soft and soothing this time, tracing languid patterns across my trembling body.
I can’t hear anything but the roar of my blood in my ears, my heart thundering in my chest. The pain is unimaginable, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It feels like my body is being torn apart from the inside out, every nerve ending aflame and radiating with agony.
“I’ve got you,” Soren’s voice soothes. “I’ve got you.”
Time loses all meaning after that.
The fire spreads within me, Soren’s arms are the only stable thing I can latch onto. Through it all, he continues to stroke my hair, his fingers providing an odd comfort amidst the inferno.
“Focus on me,” is all he urges, his voice a quiet murmur against my ear.
I try. By the gods, I try to do as he says. But how can I? Everything hurts. It’s like being torn apart and sewn back together again. Caught in a storm where all I see is lightning and all I hear is thunder.
Suddenly, there’s pressure at the corner of my mouth.
Soren’s fingers. They lift my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.
They’re void of any regret but full of concern.
As much softness as he can muster under the circumstances reflects back at me.
It’s enough to ground me a little—enough for me to realize what’s happening.
Despite the pain, something within me stirs—the primal part of me that has long since grown accustomed to Soren and his touch.
For an agonizingly long heartbeat more, time blurs and bends around us—then everything stops and everything goes black.