“I don’t care if I lose my powers. I want you more than I want that.”
I stand, tugging her closer to my body. “That’s not what I fear.”
“What are you afraid of?” she whispers.
“I’m afraid I’ll lose all of mine.”
Eighteen
Allison
* * *
Draven’s a beautiful creature. More so when he’s vulnerable. His eyes looking lost. Seeing him now as he talks about his fear of losing his power has my chest aching.
“What do you mean?”
“Not here. Let’s get you out of the forest.” He scoops me up and flies into the sky, leaving my clothes behind.
I hold on tight, wanting him to taste my blood again soon. I don’t know why, but I love the feeling of his fangs piercing my skin, the way it feels when the blood is siphoned from my veins. I’ve never been this needy for a man.
He lands on the balcony of his master suite, and we slip into his room.
“There’s something I’ve never told you about your powers.”
I perch on the bed’s edge, dragging the soft throw blanket around my shoulders. “What?”
“The book states you’ll be able to cure us of our affliction.”
“What do you mean?”
He inches closer, standing before me. “It means you can turn us, make us return to our mortal form.”
My eyes grow wide as I shake my head. “Oh, my god.”
“I don’t know what will happen if I fuck you. I don’t know if you’ll cure me.”
I stand, letting the blanket drop from my body, and cup his face in my palms. “You don’t want to be human again?”
He stares at me with what looks like agony in his eyes. My heart breaks as he says his next words, “I don’t deserve it.”
I want to ask him what he means. I want him to open up and tell me all his truths, but I can see he doesn’t need that right now. He needs me. “I don’t want to change you,” I tell him instead.
He places his hands over mine, his hard length pressing on my belly. “I need you so bad.” His voice is pained as he says, “I need you so fucking badly. It’s worth risking it all.”
I step back, my knees hitting the end of the bed. “No. No, I won’t let you risk that.”
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his finger trailing along the lobe. “I don’t know exactly how your powers work, but if you take mine from me, it’ll be worth it for one night with you.”
“It won’t only be one night. It’ll be the rest of your nights. I’m yours, Draven.”
He tugs me closer, his eyes bleeding into mine. “And I’m yours.” He leans down, capturing my lips. His tongue slides along mine and I grip his neck, pulling us down on the bed. He breaks the kiss and rises a bit to stare down at the rust-colored bruise on my thigh. He touches it, healing it, and the color fades.
“I like having your mark on my skin,” I say.
He smiles, a devilishly wicked smile, and bares his fangs. “Then let me mark you everywhere. Let everyone who sees you know you’re mine. I want you to wear my marks forever.”
I turn my head to the side, and he attacks, lying on top of me, pressing his fangs into the side of my neck. The initial bite hurts a little, but I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pleasure to ease the pain.