Chapter 11 Danni
Danni
As soon as the door to my room closes behind me, the aching hollow feeling in my chest returns.
I feel like I finally got my wish of wanting to be a thousand miles away from Knox.
No matter what I do to distract myself, I can’t take my eyes away from the door or stop imagining him bursting through and fucking me senseless.
I even pulled out a small notebook that I keep tucked inside my bag and started writing down everything I’ve uncovered so far.
But no matter how hard I scribbled, I found my body yearned to be touched.
I’m pretty sure I’d just been through a traumatic life event that would take years of therapy to dissect, and all I can think about is Knox’s bratty mouth kissing me all over.
My blood temperature rises to an excruciating level even though I know the room is cold. I replace my evening gown with the pale blue silk robe, the soft fabric sliding over my bare skin. A moan nearly slips out when I picture Knox’s touch being just as sensual.
Damn my treacherous body.
I lay back on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
The world swims as I try to focus on something other than the tightness of his pants and the perfection of his ass.
I need a release or else I might explode.
My hands absently play with the delicate edges of the robe.
As soon as my fingers brush across my legs, the need increases.
What the hell am I doing?
I was kidnapped by a bunch of mythical creatures, the same kind that murdered my own mother right in front of me, and now I want to pleasure myself at the thought of one of them.
A single tear runs down my face as I attempt to convince myself that this sick desire is just the stupid bond making me feel this way.
I’m a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a mate bond with a vampire lover.
I know what I need to do: I need to survive. And to do that, I need a clear head. Ultimately, surrendering to my own desires will help me stay in control. After all, who knows what tomorrow will bring. Might as well have a little fun.
My hand travels up my thigh. I gently push the robe aside as I angle my legs apart. Muffled sounds of movement come from the other side of the door. My breathing stills as I freeze and listen closely.
The door flies off the hinges with earth-shattering strength.
Knox fills the empty frame with the hard lines of his body; his wild, pitch black eyes devour me completely. His chest heaves underneath his open black shirt and sweat gleams across his chiseled muscles. His hair is disheveled, as if he ran his hands through it several times.
We hold eye contact for a moment, dancing on the edge of our desires. Neither one of us dares to speak or move. Then, his eyes fixate on what is between my opened legs.
“Is this—is this part of the bond?” I pant, my voice low and husky with longing.
Knox licks his lips and nods slowly, as if he doesn’t trust himself to speak. His jaw clenches tightly as his hands ball into fists at his side.
“It burns,” I hiss through my own gritted teeth. “What happens if I don’t touch myself?” My question drifts like smoke in the space between us. My hands shake as I fight with my body, with the need to be touched.
“I don’t know much about bonds and how they work, but I know it wants us to complete it.”
A laugh escapes my lips at the sound of his husky words. Of course it does. What the fuck am I going to do? A new hatred eats away at me. I hate him. I hate this stupid bond and the way it makes me feel, the way he makes me feel…
“I won’t touch you without your consent.”
I frown at his hesitant expression. My eyes snag on the bob of his throat. We both know if he touches me now, I’ll come in under thirty seconds. The thought releases a moan from my lips. Whatever self-restraint Knox has snaps at the sound.
In one fluid movement, he drops his pants, revealing his hard length to me.
My jaw falls open and my mouth salivates. Utter perfection, just like the rest of him.
“Show me,” he commands.
My heart races. Is he asking me to pleasure myself in front of him?
“If you don’t do it, I’ll do it for you. I don’t know how long I can refrain from putting my head between your legs.”
He doesn’t want this unless I want it. The tenderness of it makes my heart crack in two. But now isn’t the time for analyzing whatever trauma he’s dealing with inside his head.
I nod without hesitation and open my legs wider. Knox grips the door frame to keep himself upright, and I swear to God, I hear the wood groan beneath his grip. I’ve never been jealous of a piece of wood before this moment.
I throw my inhibitions out the window. I’m not a prude when it comes to sex, but I’ve never done this before. I’ve never let someone watch. What a way to unlock a new kink. I close my eyes, my hand travelling higher to search for the right spot, and give into the pleasure and relief of it all.
“Look at me. I want you to look me in the eyes when you come!” His command sends a shiver running down my spine.
I obey, a loud, desperate moan escaping me from the intensity of his gaze. I circle my clit with my fingers, applying just the right amount of pressure I need to loosen the knot drawn so tight in my lower stomach. Knox releases a hand from the doorframe to grip his cock instead.
I stare into his eyes as he strokes himself. Panting and moaning fills my room. His eyes are all I can focus on to keep me tethered to the here and now, a burning pit of endless crimson.
My climax doesn’t take as long as I’d like.
The knot loosens and the band snaps inside of me.
Head thrown back, I continue to pump my fingers in and out of myself as I ride every wave of pleasure bursting from my body.
But it’s not enough; while the burning has subsided, the need for him is still just as strong. Perhaps stronger than before.
I need more.
More, more, more.
I open my eyes, my euphoria cut short by panic when I realize he’s climbed on top of me.
I didn’t even sense him closing the distance between us.
His fierce grip pins me down by my wrists on the soft sheets.
My pussy pulses from the weight of his body against mine and I find my hips moving on their own accord, seeking a relief that only he can provide.
In this delirious state, I don’t care that his kind had murdered my mother.
I don’t care that he could break my wrists or snap my neck without a second thought.
I’m not afraid.
“I need you.” The words escape me before I can stop them. The feeling of his skin on mine drives me to the brink of insanity.
“Not like this,” Knox says, his voice a strained rasp.
“When I make you mine, which I will, it won’t be because you’re driven mad with lust, triggered by the mate bond.
” His eyes flick down to my lips, and my breath catches.
“It will be because I’ve consumed your every thought just as you already have mine. ”
His eyes turn a shade lighter as he brings my hand up to his mouth and licks my fingers clean.
Fuck, that’s hot. I’m a woman doomed.
Then he reluctantly slides off me, fixing his clothes as he leaves the room. With a snap of his fingers, the door fits itself back into the frame, separating us once again.
Afterwards, I spend most of the night tossing and turning as the bond between us tugs hard at my chest. The feeling is almost throbbing. I loathe it.
And despite his pretty words and lustful promises, I’ve gone back to hating him.
It’s easier to compartmentalize without him in my room and crowding my personal space.
I don’t feel as foggy when I think about the situation.
It takes me a few hours to come down from the orgasmic high, but when I do, I’m finally able to separate what I’m feeling and what the bond actually is.
It—yes, I’m now referring to it as some kind of sentient being—begged me to be close to him during the night.
It was torture not giving in, but I managed it.
Just barely.
Anxiety plagues me the next morning. What will it be like between us after last night? Will he still treat me like a burden, or will he devour me with his hungry stare?
Tired and irritated, I emerge from my room. The smell of pastries and fruit hits me square in the face. My stomach immediately growls.
“You look like shit,” he mutters.
I glower in his direction as he lays on the cream-colored chaise lounge, wearing a similar dark suit as last night. Grey sickles of exhaustion cut beneath his scarlet eyes that peek over a newspaper.
“You don’t look too good yourself.” I grimace at the hoarse sound of my voice.
“Don’t you bother to get dressed before you eat?” he scorns.
“I’m a messy eater,” I mumble as I begrudgingly take the empty seat beside him. I serve myself breakfast, noticing that the pain in my chest eases the instant I’m in close contact with him.
Damn bond.
I’m not a morning person and I’m comfortable with that fact. I don’t care if I wake up with messy hair and bad breath. I have bigger fish to fry. My motivation for annihilating every vampire I can get my hands on reignited inside of me during the night.
“Looks like we need to book you in for lessons on decorum as well as jumping through rings of fire.”
The silver spoon drops from my hand with a clatter onto the serving tray.
“Rings of fire?!” I exclaim. “You didn’t say shit about jumping through fire last night!”
Knox reaches over and gently closes my gaping mouth. “I was a bit preoccupied with trying to hold myself together whilst you bared that glorious pussy of yours to me.”
I blink in surprise as heat crawls up my neck.
He continues slowly, “Besides, you’re not supposed to know. That’s the entire point.” His gaze intensifies, and the bond hums. I fight the urge to reach over and rip his clothes off.
This needs to be shut down. And fast.
“First of all,” I huff, “there’s no need to be crude about it. Last night was the bond’s fault and you know it.”
His expression turns cold, his jaw clenching at my words. Then, Knox rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the newspaper. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“Second of all, why are you telling me if I’m not supposed to know? Why do you even care? Is fire jumping really what’s happening today or are you just trying to scare me?”
He leans back, his arm stretching around the back of the seat. I sneak a side glance at his hand resting dangerously close to my shoulder. We need a bigger couch.
“Questions, questions, questions. I fucking hate questions.” A long sigh follows his words before he continues, “Familiars need to be able to provide first class entertainment. Today you will be put to the test to prove you can give us a rousing performance. In case you hadn’t already figured it out, we can smell your emotions through your blood. ”
My hands itch for my notebook as vampiric secrets spill from his mouth.
“We can’t drink your blood if it’s poisoned with negative feelings. So yes, we really do make all your dreams come true down here, but it’s purely for our own benefit. Familiars help with that, as you’re expected to do our bidding.”
I blink as I try to process everything. “So, I have to jump through fire to get everyone’s blood tasting good?” I don’t hide the horror that laces my tone.
Knox gives me a devastating smile. “Exactly that. Aren’t you so clever?”
Annoyed by his sarcasm, I strike his shoulder with my fist. He throws his head back in laughter, and it’s a sound I want to hear again and again.
Flashes of my domestic daydream fill my head again. I clear my throat and resume piling my plate full of food.
Knox continues, “And I’m telling you because you need to stay alive and not get thrown to the Rabbids.”
I gulp, my eyes wandering over to the endless desert beyond the wall of glass.
“Is that what happens if I fail?” My stomach feels emptier than before.
“Yes, if you are not bound to me for an eternity, that is. At that point, I’ll have to tell The Five who you are, and that will be a fate far worse than whatever the Rabbids will do to you.”
At the word eternity, my eyes flick back over to Knox.
How am I ever going to escape him and his kind?
Perhaps dying would be simpler, but something in the pit of my stomach tells me that he will never let it happen.
I’ll have to find a different way of getting away from him.