Chapter 21

21

I n the taverns back in Mondue, old men would tell stories about the world outside our forest, of mythical sea creatures who could lure sailors to their happy deaths through the sheer power of their voice. I’d always considered them to be tall tales—an exaggeration twisted out of proportion for the amusement of those who had nothing better to do than sit around drinking.

And yet, here I was—every fiber of my being burning with need for the woman standing before me. Moonlight reflected off the freckled column of her neck, glistening wet and surrounded by a thin mist of steam. The sight made my mouth water as it drew me closer, reeling me in like a hooked fish. If you do this, that’s it. Any hope of taking things slow will be ruined.

My hand gripped the curve of her bare shoulder.

Her breath hitched.

My lips brushed the side of her neck. “Mariana.”

A sigh slipped through her lips. “Jack.”

That one word, and I was undone. My fangs pierced her flesh, and she cried out with a mix of pleasure and pain, releasing her hold on the wall in order to claw desperately at my back. Her nails dug into my skin while I drank, her blood filling my mouth with a tangy sweetness. A surge of power followed in its wake, fueling my limbs with a strength that screamed alpha . I slammed one hand against the rock wall while the other slipped beneath the surface and cupped her supple ass, hauling her up until her sweet warmth was pressed against my cock. Her legs wrapped around my waist and squeezed, her breathy moan echoing through the room as she ground herself against me.

I pulled my head back, allowing my fangs to retreat, and she let out a mewl of displeasure.

“Again.”

I shook my head as it dipped to her chest, those swirling constellations of freckles begging to be tasted. “No,” I grunted before licking a trail from the underside of her right breast all the way to its stiff, red-brown peak. “Already took enough.”

Her hand reached up to grasp my hair as I sucked that perfect nipple into my mouth.

“And I’m saying take more,” she demanded.

Gods, I wanted more. More of this, more of her . I wanted to slip through those silky folds that were working the length of my cock like it was their last hope of starting a fire before darkness fell. Wanted to bury myself inside her until she screamed my name so loud it echoed through the castle. So even that scrawny man-child she claimed to be with would know how much she wanted me.

Fuck.

That’s right.

She didn’t want me. Or maybe she secretly did, but she’d made it clear she didn’t want all of this. Only yesterday she’d been making up dubious relationships and flinching from my touch. The reminder snapped me out of my blood-induced haze long enough to take in Mariana’s expression: the flushed cheeks, the blown pupils. It wasn’t me making her look that way— it was the venom. It affected everyone to a certain degree, but werewolves were particularly susceptible. It drove them out of their minds with lust.

And I’d been taking advantage of that fact.

Fuuuuuuuck.

Calling on every ounce of restraint I had left, I took hold of Mariana’s hips and slowly stepped back, maneuvering out of her leg hold. She immediately reached to pull me back, but I caught her wrists in my hands, gently holding them in place while she stared at me in confusion.

“Why are you stopping?”

I tried not to ask myself the same question, studiously avoiding looking anywhere but at her face. Her beautiful, flushed face with its wide eyes and plump, red lips. Lips made for kissing. Gods, I wanted to kiss those lips so fucking bad.

I forced the words from my mouth before I changed my mind. “The venom I released when feeding off you is messing with your head. You don’t actually want this.” Not like I do.

She blinked back at me, the lusty daze slowly clearing from her eyes. “I don’t…”

I turned away before she could see how much her realization hurt. She’d made it abundantly clear that she’d moved on with her life. I was the only fool still clinging stubbornly to the past. “Come on. We should get dressed and head back, fill the others in on the plan. The sooner we get that decanter, the sooner you can work your magic and get us out of here.”

She was silent for a moment, and I couldn’t help but glance back at her.

Was that… longing in her gaze?

No sooner had my heart started pounding with frenzied hope than it was gone, lost in the blink of her lashes. A stoic mask settled in its place, and she brushed past me in the water. “You’re right,” she said, not bothering to look back. “We should go. Tenebris will worry if I’m gone too long.”

My heart sank to my toes. “Wouldn’t want that.”

We turned our backs to each other while we fumbled to put on our clothes, our damp skin making the task more difficult than it should have been. I buckled my belt as Mariana threw her red cloak over her shoulders, the soft material brushing my knuckles before falling into place. My jaw clenched, and I fought the urge to reach over and pull its owner into my arms.

The brusque tone of her voice reinforced the stupidity of said impulse. “You ready?”

To watch her fall into someone else’s arms? Not really, no.

“Yeah, let’s go.”