by Rachel Jonas
Soft, cool fingers aroused goosebumps on my skin wherever they touched. Entranced, I barely noticed where his focus had settled.
“It’s healed nicely.”
My gaze fell to the thin, pink scar he spoke of, reminding me of being manhandled by the two sentinels in Lord Wilford’s garden.
Pulling back to free myself from his grasp, I nodded. “Hardly feel it anymore.”
Next, his penetrating glare passed to my thigh and I followed his eyes there. “That one looks like more than just a scrape.”
I quickly tugged the hem of my gown over my leg, covering the thin, hand-sized portion of melted skin that told its own chapter of my story.
“Got it as a kid,” I lied. “It’s from a cooking accident. I was trying to help one of the orphanage caretakers prepare a meal.”
He stared at that area long after I concealed it, as if he had x-ray vision that let him see straight through the material.
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it.”
Levi’s expression turned curious. “I didn’t realize recalling the details of a cooking accident could be so triggering.”
There was no missing the judgment in his voice, the disbelief buried within the statement. It was as if he knew I was hiding something.
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t know that,” I deflected. “Which leads me to believe you have no idea what it’s like to smell the aroma of your own flesh cooking. Nor do you know what it’s like to be in so much pain that you beg for death. That is, of course, until the agony sends you into shock, and you pass out.”
At first, his stare nearly bore a hole through me. It was enough to make me wonder if he’d press for more information, but then he surprised me when he decided not to push, granting me the pass I sought.
“My apologies,” he conceded. “I meant no harm.”
Stretching my toes toward the fire to warm them, I said nothing more as I settled deeper into my seat.
“Are you adjusting well to life here in the palace?” he asked, changing the subject.
Shrugging, I thought about that question. “It’s not much of a life when you’re confined to one room.”
A short laugh escaped him. “No, I suppose it isn’t. But it might please you to know Elle and Julian are discussing plans for a shopping trip soon.”
I turned to face him. “Shopping?”
He nodded. “For clothes that are more your style than Elle’s. She thought it might be nice if you had a bit more say-so in what you wear.”
Silence followed when I didn’t respond, or even move for that matter. I was frozen in thought, imagining that, to them, this gesture must have seemed kind. Only, I wasn’t interested in clothes and accessories. I wouldn’t allow myself to be distracted by their shiny lifestyle.
Deeply lost inside my own head, I didn’t even realize how intently Levi stared.
“Most women would have been beside themselves with this news,” he observed, “but … not you.”
I swallowed, unsure of what he meant by that.
“You’re quite the peculiar specimen, Corina.”
A small laugh left me. “I’ve been called far worse.”
The corner of his lips tugged up, contrasting the seriousness in his eyes. “When do you plan to tell us why you were really at the gala that night?”
My heart shuttered to a stop inside my chest, but, confined within this small space, avoidance didn’t seem like an option.
“Well … it was stupid really.” My gaze lowered and I fidgeted with my fingers while spinning a lie. “I suppose I just wanted to be a part of your world for one night. I wanted to … I don’t know … experience life as an Ianite, escape my own misery.”
Levi sat in absolute silence, and I was going insane with worry as he seemed to assess my answer.
“Interesting,” he breathed.
“How so?” It took everything in me not to ramble more to plead my case. All that stopped me was knowing it’d only make me look guiltier.
Levi leaned in closer, so close the bright flames turned his silver eyes to gold.
“It’s interesting because you clearly desire nothing of our world, and yet you claim our acceptance was worth nearly dying for that night.”
Sweat beaded at the nape of my neck, and I was certain he detected how anxious I’d become.
“I’m sorry, Love. Have I wandered into that dreaded, forbidden territory again?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Of course not,” I lied through my teeth, “but … you might want to consider that you’re not as good at reading people as you seem to think.”
It was a risky move, challenging someone as strongminded as him, but I had to say something.
“On the contrary,” he rebutted. “I think I’ve read you perfectly.”
My brow quirked. “Is that so?”
“It is,” he blurted without hesitation. “You pretend to be tough, but you’re scared more often than you let on. You’re keeping an entire scroll of secrets. And … I’m even willing to bet it wasn’t thirst that drove you to the kitchen tonight.”
My breaths came quicker, but I crossed both arms across my chest in defiance anyway. “Oh, really? Then please, Levi, tell me what it is you think I was doing down there.”
“Escaping.”
Wishing I hadn’t pushed so hard, I said absolutely nothing.
“Because you’re terrified of this blood bond, terrified of this place. And I’d go so far as to say you’re terrified of me,” he added, sending a wave of heat rushing up my body.
We reached a stalemate. He’d just backed me into a corner, and I was known to come out swinging.
“Well, I’m gonna have to call B.S. on that one,” I scoffed. “I don’t even fear death. So why on Earth would I be afraid of you?”
The softness that touched his eyes left me feeling undone, like I’d miscalculated somehow.
“Because what you fear is feeling too much,” he assured me. “You fear feeling too much in a world where life, for your people, is cruelly fragile.”
His response stunned me into silence. I was frozen to the point that, when he reached for my hand again, I didn’t have the presence of mind to pull away.
“Only, yours is no longer so limited. Soon, you’ll be one of us.”
I wasn’t sure how to read his strange tone, but my reaction was to slowly remove my hand from his, so that’s what I did.
“Like I told you, I was just thirsty,” I reiterated.
“And like I told you, I’m not buying it. Just admit that I’m right, admit that the idea of me terrifies you.”
“Not at all.”
“Prove it,” was his final challenge.
Frantic surges of air filled my lungs as I forced a question from my mouth. “Prove it how?”
My eyes followed his tall frame as he rose from his chair, coming close until he stood before me, eclipsing the fire. He leaned so close that I held my breath when both his hands came to rest on the arms of my chair.
And then, I got my answer.
“Let me claim you now. Right here, while it’s just you and me.”
I didn’t turn away or blink. He wanted to break me, to force me to admit that being in his presence was unnerving, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. So, in a fit of bravery, I offered him my wrist.
“Fine.”
That wicked smile of his returned, and with what I knew to be a deliberate gesture, he lowered my arm back down to my side.
“But … isn’t this what you want?” I was so confused when my offer was rejected.
Even more so when he shook his head, implying I’d gotten it all wrong. I waited for further explanation, and eventually got my answer.
Only, Levi didn’t use words.
There had been a wonderful smell I noticed the night of the gala. At that time, with all four princes surrounding me, I wasn’t certain which it belonged to, but I now knew the scent was Levi’s. As he lessened the space between us, pre
ssing his cool lips to the side of my throat, I drew in deep gasping breaths.
His mouth was the only point of contact between his body and mine, but you couldn’t have convinced me his entire essence wasn’t blanketing me. Maybe that’s just what I wanted. My hands balled into tight fists when the urge to stretch my arms toward him became too great.
Don’t forget who he is.
Don’t forget what he is.
It was no use. I couldn’t trick my mind into believing I didn’t like this—being seduced by this monster, because I did. As his tongue traced small circles over my skin I lost myself, barely noticing the moment the soft swirls became a bite. His mouth was fixed there, so tightly it felt like he’d take everything I had, and it felt like I wouldn’t fight if he did. In short, the pain was no match for the pleasure.
The tight fists I held opened and I gripped the armrests instead, praying two contradictory prayers.
One, that he’d let me go.
Two, that he wouldn’t ever.
I found myself wondering something unfathomable—what I tasted like to him.
Is that a sick thing to consider? Do I really think someone as wicked as Levi can think anything is too sick to consider?
I listened as he swallowed, breathing against my ear as he sucked harder. It was then that I lost myself, accepted that there was a disconnect between my limbs and my brain. I was certain of it because I reached for him, pressing my palm flat to his back. His skin had warmed from the fire behind it. I held him, allowing him to have his way.
A slight sting beneath the surface of my skin reached me, and I knew he’d begun to inject his venom. A gentle moan left my mouth, and he responded to it with kindness I didn’t expect. His hand cradled my cheek, as if to let me know this part was only temporary, and it was.
The burn subsided, and then he withdrew his fangs. However, his mouth stayed fastened to my skin. He was feeding like we were instructed to do, but this was more than that. It was passion, and lust, and heat all rolled into one frustrating heap, making me want to pull him closer, and shove him away all at once.
The pressure released from my neck and a few small kisses were placed there instead. Kissing was not mentioned in Silas’ handbook, but, in this moment, it felt right.
Too right.
Dread filled me at the realization that he was finished with me. Dread at the realization of how disappointed I was.
Outlined by firelight, he stood tall before me, allowing for a ringside view of his perfection. I ached for him in unmentionable places, and glancing below his waistline, I didn’t have to wonder if he felt the same need. His desire for me was abundantly clear.
I turned away in an attempt to refocus, but it would take more than averting my eyes to get Levi out of my system. Especially once the final stint of the Claiming was finished.
He’d injected me with his venom, fed from me, and now I only needed to feed from him to complete the process.
My gaze returned to him just as he broke the skin on his wrist with his teeth. He offered it to me, and I was admittedly less repulsed this time. With Julian, I hadn’t known what to expect. Now, I knew it wasn’t as awful as I imagined.
Our eyes were deadlocked on one another as I secured my lips over two small puncture wounds. The bitterness of his blood hit my tongue when I sucked gently, causing a tsunami of lust to flood Levi’s expression. Perfect teeth sank into his bottom lip and I could hardly catch my breath as that same sensation washed over me then.
A fantasy seeped into my thoughts. One where neither logic nor clothing formed a barrier between us. The image was of he and I sharing the rawness of a passionate moment, one that felt so real the intensity of it brought a question to mind.
What is this hold he has over me?
It was this question that allowed fear and reality to creep in quickly. At that exact moment, I separated my lips from his cool skin, and focused.
It was done. We were connected, and within minutes, we would both feel the effects—a synching of one another’s most dominate traits.
I wouldn’t allow myself to look at him. Instead, I kept my gaze trained on the floor because that felt safe.
“I should um… I should go,” I sighed, deciding to get to my feet before I changed my mind. However, his silence intrigued me, and I made the mistake of peering up into his eyes. There, in his gaze, I found more emotion than I realized he was capable of showing.
I can’t do this, can’t be here.
The smartest thing I could have done was sidestep him, so that’s what I attempted, but hadn’t anticipated that he’d try to stop me.
His lengthy fingers encircled my wrist and it made my breath cease.
“At the risk of sounding desperate,” he breathed, “… It doesn’t have to end here.” There was a wild look in his eyes as he spoke. “You could easily just spend the rest of the evening with me.”
I could have sworn the Earth stopped spinning.
His suggestion filtered through my mind, and I knew how pleased we both would have been if I gave in, but … I couldn’t let that happen. Allowing myself to get swept up in him—even for one night—would have been a mistake, and I couldn’t afford to lose sight of my plan.
Come tomorrow, I’d be leaving the palace, and that was what mattered.
Not Levi.
Not … this.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” With those words, I eased my wrist from his grasp and started toward the door again.
“Wait.”
When he called out, I stopped, despite my mind telling me to keep going.
“Give me a moment. I’ll be right back.”
I turned as he disappeared inside the deep closet, wondering what this was about. My eyes drifted toward the chair where I’d just been seated and felt such a strong pull to stay.
No. That’s not an option.
Folding my arms across my chest, I began counting down to ten in my head while I waited, telling myself that if he didn’t return by then I’d…
“I had this made for you today,” he offered, announcing his return to the room.
My eyes focused on the small, black velvet case he held. Then, I peered up before accepting the gift in the palm of my hand.
“I um … had some extra time between searching for Roman and helping Julian put out fires with the press, so I thought it’d be a nice gesture to give you something to commemorate our Claiming.”
I wasn’t sure what surprised me more—that he’d thought of someone other than himself, or that he actually seemed to put stock in this whole … Claiming thing.
That he seemed to put stock in our connection.
My fingers pulled the box open, and I stared at the sizable, tear-shaped ruby pendant nestled in an onyx setting. Levi took it by the dark chain it was linked to, and unclasped the latch.
“May I?”
Blinking as I tried wrapping my mind around that, I gave a nod.
Circling to my back, he instructed me to lift my hair as the priceless piece was placed around my neck. Once it was secure, the smoothness of Levi’s fingertips brushed both sides of my throat. The sensation caused a temporary lapse, falling into the same weakness as before. My eyes drifted closed.
He pulled me closer, until my back was flush against his chest. With me tangled in his web once more, he leaned in to press his lips to my ear.
“You’re mine now,” he breathed, staking his claim. “And you’ll never want for anything ever again.”
CHAPTER NINE
Corina
The four walls of my bedroom were all I’d seen of Julian’s home today, thanks to Levi.
Or should I say, thanks to the sudden uncertainty I held when it came to curbing the urges—courtesy of his inherited trait. Even now, long after the sun had set, I was keenly aware of how critical it was to keep my distance from the princes. Aware of how badly my flesh called out for them all.
Well … the three who still hung around, that was.
Original
ly, the plan was to do a bit more scouting if I could manage, making sure I hadn’t missed anything that would hinder my escape tonight. Instead, I hadn’t moved from this spot on the floor since morning.
Elle didn’t hide her concern when I asked to take breakfast alone in my room, instead of dining with the others. She hid it even less when I made the same request for dinner. I think she only complied because I was actually eating today. She had no idea that was because I’d need my strength for tonight.
Besides, solitude was probably for the best.
Since being bitten and claimed by Levi, I hadn’t been myself. It dawned on me that the effects of the bond were far more intense than expected. While I guessed he only experienced the heightened sense of duty Julian had, my experience was much, much less convenient.
During one of the many long hours I spent lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, I coined a term for this feeling—carnal fury. It went beyond sexual need or frustration.
I was downright ravenous.
Levi’s venom lit an unquenchable fire right in the pit of my gut, and from what I could tell, there was no end in sight. Unless I gave in to it, of course, but that could never happen.
A hand pushed through my hair, and only then did I realize I’d begun to perspire. He, literally, had me burning up with need.
Breathing a sigh, I turned onto my side, letting the wood slats cool my cheek. The clock on the wall reminding me it was almost time to go. Midnight was my deadline. As soon as the house was quiet, and everyone had locked themselves inside their sleeping quarters for the evening, I’d be on my way.
The only thing that could stop me was death itself.
I missed them all so much—Liv’s sass and big heart, the way Felix could make it seem like even the hardest times were bearable because we were a family, Dev and Banks’ jokes, O.C.’s protectiveness, Alex’s optimism, and Shay’s nurturing spirit. We all added something to our unit and I couldn’t wait to get back, couldn’t wait to hug them all and do my part in aiding the mission once again.
Suddenly motivated, I used the bedpost to pull myself up, and then stared at the clothing I laid out on the comforter—a pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt. Anything that would make me stand out less against the dark of night was helpful. I even found a black duffle bag stashed in the top of the closet, which I could pack with a few helpful items, and food to take back to the team.
