Chapter 16
Archer
Valen told me to be twenty minutes early to my private lesson, but I was there at least a half hour early. I couldn’t sit still. The excitement was filling me to the brim, threatening to boil over. But I was trying to control it. Not just for my sake, but for Valen’s too.
He’d been right to call me out, to illustrate how selfish I was being about the whole situation. Pigeon Forge was one thing. But trying to get him to fuck me at school? That was putting everything he had on the line and then some just so I could give the proverbial middle finger to my parents.
Still, I was thrilled Valen had pretty much agreed to go through with it.
Because, if I was being honest, I felt more with him than just sexual attraction.
There was something else there, something I didn’t quite know the name of yet.
I felt it every time we touched, like a little jolt of electricity that made my heart race.
And I think he felt it too. Why else would he agree to this?
I paced the hallway outside his office, checking my analog watch every thirty seconds like some kind of nervous wreck. Students passed by occasionally, shooting me curious glances, but I didn’t care. All I could think about was what might happen when Valen opened that door.
The rational part of my brain kept trying to remind me of all the ways this could go wrong. My father’s threats about the fencing team. The potential scandal if anyone found out. The fact that I was essentially asking a centuries-old vampire to risk his career for a college student he barely knew.
But every time those doubts crept in, I remembered the way he’d looked at me in that classroom. The careful control in his voice when he’d told me to come early. The hunger I’d glimpsed in his amber eyes before he’d turned away. Whatever this was between us, it wasn’t one-sided. I was sure of that.
I heard footsteps approaching from the far end of the hallway and quickly pressed myself against the wall, trying to look casual.
A professor I didn’t recognize walked past, nodding politely before disappearing around the corner.
My heart was hammering so hard I was surprised the entire building couldn’t hear it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard more footsteps. These were different though, more measured, more graceful. I knew that walk.
Valen appeared at the end of the hallway, moving with that predatory elegance that never failed to make my heart race.
He was carrying a leather messenger bag and what looked like a cup of coffee, the picture of a composed professor heading to his office.
But when his eyes met mine, I caught a flash of something that looked almost like relief.
“You’re early,” he said when he reached his door, fishing his keys out of his pocket.
“You said twenty minutes,” I replied, trying to keep the breathiness out of my voice. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything important.”
He shot me a look that suggested he knew exactly why I was really here early, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he unlocked his door and gestured for me to follow him inside.
The moment the door closed behind us, the atmosphere shifted.
The professional facade we’d been maintaining in the hallway fell away, leaving something much more raw and uncertain in its place.
I watched as Valen set down his bag and coffee, his movements careful and deliberate like he was trying to maintain some semblance of control.
“So,” he said, turning to face me but keeping the desk between us. “What exactly are we doing here, Archer?”
The question caught me off guard. I’d been so focused on getting here, on convincing him to see me, that I hadn’t really thought about what came next.
“I thought... I mean, you said...” I fumbled for words, suddenly feeling like the inexperienced college student I actually was.
“I said to come early,” he replied, his voice carefully neutral. “I didn’t say what for.”
Right. Of course he was going to make me spell it out. Make me take responsibility for whatever was about to happen instead of just letting it unfold naturally like it had before.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze directly.
“I want you, Valen. Not because of my parents, not because I’m trying to rebel against anything.
I mean, that’s part of it, of course, but I want you because when I’m with you, I feel more like myself than I ever have before. I feel… free.”
Something flickered across his features, surprise, maybe, or recognition. He was quiet for a long moment, those amber eyes studying me like he was trying to see into my soul.
“And what happens when the semester ends?” he asked finally. “When you graduate? When your family starts pressuring you to settle down with some nice witch from an appropriate bloodline?”
The questions hit harder than I’d expected, forcing me to confront realities I’d been trying to avoid thinking about. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But does that mean we shouldn’t explore this now?”
“It means we should be realistic about what this is,” he said, but I caught the way his grip tightened on the edge of his desk. “Physical attraction. Sexual compatibility. Nothing more.”
The words stung, even though I could hear the uncertainty beneath them. He was trying to protect us both, to keep this simple and contained. But the way he was looking at me suggested it was already too late for simple.
“Is that really all you think this is?” I asked, taking a step closer to the desk. “Just physical?”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he might actually answer honestly. Then he seemed to catch himself, that careful professional mask sliding back into place.
“What else could it be, Archer? We barely know each other.”
“Then let’s get to know each other,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
“These private lessons... make them real. Teach me about vampire history, about your experiences, about what it’s been like living for centuries.
And maybe... maybe I can tell you about what it’s like being trapped in a family that sees you as nothing more than a political asset. ”
I saw something shift in his expression, a crack in that careful composure. For just a moment, he looked almost lonely. Like the idea of having someone to actually talk to, someone who wanted to know him beyond the professional facade, was more tempting than he wanted to admit.
“Archer...” he started, then stopped, running a hand through his dark hair.
“I know you feel it too,” I pressed, emboldened by that moment of vulnerability. “Whatever this is between us. It’s not just about sex, is it?”
The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken truths and possibilities neither of us quite knew how to navigate. I could see the internal battle playing out across his features. His desire was warring with his responsibility, his longing fighting against centuries of learned caution.
Finally, he moved out from behind the desk, closing the distance between us with those fluid movements that never failed to make my pulse quicken. But instead of reaching for me like I’d expected, he stopped just close enough that I could feel the cool air that seemed to surround him.
“You have no idea what you’re asking for,” he said, his voice rough with something that sounded almost like pain. “The complications, the risks, the way this could destroy both our lives if it goes wrong.”
“Then teach me,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Help me understand. But don’t push me away because you’re scared.”
His amber eyes flashed at that, a dangerous glint that reminded me exactly what kind of creature I was dealing with. “Scared?” he repeated, his voice dropping to a near-growl. “You think I’m scared of a college student?”
“I think you’re scared of what I make you feel,” I said, surprised by my own boldness. “I think you’re scared because for the first time in centuries, someone is asking you to let them in instead of just taking what they want and leaving.”
The words hit their mark. I saw it in the way his pupils dilated, in the sudden tension that coiled through his frame like a predator preparing to strike. For a moment, I thought I might have pushed too far.
“You’re partially right,” he said at last. “But there’s more to it than that.”
“Then tell me,” I urged. “Let’s not keep secrets from one another.”
Valen let out a long sigh, his hand coming up to rest gently on the back of my neck. “I… I’ve been feeding off of you. Without your permission.”
I was surprised he admitted it, but not surprised by the information. “It’s the sexual energy thing, isn’t it?” I asked. “The one you talked about in class?”
His hand tightened slightly on my neck, and I could feel the tension radiating from his body. “Yes,” he said quietly. “Every time we’ve been together, I’ve been... sustaining myself from your arousal, your pleasure. It’s involuntary to some extent, but I should have told you.”
I studied his face, seeing the guilt and uncertainty written there. He was waiting for me to be angry, to feel violated or used. But honestly? The idea that I’d been feeding him, nourishing him in some fundamental way, sent a thrill through me from head to toe.
“How does it work exactly?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Do I taste different than other people?”
His amber eyes widened slightly, clearly not the reaction he’d been expecting. “You’re not angry?”
“Should I be?” I countered. “I mean, you said it was mutually beneficial in class. Did it hurt me somehow?”
“No,” he said quickly. “If anything, it probably enhanced your experience. The feedback loop between vampire and donor can intensify everything for both parties.”
That explained a lot, actually. The way I’d felt with him had been unlike anything I’d experienced before. It was far more intense, more overwhelming, like every nerve ending had been dialed up to eleven.
“And the taste thing?” I pressed, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us.
Valen’s grip on my neck shifted, his thumb brushing against my pulse point in a way that made me shiver.
“You’re... extraordinary,” he admitted, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
“Rich, complex. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Most people provide basic sustenance, but you... ” He trailed off, shaking his head.
“But I what?”
“You’re like a feast when I’ve been surviving on scraps for decades.” His confession was raw, honest in a way that made my chest tighten. “It’s part of why this is so dangerous for me, Archer. You’re not just sexually attractive. You’re literally addictive.”
The admission hung between us, heavy with implication. I could see the vulnerability in his expression, the way he was waiting for me to run now that I knew the truth. Instead, I found myself leaning into his touch, craving more of that connection he’d described.
“So when you fed from me,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than intended, “what did it feel like? For you, I mean.”
His pupils dilated, and I caught the flash of fangs as his lips parted slightly. “Like coming alive again,” he said. “Like remembering what it felt like to be human, but better. More intense than anything I felt when I actually was human.”
The honesty in his voice, the way he was looking at me like I was something precious and dangerous all at once, made heat flow to my cock.
I understood now why he’d been so conflicted, so determined to push me away.
I wasn’t just a student he was attracted to.
I was a source of sustenance unlike anything he’d encountered before.
“Is that why you kept trying to stay away from me?” I asked. “Because you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to control yourself?”
“Partially.” His thumb traced along my jawline, the touch sending electricity through my entire body.
“But also because the more I fed from you, the more I wanted. And wanting something that much, needing someone that intensely makes me vulnerable in ways I haven’t allowed myself to be in centuries. ”
I could hear the fear beneath his words, the way this connection between us terrified him as much as it drew him in. But I could also see the longing in his eyes, the way his careful control was fraying at the edges just from this simple touch.
“What if I want you to need me?” I whispered, surprised by my own boldness. “What if I want to feed you, to give you whatever you need? And then you make me feel good in return?”
His hand stilled against my face, and for a moment I thought I’d said the wrong thing. Then something shifted in his expression, something hungry and desperate and almost reverent.
“Archer,” he breathed, and the way he said my name made my knees weak. “You have no idea what you’re offering.”
“Then show me,” I said, pressing closer until I could feel the cool air that surrounded him mixing with my own body heat. “Teach me what it means to feed a vampire. What it means to be yours.”
The last word slipped out before I could stop it, but I found I didn’t want to take it back. Because that’s what I wanted, wasn’t it? To belong to him in some way, to be the source of sustenance and pleasure that no one else could provide.
Valen’s control barely held as he forced his hand away from me and took a step back.
“Come to my house tonight,” he said. It wasn’t a question. “And cloak yourself so nobody sees you. Be prepared to stay the night.” He took another step back, turning away from me. “Now get out of my office before I lose control completely.”
I stood there for a long moment, letting the excitement wash over me. Then, still behind him, I pressed a soft kiss to the back of his neck before heading for the door.
“See you tonight, then.”