Liminality: Gay Shifter Vampire Romance (Kingdom of Night Book 2)

by L. C. Davis

His brows knit in confusion and he gave a mystified snort. “I always knew his priorities were seriously out of whack.”

  I dug my nails into his back, hoping to shut him up. “Unless you're planning on calling him up to ask, less talking about your brother and more fucking your potential mate, please.”

  “How can I argue with that?” He leaned down to kiss me and angled his hips to delve into me even deeper than I had thought possible. “Careful what you ask for.”

  My nails dug into his skin involuntarily as I cried out. I regretted it immediately when the scent of the forest filled the room and my thirst for the blood droplets pooling on his skin temporarily outweighed my hunger for everything else.

  Our eyes met and he became still, neither of us willing to break the heavy silence that hung between us.

  “I'm willing if you are,” he said after what seemed like forever.

  I gulped. “Is that really such a good idea without Victor being here?”

  “Come on, I've made a lot of progress since the first time and nothing really happened then,” he reminded me. “That's the worst it's gonna get. The only real danger would be if I turned while I was still inside of you, but I'm not gonna let that happen.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, my voice hoarse with desire.

  “Wouldn't have offered if I wasn't,” he said. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice and it tinged his blood, but there was no hesitation.

  I nodded, pulling him closer. He was all the way inside of me and I could tell remaining still was killing him. Wanting him to be as relaxed as possible before I fed, I stroked his back in a conciliatory gesture. It was impossible to resist the scent of his blood any longer but I could tell he wasn't ready for me to bite him, so I satisfied myself with a taste of the droplets clinging to my fingertips. It tasted better every time.

  I realized that he was watching me much too late. To my relief, his expression was one of curiosity rather than disgust. “Does it really taste that good?”

  “You have no idea,” I murmured, nuzzling his neck. I spread my legs wider to grant him easier access. He responded with a grateful moan at the change in angle and propped his hand up on the massive wooden headboard.

  Pain surged again as his hips began to rock against me. I moaned in bliss as he thrust in and out, filling me in the most delightfully agonizing way. His frail grasp on gentleness was gradually fading, but that was fine with me. Roughness brought a strange pleasure all its own. I grasped the headboard desperately, struggling to resist the thirst. The pain was a welcome distraction, at least, but it began to fade to a dull ache as my body finally accepted his domination.

  Able to wait no longer, I pulled him closer and tasted his flesh, glistening with exertion. The lightly salty taste mingled exquisitely with the sweetness that rushed into my mouth as soon as my fangs sank in.

  Sebastian didn't cry out but his entire body went stiff and his thrusting ceased. Soon after the initial bite he began to relax against me, but I could feel his pulse throbbing faster deep inside of me. He was right, he had come a long way since the first time with Victor.

  He tasted like the forest, including the trees and the sky and the earth and all else that it encompassed. The taste conjured a hazy image of a moonlit night spent by a rustling creek, but the more I chased it the more the picture faded.

  I moaned appreciatively into his neck, lapping up the liquid gold that poured from the two tiny wounds. I was still myself and still appropriately concerned with his state of mind. He hadn't moved much, so I pulled away just enough to make sure he was alright. “Sebastian?” I asked breathlessly.

  His gaze was unreadable. The unmistakable intensity of it worried me. Had the bite triggered an episode after all? Victor's suppression obviously had its limits. Maybe it had been a mistake to venture this without him.

  When his lips crushed mine and he ground even deeper into me, I knew my fears were unfounded. Relieved, I joined him in his effort to entwine our bodies even closer. His kiss was relentless and left me gasping for air, only to have him cradle my head against his neck, urging me to drink once more.

  I obeyed readily, closing my mouth around the pin-prick holes, coaxing out the sweet nectar within. Sebastian's hulking frame trembled violently and thrust into me with enough force to rock the massive bed. My cries were muffled by his flesh, but I refused to let go. If anything, the pain was intensifying the pleasure for us both.

  Each time he thrust, I dug my nails a little deeper into his back. He finally pinned my hands behind my head with one hand and slid the other underneath me. He hoisted me into a better angle—at least for him. It allowed him to go even deeper, all the while he kept thrusting.

  “Fuck,” he moaned, dripping sweat onto my shoulder. His body was slick with it, which was saying something considering that it took the heaviest weights in the gym for him to get even slightly winded. If all gladiators had looked the way he did covered in sweat and blood, I could certainly understand the appeal of the spectator sport.

  I smiled against his neck, sweeping my tongue over a fresh stream of blood. “That was a different response than I expected.”

  “I thought everyone was just fucking with me when they said it felt good.”

  I brushed his hair away from his face and nuzzled him. “That's how it's supposed to feel.”

  “Yeah, when you're not a headcase,” he muttered.

  “Hush,” I whispered, silencing him with a kiss.

  He grabbed my ass even tighter as he ground into my spot. My sharp cry of pleasure spurred him onward and his thrusts grew more violent. I broke contact with his neck and gasped as he pulled out only to impale me once more. I could feel him deep inside, warm and pulsing as he brushed against some hidden spot I had never even felt before. How he had found it with such ease baffled me.

  The pleasure of his touch and the force of his invasion somehow pushed the thirst from my mind. I grasped at the headboard behind me and struggled to see through the haze of pleasure as he fucked me to the brink of consciousness. My vision blurred with each swell of bliss and the arousal between my legs had become more torturous than sweet.

  Now I knew what that strange craving had been and I knew exactly where it was coming from. As I lay underneath Sebastian, submitting myself to his every exploration and desire, the wolf in me had never known more contentment.

  One more thrust was all it took for me to come unhinged. I came with a sharp gasp and without him ever having to touch me. His smirk as he stared down at me, panting, was unmistakably triumphant. Moments later, he joined me with a growl of possession loud enough that any unfortunate soul who happened to be lurking in the hall was going to have some unanswered questions.

  Sebastian collapsed on top of me, knocking the wind out of me momentarily before he rolled off to the side. We laid there for a moment basking in the little aftershocks of pleasure, prone and panting to the same rhythm.

  “That,” I said between ragged breaths, “was the most incredible sex I've ever had.”

  He laughed. “I bet you say that to all the betas.”

  I laughed a little, writhing contentedly at his side. “That's definitely going on my pros and cons list.”

  “You have one of those?” he asked a bit nervously. “Like, a literal list?”

  “Relax, it was a joke,” I said, resting my head on his smooth chest. It rose and fell heavily as he sighed.

  “Good.”

  He was silent for awhile, and when I looked up at him he was deep in thought. “What's wrong?” I asked, propping myself up on my elbow.

  “Nothing,” he murmured. “Just trying to figure out why this time was so different.”

  “This time?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Our chemistry is just different. I mean, it's always been great for me, but I could tell you weren't all there. Not like you are with him.”

  “Who, Clarence?”

  He glared. “Very funny.”

  “Oh, would you stop with comparing you
rself to Victor?” I sighed. “I swear, it feels like we're having a threesome.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, call me paranoid.”

  “Okay, you're paranoid,” I said, leaning in to kiss him. “Tonight was about you and me, but if you really want a comparison, I'd say Victor has some very big shoes to fill.”

  He gave me a hollow smile and nothing more.

  Sighing, I climbed out of bed. “I'm going to clean up. Are you sure you're okay?” I asked, looking at the bite marks that had already mostly healed.

  “Very,” he said groggily. “Just wiped out. Whatever you've got in them fangs, you could bottle and sell it on the supernatural black market.”

  “I'll consider it if the whole den mother thing goes south,” I teased, leaning on the bathroom door. “Be right back.”

  I disappeared into the bathroom and stepped into the large stone shower. The water soothed my aching body and relaxed my muscles until I felt like putty. Once I was done I slipped into bed beside Sebastian only to find him sound asleep. Yawning, I pulled the clean sheets over us both and crawled in next to him.

  My decision was still far from made, but I could easily imagine a hundred years spent at Sebastian's side. If that night was any indication, the only downside was that those years would probably slip away in the blink of an eye.

  25

  Sebastian woke in a stellar mood the next morning. So stellar, in fact, that he decided to wake me up by pulling open the curtains. The sunlight made me hiss and I burrowed back underneath the blankets.

  “I guess now I know where that cliché comes from,” he said, amused.

  “Go away,” I said, fighting him as he tried to pull off the blankets.

  “Hey, you're the one who got drunk,” he reminded me. “I don't want this to end any more than you do, but I've gotta get you back to the Lodge or I'll never hear the end of it.”

  “Fine,” I groaned, covering my head. “Just shut the curtains.”

  He obliged, but the light in the room was still surrounded by rainbow halos. When I sat up, places I didn't even know existed ached. As I was learning, both rough sex and drinking were fun in the moment, but they exacted heavy penalties come morning.

  “I figured you'd be a little hungover so I went and grabbed sunglasses out of my car,” he said, slipping an oversized pair onto my face.

  “Thank you,” I murmured, although the words probably weren't fully intelligible. My speech was always a bit slurred anyway since I had yet to adjust to my fangs.

  “I ordered you breakfast to go,” he said, tossing a white bag my way.

  “Aren't you going to eat?” I asked, climbing out of bed. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I winced.

  “Already did while you were sleeping,” he said, watching me sympathetically as I struggled to get into the leather pants that had become a puzzle in my sleepy state. “Need some help?”

  “I got it,” I said, wobbling. He was there in time to catch me, but he couldn't save my dignity as he set about helping me dress. “It's the least I can do,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

  I rolled my eyes. “You're thoroughly enjoying this, aren't you?”

  “I'm not enjoying the fact that you're in pain,” he said, fastening my choker. “I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy taking care of you, though.”

  “It's not something I'm used to, but I can't say I mind with you,” I admitted, picking up my breakfast. The trip to the door was manageable with only a bit of limping.

  He watched me, concerned. “I didn't think I was that rough. You're definitely not as sturdy as an original wolf,” he mused. Before I could protest, he swept me into his arms and carried me down the hall.

  “Sebastian, what are people going think?” I asked, making only a half-hearted effort to get down. In comparison to a hangover and a body that ached all over, the pain of humiliation was nothing.

  “That I fucked you so hard you can't walk?”

  I cringed. “You say that like it's nothing to be embarrassed of.”

  “Not for me,” he said, laughing.

  Fortunately, the elevator was empty when we got in it. Unfortunately, that changed on the sixth floor. A middle-aged couple got on and eyed us with an understandable amount of judgment. I realized that struggling to get down was just going to make it worse and tried to find an interesting point on the wall to focus on. The man turned away eventually but the woman kept gawking.

  Sebastian gave her a shameless grin. “Damn riding accidents.”

  She clutched her necklace and huffed indignantly. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she shuffled off. The man gave us a once over and, to my amazement, he cracked a small smile and gave Sebastian an approving nod before following his wife.

  Neither of us said anything for a moment before we burst into laughter. Sebastian got me to the car without further incident and I let him fasten me in since he seemed to like playing caretaker so much.

  “I can't believe you said that,” I choked out once we were on the road. Embarrassment had caught up with me.

  “Me either,” he admitted, shaking his head. “You're a bad influence, you know that?”

  “So I've been told,” I said, wiping tears of laughter off my cheeks. “That was horrible, but I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.”

  “You know, you say that every time we're together,” he said, glancing at me.

  “I do?”

  “Mhm. Maybe it's a sign,” he said, only half-joking.

  I gave a small, stifled laugh. “Maybe it is.”

  As the Lodge loomed on the horizon, our fairytale evening came to an abrupt end. Maybe one day life would be an endless string of laughter and nights of passion as Sebastian's mate, but for now there was still a decision to be made. A decision that would not only determine my future but Sebastian's, Victor's and the rest of the pack's as well. The realization had exactly the sobering effect I needed.

  “Back to reality?” he murmured, echoing my thoughts.

  “This coupe had to turn back into a pumpkin at some point.”

  “I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with Victor.” I searched his tone for a hint of sarcasm and found only resignation.

  “Sebastian --”

  “I'm serious,” he said. “Last night was incredible, but I'm under no delusion that it meant the same to you as it did to me. I can tell you still haven't made your choice, but it's okay. It doesn't make what we had last night any less special,” he said, pulling into the garage. Neither of us made a move to get out right away.

  “You're right, I haven't decided,” I admitted. “But I have a lot more perspective than I did before, and I meant what I said last night. I do love you, Sebastian.”

  His smile was small but genuine. “I know you do. I have to say, I think you're getting the shittiest end of the deal in all this.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  “Vic and I are both focused solely on you. Whichever one of us you don't pick will be devastated, but he'll find a way to keep going.” He paused and stared intently at the steering wheel, looking through it. “At least, I will. You're the one who has it rough. No matter what you decide, you're hurting someone you love. That's a hard pill to swallow for anyone, never mind someone as compassionate as you.”

  “Sebastian, I don't know what to say,” I replied softly.

  “I mean it. If it is him, I don't want you going around feeling guilty or carrying any burdens on my behalf,” he said gruffly, his knuckles going white as he clutched the wheel. “I'll be okay. Maybe not at first, but eventually. I know now that I can't just leave, but as long as I can stick around to keep you safe and as long I get to hear that laugh once in awhile, I've got plenty of reason to get up in the morning. I just wanted you to know that.”

  There was a lump in my throat when I tried to swallow and tears stung my eyes. ”Thank you,” I said, meeting his gaze. My voice was hoarse but sure. “You have no idea what that means to me.”

  He smiled and lea
ned in for a chaste kiss before he came around for my door. He lifted me out and carried me into the Lodge. No glass slippers hit the ground but the second we crossed the threshold, the final glimmers of the previous night's spell had certainly faded.

  A gathering in the lounge served as a very unwelcome distraction from the melancholic end to an otherwise magical evening. Victor was leading some kind of meeting and everyone in the Lodge was either seated or perched on some piece of furniture in full view of the door. Everyone except for Foster, but he was never around much lately. It was hard to tell if that was simply because I was around or because he was avoiding Hunter.

  Victor had ceased talking—something about a contingency plan in case the hunters came back early, from what little I caught—and all eyes were on us. Ulric looked ready to pounce on Sebastian. Clara and Maverick were both blushing and looked mortified on my behalf. Hunter, Brendan and Jason were grinning wickedly and looked like they wanted to give Sebastian a medal. Clarence rolled his eyes and looked otherwise disinterested. Sarah's hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders trembled with silent laughter. Victor's alarm had faded into calm resolution, but I couldn't mistake the hurt in his...

  The scent. Of course. No shower was hot enough to get rid of the werewolf bonding scent that was undoubtedly coming out of my pores.

  “You're back,” Victor said without a trace of resentment. Only the crumpled notes in his hand betrayed his true feelings.

  “Sorry I kept him,” Sebastian said, every bit as wary as I was. “I thought you'd be working.”

  “This is part of my job,” he said with a smile far too bright for the occasion. Either Victor had been possessed by a cheerful demon or he was livid. Not that he had any reason to be. It wasn't like we were exclusive and he had yet to make his move, so why did I feel like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar?

  Sebastian frowned. “Security isn't your domain, Vic.”

  “Yes, well, you haven't been around,” he said, not even bothering to veil the accusation in his tone. “I've had to take over some of your old duties and today we're going over what everyone's roles and responsibilities are in the event of an unanticipated hunter attack. Here's yours,” he said, doing his best to smooth out the piece of paper in his hand before he offered it to Sebastian.