by Alicia Rades
Teagan shook her head. “No, you guys are all having fun. I want to be out here by you. It’s been a long time since I heard you all laugh.”
“Hey,” Ryland said. “I laugh all the time.”
Teagan rolled her eyes. “Yeah, babe. At other people’s expense.”
Ryland propped his feet up on the chair beside him. “Not my fault if other people’s misfortunes make me laugh.”
Teagan shook her head at him. “Why do you have to be such an ass all the time?”
“You didn’t think I was being an ass earlier when we were—”
“Oh, God!” Teagan threw her hands over her ears. “People do not need to know what we were doing.”
Venn scoffed. “Because we don’t have any idea what you two do in your alone time.”
“Well, you certainly don’t need the details!” Teagan cried.
Venn shot Ryland a glance. “Trust me, Tea. I already know more than I care to admit.”
Teagan’s jaw dropped, and she widened her eyes at Ryland. “What did you tell him?”
Ryland rolled his eyes. “Relax. It’s not like the tattoo on your ass is a secret. I personally find it sexy.”
“You have a tattoo?” I asked.
Teagan looked embarrassed. “I got it when I was sixteen. It’s just a heart on my right hip. It’s nothing. Can we drop it?”
Respecting her privacy, I leaned over to Sondra beside me. “What are you sketching?”
Sondra snapped out of her daze to look at me. She quickly flipped the sketchpad shut before I could catch a glimpse of the picture inside. “Oh, it’s nothing. I thought I’d draw you guys having fun, but…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. I had no idea what she was about to say, but she never got the chance to finish.
Teagan quickly came to her rescue. “So, have you ever thought of getting a tattoo, Rae?”
I shrugged. “I used to think about getting a raven tattooed on my wrist, but then I realized it was a little conceited and obvious. I mean, I didn’t want to be walking around advertising I was the Ravenite. The government still doesn’t know I’m a shifter, so it’s probably best if it stayed that way.”
“Good call,” Ryland said.
Venn leaned over to me and whispered, “I think a tattoo would look kind of sexy on you.”
I looked to him in surprise. “You think?”
He eyed me up and down, like he was hungry for me. Butterflies danced in my stomach.
“Not a raven, though. Maybe a wolf…” I said. “For you.”
Venn smiled, and it sent my heart hammering against my rib cage. I wanted to kiss him to make it slow. Suddenly, I felt very hot, and it definitely wasn’t from the fire.
“I’d like that,” he whispered.
The way he stared into my eyes was unlike anything else. I wanted him—right here, right now. Images from the first time we’d shared together flashed through my mind. I’d been dying to do it again, but with everything happening, we hadn’t had the chance. Now…
Every nerve in my body came alive just at the thought. What were we waiting for? If he was waiting for a signal, he was sure as hell going to get one.
8
“Maybe we should go get that room,” I said in a voice so low only Venn could hear.
He shot out of his seat like a bullet. He took my hand and started leading me away from the fire pit. Teagan’s and Ryland’s laughter followed behind us.
“You two have fun!” Ryland called.
“We will!” I shot back.
I was so excited about what was about to happen that I practically raced through the hall and to our room. Venn chased behind me, snickering. I’d never seen him act so carefree before. I loved it.
I locked the door behind us. By the time I turned around, Venn already had his shirt off and was tossing it to the side. I stood on my toes to kiss him, and a warmth spread all throughout my body. My heart felt as if it was trying to beat its way out of my chest.
Venn backed up until his knees hit the edge of the bed. I pressed on his shoulders, and we tumbled back onto the mattress together.
“Tonight… was… fun…” he said between my kisses.
I pulled away from him to place my index finger to his lips. “Shh…”
Venn ran his hands over the fabric of my jeans. “I just wanted you to know before we did this that I really appreciate what you did tonight. We all need to let go sometimes. I needed to laugh.”
I smiled. “You’re acting like that was the best part of the night.”
He smirked. “So far. We still have time to change that.”
Hell yeah, we would! I wasn’t sure where my confidence came from, but I knew with certainty I was going to make it a night he wouldn’t forget.
I ran my hands up his chest and over his shoulders. He shivered beneath my touch.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I kissed the sensitive skin beneath his ear.
His hands roamed over my back, pushing my fabric out of the way. My pulse quickened beneath his touch.
“Nothing,” he said with a blissful sigh.
I couldn’t take the suspense anymore. I placed another gentle kiss on his lips, then drew away and held my arms above my head. Venn bit his lower lip as he took my invitation and pulled my shirt up over my head. Cool air brushed my skin, but my insides felt like fire. My hands shivered as I took his in mine and guided them to my breasts. Venn beamed as he gently slipped a finger beneath the fabric and ran it across my skin, teasing me.
If he wasn’t going to take initiative, I would. I reached behind myself and undid the clasp, then let the fabric fall away. Venn couldn’t take his eyes off me as my breasts came out in the open. Warmth rippled across my skin. I felt so exposed, like showing him my body was akin to opening my heart.
And damn it. It felt amazing. I never thought I’d find someone I could share myself with wholeheartedly, but every touch, every moment with Venn, made me question why I’d ever thought that way in the first place. It was clear to me now that there’d always been someone out there waiting for me. I needed him. Without him, I was the bitter, lonely girl with a death wish. Now I was loved, with a purpose.
“Rae,” Venn said breathlessly. “You’re so beautiful.”
I blushed and gazed down at his muscular chest. “You are, too.”
A thought suddenly struck. “Oh, shit. Do we have protection?”
Venn smirked and reached over toward the nightstand. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a condom. “Ryland gave it to me as a joke. Look who’s laughing now.”
Venn gave it to me, then placed his hands on my breasts and squeezed gently. My nipples hardened beneath his palms. I closed my eyes and relished in the glowing feel of his hands exploring my body. They slipped beneath my jeans as he dragged me closer to him. Heat pooled between my thighs as he cupped my butt.
I couldn’t get my pants off fast enough. My fingers shook as I undid the button, and my legs quaked as I kicked the jeans off and onto the floor.
Venn took one look at my bare legs and tossed me onto my back. I beamed as he knelt over me and pulled my panties down my legs. For a split second, I lay there fully exposed as his eyes drank me in. Instinct told me to shy away, but I mentally threw my instinct aside. I was his now. He could look at me all he wanted.
“Your turn,” I whispered.
I reached for Venn’s waistband and undid his belt, then the button. My skin heated as I pulled down the fabric to expose all of him. Venn gasped as my fingers curled around his erection.
Damn! Venn and I had only been intimate a few times before and had only gone all the way once. Touching him there felt like the first time. I still wasn’t prepared for the shot of adrenaline and pulse of heat passing over my body.
I helped Venn get the condom on, then dragged him back on top of me. His lips connected with mine, and they didn’t stop moving. He kissed me with such a passion that I never thought possible. Emotions I’d never felt before swept through me w
ith such force that I wanted to cry just to let them out.
“I love you,” I whispered breathlessly beneath his kiss.
“I love you, too,” he said before returning his lips to mine.
His hand traveled down between our legs, making me shiver. He positioned himself and gently pressed down. I gasped as he moved inside of me. My legs wrapped tight around his hips. I wanted to drag him closer to me, as if we could melt into one being, one soul. We fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He completed me, and I him.
Venn’s hands ran over my hips, then down to the sensitive area between my legs. I fisted my hands in his hair as his fingers gently roamed over me.
Gentle. He was always so gentle. He treated me like a queen, always making sure I was comfortable and that I felt the pleasure of these moments as much as he did.
But I wasn’t a gentle kind of girl. I wanted him unlike I ever wanted anything in my life. And I was going to have him. All of him.
I pressed my heels into the mattress and lifted my hips, forcing Venn to roll over. He looked up at me with shock as I took the lead. It only lasted for a moment before the shock melted off his face and he grinned at me. I laced my fingers through his and pinned them to the mattress above his head as I experimented with the movement of my hips. With every movement, Venn’s body hit something inside of me that sent a wave of pleasure over my entire body. I increased my speed until I couldn’t go any faster.
“I should’ve known you’d want to take control,” Venn said in amusement.
“You know me so well,” I replied with a smile.
“Yeah, I do.” Venn’s demeanor instantly changed. It was like watching him shift into wolf form. He went from the gentle, caring guy he started out as when we entered the room into a predator who’d just caught his prey.
It was. So. Freaking. Hot.
Venn flipped me over again, taking control. He looped his arm beneath my leg and pressed into me faster and faster. That pleasurable sensation I’d felt on top of him with each thrust was ten times stronger when he was on top of me like this.
“Oh God, Venn,” I cried.
“Good?” he asked.
“Yes,” I moaned. “Venn, I—”
I cut off as a strong sensation took over my body. I could no longer find the words. Pressure built up inside of me. I bit into his shoulder to keep the moans from escaping. Like an explosion, the pressure released in a glorious array of sparkling light, sweeping through my body like the blinding sun on a warm summer day. Venn’s body tensed above mine as he reached his peak with me.
The room spun around me as we melted side-by-side on the bed. I closed my eyes and tried to hold on to the wonderful blissfulness before it drifted away. Venn had made me feel amazing things before, but never like that. That was… there were no words.
“That was even more fun than the first time,” I told him when I finally caught my breath.
“It was,” he panted.
I opened my eyes to see his beautiful face hovering over me, a hopeful look in his eyes. My heart melted. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything more wonderful in my life. I reached my hand up to caress the side of his face. “I never want this to end, Venn.”
“It won’t,” he whispered. He bent to place a warm kiss on the top of my head. If possible, I relaxed even more.
“Venn?”
“Mm?” He pushed my hair out of my face and gazed down at me like I was a goddess he was seeing for the first time. There was such warmth and love in his eyes.
“I want to try everything with you.”
Venn clicked his tongue. “Not so fast. We have plenty of time for that.”
I bit my lower lip. “Well, the night’s not over. Maybe we could try… one more thing?”
His eyes lit up. I grinned and rolled over so that my backside pressed against his front. He curled an arm around me and pulled me close to him. I tilted my head back to look him in the eyes. I felt so safe and secure in his embrace.
“Can we try it like this?” I asked.
Venn put his fingers in my hair and tugged back slightly to expose my neck. He trailed kisses down it and to my shoulder, then pressed his lips against my skin as he spoke. “For you, Rae, I’d do anything.”
I woke the next morning to warm sunlight brushing across my eyelids. The normally dull colors of Genevieve’s house seemed brighter today than normal. I lifted my head from Venn’s chest and gazed at him. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell softly. He looked so peaceful, and I didn’t want to wake him. I quietly dressed and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes Jenna had loaned me, then tiptoed to the bathroom to shower.
The water was warm and refreshing. It felt like I could finally breathe, and I kept replaying the night over and over again in my mind. I wanted more nights like that, where I could laugh with my friends carefree and enjoy my time with Venn without interruptions.
I returned to our bedroom with a clean change of clothes and wet hair. Venn was sitting upright in bed, looking sexy as ever with a bare chest. He had his new phone to his ear. Genevieve had gotten us each one after we returned from the island—in case something went wrong and we had to contact each other.
As soon as I walked in the room, Venn’s face fell. He didn’t even look at me, as if the news on the other end of the line had pulled him out of reality and placed his mind somewhere else entirely.
The blood drained from my face, and I rushed over to him. “Venn, what’s wrong? Your brother?”
Venn didn’t say anything as the guy on the other end spoke, though I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Slowly, Venn focused on the world again, and his gaze turned to mine. My heart sank in response to the worried look on his face. The seconds ticked by slowly, each one pounding like a drum in my ears.
“Thank you, Cory,” Venn finally said. “Let me know how I can return the favor.”
“No problem, man,” I heard Cory reply. “What are friends for?”
Venn pulled the phone from his ear and pressed the screen to end the call. He stared down at it for several seconds, his fingers shaking, until he finally lifted his gaze.
“Is your brother okay?” I asked softly as I placed a hand over his.
“I’m not sure,” he replied in a shaky tone. “But I know where to find him.”
“That’s great!” I exclaimed.
“Cory’s an old friend from high school,” Venn explained, almost like he didn’t want to go into the more important details. “We had a bit of a falling out when he got into some bad deals with a group of vampires.”
The room went silent for a beat before I spoke. “Did he… did he ever change?”
“Cory?” Venn shook his head. “No. He’s a shifter—gorilla, and a big one, too.”
I snickered. “A gorilla?”
“Ever seen a gorilla? They’re scarier than you think. He worked with some vampires on some gambling deals, nothing like blood slaves or anything. But it still wasn’t a good situation. They kept him around for intimidating their debtors. I think it was more than that, too.”
Venn’s meaning was clear. The vampires never changed Cory because they liked the taste of his blood.
“Anyway,” Venn continued, “with his connections to different vampire gangs, I thought he might know something about my brother. He had to put in a few calls for me, but it sounds like he’s found him in Detroit.”
Venn’s expression slowly shifted, like it had taken him this long for it to sink in. He was going to see his brother again. Nothing could replace the feeling of getting to see your sibling after so long, after you’d given up hope of ever seeing them. His lips twitched at the corners and finally spread into a hint of a smile. He looked like he could hardly believe it.
“Venn, I’m so happy for you,” I said genuinely. “When do we leave?”
A moment of shock crossed his features. “Rae…”
He didn’t have to finish his sentence. I could tell by the look in his eyes what he was about to say.
/> “You don’t want me to come with?” I asked. The hurt was evident in my tone.
“Everyone else needs you here,” he said softly.
“No, they don’t,” I argued. “They can figure out what to do about Matias without me. Besides, I don’t want to be separated from you again.”
Being imprisoned on Gregor Island and feeling like I’d lost Venn had nearly broken me. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if something happened to him.
Venn reached up to brush dark strands of hair from my face. He blinked back tears as he stared deep into my eyes. “I don’t, either, but I think this is something I have to do alone.”
A hole tore through my chest. My voice came out small and fragile. “You don’t want my help?”
“It’s not that,” he said, his voice cracking. “I feel like two different people—the guy I was before my parents died and my brother was changed, and the guy I am now, the one I am with you and the rest of our family. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I need to find my brother as the guy I used to be—the one I was when we were together.”
He took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not explaining it well. It has nothing to do with you. Please try to understand that.”
I nodded, though it still felt a bit like a rejection. More than that, though, I worried for him. I knew he could handle himself, but I still wanted to be there for him. “Is it dangerous?”
His voice was so quiet I barely heard it. “I don’t know.”
I chewed the dry skin on my lower lip. I really didn’t want him to do this alone. What if his brother was working with a group like Maliya’s? The vampires may be cured, but that didn’t make groups like that any less dangerous.
“Are you sure you have to do this alone?” I whispered. “You didn’t let me go after Jenna alone.”
Venn’s gaze dropped to mine, and he ran his thumb across my shoulder. “This is different.”
“Is it?” I asked. “You don’t know what you could be getting yourself into.”
Venn closed his eyes and took a breath. “Rae, please. I need to do this alone.”
