Chapter Six
Giovanni
Kyson had no clue I’d fallen in love with him. I was still grappling with those feelings, but when I’d seen him lying on the floor and Baron mere inches away, I’d had to fight back the monster that dwelled inside of me. If unleashed, I couldn’t have guaranteed Dane’s safety.
It wouldn’t have paused to determine who was friend or foe. It didn’t care. It was the same darkness that had taken over during battles, had driven me to victory time and again.
Malachi had been enraged that I’d hesitated. He needed to consider himself lucky I had. That I’d fought against unleashing my darkness in that hallway.
Because when it came to protecting Kyson, no one was safe. I’d failed him before, but never again.
“Is that how you see me?”
He looked so breathtaking as he stared at me in confusion, as if he couldn’t comprehend how anyone could see him in that kind of light.
“Every single time I look at you.”
I lowered my head, sealing my answer with a kiss while realizing just how true those words rang.
The kiss started out slow, exploring. Then Kyson slid his arms around my neck, pulling me closer, plunging his tongue deep inside my mouth. The kiss turned demanding, unrestrained, and told me he wanted to take charge.
Fuck. I loved it.
The aggression turned me on and made my cock so hard it was almost painful. I snarled softly when Kyson jumped up, causing me to quickly wrap my arms around him when he curled his legs around my waist. Then he groaned and growled into my mouth.
They were the sexiest sounds I’d ever heard.
I slowly backed up, gripping his hips firmly. Our lips never parted until the backs of my legs touched the bed. Kyson lifted his head, blinking slowly, like reality had just hit.
“Giovanni.”
My name left his lips as little more than a whisper, uncertain, aching, a single step from surrender.
“Let me make love to you, petit oiseau .”
My lips ghosted over his jaw, filling my lungs with the intoxicating scent of his desire. “Let me show you just what you mean to me.”
Hesitation showed brightly in his eyes. It was as if kissing passionately was as far as he was willing to go. Somehow, I knew that if I allowed him to retreat, Kyson would forever keep me at arm’s length.
That wasn’t where I belonged.
For years he’d denied his feelings for me, assuming his scars made him too hideous to love. I had to shatter the ridiculous notion if we were to have a fighting chance of sharing something incredible together.
Something that went beyond just the physical.
“I—”
He glanced away, but I tucked my fingers under his chin, coaxing him to look at me.
“Take back your life, sweetheart.”
I kissed the side of his mouth then rested my cheek against his. “Trust me to show you what I see when I look at you.”
His breath hitched, and time stood still as I waited for his reply.
“I’m nervous.”
“I know, petit oiseau .”
I rubbed my cheek over his. “We both are.”
A tiny snort escaped him, making my cheek vibrate with the sound. “Why would you be nervous?”
Closing my eyes, images of my past surfaced, the atrocities I’d committed, and even now, I felt the monster stirring. “Because I feel too dark to bathe in your light.”
Like I would burn in the eternal fires for daring to want him. Despite what he’d gone through, Kyson was innocence, a purity I had no right touching.
“You’re not,”
he whispered, as though afraid his confession would condemn his soul. “You might’ve been born a vampire, but I’ve felt your pain, your remorse, Giovanni. No one who mourns the loss of life is irredeemable.”
The male had no idea what those words meant to me. My entire existence I believed I was beyond redemption, a force meant to tear down rather than rebuild. The ultimate weapon of destruction for whom salvation was never an option.
Until now.
I wanted to be a part of Kyson’s life, to help him rebuild, and maybe, somehow, possibly rebuild mine too. “I love you.”
The admission refused to be held back any longer. “Does that scare you?”
“Yes.”
His arms around my neck tightened, and I could only pray he didn’t reject me. I’d never uttered those three words, and my heart was racing.
“No one…”
He swallowed roughly. “No one has ever told me they loved me.”
A small laugh escaped. “It’s frightening, but…it feels…good.”
I smiled. “Felt good to confess them, petit oiseau .”
In ways I never dreamed.
“Will you…”
I felt him lick his lips, heard his heart pounding. “Will you make love to me?”
he asked softly, tilting his head back before sealing his mouth to mine. Was he afraid I would say no? That wasn’t in the realm of possibility. I’d wanted Kyson for far too long, had craved him with a madness I hadn’t been able to shake.
Now that I was about to finally have him, nothing, not even the rising sun, could take him from me.
When his tongue slid over my fangs, any semblance of control I’d had vanished. I didn’t have control over a damn thing in that moment. Not when Kyson was giving me something I had no right to take.
Not when I felt responsible for ruining his life five years ago.
Not when a kernel of hope blossomed inside of me that I could be saved by this man.
He was my solace, but I wasn’t his. Yet, for some reason, Kyson wanted my retched-ass soul, and I wasn’t going to deny him anything he desired.
We fell toward the bed, but I turned at the last second, placing him gently onto his back while telling myself not to rush this. Not when I had something to prove.
Kyson’s worth. Not just to me, but also to himself.
Goddamn, he was breathtaking lying under me, a need in his eyes I’d never thought would be aimed at me. He bit my bottom lip, smiling as he lapped at the sting. I’d never met anyone like him, and maybe five years ago, my subconscious had known just how special he truly was when I’d offered to take him home.
But you failed to keep him safe.
Something I would always regret, but I was a selfish bastard, unwilling to walk away and leave him untouched.
My hand cupped the back of his head, the other slipping under his shirt. Kyson froze, but I couldn’t stop now. Not when there was a chance he might shut me out for good if I backed down.
I trailed my fingers over scars, mapping out his slim chest. He gasped when I tweaked a nipple, then he moaned into my mouth.
A sound I willingly devoured.
He was a sensual creature, responding to my every touch, and I wanted to wreck any hope someone else might have of stealing Kyson away from me.
For him, I would be whatever the male needed me to be. His lover, protector, friend, partner, and anything else that proved the depth of my love for him. Osiris had tried to break him. Instead, the demon had reforged Kyson into something untouchable, even if the male couldn’t see how incredible he truly was.
His hands skimmed over my dress shirt, and as we kissed, he undid the buttons one at a time, his fingers scraping my skin. His touch was electric, pure fire, and I wanted to rip the damn thing off, to feel his hands on me. But I forced back the urge and allowed him to explore my body, one button at a time.
A hiss escaped when he pinched my nipples, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my groin. My cock strained against the fabric of my slacks, eager to be set free. He snickered against my lips, a cute, diabolical sound that teased my senses in the best damn way.
Which only deepened my love for him.
In retaliation for his teasing, I tickled him, grinning devilishly as my fingers targeted every inch of his sides and stomach.
“Uncle!”
Kyson shouted between fits of laughter, squirming uncontrollably beneath me.
His laughter moved through me like a whisper of something I’d never had but suddenly craved.
“Are you going to pinch me again?”
Though I’d loved it.
“I’m waving a white flag.”
He held up his hands in surrender.
“You should never give up that easily, petit oiseau. ”
I arched a brow.
“So you can keep tickling me?”
he asked incredulously then narrowed his eyes. “I see right through you, Giovanni. You’re not fooling me.”
Every time he said my name my dick always hardened. “Busted.”
I grinned. “I can’t help if I love to hear you laugh.”
“Then tell me a joke instead.”
He smiled up at me.
Nothing came to mind. Joking didn’t belong in my world. Not when everyone around me was a potential threat, including my own brother. Allowing anyone to get close would only give them easier access to my throat.
Something I really wanted to remain intact.
“All I hear are crickets.”
Kyson pursed his kiss-swollen lips, tempting me to take them again.
So I took them, slower this time, trailing my fingers over his ribs until I reached the waistband of his pajama pants. He arched his back, his nails digging into my biceps.
“Giovanni.”
His eyelids fluttered closed, his hips jerking when I curled my hand around his hard cock. The scent of his desire thickened in the air as Kyson whimpered into my mouth.
I wanted to ravage him, ruin him like I’d wanted to do the night we’d met. To keep him safe, cherish him, and make him unravel beneath me. I moved lower down the bed, taking his pants and underwear with me.
He grew still, not a single breath leaving his lungs. I inwardly cursed but kept my features neutral. Not even his thighs had escaped Osiris’s torture. Large gashes crisscrossed his pale skin in erratic patterns, pucker marks from burns marring his delicate flesh. His legs trembled when I pressed a kiss over each mark, wishing like hell I could kill the demon a thousand more times.
And that still wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me.
Kyson caressed my hair, the touch so light I’d barely felt it. It was as if he was silently pleading for me not to be repulsed. His vulnerability was palpable, fragile in a way that would shatter with one wrong move or word.
Using the flat of my tongue, I licked my way toward his sac, inhaling the musky fragrance at the center of his body. He tried to spread his legs farther, but the fabric of his clothes restricted his movements.
In one fluid motion, I pulled his pants free and tossed them aside.
Fuck!
Red-hot anger flared inside of me as I gazed at the extent of Osiris’s cruelty. The scars covered the front and back of his thighs, as well as his calves and shins.
Kyson turned his head away, his fingers strangling the blanket. It gutted me to see him quivering, shame rushing out with every breath he expelled.
“Look at me, petit oiseau .”
I murmured.
His jaw clenched, the color bleeding from his knuckles as unshed tears filled his eyes. Fierce pride swelled inside of me when he forced himself to meet my gaze. He was a true goddamn warrior, and even though his humiliation was laid bare, he was determined to face his fears and meet my gaze head-on.
I didn’t just love him. I was in love with him.
As he watched, I parted my lips, drawing the head of his cock into my mouth. My fingers caressed his scars. His nostrils flared, but he soon gave up the fight and groaned.
Which was exactly what I’d been waiting for.
His complete surrender.
Trusting me in a way that sent my heart soaring.
I took his cock down my throat, using the muscles to squeeze his shaft. Kyson gasped, his hips hitching, soft moans escaping him.
His erection was rock-hard, pre-cum wetting my tongue. He gripped my hair as I engulfed him over and over again, tracing the heavy vein with ravenous hunger. A deep, salacious moan filled the room when the tips of my fangs scraped against his cock. The scent of his blood called to me, almost casting a spell over me that I wasn’t sure I wanted to fight. His scent had always enticed me, always made my gums ache as I fought the urge time and again to feed from him.
With intent, I nicked the heavy vein running down the side of his erection. Not enough to cause pain, but enough to taste him for the very first time. Kyson tensed at first, then his body relaxed as I lapped up the tiny dots of blood.
The taste of his blood on my tongue shattered something inside of me. Caused my control to slip. A control that had been razor-thin to begin with. The monster took over. My craving was almost consuming. I felt the moment my eyes began to glow red, felt the darkness climbing its way out. My fingers gripped his thighs tighter, pulling him closer, my thirst warring with my need to protect him.
Just when I thought I would give in to my instincts, to drag him under to the murky depths, Kyson’s back arched. He cried out my name, his cum pulsing down my throat. Greedy, I swallowed his seed, desperate for it. The way he said my name in reverence had somehow beaten back the monster.
But for how long? Kyson was a temptation I wouldn’t be able to resist for too long. Although the monster had receded, it hadn’t gone far.
Unsure if I could control it if it returned, I reared back and shoved my slacks and underwear down my thighs. My cock sprang free, hard and throbbing.
“You want to feed from me,”
Kyson said, gazing at me. “I felt you almost lose control.”
“Either let me make love to you or let me flee.”
My voice didn’t sound like my own. It was raspy, part mine, part darkness, and I feared the option of escaping was already too late.
Kyson grabbed my shoulders, yanking me to him. I braced my arm just in time to avoid crushing him with my weight. His slim legs curled around my waist, my cock still fisted in my hand.
“Fuck me, Giovanni,”
he begged breathlessly. It wasn’t what he said but the need reflecting in his eyes. He wanted me. Actively. Desperately. Completely.
I lined the head of my cock against his entrance, praying I could wait long enough for my pre-cum to lube and relax his ring of muscle. My hand trembled, my thirst beating against me like a relentless drum, pounding against my temples in continuous waves that nearly made me succumb to its lure.
My breathing was labored. My gaze dropped to his neck. My voraciousness caused my mind to slowly sink into a red haze.
No!
“I never wanted you to see me like this.”
My gut clenched. My throat was bone-dry. My fingernails threatened to extend. Kyson would see a side of me I used to revel in, a side that had once thirsted for carnage.
The side of me my parents had created through brutality until I was nothing more than a killing machine. Heartless. A savage beast. A creature of unimaginable darkness rivaled only by Malachi.
I wanted to rip at my flesh, to beg the gods not to show him my true reflection, to bury the part of me I hated so damn much.
A warm, soft palm pressed against my jaw, the pad of his thumb caressing my cheek, tracing a path of fire over my skin. His gaze was tender, filled with so much trust that a whimper tore from my throat.
“Kyson.”
The word was a desperate plea.
“Fuck me, Giovanni,”
he repeated but added, “And feed from me if that’s what you need.”
With a growl, I drove my cock inside his ass, caught on the edge of an abyss as tight heat mercilessly gripped my erection. He shouted, his face pinched, his palms resting against my chest.
But he didn’t push me away.
I punched my hips forward, ruthlessly, his ass squeezing my prick as I yanked him down onto my cock.
Then I struck, my fangs sinking into soft flesh. I pinned him under me, as if afraid he would try to pull away, but I knew damn well escape was an illusion. My lips pulled at his neck, and I swallowed the ambrosia fervently.
The haze that had begun to engulf my mind began to clear. I drank more slowly, more compassionately, my hips gentling into a rhythm Kyson could keep up with. His heartbeat echoed in my ears, comforting me in ways that nearly brought me to my knees. The melodic sound forced my darkness to fully recede, the beast content for the first time in my life.
I eased my fangs free, licking over the pinpricks I’d left behind, then I nuzzled Kyson as I continued to thrust my cock inside his ass. “You feel like heaven, petit oiseau .”
I kissed each eyelid. “A sliver of paradise I don’t think I can live without.”
“Are you still thirsty?”
His hands cupped my neck, his body rocking with each surge forward.
“No.”
I slid my nose along his jaw until my lips reached the delicate curve of his ear. “The beast sleeps.”
Something it had never done before.
His hands gripped my neck tighter. I pulled my head back, frowning, confused at the sharp look in his eyes.
“Then fuck me like you mean it.”
He shoved at me, and I reared back, my cock slipping free as I sat on my haunches. Kyson wiggled from under me then turned onto his hands and knees.
Fuck me . Saliva pooled at the sight of his hole, and all I wanted was to suck the ring of muscle into my mouth. I tore my gaze away to stare at him. “I didn’t hurt you?”
At the time, I’d been too thirsty to think straight, but in the back of my mind, a voice had screamed for me to slow down, that I was being too rough. Honestly, I’d expected him to kick me out, to yell at me to never come back.
But once again Kyson surprised me.
In the most beautiful way imaginable.
He’d ridden out the storm of my hunger, giving me what he’d known I’d needed. Had offered it to me when I thought I would have to simply take what my body craved.
A fact I felt ashamed of.
Kyson wiggled his ass, drawing my attention back to him. I glanced at his slicked hole, my mouth once again watering. “I wouldn’t be demanding you do it again if you had.”
A slow, wicked smile curved my lips. The male was a wildcat in bed. A temptress, even if he still wore his shirt.
Small steps.
With a firm hold on his sides, I slid my cock back into his tight, welcoming heat, moaning at how good his body felt wrapped around my prick. Starting off slow, I rocked inside his ass, then moved faster when he glanced over his shoulder, giving me the evil eye. Soon our bodies were colliding, the sound filling the room along with our hard breaths and moans. My cock punished his ass, yet…
There was no urgency this time.
No thirst.
No monster demanding what I wasn’t willing to sacrifice.
Kyson.
Now, just the two of us chasing our release, was a man, a love-struck fool who was willing to place the world at Kyson’s feet.
My gaze locked onto the way his ass bounced with every forward surge, the way Kyson slammed back onto my cock, his scent, the noises falling from lips. Everything about him enthralled me, especially how my name was now a chant and a curse, how raw the moment was as he took as much as he was giving back.
My orgasm crashed into me, imploding, ripping like fire through my balls and up my spine. Kyson was right there with me, convulsing as he came.
The male was mine, and I was going to claim him as such in front of everyone. If another vampire dared to come anywhere near him again, my daggers would whistle their demise.