by Ginna Moran
I know nothing I say will make this right for him. He doesn’t know what it’s like to be me. “I don’t think you ever can. I’m a dhampir.”
“Gwen,” Silas hisses.
I hold up my hand to him. “Stop. Everett and his brothers know about me. They’re okay with it.”
“They’re lying. You’re a predator to them.” Silas pushes to his feet and links his fingers to the back of his head. “Don’t be so naïve, Gwen.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be so close-minded. Can’t you just trust me? Everett can help you. He can fix whatever Laredo did to you. You’ll see more clearly. Maybe then you’ll understand.” I touch Silas’s shoulders. “Please. Trust me. I need you, Silas. So does Grayson. Declan, Porter, Ashton. They’re counting on us.”
“What about Kyler?” Silas asks.
My heart clenches at the thought. I’ve suppressed memories of him, of his death, completely. Silas’s words rip the lock free, tearing all the heated, awful emotions from me. Shadows crowd my vision, and I turn away to find myself engulfed in Everett’s arms. He hugs me close, brushing his lips to my forehead, comforting me the best he can even while Silas’s glare burns into the both of us. But I’d never dream of pushing Everett away. I’d never deny him the chance to help me. Not because of Silas.
“Gwen,” Silas whispers. “What happened?”
“Kyler made a deal with his Blood Match. He thought he could use the information about my dhampir mutation to free you guys. He traded me for you.” My voice sounds so softly I’m not sure my brother can hear me. “It got him killed.”
Silas sucks air through his teeth. “No.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
“No!”
Silas jerks his hand toward me and locks his fingers to the back of my dress, trying to yank me from Everett. Swinging my arm, I clock my brother upside the head, knocking him hard enough that he trips and falls onto the bed. He yells out, scrambling to find anything he can use as a weapon. Everett intercepts him, dragging him to his feet.
“Gwen! He’ll kill me! Do something,” Silas says.
I step forward, my knees trembling with every one of my steps. Standing in front of my brother, I cup his cheeks in my hands. “He won’t.”
“But Kyler.”
My heart sinks into my stomach. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever seen Silas cry. His eyes glass over, and he hangs his head, grief washing over him so intensely that I can feel the weight of it even in my soul.
“It wasn’t Everett or his brothers,” I whisper. “It was all Laredo’s fault. He put us in the position we were in. He tried to steal me away from you. He’s the reason Kyler is dead.”
Silas sniffles, heaving a breath. “I can’t believe it. Laredo was on our side.”
“He wasn’t. Everett can show you. Will you please just let him? I won’t let anything bad happen to you. You have to trust me. Believe me when I say I can take care of you. The Royales assure it.” I run my fingers over Silas’s scruffy cheeks, begging him with my eyes.
After a long moment, he nods. “Okay, Gweny. For you.”
I hug him, sandwiching him into Everett, who remains in complete control. “Thank you, big brother. You’ll see.”
Everett doesn’t waste any time preparing my brother. Not like he had with me. Spinning him around, he locks his gaze to Silas. Silas relaxes, going slack in Everett’s hold. The two of them stare at each other, and I lace my fingers around my brother’s.
Everett’s eyes flash silver as he opens Silas’s mind. “Everything you were told to forget will be restored. You will remember what Laredo did. You will know your life as it happened and not as you thought it happened. Remember.”
Silas’s eyes widen, his slack jaw opening his mouth wider.
He screams.
Chapter 17
A Little Punishment
I SNUGGLE MY FACE INTO Everett’s chest, just letting him hold me on the recliner. He moved Silas into his room, because he’s been out for hours now, and I can’t stop glancing at him sleeping motionlessly on the cot a few feet away.
“He’s going to be fine, Gwen,” Everett says, playing with my hair. “I promise. Why don’t you go and get some rest? If I have any problems with Silas, I’ll get you.”
“Go? Go where?” I press my lips into a line.
“It’s already past sunrise and it’s your time with Bronx,” he murmurs, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“I doubt he wants to see me. He couldn’t even look at me.” My voice cracks with the words, and I inhale a deep breath. “I think I’ll just stay here.”
Everett groans. “I might regret this, but you can’t stay here. Whatever you’re dealing with in regards to Bronx, he’s probably dealing with it too. You two have to work it out.”
“If he wanted to, he’d have come by,” I say.
“You needed space. We agreed we weren’t going to overwhelm your brother.” Everett tucks my hair behind my ear. “Now give me a kiss and get that cute ass out of here before you test me.”
I fake glare at him. “Such a waste of a dress.”
He closes his eyes like he regrets ever asking me to wear one. “Next time.”
He kisses me tenderly, just enough to show me how much he cares and how much he’ll miss me. I squeeze him tightly and let him carry me to set me on my feet by my brother. Leaning over, I press a kiss to Silas’s forehead and comb his hair back with my fingers.
“He’ll be okay,” Everett assures again.
I bob my head. “Call me if you need me.”
It takes everything in me to leave Everett and my brother. I glance over my shoulder, catching him smiling at me, and I return the gesture by blowing a kiss. Soft music hums in the hallway, and I peer around, wishing that Everett would at least walk me to Bronx’s room because Bronx sure as hell isn’t in the mood to pick me up.
As I reach his closed door, I contemplate continuing past to Mikkalo’s room, but a quiet moan sounds through Bronx’s door, drawing my attention. My stupid feet stop in place and shuffle forward. I don’t even have a chance to think about opening Bronx’s door before it swings inward under my touch.
His projection screen glows with a movie, and I stand frozen, staring at the couple having sex on screen.
“Mind closing the door, dandelion?” Bronx asks, keeping his voice even.
I turn my attention away from the movie to catch sight of him propped up on his pillows, his raging fucking boner in his hand, jerking off. He doesn’t stop or anything as I gawk at him. All he does is raise an eyebrow.
I swallow my nerves and keep my eyes locked on his. “So this is why you didn’t pick me up?”
He stops touching himself and grabs a small towel from the nightstand to wipe his hands on. “Actually, yeah. More fun than having you look at me like I’m an asshole. Relieves a helluva lot of stress too. Maybe you should try it.”
“You think I’m looking at you like you’re an asshole?” My voice rises in pitch, the hurt that was clinging to me for the last day now turning into anger. “You’re the one looking at me like I’m the fuck up.”
“You did fuck up. You put yourself in unnecessary danger. You jeopardized the standing as allies we have with the Hunter Coven,” he says, his deep voice digging under my skin. “You made rash decisions with Everett that the five of us should have made together.”
“I know,” I say, balling my hands into fists. “And I’m sorry.”
“You could’ve been taken from us, Gwen,” Bronx continues. “And for what? Your brother? I’m sorry, but no one, and I mean no one, is more important than you are to me. You need to know that. I will do what is necessary to assure nothing happens to our coven. I am our coven leader.”
A dozen thoughts whirl through my mind as I replay everything that made me so angry at Bronx—his mind manipulating the Hunter staff member, how he yelled at me for intervening and taking it upon me and Everett to get my brother. How he didn’t follow us when we had to get Sil
as.
“And I’m not,” I say, lowering my voice.
“Exactly, despite what you think.”
Ouch.
I break eye contact and stride across the room to the leather couch and plop down on it. Everett said that we had to work things out, but right now, I’m not so sure how. Or if we can. I’m like a chaotic mess that just dropped from the sky on Bronx’s orderly life. And every time I try to pick my shit up, it just crumbles in my hand and scatters, making it worse.
“Gwen, I’m sorry,” Bronx says, swinging his legs off his bed to stroll over to me. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did.”
He sits down next to me, and I shift away, and not because his closeness bothers me. I turn because I know if I meet his eyes again, I might fall into his arms and tell him that everything is okay. But it’s not.
He sighs and snakes his hands around mine to link our fingers together. “I’m sorry I hurt you, dandelion. I’m not used to this, okay? I was mad that my brothers went against me, but I’m more pissed at myself because I didn’t pick you too. I should’ve been there for you and my brothers.”
I swallow my pride and stubbornness to face him. “I’m sorry too. I’ve always been a bit impulsive, and I might have used my cute little ass to get my way. Your brothers have far less restraint than you do.”
He chuckles. “None of us stand a chance against you.”
“You can only blame yourselves.”
Humming, he slides his hands around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. I smile and press my finger to his mouth, stopping him from trying to kiss me.
“I just want to give you everything you want,” Bronx mumbles against my finger.
I drag his lip down with my finger and lean in close but keep an inch of space between our mouths. “I don’t know, Bronx. You were dead-set against it earlier,” I tease. “I think you deserve a little punishment.”
His eyes flash silver, and he tries to kiss me. I pull back and smile, loving how he devours me with his gaze. Sliding off his lap, I saunter toward the bed and pull my dress over my head and toss it at him.
He gets to his feet to follow me, but I wag my finger at him. “Nu-uh. You’re going to sit there while I finish this movie in bed. Do you have my thermos? I’d like to have a little drink while I’m at it.”
The smoldering stare he gives me heats me up from between my legs and to the rest of me. Things have been so tense that I feel myself about to burst. Something about teasing Bronx, seeing how he lusts for me, sends my whole body tingling, suppressing everything else.
Bronx materializes next to the bed with an empty glass in his hands. He licks his lips and bites his arm, sending a rush of anticipation through me. “I thought Everett would have satiated you before you came. I hope this is okay.”
My heartbeat picks up, and I suck my bottom lip between my teeth. “I guess we’ll find out.”
He stands next to me, his muscular body flexing, his massive erection so close that if I just stretched my arm a little I could graze my fingers along it. I lift my hand and watch Bronx’s eyes flicker with silver in anticipation.
I smirk and wave my hand. “Your punishment isn’t over quite yet.”
He play-growls at me and walks backwards to the couch, never taking his gaze from mine. I slowly bring the glass of his blood to my lips and hum my pleasure, the sweet decadence of his blood exploding across my tongue. Bronx doesn’t even blink, his smoldering gaze continuing to burn over me in the best way possible now heightened by the sensation of his blood settling in my stomach.
I lick my lips and set the glass down, leaning my back on the pillows. The side effects of his blood tease me, but it’s not enough to send my body flying out of bed at him. It just makes me feel incredibly good and hot.
Bronx inches closer, remaining standing, watching me as I pick up the remote and turn on the movie he was watching. I divide my attention, looking at the TV but really focusing on him. I purposely release a tiny gasp of a moan and shift on the bed, rubbing my legs together.
Bronx intakes a breath as I toss my hair away from my shoulders. Gliding my hands down my clavicle, I run my fingers over the fabric of my bra. I pinch free the front clasp and expose my boobs to him. He takes another step closer, his boner flexing in anticipation.
I hum softly under my breath and graze my fingers over my excited nipples. Trailing my hands lower, I ease them down my stomach and to the hem of my sheer thong. Turning my gaze away from the TV to give Bronx my sole attention, I slip my fingers into my panties and touch myself.
His fangs peek from beneath his lips, and he strokes his hand over his shaft pleasuring himself while I explore my own body. I hold his stare and shimmy out of my panties to give him a better view of me. He strolls closer, and I let him. Climbing into bed, he sits across from me. He leans on one elbow, never taking his gaze away from my body as I try to figure out what I like.
Scooting down a bit, I lie on my back and rest my legs on Bronx’s so that I’m sitting between his. I’ve never masturbated for someone before, and Bronx makes me feel so incredibly hot that I throw my nerves away and relax.
“You’re so sexy,” Bronx murmurs, squeezing my knee with one hand. “I want so badly to touch you.”
I moan just thinking about him doing so. “Not yet.”
“This is torture.” He scoots his body even closer to mine, grazing the tip of his erection over the smoothness of my thigh as he continues to rub himself over and over again.
“Well, it is your punishment,” I tease, peering up at him through my eyelashes.
I continue to draw my finger over myself, shifting and moving my hips under the good pressure I create. Bronx digs his fingers into my leg, his breathing growing heavier by the minute. His touch turns desperate, his hand wandering higher up my body. I let him pull me to him completely until I straddle him, feeling the thumps of his dick as he taps it against my stomach because of our closeness.
“I’m going to cum,” he murmurs, squeezing my side with his fingers.
He releases a moan, his face scrunching with his pleasure, and he finishes across my stomach and chest. Bowing into me, he rests his head on my shoulder, his breathing faster than mine, and I cup his chin and guide him up to me for a kiss.
He reacts to my affection with such passion that I find my back hitting the pillow. Grabbing the towel on his nightstand, he quickly cleans me off and kneels in front of me, resting his hands on my knees.
I squirm under the weight of his stare, his still burning desire, and sink deeper into the pillows. Bronx eases onto the bed, his muscular arms flexing with his motion, and he grabs me by the hips and pulls me closer. I moan so embarrassingly loud at the flick of his tongue before he sucks my clit into his mouth.
He holds me still, positioning my legs over his broad shoulders to ease my hips up a bit. The sensation he creates with his tongue leaves me panting and moaning, gripping the blankets. I had no idea how badly I wanted to be close to Bronx or how much I needed and missed him until this moment, our hearts bare for the both of us to see and care for. Pressure builds between my legs, tightening my muscles so much that I curl my toes. I reach down and run my fingers through Bronx’s soft hair, my body now so desperate for the release Bronx can bring.
Electricity zings through me, and I throw myself back helplessly into the pillows, my whole body exploding in the best way possible. I moan through my orgasm, clenching my nails into my palms so hard that I break the skin.
Bronx slides his body between my legs to lie on top of me, keeping his weight up with his elbows. His dick presses against my warm skin, fully ready to continue with his hot desire seeming never-ending for me.
“You’re bleeding,” he murmurs, pulling my hand away from the blanket to see.
“I’m fine. That was intense.” I lick my lips and breathe against his neck.
He brings my palm to his mouth and glides his tongue over the drops of blood before kissing my skin. “I want more of yo
u. All of you,” he says, swallowing thickly with his words, his anticipation buzzing over me as he waits for my answer.
I rub my lips together and nod my head. “Can’t get enough, can you?”
“Never.”
Bronx eases upright and positions my feet to his taut chest. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe missionary because it’s our first time together, but he looks ready to take me to a state of utter bliss.
“Is this okay?” he asks, spreading his knees a bit so that my ass rests between them.
“I can’t be certain yet,” I say, smiling.
His eyes flash silver, and he aligns his body with mine, just testing me with his tip, feeling my excitement for him. And the desire darkening his eyes shows me how much he enjoys even teasing me a little. Lacing his fingers around my elbows, he waits for me to do the same.
Starting slow, he enters me with a moan. The sudden pressure of his intimidating girth makes me gasp, and I close my eyes to feel and experience every inch of him. He picks up his motion, swinging into me while using my arms as support. I moan with every deep penetration, my whole body feeling the passion of his desire.
His eyes stay locked on mine, and we watch the pleasure rolling over our features. He glides in and out of me, the constant movement feeling so incredibly amazing that I gasp and moan, digging my nails into his arms, just holding on tight as Bronx enjoys my body as much as I enjoy his.
“You’re so stunning, Gwen,” Bronx whispers. “Perfect. Beautiful. Everything I ever wanted.”
I hum, my voice refusing to spit out coherent words through my ecstasy.
“You mean so much to me. I want you to know that. I never knew I could feel this way or that life could be this way. You’ve changed me.”
Easing my legs open, he sinks between them to close the space. He kisses me passionately, holding one of my legs up to assure I get every ounce of pleasure he has to offer.
“I didn’t know I could feel this way either,” I whisper. “You’re not the only one changed. I just—I care so much for you. The other night killed me, you know. I never want you to feel that way. I never want to feel that way again.”
