Verity nodded, but uncertainty flickered across her face.
I didn’t wait for her response. I leaned forward and plunged into her. As I did, I bit her again, drinking my fill.
Eighteen
Verity
Panic shook me when I woke up.
Oh God, oh God, oh God!
I was lying on Cassius’s bed, stark naked. Vaguely, memories from the night before returned to me. He’d had sex with me on the altar. He’d taken me slowly at first, his hips rocking back and forth in controlled motions. He’d stripped me and himself of our clothes, allowing our skin to touch in a manner that was far too intimate. And then he fucked me.
Hard.
He’d fucked my senses out of me.
He made me forget myself, until my world only consisted of him.
And after he finished with me at the altar, he’d brought me back to his chambers to take me for hours more.
He was inside me, drinking and fucking and pleasuring me until dawn. Until sunlight broke through his curtains and into the room. I noticed Cassius tiring after the sun came out. He pulled away from me then and had fallen asleep. I shut my eyes soon after. Our rutting had been too overwhelming. Exhaustion had taken over and I joined him in his sleep.
And now that I’d woken up, deep-seated regret thrummed through me.
What was I thinking?
Cassius stirred. He put an arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. Lazily, he planted a kiss on my shoulder. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.
Was Cassius expressing concern? This couldn’t be right.
Nothing was.
“Sleep… well?” I echoed. I had, actually. I’d had a dreamless sleep. The sex had taken everything out of me. “I think so.”
I still couldn’t believe what had happened. I was lying in Cassius Lucian’s bed. He was the man I was supposed to kill, and yet I’d let him have his way with me. He’d tasted my blood, and that was the most pleasurable thing I’d ever experienced. I needed to him to take more. The desperation clawed at me, and my longing for him felt like a drug addiction I couldn’t shake off.
I reached for my neck. He’d bitten me so many times that my skin there must be completely mangled and torn.
“We have to make sure that you have enough to eat later,” Cassius said. “I’m sorry I took so much blood.” He raked his teeth over my shoulder, but he didn’t puncture the skin.
“There isn’t a wound,” I said. My neck was perfectly smooth. There wasn’t even blood there. I felt weaker than usual, but other than that, Cassius had left me unscathed.
“I licked your skin closed and cleaned you up.”
“How does that work?”
“There are special properties in my saliva that aid with the healing process. What might’ve taken months to heal did so in less than an hour.”
I dropped my hand from my neck and looked at Cassius. His eyes were purple now, even brighter than when I first remembered them with that color. Should I be saying thanks to him for healing me? Our intercourse had been sensational, but was it a mistake?
It was a mistake.
Oh God.
“Are you still tired?” Cassius asked.
I nodded. I had trouble lifting my hand. My movements were sluggish. The human body wasn’t equipped to handle such large amounts of pleasure in one night. I wasn’t sure how many times I’d been broken the night before. Cassius enjoyed fucking, and he’d pounded me hard. I recalled him moaning in my ear, saying absolutely filthy things. I’d had sex before meeting him, with a couple boys in my teenage years, but not like this. This was… I couldn’t even find the words to describe it.
The bell chimed. Class had started. Cassius turned his attention to the ceiling. He pressed his lips together. A line cut between his brow, showing that he was deep in thought.
I tried to sit up. “I’m late.”
Cassius placed a hand on my chest and pushed me back into a lying position. “You’re not attending classes today. Not after what happened last night.”
“They give less food to those who are late.” The Sanctum was strict about punctuality, and if a student was late enough times, they’d receive whippings from the teachers. After word of the punishment got about, few students were tardy. Whippings from strong vampires sounded unimaginably painful.
A low growl rumbled from Cassius’s chest. “Not if I have a say in it. I’m going to make certain that you’re fed plenty.”
Cassius unwrapped his arms from around me and pushed himself from the bed. He didn’t bother covering his body and walked around the bedframe to my side. I was shameless in my ogling. It was impossible not to. Cassius’s physique looked like it had been carved from stone. Every inch of him was honed to kill.
I’d had sex with that?
Cassius pulled out his outfit for the day. He slid on a pair of black pants, a shirt, and a long coat that hung to his knees. I watched him as he dressed, admiring his form. “You’re staring,” Cassius said, smirking.
“Do you not want me to?”
“No, please continue,” Cassius replied. “I rather enjoy it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Can you please go back to being all broody and dark and intimidating? I’m not used to you like this.”
Cassius chuckled. “Was that how you pictured me?”
“Isn’t that what you’re like?”
Cassius turned to me as he adjusted his collar. “Everybody has more than one facet to their personality. I just happen to be thoroughly sated right now. I haven’t been like this in a while.”
I blinked. In an instant, Cassius had leapt across the room and toward me. He caged me in with his arms and raked his eyes over my face. Still smiling, he placed a kiss on my forehead. “Thank you.”
“Thank… you…?”
“For giving me joy. Pleasure. For making me feel.”
He truly did seem like an angel then.
I was going insane.
My jaw dropped. I must have looked like a gaping idiot, because I felt very much like one. “Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?”
“What?” Cassius asked. “Vampires can’t be nice now?”
“Not in my experience, no.”
“You’re surprised because I’m not lusting and pining for your throat. Because we’re all supposed to be terrible creatures with no conscience.”
“Exactly.”
Cassius took no offense in my statement. He leaned forward and kissed me again. His tongue slid into my mouth and ran circles around mine. A heady sensation fogged my mind, weakening my body. He kneaded my breast, pleasuring me, as if he hadn’t already done enough of that last night. I didn’t resist and continued letting him do as he wished. It felt amazing.
He tugged away from me and raked a tongue across his bottom lip. A smoky look took over his face. “You are beautiful, Ver,” Cassius said. He uttered that statement with so much sincerity that blood rushed to my face. “I still want you. The desire isn’t as intense, but it’s there. I think I will forever want you.”
“Forever is a long time.”
Cassius ran his hand down my arm. “Your blood is sinful.”
“Is that it? Just the blood?” I bit my inner cheek, some part of me hoping that he’d meant something else.
Stupid me.
Why would Cassius Lucian be in love with an unimportant human? As one of the most powerful vampires around, women probably threw themselves at his feet, begging him to take them.
His face fell. “I’m not sure how I feel about you. It’s confusing.”
“Fuck feelings, right? They’re a huge, unnecessary pain.”
“I wouldn’t have put it that bluntly.”
“The thing about… feelings… is that they mess with your head. I get the same thing. You’re not alone in that department.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Not alone, huh?”
I frowned, not understanding why he had to repeat that.
“Come now,” Cassius said. He pulled me into
his arms and carried me, cradling me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I was getting too used to this special treatment. “Let me take care of you.”
“I don’t usually let people care for me. What happened to wanting to make my life hell?”
“It’s good when things change for the better.”
“Are things changing?” What was happening between us?
“Hm.” Cassius pursed his lips. “Maybe. I don’t know if this is better.”
Cassius brought me to his bathroom and ran the faucet. I wondered for a second why he was filling the bathtub before it clicked in my mind.
“You’re going to bathe me?” I asked.
Cassius nodded. “To soothe your nerves. I wiped you down last night, but I’m sure you want to clean yourself up more.”
“Um, I’m not sure—”
Cassius didn’t give me time to reject him. He lowered me into the bathtub, filled with water that was the perfect temperature, then took out a rag and wiped every inch of my body, lathering it up with soap. Cassius was thorough in his washing, making sure not to miss a spot. And when he reached my nether regions, he locked gazes with me, watching as my breathing quickened.
“Does it feel good, Ver?” he asked.
“It…” I bit my lip.
Cassius chuckled, then continued to scrub the curve of my behind. His touch was a mix of pure torture and bliss. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to revel in the sensations. Cassius might be a monster, but the way he worked with my body made him seem like he’d been sent from the heavens. I curled my toes, resisting the urge to pull Cassius to my lips again.
Cassius pulled me from the bathtub and clothed me when he was finished. He took me to the balcony and, jumping over the ledge, unfurled his wings and flew toward the dorm. I shuddered against him, and when Cassius noticed I was cold, he increased his body temperature, warming me up. I was getting used to the flying, and the panic that tormented me the first time Cassius had taken me to the skies was no more.
Students were filtering out and heading to class with Cassius arrived. Once they spotted him, they gave us a wide berth, not wishing to stand in Cassius’s way. Everyone’s eyes fell on me. I saw shocked, judgmental gazes, and Vixie’s was amongst them. Her shock morphed into a scowl. Accusation burned in her expression.
Her taunts were going to be intolerable after this. I avoided the venomous look she gave me and focused on Cassius. “Um,” I said, “this is unnecessary. You’re causing a scene.”
“They’re just humans.”
I frowned. “Yeah. Humans I have to attend class with. It’s going to be awkward hanging with them later.”
“You’re a lion, Ver. Don’t be concerned with the minds of sheep.”
“A lion?” I nearly broke into laughter. Grey had said the same thing about me. He’d called me a little lion. “I’m not the one preying on unsuspecting humans.”
A lazy smirk twitched Cassius’s lips.
Cassius carried me through the ogling students and the hallways of my dorm. “Which floor do you sleep on?” he asked.
“The third,” I replied.
Effortlessly, he made his way toward my room, with me giving him directions. He climbed up the stairs and carried me as if I weighed nothing at all. By the time we reached my room, most of the dorm’s inhabitants had backed off, leaving Cassius and I alone together. Cassius set me down when he reached my room. On a golden plaque, attached to the door, was the number 191.
Cassius cocked his head. “Hm. Your accommodations don’t look lavish at all.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have the lodgings of a vampire lord.”
“You deserve better.”
I wasn’t sure I did. All I’d really done so far was fail.
Cassius turned the doorknob. As he pushed it open, loud music played from the inside. The music consisted of a rough beat and angsty rapping. Grey liked to play rap on the iPod he’d found through his resourcefulness. He usually kept the volume lower when I was around. Today, it blared.
Cassius scowled. “This is dreadful.” He pushed the door open fully. “And the stench. Ugh. Cigarettes?” Grey was hanging from the entrance of our bathroom, doing pull-ups. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, exposing the undulations of his upper back. I saw the tattoos I’d seen many times before, one of a tiger and dragon facing each other down. It started at his right arm and covered the whole right side of his upper back.
“Grey?” I called over the loud music.
“Verity,” he replied excitedly. He dropped from the doorway and spun around. He picked up his iPod and tapped its screen, turning off the music. A bright smile lit his face until he spotted Cassius. “What’s he doing here?” he asked, flicking a finger in Cassius’s direction. His attention flitted between both of us until he came to an understanding. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that we’d spent the night together. Since Cassius had ruined my uniform, he’d provided me with one of his shirts to wear. The shirt was so large that it covered most of my body and looked like a dress.
“It’s a long story.”
It wasn’t very long at all, actually. Cassius and I had had sex. Simple enough. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I was still feeling lightheaded from all that blood loss. As I moved, I nearly lost balance. Cassius reached for me, supporting me. Grey’s eyes narrowed. He folded his arms and shook his head. “You’re going to have to tell me every detail.”
Cassius bared his teeth at Grey. “Ver doesn’t have to tell you anything.”
“Ver?” Grey asked. “You’re on a nickname basis now?”
“I’m not sure how the nickname came about either,” I said.
Cassius paid little mind to our conversation. He walked past Grey, treating him as if he were insignificant, and headed straight for my bed. “Lie down on the bed.”
“Classes are about to start,” I said.
“You’re not attending them.”
“But—”
“I rule this place. Lie down. That’s an order.”
“An order?” I raised a brow.
Cassius pushed me, forcing me to do as he said, and when my back was flat against the bed, he drew the blanket over me. Only after making sure I was properly tucked in did he acknowledge Grey’s presence. “I’ll be back after my meeting with the council today. Keep her company while I’m gone and make sure she’s safe. Servants will be arriving later. They’ll have plenty of food to help Verity recover.”
Grey didn’t answer yes or no to Cassius’s demands. Instead, he challenged Cassius with a stare-down. Cassius remained unfazed, and they locked gazes for an awkwardly long stretch of time, until Cassius decided to break the silence. “Can you not hear me? Are you deaf? It’s a simple request. Miles should have been more careful when selecting candidates.”
Grey snorted. “I’ll make sure Verity’s safe. Don’t care whether you tell me to do so or not.”
Cassius nodded. “Good.” He left, but not before remembering to give me a gentle kiss on my forehead. He brushed past Grey after he was done with me. Cassius gave Grey a warning glare. “And remember, she’s mine.”
“Yours?” Grey asked with a snort. “Verity doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“She is mine.” My stomach pitched when I heard the conviction in Cassius’s voice. “Don’t you dare touch her. When I return, I don’t want to see a single scratch on her. If I do, I’ll have your throat.”
Grey shrugged. “Dramatic much—”
Cassius left, shutting the door behind him.
Grey raised a brow at me. “Are you proud of yourself?”
I bit my tongue. “No. Not at all.”
But making mistakes had never felt this good.
Nineteen
Verity
I twirled my pasta on my fork. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten this much. I wiped my mouth with the serviette they’d provided me and said to Grey, “Never thought a vampire could actually feed someone to death. I’m stuffed.”
> “You don’t have to keep eating if you don’t want to,” Grey said, flicking his hair from his face. He was smoking again, with another one of those damned cigarettes between his teeth. I still hadn’t figured out how to talk him out of that habit. Grey lived life so dangerously that he had no reason to care about cancer.
“But it’s so delicious.” I took one last mouthful of the pasta and chewed. Grey lifted a brow at me as I swallowed. I smiled sheepishly. “All right. That’s the last of it, then.” The servant who’d arrived with my food had set a tray right over my bed. I waved at her, and she scampered over hastily. She dipped her head as she took my tray from me and backed out of the room.
I reached into my backpack, fishing out another packet of jerky. I tore the wrapper open with my teeth.
Grey regarded me with a look of utter confusion. “Uh. Can I ask, just why?”
I spoke as I chewed, which wasn’t particularly polite. “Jerky isn’t just food. It’s a ritual.”
“Aren’t you already full?”
“Yeah, and?” I took another bite. “You smoke after you eat.”
“Is this a woman thing?” Grey asked, screwing up his nose. He blew out a puff of smoke.
“No. Are you trying to generalize us like an asshole?” I asked. “It’s a Verity thing.”
“Uh huh.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand you.”
“Few people do,” I said. Most of my thoughts were too dark and messed up for people to relate to, and I wasn’t keen on sharing them.
Grey looked at his watch. He paced about, then sat on his bed. I chewed my jerky as I watched him. He was acting restless, and seeing him this stressed was making me feel the same way.
After I finished my food, I turned to him and asked, “Is something the matter?”
Grey checked his watch again. “It’s nothing important.”
“Spit it out. Is it about Cassius?”
“He’s one reason,” Grey replied, scratching his chin. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. Like you’re some kind of object. You’re not his to own, Ver. You’re more than a plaything for some broody vampire.” Grey sighed. “But there’s another reason for my being testy.”
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