Embracing Winter (Lords of Discord 4)

The vampire automatically snuggled in close as he did every night, his arm draped over Fox’s waist while a couple of delicate kisses were pressed to his shoulder.

“Are you hungry?” Fox innocently asked. He had to bite his lower lip to keep from grinning like a lunatic.

“No, I’m fine.”

“But it’s been days since you fed.”

Winter hummed, pressing a little closer. “Yeah, but I can go another week or so without needing to hunt.” He paused and lifted up on one elbow to look at Fox’s face. In the darkness, Fox couldn’t see his expression, but Winter had explained that his night vision was as sharp as a cat’s. “Why? Do you need something from the kitchen?”

“Oh no, I’m fine. I was thinking about a conversation I had with Zelda as she left.”

Cool air suddenly brushed against Fox’s back, and the mattress bounced a little. The light on Winter’s nightstand clicked on and Fox blinked as Winter’s worried face appeared above him. Definitely had his full attention now. He was looking very awake.

“What did you talk about?” Winter asked.

“Vampires biting witches.”

His reaction was immediate, though subtle. His pupils widened and his nostrils flared as if he were trying to draw in the scent of Fox’s blood through his pores. His voice was surprisingly calm and steady, but there was something else to it when he asked, “What did she say?”

Fox teased. “Did your fangs drop?” Oh my God, was this the vampire version of getting a hard-on for blood?

“Maybe,” Winter said, but then he smiled, removing all doubt. Fox didn’t know if it was strange or not, but he thought Winter’s fangs were gorgeous.

Fox pressed his hands into the mattress and levered himself up so he could bump his nose into Winter’s. “Have I ever told you that you are so sexy with your fangs out? Makes me fucking hard.”

Winter purred a little, brushing his lips against Fox’s in a brief kiss. “And you’re getting distracted. What did Zelda say?”

“That she’s never heard of an instance where a vampire was hurt by witch blood, and a witch was only hurt if that was the vampire’s intention,” he faithfully recited.

The vampire straightened, all teasing and sexiness gone as he treated the topic with the seriousness Fox should have been using. “Will there be any effect on me?”

“She said vampires get a power boost when they drink from a witch that uses a lot of magic. With me, it would probably be very similar to drinking from a normal human, though you may struggle to see ghosts for a short period of time. A few hours, maybe.”

“At least until you start using magic all the time,” Winter countered. His words and confidence made Fox’s heart expand in his chest. His man was so sure he’d be able to do magic and be as great a witch as Fox wanted to be.

“Either way, she advised starting off slow with some light sips until we know how it affects both of us.” Fox stopped and coyly fluttered his eyelashes at Winter. “So…if you were interested in a little bedtime snack. A little nibble. I’m here for you.”

Lifting his hand, Winter placed it on Fox’s chest, covering his heart. His touch was so gentle and caring, Fox could feel it pick up its pace as if it were trying to break out to crawl into his hand. “Are you sure? Even if it is safe, we don’t have to do this. You will always be mine even if I never taste your blood.”

“I want this,” Fox said. He laid his hand over Winter’s, pressing it against his chest. “I want this for both of us. I want to understand you completely, and I want you to know how I taste so you never have to wonder.”

Winter stared at him for a second and then another before his lips parted like he was going to say something, but no sound came out.

“What? What are you thinking?”

“I love you,” Winter said, but his brow suddenly furrowed. “I wanted to give you a flowery speech about how you fit me so perfectly or how I can’t face the idea of you not being beside me each night, but there aren’t any words to encompass it all. None of it is enough. My brain just keeps coming back to ‘I love you,’ like those three words could hold it all or prove to you that I can be enough. That I’ll do anything to be worthy of you. I—”

Fox didn’t let him keep talking because it wasn’t necessary. He crushed his lips against Winter’s so he could taste his love, feel it as he pulled him in tight enough that their hearts hammered into each other. “It’s enough,” Fox managed brokenly between kisses. “I love you too. Need you so much.”