by Lexi C. Foss
“You knew her after you burned her home and family to ashes?” I asked curiously. He flinched, filling my glass before doing the same to his. “You didn’t know her after, because you said she died—” I cringed, lifting my eyes to lock with his. “My mother had other children, didn’t she? She never spoke of them if that is the case.”
“It was war, and both sides struck fast and hard, Remi. Grief makes people act out, and most of the time, it’s with the intent to inflict the most amount of pain you can cause. We set their house on fire without warning. We hit your family fast and hard, and we offered no mercy. Your mother lost her mate and children in the fire, or so we assumed. Considering we thought she was dead, it is possible others made it out alive as well.”
I swallowed, nodding while biting my tongue. I lifted the glass to my lips, chugging his expensive whiskey without stopping to sniff or swirl it as he was doing. I didn’t care if it cost fifty grand. Personally, I thought it was stupid to drop that much on whiskey when people worked their asses off just to make enough to live day-by-day. He and I wouldn’t be friends under normal circumstances, I realized.
I had spent hours one day watching people stand in line at a check-cashing place. They were exhausted from long hours of working tirelessly. Yet there they were, standing in line for a payday loan just to be able to afford things for their families.
I’d added money to accounts of strangers, paying off layaways for school or Christmas with the checks that were wasting away in my account from E.V.I.E. since I needed very little to maintain my lifestyle. It was something I could do to give back, and, well, the animal shelters only accepted so many donations before they started to think I was obsessed with them, as most were run by men around Seattle.
“This is where you start to hate me, and it gets tediously awkward,” Rhys sighed.
“I don’t hate you,” I admitted, lifting my eyes to his, which were narrowed on me as if he didn’t like my answer. “What happened was because both sides made mistakes. I wasn’t there so I can’t say who was wrong, but I know our bloodline has a lot of hotheads because I am one of them. Do I think you’re faultless? No, because there are always two sides in every war throughout history. And on each side, there are always two varying beliefs on who is right and who is wrong.”
“For someone so young, Remi, you think beyond your tender years. Your leg is bruising,” he stated, not looking away from me.
I looked at my thigh, and I scrunched up my nose. “Perk of being mortal and fair-skinned. I bruise easily. A perk of being me. I don’t feel it, not much anyway. You could kiss it, though, make it better for me?” I laughed only to have it get stuck in my throat as I gazed up, finding him smirking devilishly. “That was a joke.”
“That isn’t where I want to kiss you, Remi.”
“Where do you want to kiss me?”
His lips turned up at the corners, and heat filled his pretty eyes. “I want to push you down on this broken bed, spread your legs apart, and devour your pussy until you come for me.”
“You want to kiss my pussy?” I asked in a high-pitched tone as my nipples hardened and my body heated.
His smile turned blinding, and his head tilted slightly to the side, staring at my erect nipples through the white nightgown that hid very little. Butterflies exploded in my belly as he leaned closer, brushing his mouth against the shell of my ear.
“No, I want to fucking devour your pussy until you drip down my chin because you come so fucking hard that you’re soaked with arousal. Would you like that, Remi?” he asked, and in the same breath, he asked, “care for another drink, Love?”
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“Yes, to me devouring your pussy, or yes to a drink? Or both?”
“Drink me.” My eyes rounded in horror as what I said echoed in my ears. “Pussy my whiskey—oh my God, shut up, Remi!” I groaned, covering my face.
“I’m willing to drink my whiskey from your pussy, if you’re game.”
“Pour me another drink, Rhys, and stop taunting me. You’re flustering me on purpose.”
“I enjoy your blushes, Love. Not many women I know still blush or grow flustered when I speak to them. Let me enjoy it.”
“Do you often ask women to drink from their vaginas?” I asked, feeling as though he’d dunked my head in a bucket of ice, forgetting to add the water first.
“Actually, no,” he said huskily. “That’s a new one for me. Surprising, considering my age and the fact that your bloodline cursed me to fuck to feed. Hungry? I’m starving.”
“Make that drink a double,” I whispered while swallowing down my embarrassment mixed with desire. Rhys’s lips tipped up, and his attention dropped to where my body physically clenched under the intensity burning in his eyes. “This is going to be the longest night of my entire life. You should probably know that I’ve never slept beside anyone before, other than my mother. So I might snore, drool, or even kick in my sleep.”
He poured the whiskey before scooting back against the headboard which was attached to the wall for decoration. Following him carefully while trying not to soak the mattress in whiskey, I sat on my knees beside him. I brought the glass up to my nose as my eyes caught him observing me. The liquor smelled woodsy, with a hint of citrus. I sipped it, swirling it around in my mouth before swallowing.
“I don’t see the point of doing that,” I admitted.
“It enhances the flavor, warming your pallet up to the ingredients.”
I frowned, doing it again to end up with the same results. Rhys mimicked what I’d done, drinking it slowly. I snorted, tipping the glass up to down the contents before I reached over him, placing the glass on the nightstand. Gazing down into his lap, I brought my hand back. His cock was hard, ready to do some serious damage considering the sheer size of the appendage. I drew back away from him, shaking my head.
I’d been with men before, but none of them had looked like that down there. It was thicker, longer, and I was pretty certain it had known I was looking at it. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I smiled nervously. His attention shifted to my mouth as if he wanted to taste me, and at the moment, I wanted him to. I was in so much trouble right now. My hand balled into a fist as the need to learn the silkiness of his flesh entered my mind.
“Goodnight, Rhys,” I whispered huskily, turning away from him, pulling the covers up, and slipping beneath them while he helped untuck them, forcing my body to fit against his.
“Goodnight, Remington.”
9
I was running over foreign soil. I wasn’t sure how I knew it was unfamiliar, but everything around me screamed I wasn’t within the United States. Dirt covered my white nightgown, and my palms ached, forcing me to lift them, peering down at the rocks embedded within my flesh. I turned, watching shadows move as I took in my surroundings.
Stars glittered against the velvet sky as the wind kicked up, sending my hair whipping against my face painfully. I pushed it away as the scene around me vanished, and a large mansion replaced the meadows. My heart raced as flames licked over the home, peeling wood with the intensity of the blaze. Windows shattered, and I jumped back, shaking my head as the sounds of people screaming within it echoed through the night.
My feet moved over the ice-cold earth as I closed the distance to the house. An explosion sent my body backward, tumbling through the air to land on the ground. Sitting up, I stared at the face of a woman who peered out of the house, her silver-blonde hair glowing against the fiery backdrop of the inferno now raging through the home.
Turning, I recognized Rhys and Cole, who watched the woman with regret marring their expressions. Rhys had tears running down his face, and his hands balled into tight fists as if he wanted to run to her aid and undo what he’d done. Others stood behind them, watching, unaffected by the scene unfolding before them. Cole turned, staring at Rhys as if he wanted to speak, but whatever he wanted to say remained unsaid. More Van Helsings joined the grisly scene, some gasping as the beauty caught f
ire, and dropped to the floor.
Rhys moved, but Acyn grabbed his arm, saying something I couldn’t hear. Silver shot from the house at the men who erected a wall as the silver pelted their shields, embedding but not piercing them. My eyes slid over the craftsmanship of their shield wall and winced, realizing it was Silversmith silver, which other metal couldn’t penetrate. Not even Silversmith silver found a way through it. The sounds of children crying drew my eyes to the second story of the home, where children no older than in their teens, begged for help to no avail.
Cole stared up at them, his eyes flooding with tears. He screamed, turning to the men as he pointed toward the children, and yet the others shook their heads at his words. One man with a cold sneer slapped Cole, shouting back with hatred burning in his vehemently horrid tone. It was malevolence, fueled with poisonous loathing, which knocked the wind out of me from the intensity.
Standing, I stepped back from the chaos of the scene unfolding around me. Rhys still hadn’t looked away from where the woman had fallen, as if he could will her out of the inferno with his mind. Men pushed swords into their leather sheaths, continuing to stand silently as the angry man snarled at Cole, who was forcefully dragged away from the scene. Another explosion sounded, and men jumped while Rhys silently watched the spot, still, causing my heart to clench with the pain burning in his eyes.
I closed my eyes and opened them, finding myself back in the meadow, bathed in moonlight. Turning, I watched a half-naked Rhys entering the field with a cocky smile on his lips. His gaze lowered to my bare legs, and I narrowed mine on him. As he got closer, I stepped back, his eyes no longer the turbulent blue of the clear summer day sky, but black. It was as if obsidian had swallowed the whites of his eyes, changing his face’s chiseled angles into something sharper, more defined.
I turned away from him, rushing through the meadows. My feet slapped against the earth, followed by those of the predator chasing me. I had no doubt that he was all demon and no man.
Entering the forest, I continued blindly moving through the woods until a house came into view. Moving deftly up the stairs of the entrance, I rushed inside without closing the door. I spun in a wide circle, watching women dance around in old-fashioned dresses, while men wore breeches and long coats.
Rushing toward the grand staircase, I paused as power erupted into the room. Rhys smiled coldly, watching me from the doorway, cocking his head to the side. The people inside the room continued dancing, unaware of what was happening. He stepped forward, and power slithered over my legs, causing heat to clench in my belly. Spinning, I rushed away from him.
I ran up the stairs urgently, only to discover an entire hallway filled with closed doors. I turned knob after knob, finding nothing but locked doors as Rhys’s power slid against my flesh. I swallowed the fear wrapping around my throat, forcing the scream to remain in my chest. One of the doors at the end of the hallway opened, revealing light. I ran blindly toward it, turning to close it, but hands grabbed mine, shoving me into the room. Rhys followed me in, closing the door and locking it without speaking.
“What do you want?” I whispered as my chest rose and fell with fear.
He turned, staring at me through his endless obsidian depths. I continued walking backward until my ass hit something hard. Turning, I stared at the large oak desk in the middle of the room. I started to turn back to Rhys, but his hand grabbed and captured mine, pinning them to the small of my back as he shoved my head against the desk.
Rhys pinned me to the desk, his mouth lowering to nip against my naked shoulder, stealing a yelp of surprise from my lungs. His foot kicked my legs apart, the hand on my head trailing down my spine before pushing against my naked flesh. I whimpered as he pressed his fingers into my body, slowly exploring my core. Moaning loudly, I trembled from the absolute pleasure and heat his touch delivered. When he withdrew, I groaned and rocked my hips with an invitation to explore further. He chuckled darkly, turning me around, lifting and placing me on the large wooden desk.
Rhys’s mouth crushed against mine, but unlike the urgency he normally had when kissing me, he slowly devoured me. A growl rose from deep in his chest, causing my body to clench, tightening with a need that excited and terrified me. He gripped my hips, pressing my body against his, showing me his pulsing need. I lowered my hands to his waist, freeing him from his pants, continuing to kiss him as if he were the air that filled my lungs. Power slithered over my flesh, achingly addictive power that fueled the inferno raging within me.
I felt silver against my flesh, felt the coldness of it against my shoulder before the strap of the nightgown severed, revealing my breast as Rhys repeated the action on the other shoulder. Tossing the blade aside, he ripped the nightgown apart down the middle, exposing me to his demon’s hungry gaze. He grabbed my breasts, squeezing them until I cried out, and those sinfully dark eyes lifted, holding mine prisoner in their endless pits.
His head lowered, and I watched him slipping his mouth over one pierced tip, suckling against it before his teeth softly nipped. The heat of his mouth caused me to moan louder. He laughed, increasing his delicious assault against the raised peak. I pushed my hands through his hair, holding him there with the need for him to continue. He reached up, silently removing my hands, pushing me down against the desk, and lifting my legs while he smiled coldly.
Rhys didn’t speak, didn’t look away from me. He lowered his mouth to my core, inhaling my scent, and I fidgeted with shyness. His tongue snaked out, slowly sliding through my arousal. I moaned unabashedly, dropping my knees apart, giving him unobstructed access to my most delicate place.
Rhys grabbed my calves, lifting them against my shoulders, spreading them apart as he sucked on my clit, and I raised my hips as a cry escaped my lungs. He continued lapping greedily against my sex, growling against it, which only caused my body to tighten more. The sounds of pleasure escaping us had the orgasm building within me at a dangerous speed.
I felt something slithering over me as the sensation of dark magic skipped over my flesh. The room was filled with the scent of cologne and aftershave. Cedar, woodsy, and primal male scent tingled in my nose, dancing tantalizingly against it. Something pinched my nipples and slid against my skin as if Rhys was touching me everywhere all at once. My spine arched for him while the orgasm danced just out of reach, teasing me as Rhys continued licking and sucking my core hungrily.
His head lifted, and I stared into sightless eyes that threatened to consume my soul. Rhys leaned closer, kissing me hungrily. His fingers entered my pussy, stretching my body while his thumb rubbed small, perfectly erotic circles over my clit until pained noises in my throat emerged as I whimpered his name.
I kissed Rhys with a crazed need, sucking his tongue while he groaned. All at once, I exploded, crying out his name while light burst behind my eyes and ringing started in my ears. He growled, and his kiss turned frenzied. He continued forcing me to come until it changed from pleasure to pain.
I felt something soft against my opening and wiggled against the velvety flesh that promised more pleasure, but it never pushed into my body. I pried my eyes open, staring into the endless zeniths of his stare, watching the blue warring with the black in his eyes until he broke the kiss, peering down as he pushed against my sweat-covered body.
His hand lowered to his throbbing need, continuing to rub it against the wetness of my arousal covered core. He pushed the thick head into my body, and I trembled, rocking my hips to accommodate him. Lifting his blue eyes to mine, he watched me move my head as my body screamed with the uncomfortable fit of his girth. Rhys was hugely endowed, and it wasn’t going to be a comfortable fit.
I lifted my hands to the edge of the desk, grasping onto it for leverage as I whimpered and moaned, uncertain why he wasn’t moving yet. His head lowered, clasping onto one nipple as his hand moved between our bodies, rubbing against my clit slowly. His husky laughter at my eagerness was unnerving, but I was strung tighter than a bowstring. His other hand lifted, smoothing
its way up to my mouth as he pushed his finger between my lips. I sucked it willingly, maddeningly, as he let loose a pained noise.
Another inch of his cock pushed into my body, and I cried out in pain. He withdrew his finger from my mouth as his head lifted. Striking blue eyes locked with mine as Rhys continued his assault against my clit, removing his cock, letting my nipple pop out of his mouth with a loud noise. Rhys lowered to my apex, never letting my eyes leave his as he flicked his tongue against my greedy core. His fingers pushed into my body, and I lifted against the invasion, rocking with the silent invitation.
He strummed my body to an ageless beat until I cried out, and everything within me collided into the hardest orgasm I’d ever had. I trembled violently, and bright violet light burst into my sight, filling it until I gasped. The room spun around me, whimpering his name like he was a saint, and I was a sinner who needed him to save me.
He groaned, standing up to stare down at me as he held his cock tightly, causing the thick head to turn purple in his hand. I sat up from the desk, dropping to the ground at his feet, peering up at him, silently asking permission as he studied me.
“No, Remi,” he whispered huskily.
I smirked wickedly, flicking my tongue over the thick head of his cock. His eyes grew hooded, silently peering around the room. Something in his stare worried me, but I didn’t care; I couldn’t, with the power I felt on my knees before him.
I wanted him.
I wanted to watch him come undone for me, and he would.
He grunted, moaning while he watched me wrap my lips around his need. His hand released his heavy cock, and I replaced them with my own, unable to close my fingers around his girth, slowly caressing his cock as I learned him.