Chapter 3
Lock
The air out here was smoggier than it was near the tower. It was more of an industrial area, but there were a number of smaller apartment complexes around, along with some older neighborhoods. It was a strange place for Seraphim to be, but Sam had sensed him over here, so it was worth checking out.
I didn’t even know if he’d still be here. It was possible he was visiting one of the warehouses for something related to his pharmaceutical endeavors. If he did live over here, it would be the first stroke of luck we’d had in a while. At least we could try surveilling him, figure out where he went and what he was doing. There had to be another reason he remained in San Francisco, outside of endlessly threatening my mate and I.
After Benny had taken her blood and ran some other tests, she’d only wanted to go back to the room. Even though she didn’t need sleep, it seemed to be all she wanted to do. It was like she was trying to escape and I didn’t like it one bit. Becoming a vampire was supposed to be an exciting experience for her- for both of us- but she’d hardly smiled since she woke. It made my chest ache.
A voice from an apartment complex a block over piqued my interest. Stopping on top of a building across from it, I watched as a man exited his unit and headed down the stairs. Bingo.
“I told you I don’t know,” Seraphim said, sounding like he was trying to control his frustration.
He was wearing his usual black sweatshirt and jeans, but didn’t have on his mask. It infuriated me again to see the face of Helm, the guy I’d trusted.
For some reason, I couldn’t hear anything coming from the person on the other end. I wondered if he was using that mirage thing he’d done with Sam.
“It’s not that simple… Yes, very. That doesn’t mean I can’t handle it… It’s been a day, for fuck’s sake. I will personally incinerate the hearts of anyone that gets in my way… Thank you… Yes, I’m very aware of that.”
He hung up and slipped the phone into his pocket, stopping beside a red truck. Leaning his hands against it, he hung his head and took a few deep breaths. Something had gotten under his skin and it clearly had to do with whoever was on the other end of that call. I just had to figure out who that was. Easier said than done, most likely.
I followed along as he drove further into the main part of the city. He pulled into a parking garage and I watched from outside as he flew up to the top of the building. Once he was there, he simply sat on the edge of the roof, dangling his feet. The pack of Oreos he was demolishing made me wonder just how much stress the guy was under.
When storm clouds began to form in the sky, I straightened. It could’ve just been a regular storm, but it had come out of nowhere. Mark was keeping an eye on Sam, which did little to ease my worries. I needed to get back to her.
Seraphim started singing softly, making me look up at him again. As he went through the lines of Three Little Birds, he raised a hand in front of him. An orange glow began to emanate from it, as if it was shining from inside his skin. A few moments later, the clouds receded and it stopped raining.
Cocking my head, I watched the glow disappear and he resumed eating his cookies. What the hell was he doing?
Sam said he’d helped her when she first changed, but I didn’t see how that could be possible. He wanted her dead now that she was a vampire. Needed it, from what he’d said. What had just occurred didn’t align with that hypothesis.
Perhaps he was conflicted. Before she’d changed, he was having trouble staying away from her. Sure, he’d thrown her from the roof of a building, but I was sure he knew I’d save her. I was his real target that day. Now the pull may have been stronger, pushing him to follow the call of his blood. I wasn’t sure if that was necessarily a good thing.
Whatever he was talking about on the phone, I knew it had to do with her. He was clearly plotting, yet here he was keeping an eye on her. The vantage point he’d chosen had a direct line of sight to our bedroom. That was creepy as hell. I was torn between keeping the curtains closed or just letting him see me fuck her. I wondered if that would affect him through their connection.
Since there were no more signs of Sam’s power, I continued to keep an eye on him. It seemed like he was just watching. He scrolled on his phone once in a while, but most of his attention seemed to be focused toward keeping an eye on her.
When he left, I followed for a few minutes, just to make sure he was heading back to his apartment. After that, I returned to our bedroom. Sam was sitting up in bed, doing something on her phone. She looked up at me and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Thirsty?”
I removed my sweatshirt and crawled into bed beside her. She scooted away, which would absolutely not stand. I rolled over so that I was hovering above her, then took her lower lip between my teeth.
“Do not put distance between us.”
“Lock, please. I don’t want to hurt you again.”
“You haven’t hurt me. Some burns are nothing. I’ll heal.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then let’s build up to it. Just kiss me.”
She hesitated, her brow tight. When she met my eyes, she relaxed a little and threaded her fingers through my hair, pulling me down to her. Her lips moved against mine slowly at first, then more urgently. I stroked her tongue with mine, then laughed.
“What?” she asked, sounding offended.
“Sour worms?”
Biting her lip, she made a guilty face. “Mark bought me a four-pound bag.”
“Four pounds?” I repeated. “Why do humans eat like they are immortal?”
“I guess it’s good I won’t gain weight. Wait. I won’t, right?”
“No. Our blood keeps us in perfect shape. Any extra weight someone has when they turn will be adjusted during their Novus year until they’re in whatever their ideal physical state is.”
“So this isn’t from hard work and dedication?” she teased, running her hands up my abdomen.
“That depends. Will you be less turned on by my body if I say no?”
“Never.”
“Good because I haven’t exercised since I was a human.”
When she laughed, heat burst from her fingertips. Her eyes went wide, but I kissed her again so she couldn’t freak out. It got hotter until it was burning through my skin and she tried to turn away, but I held her tightly. After another minute, it subsided, my skin healing so there was no sign that it had ever happened.
“See, Belladonna? Get out of your head. You won’t truly hurt me.”
“Okay,” she agreed tentatively. “But I don’t want to do more. Not until I feel more safe with it.”
I hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know if I can agree to those terms.”
“Lock-”
“Relax. I’m kidding. Is it just in your hands?”
“I don’t know. So far, I think.”
Crawling backwards, I smirked at her. “So, your pussy won’t scorch me?”
“Maybe. Let’s just not try it.”
Pulling her jeans down, I immediately dove in and wrapped my arms around her thighs to keep her spread open for me.
“I’m dying to learn your taste now that you’ve changed.” My tongue traced the length of her slit. “Your scent.” My teeth clamped down on her inner thigh. “The sounds you make now that your body can feel more than it ever has.”
“Fuck,” she breathed, moving her hips.
It was strange not to hear her heartbeat quicken with the way she was feeling. With her change, though, our connection was stronger and it felt as if I could sense the fluctuations in her mood and emotions. When I sunk my tongue inside of her, I heard her pleasure, but I was also aware of it inside me.
God, I wanted to claim her entirely.
“Bind yourself to me,” I said, meeting her eyes as I continued to taste her.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what will happen. What if it makes things worse?”
“It won’t. If anything, I’ll be better able to help you.”
It was evident that she was anxious about the idea. To draw her back, I sucked her clit into my mouth just as I pushed two fingers inside of her, curling them just enough to draw a whimper from her lips. I readjusted on my knees to get a better angle and began moving them faster.
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she stared down at me with parted lips. I heard the sheets tearing under her grip, followed by a cry that almost sounded startled. Her head fell backward as she convulsed around my fingers for nearly a minute. Pulling them free, I brushed one over her lips, then watched as she sucked it into her mouth.
“Tasting you is the closest I’ll ever get to heaven, darling.”
She breathed a laugh, still looking zoned out. When she released the sheets, they weren’t just torn. The bed was scorched through to the mattress. If we had sex, that could be my skin. It would be worth it. I wanted her to use that power on me, to inflict her own version of pain. I wanted every bit of her, controlled or not.
“Shit,” she muttered, brushing over it.
“I didn’t like this mattress anyway.”
“Don’t try to make me feel better.”
“There’s nothing to feel bad about. You could’ve set the entire building on fire or summoned another storm, but you didn’t.”
“I think it’s only because there isn’t enough magic inside of me.”
“You need blood?”
She sighed heavily. “Apparently. I don’t understand why I need so much.”
“It’s just the magic, remember?”
“But this isn’t sustainable. Is Raf drinking this much?”
“He has less power than you do. Even so, he said it took him a year to have full control over his ability.”
“I’m screwed. It’ll probably take me a decade.”
“And what’s a decade in the grand scheme of eternity?”
“A lot when there’s some mysterious thing out there that wants to kill me or use me or whatever.”
“Mark is digging into the histories, along with the coven in Rome. They have the most extensive archives. If there’s anything to find, they’ll have it. Benny is doing research with your blood, which will help us immensely. Then there’s you.”
“What about me?”
“You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met in my life, not to mention fearless. You marched directly into the office of arguably the most dangerous man in the world, sat your pretty ass on my desk, and demanded my attention. This won’t beat you.”
“I’m gonna make magic my bitch,” she said, finally showing me a real smile.
“Exactly.”
The smile fell from her face. “I don’t want any more of our people to get hurt because of me.”
“Stop worrying so much. It just makes it worse.”
“So, overthinking really is my fatal flaw. It’ll be my downfall.”
I laughed, gripping her hands tightly. “Mine is hubris and yours is excessive worrying. Perhaps together we make a decent middle ground.”