Chapter 14
Nix
Istagger across my classroom as the floor shakes beneath my feet.
It’s him.
It has to be him.
I fumble with the handle, trying to open the door, then lurch into the hall.
Other people are out here. Standing. Staring at the front entrance. Toward the sound.
I feel like I can’t breathe.
Something heavy throbs in the center of my chest.
But it’s not weighing me down. It’s pulling me forward.
I take a step.
The vibrations beneath my feet get stronger.
The shouting outside gets closer.
I take another step.
My vision narrows on the door at the end of the hall.
My skin tingles.
My…
I grit my teeth against another moan.
My breasts ache and my core throbs.
I clutch my hands together in front of my stomach, gripping my own fingers tightly so I don’t touch myself.
I need to flee.
I should run.
I take another step forward.
I can’t turn away.
I can’t stop.
Another step.
And my lungs fill with mint.
Fresh mint.
The bright green flavor I thought I smelled earlier.
My tongue sweeps across my lips, trying to taste it.
A needy sound builds in my throat.
I’m so hungry.
I feel… empty.
I need—
Something moves closer from beyond the doors.
It’s moving fast.
My foot slides forward over the smooth marble floor.
The door flies open.
And a giant dips his head as he steps into the building.
My pulse sprints.
His horns are longer than I thought.
He is bigger than I thought.
And when he stands straight, he’s taller than the doorframe.
My eyes trail up his magnificent body.
Lust pours through me.
His clothes are torn, hanging off him by threads, leaving chiseled muscles visible where fabric used to be.
I should be scared.
Terrified…
But I’m not.
Then my gaze locks on his.
His eyes are beautiful.
Endless.
Taking me in.
That pull in my chest tugs me another step forward. Toward the vampire.
I can’t stop myself from whispering his name. “Volik.”
His answering exhale is rough.
And then he’s directly in front of me, closing the distance between us in a fraction of a heartbeat. Impossibly fast.
But I only feel relief at his nearness. No fear.
He’s here.
We reach for each other at the same time. And the tingles that have been trapped inside me erupt into sparks where we touch.
He palms my face with one hand, reaching the other around to press against my spine. And I flatten mine against his chest.
He’s so hot.
It’s like I’m standing before a fireplace as heat pours off him.
I slide my hands up, stretching to reach his shoulders as I lean into him.
His warmth. His comfort.
Leaning into the recklessness that has taken over my body, I extend my arms and curl my hands over his shoulders. He leans down, stopping with his face inches from mine.
I’ve never felt like this.
Never desired like this.
Something foreign is dancing inside my ribs. Telling me to get closer.
His hand on my face slides into my hair, and he flexes his fingers against my scalp. “Mea Unica.”
The rumble of his voice sinks into my skin.
It’s deep. Devastating.
Perfect.
With a touch of an accent that I can’t quite place.
My lids flutter, but my eyes stay locked on his.
They’re black. Solid black. But they don’t reflect the room around us. They pull the light in.
Pull me in.
Our exhales clash between us while the word home strums through my mind.
He curls his fingers, gripping my hair.
My lips part.
He feels so good.
“Ma Fleur.” Volik’s breath ghosts against my lips.
And I think it’s him. I think the mint is him.
I need more.
I need him.
All of him.
Now.
I tip my head to the side, increasing the pull on my hair. Baring my neck to the vampire.
Volik bends closer, and I close my eyes.
His exhale heats my skin.
I wait for him to sink his teeth into me.
Brace myself for him to bite my neck.
Lips so warm they feel hot press against the side of my neck, and I tremble.
But his fangs don’t penetrate as he breathes against me with an open mouth.
The hallway spins around us.
I arch my back.
“Please. I…” I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
This stranger.
This vampire.
I don’t know what I’m asking for.
I don’t know what’s happening.
But I know I need him.
I need Volik more than I need air in my lungs.
I need him with me. Inside me.
My heart pounds so hard it almost hurts.
This man… He feels like…
I press up onto my toes.
He presses his mouth more firmly against my flesh.
I can feel the smooth hardness of his fangs. And it feels cool compared to his heated lips.
My nipples rub painfully against the material of my bra.
My core clenches.
This man feels like my salvation.
Like he’ll be my reason for living.
Like I need him to survive.
I’m absolutely sure. Positive. That without him, I’ll die.
I can feel that it’s true.
I open my mouth, pulling in air so I can tell him.
So I can ask him if he feels it too.
“V—”
The rest of his name is stolen from my lips as my heart stops.
Stops.
Ceases to beat.
Volik lifts his mouth from my throat, and my arms loosen around his neck as he pulls back.
Wide eyes stare down into mine.
For a long, silent moment, my heart stays still.
He looks down at his chest. Then at mine.
But my heart stays frozen as the intense weight in my rib cage surges.
It gets heavier. And heavier.
I don’t breathe. Can’t.
He releases the hand in my hair and presses it to my chest, his palm over the spot where my heart should be beating.
Is his…?
My fingers slip off Volik’s shoulders.
I want to feel.
Want to see if his has stopped too.
But the weight inside me amplifies behind my sternum.
I sway.
But Volik doesn’t let me fall.
Faster than I can follow, his hand moves from my back to my ass, and he lifts me.
My thighs part around his waist, and the heels of my boots dig into him as he wraps his other arm around my back.
He pulls me tight against him.
And when our chests touch.
When our bodies are flush.
My heart beats again.
Strongly.
Rhythmically.
In perfect sync with his.
Awe speckles my vision as I gasp for air.
Volik stares back at me with a matching sense of wonder in his eyes.
I place a palm against his chest, holding his gaze as I make sure his heartbeat is real.
As I make sure all of this is real. That this isn’t a dream.
But it’s not.
Under my touch, I can feel it.
I can feel his heart pounding.
Identical to mine.
Our noses touching, our heartbeats matching, Volik hugs me closer. “Tell me your name.”
I keep my hand over his heart as I answer. “Nix.”