18. CHAPTER 18
My calf’s aching from the pressure I’m pressing into the gas pedal. Just a little faster.
Something’s wrong, I know it. I feel like I’m being sliced open for surgery, precise deep slashes. Every second, every minute, a deeper cut.
I would normally take a drive like this casually, with cruise control and some kind of audio book, but not today. No, today I’m pressing the limits of my car and myself. Uneasiness settles into my bones with each passing mile.
What the hell am I doing? I’ve never even been to Phoenix. I don’t know anything about the place, where to go, or where she might be. Hell, even my GPS is just set to the city and not a specific destination. I shake my head, pressing the pedal to the floor. I’ll worry about that once I get there.
I should turn around and go home. But I can’t.
Acid burns up my throat as my knuckles turn white on the steering wheel.
It’s a little after ten pm; I’m making good time. But it doesn’t feel good enough. The discomfort’s growing by the hour and despite my speed, I feel like I’m going to be late.
For what? I have no freaking clue. But I have to get there.
Where exactly? Also, no freaking idea. But I have to keep going.
Queasiness swarms through me, and I cover my mouth, breathing through my nose to quench it.
I’m not feeling well. Every passing car’s headlights are blurring into golden-grey orbs, reminding me of Teagan’s eyes. I turn the AC on high and pull my damp shirt away from my chest.
Just keep driving.
I’ll be there soon. Bile creeps up the back of my throat. I swallow repeatedly, but more rises. Nope. I’m going to be sick.
I swerve to the side of the highway, put the car in park, and release my seatbelt. My stomach’s rolling and heaving as I kick the door open. I barely make it out before my insides revolt. I collapse over myself, bracing my hands on my knees, emptying my guts onto the asphalt. My stomach contracts, heaves, and I purge over and over again.
What the hell? Is this some kind of food poisoning? I haven’t even eaten this entire trip. I don’t have time for this. I need to get back on the road to Teagan.
Just the thought of her has my stomach in knots. I drop to all fours and dry heave. My stomach has nothing else to give. I shiver with the chill and slump back to sit on my heels. My pulse is racing, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, and I choke for air.
I rock back, dropping on my ass and bury my head between my knees, trying to calm the vertigo, when I’m struck by an overwhelming sense of dread. Lifting my head, I glance around, but there’s nothing to fear but getting hit by a drunk driver who doesn’t see me sitting on the side of the road. I groan, pressing my back against the car as my chest tingles and my fingers go numb.
And then I’m hit with more. The feeling’s heavy, like a wave of humidity. Fear. Panic. Horror. The urge to flee.
What the hell? My head whips left and right, making sure I didn’t miss some kind of threat. But there’s nothing. The night is silent and still besides the cars passing by. Why am I feeling this way?
My body’s trying to tell me something. It’s like the last night with Hope.
Nope. Don’t think about that. Don’t go down that path.
I shake my head. Could it be Teagan? My stomach convulses again at the thought of her.
No. Oh, no… What’s happening to her? Why did I let her go off on her own? Not on her own, with Tilly. What was I thinking?
I lean into the car, the nausea and pain subsiding only to be replaced by memories of Hope.
I brush her blonde hair from her bloody face as her last breath rattles out. My arms squeeze tighter, as if I can hold her spirit in her body. The sirens are distant, but they’re coming. If I just hold on tighter… They can save her.
The coldness of the asphalt soaks through my jeans, and the reality that she can’t be saved dampens my soul. I hug her closer, tears streaming down my face to splatter against her cheeks. This is all my fault. We should’ve left earlier. I should’ve been stronger and told her no. This can’t be happening… Why? Why her? What did I do to deserve this?
Take me instead… No one would miss me anyway, not like her. Please, no. Don’t let her leave me…
The cool air dries her blood on my skin, its tackiness coating my hands. The hard metal behind my back…
No, that’s not right…
I blink repeatedly, clearing the grotesque memories from my mind, and push my back more firmly against the cool metal door.
Be here now. Teagan needs me.
I look across the darkened highway and take one deep breath after another to calm myself. I’m here. Now. And alone.
Using the car for support, I inch myself to standing. I want to keep driving straight to Phoenix, but there’s no way I can in this condition. It feels like food poisoning mixed with a brutal beating. Every muscle in my body aches, and my stomach continues to convulse, as if there is still more to expel.
I’m not sure what caused this; I hardly ate anything. The sign for the next exit shows a gas station and motel. Maybe some rest and ginger ale will help me enough to get back on the road sooner.
Panting, I drop behind the wheel and head for the exit. My limbs are trembling and sweat rolls down my neck.
I’m shaking uncontrollably by the time I shift into park at a nearly deserted motel. The lights from the gas station to the right are so blinding, I swallow a bit of bile threatening to come back up and remove the key from the ignition. I wanted to get some ginger ale, but I need to lie down as soon as possible. I pull a piece of gum from the glove compartment, the peppermint freshness easing some of my nausea as I exit the car.
With a little too much force, I slam the door shut and blindly take two steps towards the front lobby. The pain and discomfort instantly drain from my system.
After stumbling another step, I pause, pressing a hand to my chest and taking a full, deep breath. No more pain, no more nausea, no more aches. It’s all gone. Nothing lingering.
I take a few more deep breaths then try to take a step further. But my foot refuses, a reluctance to move from this spot clinging to me. While I feel remarkably better, a heaviness settles in my chest, like my body and mind have different end goals. What the heck?
I rock back on my heels. The sound of footsteps approaching has me turning around. I barely glimpse auburn hair before arms encircle my neck and I tumble to the concrete. My body relaxes immediately despite the rough, surprised landing.
My mind takes a minute to catch up with my body. Her scent, the feel of her body pressed against mine. A balm I didn’t know my life depended on. Teagan.
How is she here? In my arms? How is this possible?
I don’t care. My arms circle her waist, pulling her closer to me, and I bury my head in the crook of her neck. Breathing her smell into my soul.
All the pressure and tension leave my body, and I sit up with her cradled to my chest. “Are you okay?” I brush her hair back from her face.
She’s crying so hard I can hardly make out her words, “Yeaahh, I was sooo scared.” She hiccups and sobs harder. “I needed to come find yoouu.”
“Shh. It’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
I glance up at Tilly coming to a stop at the hood of my car. He gives me a slight nod in greeting then scans our surroundings. My emotions ping-pong from anger to relief, from worry to happiness. I don’t know if I should punch him or thank him. I don’t know anything. My arms tighten around her. I’m never letting her go again.
“We should get inside.” His voice is dark and lacking his normal humorous snark.
Teagan goes to stand up, but I hug her closer, not ready to part from her yet. Pulling my feet under me, I stand with her still pressed to my chest. She snuggles closer and wraps her arms around my neck. Tilly walks backwards towards the motel room, still scanning every inch in front of him.
Is he worried about them being followed? My stomach clenches. What happened to them?
I mutely follow Tilly into their room then take a good look at them. She has faint pink lines running down her throat. Both of their clothes are splattered in dried blood. Well, Teagan’s clothes are splattered. Tilly’s were drenched and now look stiff and crunchy. I don’t see any visible wounds, but they both heal stupidly fast. So, unless it was awful, I probably wouldn’t, right?
The room’s dingy with bald spots on the carpet and two twin beds with matching questionable comforters. I sit at the end of the first bed and pull back to look into Teagan’s eyes. They’re puffy and swollen from crying, but the most beautiful grey with golden flecks. I cup her chin, brushing my thumb over her cheek. Tilly steps inside, closing and locking the door behind him.
“Are you hurt?” Concern is thick in my voice.
“No. I thought you were. I thought I felt you. I thought something was wrong.” Her voice cracks on every other word.
“I was worried about you.” My grip tightens around her hips. “I felt something too.”
She cuddles in closer to my chest. “I’m fine now. I felt sick, achy, and this growing…”
“Dread?” I finish for her.
She nods her head, agreeing.
Tilly drops into a chair across from us, draping his long legs over the armrest. How he manages to sit so unconventionally in such a tiny chair with his gigantic form, I’ll never understand. “Hmm.” He huffs out in an intrigued fashion.
“What is it?” I snap at him. After everything that’s happened, I have zero patience for him.
He raises a single brow. “She knows.”
My blood boils. I want to smack the stupid smirk right off his face. But the look on Teagan’s face silences me.
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth and squirms in my arms. I try catching her gaze, but she’s refusing to look away from Tilly. “So…it’s true?”
“I told you before, I couldn’t answer that for you. However, I think after today’s events, I could.”
I take in a breath and let it out with a deep sigh. “What are you talking about?”
She stiffens in my hold and bites her fingertips. They’re red and swollen, and I pull her hand away before she makes them even more inflamed. She refocuses on me, her fingers twitching in my grasp, and clears her throat. “We’re mates.” Her voice is so low I can barely make out the two words, and it takes my mind a moment to register their meaning.
My jaw slackens, and I can’t form a response.
Is she sure? Maybe it makes a little sense if we were both having such vehement reactions to being away from each other. But she doesn’t want me as a mate. She doesn’t want a mate at all.
And I’ve never had a successful relationship with anyone. I always mess things up. The only successful relationship I’ve ever had is with my ER, and even that won’t make up for the fact I let my sister die. Her death, my failures, they created this void in me. I don’t deserve any other hope in my life.
Not even if I want Teagan with every fiber of my being. I don’t deserve her. What can I offer her? I’m not even her species. I’m useless and a waste of her time.
She’s got to be wrong. I can’t be her mate. Or if I really am, she’s going to reject it and refuse me. Send me away again.
She fidgets in my lap, sending blood to an inappropriate place at the current moment. My hands drop to her waist to still her before it becomes obvious just how awful a choice I am.
“Did you hear me?” Her hands rest against my chest.
“Ah. Yeah.” I stammer and swallow to wet my sudden cotton mouth. “But you don’t want to find your mate,” I whisper. I can’t bring myself to look at her, so I keep my gaze locked onto a section of the dingy carpet while I wait for her to crush me. I know it’s coming. She doesn’t want this.
“I didn’t. But then…I found you.”
My heart soars, the elation so overpowering. I squeeze my eyes closed, and I drop my head to rest against the top of hers.
Is this really happening? Is she really here in my arms?
I want to believe it is. But I’m not used to being vulnerable and letting someone else in. That’s why I’ve been single all this time. The only thing I’ve allowed into my world is my work. It’s the only thing I’m good at. The only thing I deserve. A way to right the wrongs of my past.
This with her…I want this to be real. But I’m afraid she’s going to push me away again. Breathing in her scent, my heart races under her hands. “Are you sure?” I whisper into her hair.
“That you’re my mate? Or that I want you?” I lean back to look into her eyes, my jaw clenching, preparing for the worst. “Yes, to both.” She gives me a tentative smile.
Sighing out a large breath of air, I brush my thumb down her chin and across her thick bottom lip. “How is this possible?”
Tilly coughs and clears his throat, drawing our gazes to him. “Fate, apparently. I’ve seen it happen to someone, but it was a while ago. Though I don’t doubt what you both are. She woke from a dead sleep and sprinted outside to you.”
“I felt him near me. I had to go.”
I nod in agreement. “I felt uncomfortable and couldn’t drive past this exit. It didn’t stop until I stepped out of the car.”
Tilly nods annoyingly in agreement. “It was pulling you two together. Your bond isn’t completed, which I hear is like a constant itch you can’t scratch. It’ll only get worse until it’s done.” His feet drop, and he looks towards the door with a longing expression, quickly covered by his blank mask of boredom.
“How do we complete it?” She quickly glances at me. “I mean, if you want to complete it?”
“More than anything. I don’t know what any of this means, but I refuse to be separated from you again.” I squeeze her tighter, nuzzling into her neck.
“I’ve never been mated, but I’ve been told there comes a point where you have to mentally accept the bond. Typically, that point comes during sex. Then the final piece, if one of you is human…” He pins me with a glare. “They have to be turned.”
Teagan’s eyes take on an orange tint. “How do I turn someone?”
My breath catches in my lungs.
“Again, this is all hearsay. I’ve never turned anyone. But apparently your instincts will take over and you’ll drain him to an extent then supply him with your blood. The adaptation will take over from there. It doesn’t sound pleasant.”
I gulp, and she looks at me, her irises shifting from orange to pinkish. “Do you not want this?” Her voice is clouded with concern but slightly slurred by her fangs.
How do I even answer that? On the one hand, it’s everything I never knew I needed. This is the most tranquil I’ve been since I was a child. And yet, this makes her stuck to me? I’m no catch. I’m a workaholic trying to bury my own traumas. And she didn’t want this. Will she grow to regret that I’m her mate? Is she better off without me?
And even if I’m overthinking all of that…this would still require me to change. I would no longer be human. What does that even entail? My heart races faster and my hand trembles against her hip. At a loss of answer for her, I look to Tilly. “Am I going to die?”
He hesitates for an uncomfortable amount of time but finally responds, “We aren’t dead. We’ve never died. It would make no sense for you to die to become like one of us.”
Air gushes out of me with his answer. That’s a slight relief, but she still never wanted this. Never wanted to find her mate. She sent me away. I look back at Teagan. “I thought you didn’t want this?” My voice a small whisper between us.
She ducks her head and goes rigid in my grasp. As much as I want to guard myself, guard my heart, that resolve cracks with her discomfort. No matter how much I’m drawn to her. No matter how much I want her. If she really doesn’t want this, then I’ll walk away. For her. Whatever would make her happiest. I’m used to living a sad, lonely life. The thought of making her life better, even if only by a small margin, would provide some comfort.
Her shoulders drop and she turns in my lap to look up at my eyes. “I didn’t want to end up like my dad. Which would never happen if I didn’t find my mate.” She swallows and I nod. I glance away from her with tension firm in my clenched jaw. Her eyes are too distracting, they just pull me in deeper and make me want things I’m not going to get. I should just set her aside and move on from this, give us both back our normal lives. I don’t know how I’ll manage that, but I have to try—
My thoughts scatter as her fingers grasp my chin and pull my gaze back to hers. Her other hand clenches at the front of my shirt.
“But then…I’ve found you.” She tentatively smiles while her hand strokes from my chin down my neck. Her touch and words sparking renewed hope. “And now I can’t picture myself away from you. For once in my life, I don’t want to run. I just need to make sure I can keep you.” Her mouth quirks up in half a smirk, showing a hint of fang, and her eyes redden more. “If you’ll have me.”
I curve a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer, and whisper against her lips, “Of course. I’m already yours.” I capture her mouth in a gentle kiss, the feel of her lips against mine dissolves my remaining fears. All that matters is that we’re together and both want this.
Tilly shoves himself up and heads for the door. “That’d be my cue. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Teagan breaks our kiss and pushes back from me. Her expression morphs in panic, and she practically leaps from my lap. “Wait. What about Elena and Patrick?”
“You didn’t find them?” My brows raise, and I stand up behind Teagan.
Tilly turns and glances between the two of us then focuses on Teagan. “You’re not going to be able to delay this bonding much longer, and I need to feed.” He pulls a phone out of his back pocket. “I took the scientist’s phone. I’ll do some recon before I return to see if we can get a more exact location on either. Fill him in on things before I get back.” He doesn’t wait for a response but walks out, shutting the door behind him.
She turns back to me, eyes crimson and fangs on full display between her parted lips.
I push my glasses back up the bridge of my nose, brows furrowed. “What happened?”
She shakes her head and bites her bottom lip. Hissing, she releases it and blood seeps from her sliced lip. “We can talk about all of that later. Right now, I just need you to tell me that completing the mating bond is okay.” She’s practically vibrating with tension as blood trickles down her chin. She wraps her arms tightly around herself and rocks from heel to toe.
I suck in a deep breath and nod. “Yeah. From the moment I saw you in the bus wreck, I knew something was special about you. And I didn’t want to leave you. Not that night, and not now. I want this, whatever this is.”
Her arms drop to her sides, and she takes a hesitant step towards me. “The bloodlust is back and stronger than last time. I’ve never been this out of control before, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
I can feel her anguish and lust, both blood and physical, growing with each second. She’s telling me what she’s feeling but I…I feel it too. Like a puzzle piece slipping into place, it mentally clicks.
“Am I feeling your feelings?” The disbelief is clear in my voice. The scientific side of my brain spirals. This is like the empathic ability to feel discomfort around a person in pain. But this is so much more. Deeper. Stronger.
She nods. “I can feel some of yours, too. It’s what woke me and called me to you.”
Her emotions feel like a weighted blanket on my chest, heavy and comforting but they also make it a little hard to breathe. I step up, pulling her into my arms, and she trembles within my embrace.
I tilt her head up towards mine. “I want this.”
Her fingers dig into my shirt and a hiccuppy sob escapes her slightly parted lips. “Me too.”
She steps even closer, wrapping her hands around my neck and pressing her breasts into my chest. I slide my hands up her back, moving her shirt up with a slow caress. She lifts her arms, and we only break our kiss long enough to pull it over her head. Her skin slides like silk beneath my fingers.
I kiss and suck from her mouth, along her jaw, and down the column of her neck. Her hands drop to the button of my pants. There’s still a little fear of the unknown, but I don’t think I could stop now. This feels like a lit fuse burning steadily forward. I must have her.
I kick off my shoes as she frees the button on my jeans. Her fingers skim my hips as she pushes my pants down my legs and I excitedly step out of them. Expecting her to stand back up, my breath catches in surprise when she drops to her knees in front of me. Her crimson eyes look up through thick auburn lashes, and she pulls my boxer briefs down, tossing them to the side.
Still struggling with uncertainty, fear, and worry about how this will all play out, and I’m less than impressive. But she kneels in front of me and there’s so much passion in her eyes that all my confusing thoughts and emotions evaporate. And my blood runs south. I whip my shirt off in a fluid motion. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I’m hard as steel.
Will her fangs hurt? She positions herself in front of me, her warm breath caressing the skin of my shaft. And yup, I don’t really care if this hurts. Pain, pleasure, some weird combination of the two. I’m here for it all.
Her head tilts, and she licks from my base to the tip then slowly takes me into her mouth. I’m not enormous, not exactly small either, but she easily takes every inch. There’s the slightest scrape of her fangs along my shaft. It’s surprisingly erotic as my tip presses against the back of her throat.
“Huh.” My breath escapes me in a pant and my legs tremble. I’m not going to last long at this rate. But I don’t want to finish in her mouth. Not this time, at least.
I’m about to say something, but she slides off me, teasingly slow. She licks down my thigh, and the words dry in my throat. Her teeth pierce my skin. I jolt and moan in surprise, my dick twitching from the pain and pleasure. She only takes a couple of small pulls, then releases her bite, licking the wound closed. My blood’s on fire, an all-consuming passion. I have to have her now.
She stands with a sheepish grin. “Sorry. The bloodlust’s getting too intense. I didn’t mean to bite you yet. It just kind of happened.”
I grasp the nape of her neck and pull her to me, kissing her deeply, my tongue slipping in to tangle with hers. The coopery tang of my blood is still in her mouth. It should be repulsive, or at least frightening, but it’s not. I’m blinded by the passion, the feel, the taste, the smell of her. It’s almost more than I can stand. It’s getting more intense by the second, and I still need more. I feel like one of the drug addicts brought into the ER late at night. Out of control, out of my mind, and desperate for more. And yet, I’m still not frightened. I’m ready to jump into the deep end with her.
I roughly yank her elastic shorts and thong down, then position her on her hands and knees on the mattress. I wanted to draw this out more, but my restraint’s shattering, piece by piece. Climbing onto the mattress behind her, I grasp her hips and pull her ass back towards me, her wet, warm core sliding teasingly against me. She lines herself up and presses back.
So eager. A soft growl rolls free of me, and my grip tightens on her hips, stopping her movements.
“My turn.” My voice is deep and rough.
She giggles, looking at me over her shoulder, but doesn’t try to push back again. Rocking my hips, I enter, inch by excruciatingly slow inch. When half my length’s inside her, I pull out completely, prolonging the buildup.
“Humph.” She pouts at me.
I hold her gaze, tighten my grip, and ram in to the hilt.
“Ohhhh…” Her eyes roll back and her arms quiver, her inner muscles clenching around me, holding me inside her.
I thrust in and out softly. Coaxing us both even higher. She’s rocking back with my thrusts, almost bouncing in rhythm with me.
“Touch yourself.”
She obeys, rubbing herself, and I pick up the pace. Her muscles tighten the closer she gets to her climax. It won’t be her only one tonight.
I slam into her and hold, rolling my hips while I’m as deep as I can go, and she plummets over. Her arms give out and she buries her face in a pillow, moaning and constricting around me. It takes all my effort to not follow her to my own release. But I’m not done with her yet.
Pulling out of her, I sit on the mattress, extending my legs out in front of me and turn her to face me. She follows my lead and straddles me, hooking her arms around my neck. Our passion, lust, and longing collide and it pulls us both deeper. Her mouth meets mine as she settles atop me. She raises and lowers her hips, taking me deeper and deeper, and licks from my earlobe down to my shoulder, the scrape of her fangs soft as a feather against my skin. I shiver and twitch inside her. My grip tightens on her hips, silently urging her on.
There’s the slightest bit of pressure, then the skin breaks, her sharp fangs piercing deeply. I flinch from the sting, my arms stiffening around her, and then she’s drinking from me. All the pain turns to liquid lust, racing through my system.
She isn’t holding back this time, taking greedy gulps as she rides me. This is all I wanted. I know it will change me, hopefully for the better. I was losing myself in work and despair before I ever met her. She’s already changed my life in amazing ways, and yet I want even more. I want this with her.
She moans and bites rougher, her fingers gripping my shoulders. I feel woozy, like I’ve had too much to drink, and the room’s moving on its own. But every sensation’s heightened, her tight sheath gripping me with every thrust, the pull of my blood making me want more. I’ll ride this train to oblivion if it feels like this.
I become immersed in the wooziness. It’s not bad, but I’ve lost my equilibrium, and my muscles aren’t moving in the right ways. I want to continue, but my thrusts slow to a stop.
What if she takes too much and kills me? My stomach ripples with the smallest flutter of fear. But it’s slowly overshadowed by a blooming sense of contentment. A feeling I thought was lost to me forever. I had nothing to live for before her. It’s worth the risk to keep her.
Pleasure’s still coursing through my body. I want to run my hands up her back, but my arms are refusing. Feeling heavier and heavier, they drop to the mattress. I’m being exsanguinated. Hypovolemic shock is taking hold, stealing away all control of my body. There’s a faint ripple of panic. I’ve lost too much blood for a human to survive. I know this, and yet my body’s refusing to move even a muscle. She wraps her arms around my neck, drinking deeply. My head lolls back, and my breathing becomes shallow. A warming serenity consumes me. Maybe it’ll be okay to die this way…
And then I’m falling…
He collapses back onto the mattress. My arms lock around his neck, securing my hold and bite, and I follow him down. I’m still straddling him, but he’s gone soft inside me. The flow of his blood is slowing. But when do I stop?
My heart’s racing so much my ears pulse with the beat.
Focus, Teagan.
I’ll know when I need to stop.
But he’s not moving and barely breathing. Oh. God. What if I fuck this up? I need to stop—
Not yet.
The words—or the feeling? A knowing?—boom across my mind. Okay. Another slow draw. The blood’s thicker and more difficult to extract. He’s running out of blood. How much longer?
Not yet.
My stomach knots, but I take another deep pull, and he goes motionless below me. His heartbeat stutters.
Now.
I immediately pull back and bite into my wrist. Blood gushes from the wound, and I press my dripping wrist to his mouth.
“Oh, Wyatt, stick with me. Please.”
His heart’s still beating, but it’s faint and hardly steady. He gurgles on my blood filling his throat. Oh, God, is he choking? What the fuck do I do? Keeping my wrist pinned to his mouth, I tilt his head further back, but he’s still not swallowing.
“Please drink. Please, I can’t lose you. I might not have wanted this, but now that I’ve met you, I can’t live without you.”
My throat thickens, and my vision blurs, tears threatening to fall.
“Please drink,” I plead. Hopefully, he can hear me. My chest aches, waiting for him to drink from me. I can’t lose him.
The lightest touch brushes against my wrist. His lips close around the wound and I sigh out a shuddery breath as he swallows. He takes his first draw from my wrist and my tears roll freely down my checks.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
I’ve been tortured, abused, neglected, rejected, and yet I’ve never been more afraid. When I pull my wrist back and bite into it to reopen the healing wound, he whimpers softly, and my heart soars higher. I place it back to his mouth, and he continues consuming from me.
One minute, he’s drinking steadily and the next he goes rigid beneath me, his dull human teeth biting into the flesh of my wrist. His whole body locks up, and he moans in agony.
Did something go wrong? Tilly said this wasn’t pleasant, but is this normal? His groan deepens, his eyebrows furrowing, and his stiff body trembles.
I stroke his face with my free hand. “Don’t fight it. You have to accept the bond and you have to feed.”
He stops swallowing, gagging on a mouthful of blood, and it dribbles from the corners of his mouth. “Please…”
His back arches off the bed. What the fuck do I do? This can’t be normal.
Then, just as suddenly, he’s slumping back to the mattress. I blink repeatedly to make sure I’m not hallucinating, but his body’s relaxing. He swallows the remaining mouthful of blood, then bites into my wrist. I jolt at the sharpness of two teeth sinking deep into my vein. My eyes squeeze shut, and a smile spreads across my face. His feelings of hunger and lust beat against my mind.
He moans into my wrist, his cock instantly hardening against my thigh. He went soft and slipped out during this whole transition, but with the euphoric heat washing through me, we both want the same thing. I line my wet center up to his tip, and his eyes snap open wide. His reddened gaze latches onto me, like an eagle scoping out its prey.
Wyatt’s hands slide up my back to the nape of my neck and he pulls me closer to his face. He releases my wrist, striking quickly and deeply into my neck. His hands drop to my hips, pushing me down on his length, and he drinks in ravenous pulls.
I cry out.
His grip tightens on my hips then he’s flipping me onto my back and sinking back into me in every way. A low growl rumbles up his chest, and he pounds me into the mattress. My inner muscles tighten, and I grip his back while angling my head so he can take as much from me as he needs.
I’m quickly approaching my peak. He releases his bite, claiming my mouth in a kiss I can feel throughout my soul. The taste of my blood still coating his mouth just sparks my desire even higher. I roll my hips to meet his demanding thrusts.
Accept it.
The same knowing feeling pushes through to my thoughts.
I break the kiss, my words a breathy whisper as I teeter at my peak. “We have to accept the bond.”
“I already have.” His words are low and raspy in my ear. He licks my open wound, and I shiver.
He already has? I’m the one preventing this? He pants with his lips pressed against my neck, the anticipation a physical, buzzing thing between us. I do want him. For life.
I accept him and the bond.
Just as I think it, like the snap of a rubber band, the bond clicks into place. We both moan in unison and are swarmed with feelings and sensations. His love, lust, hunger, joy, all crash over and through me. I can’t resist and bite into his shoulder. He bites into mine, thrusting deep and holding. Connected in every way, we fall over the crest together.