Chapter 11 Weakness
Chapter eleven
Weakness
Xander
Blood.
The only thing Xander could fixate on was that tiny red drop that kept growing on Adriana’s finger. She smelled delicious. Not just that small drop, but the sweat on her skin and the heat between her thighs he had so desperately missed. And she had no idea.
She was completely unaware that his mind was racing with thoughts of ravishing her in every way possible.
His excitement grew just from the thought of sinking his teeth into her naked, writhing body, drowning them both in her warm blood.
He could make her beg for him first, beg for him to kiss her, to touch her, to please her.
It would be so easy. He knew how much she desired him, how much she craved him, almost as much as he needed her.
The object of all of his desires was right there—this beautiful woman bleeding the most alluring scent that made his mouth water.
It was a sweet, intoxicating aroma that made his throat burn in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He could practically taste her blood just from the smell of her bleeding finger and he wondered if he would ever be able to get enough of it.
He wondered if it would compare to the taste of her sweet arousal that he loved so much.
The small taste he had earlier wasn’t enough.
He wanted her, needed her, and he was going to take her.
“Are you sure I cannot dress it for you?” he asked, his hands gripping the edge of the table in the middle of the kitchens as he leant over it, staring at Adriana who stood on the other side.
She had her back to him as she inspected her hand in the flickering light of a candle perched on the window. The thorn had embedded itself deep into her finger and she was struggling to pull it out.
“No, I do not want to make you feel uncomfortable. I am sure it will be fine, just hand me that cloth beside you.”
He picked up the scrap of cloth on the table and stalked round to meet her, his movements slow and precise in case she caught on to his lust. He dropped the cloth next to her as he approached her from behind, seeing she had finally managed to pull the thorn out.
The bleeding on her finger had increased to a steady drip that trailed down her hand.
She reached for the cloth to wrap around her finger but was pulled away as Xander wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her back against his body.
He tucked her hair behind her ear and dipped his head to kiss the side of her neck, his tongue licking a path from her shoulder to her jaw.
She let out a moan as he used his Lure to soothe her pain, to ensure her focus was solely on the pleasure he could offer her, on the evidence of his desire pressing into her lower back.
“Let me help you,” he said, his voice deep with an alluring melody. “Let me take the pain away.”
He turned her to face him. Wrapping his hand around hers, he held her bleeding finger between them, his eyes fixed on the slowly drying trail of blood that painted her skin.
"Xander," she stuttered, as he sensed her mind growing cloudier beneath his control. It was a wonderful gift, to be able to strengthen his Lure with his Manipuli ability. "Is this a good idea?"
"Shh, let me help you. Let me make you feel good. You want me to make you feel good, don’t you?"
She hummed in response, her body swaying as his power seeped into her mind and spread through her body. He massaged her hand with his fingers, his thumb rubbing in circles across her palm, smearing her blood. He dipped his head down, his mouth hovering over hers, her hand never leaving his sight.
"Maybe we should summon your stable boy,” he said with a smile. “Perhaps I will allow him to watch the whole show this time."
He had not previously told her he’d noticed Jonathon watching them through the window of the barn that day, that had been a secret between him and the stable boy.
But Xander had made sure the poor lad had heard everything Adriana had admitted to, that no man, not even him, had ever pleased her like that.
Xander knew he was a possessive man at the best of times, and in that moment, his desire to claim her had been too strong to pass up the opportunity to show that no one else could ever make her feel the way he could. And now, after tonight, no one else would ever get the chance to.
Adriana
Adriana froze as Xander’s thoughts trickled into her mind, catching glimpses of Jonathon’s furious face as he watched Adriana fall back against the hay.
She wasn’t sure if he’d meant to show her the memory, if he was even aware he was doing so, but the second she’d seen it, it was as if she had been doused with ice cold water.
Her mind snapped back to normal as she followed his gaze, noticing the blood he’d smeared across her hand. This wasn’t him, this wasn’t her Xander.
He seemed to sense the exact moment she broke free of his Lure and dropped his playful act.
His grip on her wrist tightened painfully as his other hand grabbed her jaw, pulling her closer to him, and snarled his fangs at her.
His pupils expanded and turned his eyes a dark obsidian black, his ears and nails growing until they were extended with inhumane points.
"I could make it feel so good for you, Adriana. You wouldn't even care what was happening to you."
His voice still had that deep, song-like sound as he smiled down at her, but it sounded different this time, more lethal. He wasn’t the man she knew, he wasn’t a man at all. This was a Lamia lost in lust, a dangerous predator.
"Xander, let go of me, please. This isn't you, come back to me."
He laughed at her attempts to pull away from him and pressed her against the table, tilting her backwards over it. Out of instinct, she called upon her magic and aimed with her bleeding hand that he still held close to his face, blinding him with her light.
He stepped back with a grunt, his hands clutching his head.
His vision seemed to return quickly, as he let out a low growl and moved towards her.
Before he could even reach for her, she waved her hand to the side, calling upon the flickering light of the nearby candle, and set the hem of his coat on fire.
The flames slowly danced up to his sleeves and singed his fingers, causing him to hiss at the sharp burn. His Lamia form disappeared completely as he cursed under his breath and shook the coat off, stamping it on the floor to put the flames out.
Adriana waved her hand once more, the fire going out immediately. Xander’s back was turned, his form hunched over as he stared down at his smoking coat.
"Xander? Are you alright?" she asked, approaching him slowly.
His shoulders shook with what she thought were silent cries, and so she placed a hand on his back to guide him round to her. His brown eyes were sad and glistening, but he was laughing with a look of disbelief etched across his face.
"Am I alright?” he retorted with a hollow chuckle. “I almost tried to kill you and you ask if I am alright?"
He sat down heavily on one of the chairs by the table with a sigh, his hands running through his dark hair as he looked her up and down. His eyes stopped on her bloody finger, his pupils flaring briefly. Adriana heard the breath catch in his throat as he placed his hand over his mouth and nose.
"You should have killed me," he said, his words slightly muffled behind his palm as his leg began to shake, a sign she knew that meant he was riddled with anxiety. "I am so, truly sorry, Adriana. You must promise me, if my control slips around you again, you will stop me."
She knelt down before him and took his hand in her non-injured one, keeping her wounded finger behind her back in an effort to help.
She could not believe what he was asking of her.
Though she knew she had been lucky in being able to bring him back, and that it may not be so easy if it were to happen again, the idea of killing him made her blood run cold.
"How long has it been since you fed?"
"Since the day before the barn," he quietly admitted, his breathing erratic. "The thought of feeding from someone else, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I do not want to do that with anyone else, I cannot even imagine…"
He clenched his teeth in frustration, his head leaning back as he faced the ceiling to avoid looking at her.
"I told you before that I want you in more ways than one,” he whispered. “And tonight, with just that tiny drop of your blood, it was enough to tip me over the edge. And I can still fucking smell it."
She quickly reached for the cloth, intending to wrap it around her finger in an attempt to make things easier for him.
Before she could cover the wound, he snatched the cloth from her and began to gently wipe the drying blood from her finger, his touch tender as he held her hand in his, slowly cleaning away any trace of injury with precision.
“Xander, do not strain yourself.”
“Please, let me,” he begged, his focus remaining on her hand with concentration. “I want to help you. I want to prove I can. Besides, the sight of you on your knees is enough to make any man lose all previous thoughts.”
Adriana let out a small giggle, causing Xander to smile slightly, but she noticed it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Once he was content with his handiwork, he threw the cloth across the table, far enough out of his reach.
Her hands came to rest on his legs and she looked up at him beneath her lashes as he held her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
His eyes began to fill with that familiar warmth and adoration she had longed to see again.