Alek groaned with pleasure when he buried his nose along the side of Bell’s wayward bun. “Do you have any idea what your smell does to me?”
“Alek,” Bell gritted out. His fangs were already descending a couple of millimeters in preparation to eat. He put his hand to his throat, gasping at the intensity of his thirst. He had no clue why he was suddenly starving.
Alek’s grip got stronger as his pulse sped up. “You’re hungry, Bell. I can see how badly you want to bite me. You don’t have to fight it.”
Alek spun Bell around in his arms and drove them backwards until they collided with the wall.
“Ungh,” Bell grunted at the same time Alek did.
Alek looked down at him through darkened eyes, his voice a gritty rasp. “Drink.”
Bell stared hard, not sure if he should speak or not, knowing that indeed it wasn’t Alek who’d shoved them. It wasn’t a move to hurt him—because it would have taken a helluva lot more than that to mark him—it was meant to show authority. Bell gasped as the crystalline-blue pupils widened until they almost covered the soft blue of Alek’s irises.
“Drink,” he rasped again.
Wolf? Bell was terrified to call him by name, and he wondered if the animal could sense it. Sense his fear… and his hunger.
“You’re afraid.”
Hell, that voice. Bell shivered. That answered his question. There wasn’t a damn thing wrong with Alek’s animal’s senses. Bell never broke eye contact from the penetrating glare of Alek’s other part, that he simply called Wolf. And it appeared he’d shown up when it had taken Alek a few seconds too long to bare his throat and sate Bell’s appetite.
Bell had to swallow down the heat a couple of times before he could answer, “I don’t know what to… I’m… Why am I speaking to you like this? Is Alek still there?”
“He was trying to explain all this to you, but you wouldn’t go with him. Alek takes too long to get nothing done.” He tilted his head just slightly. “Now drink. You’ll be interrupted soon.”
“I need to see Alek.” Bell couldn’t just lean in and feed. He wanted his sweet beloved. Needed to see how close he stayed to the forefront when Wolf came forward.
“All right.”
“Wait.” Bell huffed. His stomach felt as if a swarm of killer bees had been let loose. Now that the fear had ebbed, there was nothing left but nerves. “There’s another one of you, isn’t there?”
Piercing eyes studied him. “You don’t want to call on him. None of us do.”
“Why?” Bell swallowed harshly. His hunger was becoming unbearable for the first time in his life. It felt like if he didn’t bite Alek right then, his throat would catch fire. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get himself under control. This wasn’t like him. Composure should’ve been his middle name. When he opened his eyes, he was met with Alek’s sorrowful ones.
Bell lifted his hands and cupped Alek’s scruffy cheeks. It looked as if he hadn’t shaved in a few days. His beard was deep brown like his unruly locks, mixed with dark and light strands of silver. He smoothed his palms over them repeatedly, not understanding what or why he was doing so, but knowing it somehow brought Alek comfort. Enough until his blue eyes gleamed and he tilted his head and leaned closer to him. “Wolf can feel your hunger like his own, and it upsets him.”
“I was speaking with him,” Bell said, with his lips pressed to Alek’s pulse. He flicked his tongue out and lapped at the heated skin as his fingers dug into the muscles in Alek’s back. Desire and want cloaked him until he could focus on no other emotion.
“I know.” Alek craned his neck even farther and cradled Bell’s head in his wide palm, guiding him to his throat. The gesture was so thoughtful and gentle. In Alek’s arms, with those beautiful eyes gazing down at him, he felt like the most adored vampire in the universe. When Wolf was there, holding him, securing him. He’d felt guarded. Safe. Bell would have to analyze that more, because none of those feelings were negative. They were all things he hadn’t known he’d wanted.
“Were you there the entire time? Could you feel me, Alek?” Bell whispered. He spoke the best he could with his fangs descended and his lips pulled back and pushed against Alek’s throat.
“Yes. I’m right there the entire time. I’ll never leave you, Bell. You’re the most important—” Alek let out a loud, satisfying groan when Bell could no longer wait—not even for him to finish that sentence, before he pierced his beloved’s flesh just above one of the most critical arteries and started to suck hungrily, swallowing satisfying mouthfuls of his mate’s blood as it replenished almost as fast as he could drink it.