Chapter 6
six
OPHELIA
Dante was alarmingly good at socializing, and at pretending to be obsessed with me. The man always had a hand on some part of my body. He growled at anyone who came too close to me, too.
He also talked to almost everyone. Not loudly, or enthusiastically, but calmly and bluntly.
By the time we made it to his cell that night, I was exhausted. The cell was tucked away at the back corner of a hallway, right next to Jazz the only nymph in this place is part of our crew."
He didn't word it like a question.
I didn't think it was one.
If I refused, he was going to rain hell down on me. By the look of that aura, unlike me, he could actually manage it.
"I'll be there," I agreed.
Dante's grip tightened on my waist.
"I'm going back to Inferno's cell with him after dinner," I added.
"Spend the night wherever you want." Seeming satisfied, Rearper strode down the hallway, passing Dante with a middle-finger salute. "Enjoy your evening, folks."
He was gone faster than I expected.
Dante sounded pissed when he spoke up a minute later. "You shouldn't have agreed to that."
"What was the alternative? Letting them steal me away? You can't take him in a fight right now, demon or not." Demons were known for physical fighting, MMA style, but Dante was barely managing to stay upright because of his bloodthirst.
"I'd be fine."
"Reaper is half fae. You're powerful, but starving. You wouldn't be fine. Now, bite me before the magic kicks in and forces us into the nearest cell all night."
He growled, but his lips brushed my throat. His fangs were in my neck a moment later, and my body warmed in response.
The alarm went off, and my magic took hold of him before he got more than a mouthful of my blood down.
I grabbed Dante, hanging on tightly as my power forced him down the hall and into the same tiny room we had shared a few days earlier. We were on laundry duty, so I knew that at least had been cleaned.
Shiv and Jazz were keeping an eye on our cell, so I really fucking hoped my pottery was safe. We were going to have a serious issue if it wasn't, but it would've seemed suspicious if I hauled it everywhere with me.
The door to our cell closed and locked behind us.
Dante sank to the mattress, pulling me closer and breathing in deeply, with his nose to my hair.
"I'm sure my hair probably reeks," I said against his chest.
"It doesn't."
He was lying to me, but he was doing it to be polite. I couldn't exactly complain about that.
"You mind if I let my wings out?" I asked. "My back is killing me."
"Go for it."
I slid my arms out of the sleeves of my jumpsuit, peeling it down to my waist before easing my wings free. Wincing at the soreness in my muscles, I stretched them slowly.
When stretching didn't help, I attempted to reach behind me to massage the muscles.
Dante knocked my hand away and pressed his fingers right where I needed them.
The groan that escaped me was almost sexual. "Oh god, yes. Harder."
His lips twitched. "You sure you can take it?"
"Please."
He pushed harder.
I moaned.
My body melted into his as he continued rubbing my sore muscles, working all around my wings and shoulders until I may as well have been a puddle on his chest.
"You should bite me before I fall asleep," I mumbled.
"I can wait until the morning."
"You can't. Bite me."
He pulled me further up his chest. One of my wings smacked him on the arm, and I winced at the sharp pain.
He eased my wing away carefully, draping it over his shoulder in a way that was comfortable for me.
"Thanks."
"Of course." He was still working my muscles.
My eyelids grew heavier. "Stop being difficult, and bite me."
"I don't want you to be weak while you deal with Reaper's gang."
"I don't want the only person who has a reason to keep me alive in this prison to be too weak to save my life. River would sooner take my pottery and leave with Jazz."
Dante made a noncommittal noise, but didn't try to argue. He finally lifted my arm off his chest, dragged it to his mouth, and bit me.
The sensation made me a little warm. So did the pull of his mouth on my skin. I moved against the erection that swelled instantly against my hip, and he grabbed the back of my thigh with his free hand, holding me in place.
Guess he wasn't in the mood.
He pulled away too soon.
The world spun a little when I tried to open my eyes, so I closed them again immediately.
Dante resumed massaging the sore muscles around my wings, and I fell asleep quickly.