His throat bobs, and he runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Damn it!” He turns back toward me, and he narrows his eyes. “Slade dies for this. Zee will never forgive himself, and Leah will fucking hate him. Do you understand? I don’t give a damn how many times he’s saved you; he wants the rest of us fucking dead or ruined. He’s beyond a menace, Ella.”
My jaw tenses as I push away all the stupid sensations my body once felt at the mention of his name. Zee is my best friend, so Gage doesn’t have to tell me what he was just sentenced to do… What I had to choose to let him do just to keep myself from becoming the threat.
“I’ll kill him myself,” I whisper, already hating the taste of dread.
Chapter 23
LEAH
Something hot runs through my body, stirring and igniting flames all throughout me. My body feels like I’m stuck inside an inferno, and I don’t know if I hate it or relish the fact I can feel something other than unbearable pain.
The flames lick over my skin, under my skin, inside me… It’s a taste of painful, with a side of euphoria as something warm spills into my mouth. I drink whatever it is, loving the sweet taste of it and how it toys with my tongue. Dark cherry chocolate…
A moan from above me is quickly replaced with a growl, and I weakly lift a hand to touch the feather-soft strands of hair I’d know anywhere. More warmth falls into my mouth, and I drink again, feeling something stirring inside me that can’t be explained or understood.
It’s like velvet and sandpaper is rubbing at my insides now. All at once. It’s irritating and pleasurable at the same time. The sound of clothing ripping has my attention, but only until more warmth finds my mouth again.
I continue to drink, feeling myself grow stronger with each taste of heaven. My hand slowly slides up my bare chest to reach my throat, and I sigh in relief when I feel the wound on my neck is gone.
My eyes flutter open, and I barely stop myself from screaming when I see two black pits staring back at me. I swallow down the surprise when I realize who they belong to.
Zee’s mouth is stained red, and he runs his tongue along the seam of his lips while looking down at me. My fingers run over his lips, and I notice I don’t feel any pain. At all. Nothing anymore.
My eyes float down to my wrist, and it’s fully healed, along with my ribs. Not even any bruises remain.
Zee leans down to my ear, and I run my hands up his arms, loving the fact I’m touching him right now. I don’t know if I’m hallucinating or dreaming, but I don’t want to leave this. This is definitely my happy place.
“Mine,” he growls, and I go still as his lips run up my neck.
The mirror on the wall across from us shows me something I’m not prepared for as I stare over his shoulder at a girl I barely recognize… A girl with glowing blue eyes and red stained lips.
This is real. Not a dream.
And that incredible tasting drink… It’s blood.
Oh no…
“Mine,” he whispers again, kissing his way down my neck, as his hands slowly spread my legs for him.
My life just got a lot more complicated.
I twist my wrist around, feeling how much it has healed, and I take in the fact he looks like he’s lost it. His eyes are solid black, his voice is different, and he’s clinging to me like I’m the only thing that matters right now.
His fangs sink into a part of my neck, and my eyes close as sensations begin to clash like never before, sparking in ways that has me arching into him.
“You changed me,” I groan, trying and failing to be mad, considering he may have saved my life by changing me. It’s the only explanation as to why all the parts of my body are suddenly very operational again, when I was a broken heap on the concrete floor and dying not too long ago.
“I warned you I would ruin you,” he says against my ear, softly using one hand to grip my neck with a possessive touch. “You should have listened when you had the chance.”
His lips move down to my neck again, and he turns my head, giving himself a better angle.
“Mine,” he repeats, sliding his bare body over mine as his tongue flicks against his bite.
My hands slide up his back, feeling the smooth skin at my fingertips, and I dig in when he bites again. His hips thrust, and he enters me with one powerful motion. My breath catches in my throat as my legs wrap around his waist, and he moves over me, taking me… marking me… making me truly his.
His unhurried motions make it more of a slow claiming instead of a furious panic. He knows I’m his now. Irrevocably.
My head tilts back as his mouth withdraws and his lips come down on mine as one of his hands slides down my leg, finding the bend of my knee and holding onto me.