Chapter Thirty-Seven
Bechora
Gabriel went still, his face morphing from disbelief to awe before he moved toward me.
There was an air of caution to his movements as he settled onto his bed next to me and brought his wrist to his lips.
My eyes never left him as he bit down hard enough to draw blood and offered his arm to me.
I expected to feel revulsion at the thought of wrapping my lips around the wound, but instead, a sense of rightness settled deep into place.
My lips brushed his skin, and my tongue darted out, tentative at first before the copper tang of his blood filled my mouth.
Heat surged through me, searing and alive, flooding every nerve ending like a lightning strike.
Gabriel hissed sharply, but his other hand moved to cradle the back of my head, anchoring me to him.
The world narrowed to that single connection.
The heat spread outward in a wave and slammed into the invisible tether between us.
The pull I’d been fighting for months roared to life, no longer something I could ignore.
With each draw of his blood into my mouth, the pain in my body ebbed.
Whatever magic his blood held washed over me in a warm, healing embrace, filling me with renewed strength.
I felt it settle deep in my well, nestled next to the power I’d gained from Zypher and the flames that constantly flowed from my pendant.
I tore my mouth from his wrist with a gasp as the weight of our new bond settled into my chest. I suddenly understood why I’d never truly been able to refuse the pull toward him, why I unconsciously sought him out even at his cruelest. This male was mine. He’d always been mine.
Gabriel’s forehead pressed against mine, his breathing ragged. His lips parted as though words were impossible, pupils blown wide, hunger and reverence warring in his expression. “Mine,” he whispered, his voice raw and broken. The word was a vow, binding us together for eternity.
Need pulsed through me, the bond driving me to claim my mate fully.
Without thought, my lips crashed against his in a ravenous kiss.
Gabriel’s lips met mine with equal ferocity, a hungry edge to the kiss that set my entire body on fire.
His hands found my waist, pulling me closer until our bodies pressed flush against each other.
The heat of him seared through my tattered clothing, causing the bond to thrum happily between us.
My fingers tugged at his hair roughly, and he growled against my mouth.
“He broke the kiss only to trail his tongue down my jaw, lapping up the blood left behind from my now-healed injuries. “Bechora,” he murmured against my skin. “Gods, why did I deny myself this for so long?”
My hands roamed his chest, trailing down his taut abdomen as he continued to clean the blood from my body with his tongue.
Impatience gripped me, and I reached for the hem of his shirt, forcing him back as I ripped it over his head and tossed it away.
He mirrored the motion, tearing away the tattered fabric of my ruined uniform shirt and unhooking my bra before tossing it aside.
His gaze raked over my bare chest, dark and reverent, as though I were a sacred thing that only he was allowed to worship.
My hands moved to the waistband of his pants, and he captured them, forcing me to be still. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice rough with the same overwhelming need roaring in my veins.
I leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss against his jaw before pulling back to look him in the eye. “Yes,” I whispered. My certainty was absolute, leaving no more room for doubt.
That was all he needed. In seconds, the rest of our clothes were gone, discarded in a frenzy of need.
His hands explored every inch of me, worshipping, claiming, as he lay me back against the bed.
The sheets were cool against my heated skin, but Gabriel was a furnace above me, his body a perfect weight as he settled between my thighs.
His lips found mine again, softer this time, a tender counterpoint to the fire building between us.
When he finally moved, it was slow and deliberate, every motion stoking the inferno inside me.
The bond flared brighter, weaving us together until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began.
My nails dug into his back, urging him closer, faster, and he obliged, his rhythm building to match the frantic pulse of our connection.
Pleasure coiled tight in my core, each thrust pushing me closer to the edge until I shattered, crying out his name as the bond burned white-hot in my chest.
Gabriel followed moments later, his own release a guttural groan against my neck, his arms trembling as he held himself above me.
We stayed like that, tangled together as the bond settled into a warm, steady hum.
He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, then my lips, his eyes glowing with a quiet intensity as we worked to catch our breath.
Angry pounding shattered the peaceful aftermath of our completed bond. “Dreadgrave, what have you done to my Dilectus?” Zypher’s enraged voice came through the door to Gabriel’s dorm.
I realized then that the bond between my demon mate and me was still muted, and guilt coiled heavy in my stomach, threatening to make me sick. Gabriel carefully peeled himself from my body, covering me with his sheet before he pulled on his discarded slacks.
“If you’ve harmed her, I swear to the gods, I will end you,” Zypher bellowed, still pounding on the door.
Gabriel didn’t respond as he strode toward the door and yanked it open.
Zypher stood on the threshold, his anger making him appear much larger than his 7'1" frame. He narrowed his eyes on my vampire mate and sniffed the air. Suddenly, his eyes snapped to me over Gabriel’s head. He took me in slowly, his tense muscles relaxing as he stepped around Gabriel into the room. Gabriel closed the door behind him and turned to face me, crossing his arms over his chest just as Zypher’s anger melted into a pleased smirk.
“It seems you’ve finally come to your senses, vampire,” he chuckled, shooting me a wink. “I’d suggest an orgy to celebrate, but you look thoroughly ravished, Dilectus. You haven’t collected enough of your males for one either.”
I was hit by a sudden and intense bout of insecurity as Zypher prowled toward me. “You’re not mad?” I asked.
Zypher frowned, easing himself onto the edge of the bed.
“Why would I be mad, Dilectus? It is your right to choose which mates you claim. Only you can decide who completes our Vinculum.” He paused for a moment, taking in the blood that still painted my shoulders and dipped down my exposed chest behind the cover of the sheet I still clutched tightly.
“I admit, I was worried when our bond became dull and muted and went in search of you. I scented your blood and followed it here.” His gaze slid to Gabriel before returning to me.
“I feared your vampire had sought to sever his bond with you through force. I am quite pleased to find I was mistaken.”
Gabriel grimaced. “It was Daena and her fucking lackies,” he said. “They trapped her in a magical barrier and very likely spelled her so you wouldn’t feel what they were doing through your bond. I suppose my behavior led them to believe I would revel in the pain they were causing.”
Zypher hummed, his brows dipping down as his expression turned pensive.
“I am pleased you saw sense rather than choose to continue denying our Dilectus,” he murmured before returning his attention to me.
“Let us get you cleaned up and dressed. I cannot undo the spell muting our bond, but I suspect our mage friends may be able to help.”
“How do you plan to get her to the communal showers without anyone seeing her?” Gabriel asked, folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t have a private bathroom for her to use, and I’m fairly certain that if anyone sees her like this, Daena will find a way to use it to her advantage.”
“I’m healed, though; your blood healed me completely,” I interjected. “Why does it matter if I’m a little bloody on the way to the showers? It’s not like I have wounds for anyone to comment on.”
Zypher reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, gently caressing my cheek before he pulled away.
“Gabriel is right, Dilectus. It does not matter that you are not injured. The fae female knows how to twist things to her advantage. But this is Daemonium House, and while the vampires in residence may not bow to me, the demons do. I will ensure they keep the halls clear long enough for Gabriel to escort you to my rooms to bathe and dress.” I opened my mouth to protest, but Zypher cut me off, his attention on my vampire mate.
“I will send an illusion to let you know when it is clear.”
Gabriel gave him a stiff nod, and Zypher rose from where he sat on the edge of the bed, strolling from the room.
It didn’t take nearly as long as I expected for Zypher’s illusion to appear, letting us know the coast was clear.
Gabriel bundled me into his arms, the sheet wrapped around me, and sped from his room, not stopping until we arrived in Zypher’s bathroom.
“As much as I loathe the idea of you washing my scent off you, I’ll leave you to shower in peace,” Gabriel said as he set me on my feet. “I need to contact my brother and hopefully find a way to get ahead of any retaliation from my father for claiming you as my mate.”