Crimson Mist

by Rachel Jonas

  His expression dimmed. The idea of his happiness coming at the expense of his mother’s was something he clearly hadn’t come to terms with yet. But she’d willingly traded the heirloom, so he’d have what she deemed a ‘normal’ Christmas for once.

  “I smiled, of course. For her sake,” he explained somberly. “The only thing that would’ve been worse than her sacrifice would’ve been my ungratefulness. So, I pretended to be okay with her trade, but … I hated it. I kept thinking, if I’d done a better job of truly being satisfied with what I had, she wouldn’t have felt the need to—”

  My mouth covered his and I stole whatever words would have come next. I couldn’t help it. After the shock of me being so forward melted away, one of his hands came to rest on my waist. The kiss intensified, allowing me to feel the passion he had for me.

  It was deeply rooted, undeniable.

  His scent hung heavy in the air, all around me—leather and mint. It was an aroma that used to spark fear and anger. Now, as it filled my senses, I hardly remembered ever hating it. Surprisingly, the one thing I did feel toward him was affection. In its purest form.

  Even when my lips separated from his, I lingered in his space, my forehead still pressed to his.

  I heard him laugh quietly. “Well, that’s one way to shut me up.”

  I smiled and felt myself lean into him. His smooth palm moved toward the center of my spine in response.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just … I needed to kiss you.”

  I heard my own confession, including the part where I meant to say that I ‘wanted’ to kiss him. But instead, my heart spoke for me, revealing that I needed this. Needed him in that moment.

  He understood me in ways few others did, and I was drawn to that side of him. The side that fought for humanity’s uprising. The side that regarded his own life far less than that of the resistance. Of the many ways I imagined I’d ever connect with an Ianite, this was last on the list.

  “If there’s one thing you never have to apologize for, it’s kissing me.” The words moved over my lips and I wanted to taste them on my tongue.

  Fighting the urge, I smiled back. “Duly noted.”

  Putting an inch of space between us, I focused on his eyes. The emotion within them inspired my heart to beat.

  “Okay,” I sighed. “Don’t think less of me for saying this, but … I think we should … spend the night here. Together.”

  The statement left my mouth in a rush of air, because I knew what he might think I meant by that. Mostly, because that was exactly what I meant by it.

  An incredulous look flashed in his expression, and of course the smile he’d worn before grew a little.

  Did he think I was crazy for having forgiven him completely? For finding a guy I used to have nightmares about kind of sexy?

  Okay … very sexy.

  But who could blame me? Not only was he drop-dead gorgeous, he had a heart of gold and, literally, checked off every other box a girl could ever dream of. Actually, had it not been for our less-than-ideal first meeting, Aaric would have been the perfect guy.

  And, I don’t know, he kind of still felt like the perfect guy to me.

  His gaze flitted to my mouth for a moment, and then back to my eyes.

  “If that’s what you want,” he answered.

  I nodded. It was definitely what I wanted.

  “Then it’s settled. You’re mine until morning.” After his declaration, he smirked. The kind that can make a girl forget her own name.

  The length of his fingers slipped beneath my hair, bringing my lips to his once again. I didn’t fight it, of course. Aaric eased back onto the blanket beneath us, bringing me over on top of him.

  I’d been close to him before, had even kissed him before, but this felt different. More intense. Every one of my senses were heightened, making it impossible to miss a single detail there was to notice about him. I felt him everywhere.

  The chill of his fingertips as they traced a trail down my spine.

  The taste of his kiss.

  The slow trickle of rain that had just begun to fall outside.

  I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted him before this very moment. Yes, I realized I craved the closeness, but I was nearly ravenous.

  Fumbling with the smooth buttons of his shirt between his body and mine, I undid each one. Clumsily at first, but with a bit of focus, I finally pushed the fabric away from his torso. When I pulled away to remove the t-shirt I wore, he stared up, lust burning in his eyes. With a feather-light touch, he traced the black lace of my bra, never breaking his gaze.

  Lying there, pinned beneath me, he was far from helpless. In fact, the only sign of weakness he showed was the deep groan that billowed from his throat as my lips blazed a trail down his chest and stomach. One that ended just above his belt buckle. My tongue danced there, inciting his fingers to spiral through my hair with the teasing. Gazing up his frame, muscle rippled beneath flawless skin. His pecs, rigid and tight, inspired me to smooth both hands over them, until I finally met his gaze—the beast I was admittedly desperate to tame.

  He remained completely still and silent as I undid his belt, pulling the leather free from the loops of his jeans, and then undoing the button and zipper. Heat burst through me then, and every inch of me was suddenly alive with need. And there was only one who could quench it tonight.

  With speed only an Ianite could achieve, he took my waist, and before I could grasp what was happening, we traded places. All of a sudden, I was the one on my back and, hovering above me with reckless abandon, was Aaric.

  There was a quiet, reflective moment between us. It ended with the look of satisfaction that came over his expression. Then, my eyes slammed shut the next instant as a myriad of hungry kisses rained down on my neck. Slowly, he moved to my cleavage, distracting me as the small clasp at the front center of my bra was pinched and then released. With the sudden, audible ‘snap’, my bare chest was brushed by the smoothness of his.

  My jeans ended up near the bookshelf, where they landed with a thud after being pulled off and tossed aside. I wasn’t sure when Aaric had worked his own jeans down his thighs, but I was aware of them being lower, aware of the waistband’s roughness as it brushed my inner thigh.

  He rested on top of me, his hips grinding slowly against me, making patience a thing of the past. It only took a simple request to convince him to undress completely, and after a moment of admiration for his perfection, I followed his lead and bared it all.

  I’d been touched before, but not like this, not since transitioning. It was as though everywhere his hands fell on me, I caught fire. He seemed to enjoy seeing and hearing the pleasure he brought. So much so, when our two bodies eventually joined as one flesh, I was grateful for the now steady rainfall that drowned out my cries of pleasure.

  There was not only passion between us, but unresolved tension. It came into existence that fateful night we met. At that time, it presented in the form of an attack when Aaric realized he couldn’t scare me into submission, couldn’t control me. Even then, when he darted closer, rushing into the light like hell on wheels, his beauty was unfathomable. The dark direction in which the night veered after that took nothing away from this fact, despite me being aware of how insane that was.

  Monsters were not meant to be found beautiful or charming. Yet, Aaric had been both those things at some point that night. And now, as I lay beneath him, feeling how tender he was capable of being, feeling the blatant expression of his desire, I admitted something I’d felt all along.

  I had always wanted him, from the very beginning, in every form he’d ever taken.

  Monster.

  Hero.

  Lover.

  Admitting my truth was freeing. A weight had been lifted off me with the acknowledgement that I’d wanted him even when I perceived him to be sick and twisted. It was merely a coincidence that, in reality, he was none of those things.

  Desire mounted between us, becoming harder to contain with eac
h passing second. Not that either of us tried. The energy emanating from us both made it hard to breathe. In fact, I’m not sure I did breathe until the moment my entire body shuddered with satisfaction, resulting in a deafeningly loud, desperate cry for Aaric not to stop.

  He did as asked, pushing me over the top mere seconds before he, too, was hit by a wave of pleasure, reaching his own peak. It marked the moment we both had our fill of the other.

  For the night, anyway.

  Sated, we lie naked atop the blanket, wrapped in each other’s arms as the glow of candlelight flickered over our skin.

  This night had been inevitable since day one. I simply hadn’t been able to admit such a thing to myself before then. However, now, nothing in this world felt truer.

  A single kiss touched my shoulder, then he came closer, pulling the free half of the blanket we rested on to cover us both. It felt easy and right, like so many other things when it came to him.

  If only that had been enough to rid my head of the dark thoughts that seem to cloud it when I wasn’t careful.

  “There’s something I need to say.”

  I perked up at the sound of Aaric’s voice, even with the somberness in his tone.

  “I’m all ears.” A dim smile tugged at one corner of my mouth, the full expression dampened by the blow of reality that struck a moment before.

  He drew me closer and I reveled in the feel of his arms engulfing me.

  “Long before we met, my sole mission in life was to serve you. The cause you lead,” he clarified in a low voice. “And now that I’ve had the chance to unveil the woman behind the mask, now that I’ve … fallen for you,” he admitted, “I need you to know that, no matter what we face in the coming weeks, I’ll fight for you like never before. I’ll fight with everything in me.”

  His statement—a declaration that held a subtle confession—pricked my heart. Thinking deeper on it, I brought his arm even tighter around my shoulder.

  “You couldn’t possibly fight harder than you already have,” I replied softly. “The only difference will be that we’re fighting side-by-side,” I assured him. “All of us.”

  He placed another kiss on my shoulder, sealing both promises, reaffirming our bond.

  It hadn’t taken Aaric long to secure his place within my heart, but now that he had, I knew life would never be the same.

  In him, the resistance had the most loyal soldier I’d ever known, the most vigilant leader our people could’ve ever prayed for, and the most terrible nightmare the Dynasty could ever imagine.

  But then, there was his role in my journey. I stood to gain so much simply because he existed in this world. Yes, I saw him as all those things, but he was so much more.

  Lucky for me, seeing as how I could possibly live forever if we survived this thing, we would have an eternity to discover it all.

  Me and this surprisingly gentle soul.

  My fallen prince.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Corina

  The yacht club along the shore of Montrose Harbor was the perfect location for a gathering such as this. As far as sophistication and beauty, it was unmatched, the perfect distraction to conceal the real agenda being carried out here tonight. Empress Westower put so much thought—and money—into the event, making sure every task was executed to perfection.

  Considering the fact that I was meant to be presented to the people in dramatic fashion, I arrived early, unable to walk the red carpet with the rest of the guests. I’d only watched part of the live feed on the wall-mounted television in my dressing room. From what I’d seen, Gloria—the overzealous interviewer from two weeks ago—was certainly on her post, shoving a microphone into the faces of everyone she deemed important. When she wasn’t asking questions about ballgown designers and jewelers, she was singing the princes’ praises. To say she’d merely been won over would be a gross understatement.

  Leaning on the banister, I observed the crowd. The Empress’s orchestra of choice had traveled to the Capitol from the West Quadrant. One of their many beautiful compositions floated up to the fifth story where I waited. Discreetly staring down into the ballroom from the balcony, I had an unobstructed view of the guests. They danced so elegantly, a moving sea of black tuxes and black ballgowns, red jewels twinkling in the women’s ears, on their wrists, and around their necks. Each one was just as elated as the last I’d laid eyes upon, seemingly honored to have been named on the guestlist.

  The rich.

  The elite.

  Little did they know, a short twenty-four hours after leaving this place, their lives would begin to change forever. That was precisely the point when the serum would start taking effect, although they wouldn’t realize this until one week later. The first sign would be that their penchant for human blood would become a source of weakness instead of strength. And by then, it would be too late. The transition would be irreversible.

  The plan was in full swing. A mass distribution of the blood cure—either by way of vaccine or ingestion—had been administered to the general population here in the East Quadrant, with preparations made to expand into the other territories over the next three consecutive days. Within one week, an overwhelming majority of the Ianite population would no longer consider humanity a food source. And with our special task force working behind the scenes to administer a very similar version of the serum to humans, soon, Ianites would no longer outmatch them in strength and abilities, either. The playing field—for the first time in centuries—would again be level.

  We would be on the verge of a new way of life. We would be on the verge of peace.

  “There’s just something about a lady in red.”

  The first note of Levi’s smooth timbre settled my nerves. Turning my back toward the ruse we created several floors down, I faced him.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I teased.

  He flashed a gracious smile. “Thanks, love.”

  He’d been in one of the club’s three elaborately decorated smoking lounges. There, he and the other princes prepared for the evening, while Elle and I finished dressing in this floor’s tearoom just beside it.

  Now that we were no longer on the run, no longer in hiding since the interview had set things right, Julian’s security detail was on duty for tonight. They lingered at both ends of the hallway, posted at the top of twin staircases. Still, Levi cared very little that we weren’t completely alone.

  Without hesitation, his hands slipped around my waist and I surveyed his handsome features, noting how easy he was on the eyes. Even more so now, outfitted in a tux perfectly tailored to his well-built physique. Tonight, the hints of red he donned weren’t so much because of his affinity for the color, but rather because crimson had been Empress Westower’s choice of accent.

  No detail overlooked.

  Nothing left to chance.

  I looped both arms around Levi’s neck and stared into his eyes, which my own now mirrored.

  “Guess it all comes down to this, huh?” I ended the statement with a heavy sigh.

  Of course, he noticed and commanded my attention with his stare. “We’re in the homestretch. The hardest part is already behind us.”

  “I know,” I said with a nod. “It’s just hard to believe we got so far without—”

  “A disaster?” he asked, plucking the thought straight from my thoughts.

  “For lack of a better word, yes.” I smiled a bit. Couldn’t help it.

  The smooth tips of his fingers pushed aside the curls Elle had carefully placed over my shoulder.

  “Everyone’s in place. I saw to it myself,” he assured me. “All members of the Black Key Society have reported in and are still holding to their vow. They’ve seen to it that their Masters are in attendance.”

  I took a deep breath, imagining the fast-approaching moment, when all would join us in a special toast. One in which the serum would be delivered to everyone but myself, the princes, and Empress Westower.

  It was Glenn who advised the E
mpress to hold off for a while. She administered a dose of the serum to Emperor Westower, by way of a specially prepared glass of wine he consumed with breakfast. It was entirely possible he’d become suspicious of her before his strength was dampened, so it was imperative that the Empress remained in her most powerful state until we could be sure. In the unlikely event that he suspected her of betrayal, she needed to retain the option to defend herself.

  Julian, especially, hated to think this might even be necessary. However, I don’t think any of us knew for sure how any Ianite would react to suddenly being stripped of their dominance and thrust into a world where those they once tread upon were suddenly their equals.

  “I know. I worry too much,” I admitted.

  “Because it’s in your nature to care, and there’s no fault in that.”

  Levi placed the gentlest, most sincere kiss on my forehead, and my eyes closed at the feel of it.

  “Mother will be up for her speech any moment. Shall we head down?”

  Peering up, the first face I laid eyes on was Julian’s, although I already knew he’d been the one to speak. He, too, looked incredibly dapper in a tux nearly identical to Levi’s. Silas stepped out from the lounge next, adjusting the lapel of his jacket. Aaric emerged last, hands casually tucked inside both pockets, sporting a pair of red contacts that hid his eyes’ true color. He would blend in with our group and the crowd would likely assume he was simply a friend of the princes’ whom they brought along. However, I didn’t care about all that. Staring at them, I could only think of one thing—for these four, sexiness was completely effortless.

  “I’m ready,” I answered, releasing a heavy sigh to calm my nerves.

  “Relax,” Levi said with an easy smile. “You’re not in this alone.”

  I knew this to be true, but appreciated hearing the words spoken aloud.

  Elle offered a comforting smile, soothing me a bit despite a rather terrifying fact occurring to me. The most powerful Ianites in the world gathered a few floors down, all waiting to be introduced to the new version of me.