36. Liam
Chapter 36
Liam
I am being a dick. She came all the way here to tell me about the vampires.
She had no idea I already knew about it, and her telling me was just a reminder of how badly I’ve handled everything. But that’s not on her.
Okay, it was not entirely on her.
If I had been less distracted by her sweet lavender scent and the way her hair sways when she walks, or the way her clothes always seem to cling to her ass, then I would’ve been on top of this situation.
She’s been a distraction, a very sexy distraction.
I’ve been bracing myself for the day I would see her again.
Nothing could have prepared me to see her in my house, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a fight with my new pack member.
“How is your hand?” I whisper.
She doesn’t turn to face me but shrugs her shoulders instead.
“I am being a dick,” I say. “Please, let’s talk.”
Her dark hair looks even darker in this dim light.
By the way she is flexing her fingers, she is still a little hurt. Some part of me is tempted to walk over, tear my palm open, and beg her to drink, but I push that away.
Succumbing to that temptation is what has put my position as the Protector at risk.
I need to think straight.
“I think I should go,” she whispers.
“Give me two minutes. Please.”
She turns to face me, her blue eyes darker than usual. She is angry and hurt, and it feels like a dagger to my heart.
She is my mate.
No matter how much I hate to think about it, hurting her hurts me.
And I have hurt her so very much.
I sit across from Selene with many conflicting feelings pressing down on me. “The council already knows about the vampires. My father captured one the other day. When she refused to cooperate or confess, she was killed.”
Selene’s eyes widen in shock, and I can see the fear flicker in her gaze. “It wasn’t Katya,” I continue. “And it wasn’t any vampire I’ve seen before.”
I pause, trying to gather my thoughts. “The council thinks we need to deal with the vampire invasion head-on,” I explain, my mind racing with the implications of their decision. If the elders go ahead with their plan to kill the vampires, it could start a war between the supernatural beings, and I could potentially lose Selene.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I need to say next. “I’m sorry for leaving you in the middle of the night. I should have stayed.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does. I was scared of what all that meant. And then there was more news about the vampires. And then I had to leave town. And now I have Emmett.”
Selene flexes her fingers, and I notice the bruises and cuts that haven’t fully healed. “Why aren’t you healing? Are you not feeding?” I ask, concerned.
She looks away, a hint of shame in her eyes. “I’m trying to feed less,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “The blood bags are so few now.”
I don’t know if I should say more, but I have to.
If she is not healing enough, then she is in even more danger if she is attacked.
It’s not right.
“Follow me.”
She looks up at me. “Where?”
I take Selene’s hand and lead her into the kitchen. “Why are we here?” she asks curiously.
I turn to face her, my gaze softening as I search for the right words. “I want to believe that you would not hurt humans, but there’s something I don’t understand. What, or who, were you feeding on before the blood bags?” I say gently. “I know you have to have blood for sustenance, and the missing blood bags are recent, so what changed?”
Selene sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Until recently, I would feed on the blood of animals. I did, for so many years, but after Mia… After all that. I had to come up with another option. Animal blood only makes me weaker, Liam,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “And I could never bring myself to feed on people. Never.”
Her words tug at my heartstrings. “I understand,” I say softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from her face. “But there has to be another way. You need to heal faster. It is not safe for you like this.”
I watch as her eyes flicker with uncertainty. “Can you feed on me?” I ask, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
Selene’s eyes widen in surprise, her lips parting slightly. “No, Liam,” she says firmly, shaking her head. “I couldn’t.”
Without another word, I reach for a nearby knife and slice my palm, ignoring the sting of pain as I watch her reaction. Selene’s eyes widen in shock, her fangs protruding as she fights the urge to feed.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice tinged with disbelief.
“Feeding you,” I reply simply, holding out my hand to her.
Selene calls me foolish, but I can see the hunger in her eyes as she leans forward, her lips and teeth finding the cut on my palm.
I gently hold her hair in a ponytail, feeling a rush of exhilaration as she feeds.
Her breath comes out in ragged gasps as she pulls away, her eyes meeting mine.
Her lips and teeth are smeared in blood.
Her eyes rimmed with desire.
She is spectacular.
Without hesitation, I lean in and kiss her, feeling her melt into me.
She tastes like blood and mint and her.
I deepen the kiss and our tongues begin that beautiful dance.
She moans, sucking it in deeper.
Her lips are soft against mine, her breath warm and inviting as we melt together in a silent symphony of desire. I lose myself in the taste of her. The sweetness of her kiss is intoxicating.
Mine.
With each passing moment, the intensity of our connection grows, igniting a fire within me that I never knew existed. I press her against the countertop, our bodies melding together as if they were made for each other.
She is mine.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as we lose ourselves in the moment. Her passion matches mine with every fleeting second.
I trace the contours of her face with gentle fingertips, memorizing every curve and contour as if committing them to memory.
As we finally pull away, breathless and flushed with desire, I find myself longing for more.
I kiss her cheek softly, savoring the moment before I feel her bite into my neck, her movements frenzied.
I rub circles on her back, whispering words of reassurance as she feeds.
“I’ve got you, baby ,” I murmur tenderly. “Everything’s under control.”
Selene’s lips soothe the sting of her bite as she feeds, her moans of pleasure sending a shiver down my spine. But before I can fully lose myself in the sensation, the sound of footsteps interrupts our passionate exchange.
I pull away abruptly, my senses on high alert as I glance towards the doorway. Emmett stands there, his eyes wide with shock as he takes in the scene before him. Panic floods Selene’s expression, and she turns to me, her grip tightening on my shirt.
And then, unable to control herself, she buries herself in my neck once again.
“Selene, stop.” Without hesitation, I grab her by the hair and tug her away from the feeding, my heart pounding in my chest. I shoot Emmett a reassuring glance as he stumbles back, clearly startled by what he’s just witnessed.
“Emmett, wait!” I call out, but he’s already bolting from the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
I turn back to Selene, concerned, as I reach out to wipe the blood from her face. “Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods. “I have to go,” she whispers in a ragged breath as her eyes dart toward the door.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” I assure her.
As she slips out of the room, I take a moment to collect myself, heading down the hall to Emmett’s room. I find him with his back pressed against the wall, staring at me with wide eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I say gently, approaching him with caution. “You don’t have to be afraid.”
Emmett shrinks back, his hands trembling at his sides. “I-I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Emmett, listen,” I begin. “It’s... complicated. Selene. She’s a vampire, but she doesn’t feed on humans. She’s... different.”
Emmett’s brow furrows in confusion, his eyes searching mine for answers. “Different, how?” he asks.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I struggle to find the right words. “She... she only feeds on animals,” I explain hesitantly. “And... this is only the second time I’ve fed her.”
Emmett’s eyes widen in surprise, and I can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to process everything I’ve just told him. “But... why?” he asks, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“It’s... complicated,” I repeat, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on me. “But she’s not like other vampires. She’s... trying to be better, to do better.”
Emmett nods slowly, but I can tell he’s still struggling to understand. And as I look into his eyes, I know I can’t keep the truth from him any longer. He deserves to know.
“Listen, Emmett,” I say softly, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. There’s something else I need to tell you—something... important.”
He looks up at me, his eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of fear. “What is it?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. “My family... they’re not like other families,” I begin, choosing my words carefully. “We... we have secrets. My family really hurt hers. But her family also really hurt mine. I am trying to figure it all out. And Selene, she’s part of that.”
Emmett’s eyes widen in surprise, but before he can respond, I continue. “I was going to tell you, Emmett,” I say earnestly. “I was going to explain everything. But Selene needed help, and I couldn’t just leave her.”
“Who else knows?” he chokes out.
“Just you… and Grayson.”
And my mother and father soon enough. There is no way I am going to be able to keep the secret from them now.
The sooner, the better.
“He knows that you guys do that?”
I blush at the memory. “Not exactly. He knows that she is a vampire and that she and I are complicated, but that’s about it.”
“Oh, okay.”
I know he is scared, but he also needs to understand the implication of telling anyone else. Not only will her life be in danger, but mine and his too.
“You can’t tell anyone. Not yet.”
He looks at me before looking away. “This is complicated. I never thought…”
I can see the pained expression on his face. I know he is only a teenager, but someday I will have to tell him the truth about his brother and pack and hope that he will forgive me.
Right now, he is just a scared boy who saw the one creature he has been raised to fear—and rightfully so—face-to-face.
Then he had seen the same creature bite and feed on me.
He was terrified.
Another on the list of people I have disappointed and let down, but at least with him, I can try to make amends.
“I know what you thought. Remember when I explained that I was the protector…”
He nods.
“Well, my duty is to all supernatural creatures. Some vampires in the past really fucked up and alienated themselves from us, but Selene is not like them.”
“She feeds on blood, though…”
“So do we. We are wolves. It is in our nature, but we work not to hurt anyone. We work to live harmoniously with the others. That is why there are treaties in place, to help us live with others.”
“Even vampires?”
Now, we’re getting somewhere.
“Even vampires. Some people are bad, others are good. Some wolves are bad, others are good. And in the same regard, Emmett, some vampires are bad, and some are good. We cannot let the circumstances of how we came to be, or what is supposedly our nature, dictate what and who we are.”
He nods again.
When I reach to touch his shoulder, he doesn’t flinch. It’s a step.