Crimson Truth (Onyx Assassins 4)

It only took half a thought, and I was there.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, crashing into him so hard the chair scooted back a few inches.

“Jocelyn!” He growled, catching me, his hands roaming all over me as I sat atop him, clutching his shoulders.

“I lied to you, Benedict,” I said, the words spilling from me as my senses flared to life. Goddess, he smelled better than he ever had before, and my mouth watered. “My born power…” I pushed out the words as his damned hands continued to inspect me, each pass ratcheting up the heat inside of me. “I can counteract supernatural abilities. I’ve never told anyone outside my mother and sister. It’s too powerful to be known, but I usually turn it off around you.” I crushed my mouth against his, because I just can’t stop myself. Then, I drew back. “I thought she was close,” I continued, and he just stared up at me, running those hands all over my skin as I blurted out the words. “She would’ve killed you, Benedict. All of you. She would’ve slaughtered you if you’d scented her power all over that vampire house.”

Benedict’s eyes darkened, his grip on me tightening.

I gasped at the contact, tears burning my eyes. Goddess, my emotions were all over the damn place. “I had to make you leave. Right that second. I had to hurt you, make you believe I didn’t want you. Because I knew if you thought for a second I was about to face off with my mother, you’d follow me, and I couldn’t risk you, Benedict. I couldn’t…I can’t lose you. I love you too fucking much.” He shuddered beneath me. “I’m so sorry—”

His mouth cut off my words, his tongue sliding between my lips in such a claiming I moaned. Everything in my body tightened and coiled to the sensation of his lips against mine, his tongue fucking my mouth the way he’d done my body so many times, and it had always been intense between us, but this?

This was like I’d been living in an analog world and I’d somehow just gone digital.

I rocked against him, sighing between his lips as I tangled my fingers in his hair. Goddess, he was hard beneath me, and I suddenly wanted to magic our clothes off and devour him—

My powers rose up inside me with just the thought of magic, and the well…it was so much deeper than before. And there was something else pulsing right next to that power I’d always had, something new and strong and ancient and…

Hungry.

I jolted back, tearing my mouth away from Benedict’s as I felt an ache in my top teeth. I brought my fingers up to my teeth, my eyes widening at the fangs I felt distended there. I leaped off Benedict, stumbling back a few steps in shock.

He instantly stood, his usually perfect hair a mess from my fingers, his Armani shirt half shredded by me too. He raised his hands, as if he were approaching a dangerous animal.

Was I dangerous? I lowered my fingers, running my tongue over those fangs, the ones that matched his I could see peeking beneath his lip.

“About that,” he said, his voice calm, apologetic. “I have to apologize to you, Jocelyn,” he said, and his eyes lowered in…shame? Why was he ashamed? Why did he look as if he’d betrayed me and not my own mother? “I had no choice. You were dying. She’d given you magical wounds and I couldn’t…” He rubbed his palms over his face before shoving his hands in his pockets. “I couldn’t live without you. Even if you didn’t want the mating bond, I wanted you to have the chance to live. To repay whoever had done this to you.”

I blinked. Once, twice. Then I tilted my head, internally examining that strain of power braided right into my own. It amplified my own magic, complementing it, strengthening it. Goddess, I could feel the power in my muscles, my body. I was infinitely stronger than I had been before…

“You turned me,” I said, realization finally overcoming my shock. That deep hunger wrenching in my stomach? It was new and unmatched. Blood. I needed blood.

“I’ll never stop being sorry for taking away your choice,” he said, and my heart broke at the devastation in his voice.

He truly thought he’d betrayed me by saving me. My mate.

I shook my head, taking careful, calculated movements toward him. This new power and hunger was so unknown to me, and he smelled like a four-course meal. I was terrified of hurting him, but I couldn’t keep myself away either.

I stopped an inch shy of his body, tipping my gaze up to meet his eyes. “There is nothing,” I said, reaching for that hand in his pocket and taking it in my own. “Absolutely nothing that would’ve stopped me from doing the same to you, Benedict.” He tilted his head, confusion churning in his eyes. “If you’d been close to death, I would’ve sold my fucking soul to Xavier if it kept you alive.”