“I can sense we aren’t alone. Whether it’s hunting us or not, it knows we’re here.”
Great. Like I needed to be even more freaked out than I was.
Maybe he saw something on my face that had him reading my mind, because before I could sense him moving, Sebastian was in front of me, his hands cupping either side of my neck.
He moved his thumbs back and forth right below my ears in a calming manner. Although it certainly wasn’t having that effect since the arousal kept rising in me faster than I could control it.
I was taken aback by this seemingly gentle, intimate touch. It seemed so soft and out of character with how he’d presented himself so far.
I could do nothing but stare at him, my lips parted, my breathing starting to increase because his touch left me feeling unbalanced and my soul bared.
“If you think I’d ever let anything hurt you, you’re about to realize how fiercely protective I am of you.”
I felt myself softening as he continued to add slight pressure to my pulse points.
“Nothing is going to get through me to get to you. I’ll fucking destroy anything that tries.” His eyes flashed red as he stared down at me. “There isn’t anything more dangerous in this world than me protecting you.”
Gods, I couldn’t think with him being so close.
He added a little pressure on my head to tip it back slightly so I could fully look into his glowing eyes.
“Okay?” He said that one word with so much finality that I had no option but to nod in agreement.
And just like that he was stepping back and I was sucking in a lungful of air, realizing being trapped in an alternate dimension wasn’t the craziest thing to ever happen to me.
Being mated to this sociopathic vampire topped that.
Chapter
Eight
Ada
I was surprised I’d been able to fall asleep at all, especially after hearing that creature multiple times near the cave.
But after staring at Sebastian pacing and growling and intermittently making guttural comments and curses to whatever threat lay in wait, I’d drifted off, only to now be woken up shivering and hungry and just in a foul mood.
I blinked open my eyes to stare at the fire, which was still burning steadily in the center of the cave. But I could hear a storm brewing outside, the howl of wind, the screeching of the rain slamming against the rock as if this world were angry with us for just existing.
The sound of the storm echoed in the cavern, and I pulled myself tighter into a ball and closed my eyes again, trying to go back to sleep because we’d start our journey to… wherever we were headed… as soon as the sun set.
A part of me wanted to search the cavern for Sebastian, to ensure he was still here. But I didn’t need to see him to know he was close. I could sense him, could feel him watching me.
That alone should’ve heated me enough to wash away the chills.
It was only a moment after he invaded my thoughts that I heard shuffling, small pebbles being kicked aside. Before I could react, he was lying down behind me, wrapping a thickly muscled arm around my waist, and pulling me in close to the hardness of his chest.
I stiffened on instinct, but his arm was like a band, keeping me close to him.
Sebastian’s body heat instantly surrounded me, and I didn’t even try and fight the way I softened against him, letting his warmth penetrate the icy chill that had settled into my bones.
“What are you doing?” I whispered tightly, this almost panic in my voice.
It felt way too good to have him this close, and despite trying to keep my composure, my body had other thoughts in mind.
That low simmer of arousal that had never fully gone away started to rise once more.
“I’m taking care of my mate.” His fingers curled against my belly, and I swallowed roughly at how good even that felt.
For long moments we didn’t speak, and I was highly uncomfortable in my position because my body was tense. This internal awkwardness over the desire I felt for him was messing with my head.
But he didn’t try anything inappropriate and, in fact, the way he held me was almost gentle, especially with the way I felt him stroking his thumbs back and forth over my forearm.
I closed my eyes and started counting backward from one hundred, trying to keep sane. But it was impossible with the feeling of him so close.
He leaned in and pushed away the hair from my shoulder. And when his warm breath tickled the side of my throat, when I felt him run the tip of his nose along the curve where my shoulder and neck met, I physically shivered.
The sound of him inhaling, then gruff noises being ripped from his chest told me how much he enjoyed this. I clenched my thighs together as wave after wave of heat and wetness spilled between my thighs.