23. Kenrid

It only took us twenty minutes to sort through all of Lorna's purchases. She was bossy in her peculiar way, but it had an edge of urgency that I hadn't seen before. I hoped it was her desire for intimacy and not just Damon's blood.

After the last time we'd fed her, I couldn't imagine not getting intimate. The exchange of bites between mates always involved sex. I'd consider Damon a god if he were able to let her feed and nothing more. I certainly wouldn't be able to do it.

If Elliott told the truth, Damon had been abstinent for ages. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to go without sex. I also wasn't sure I believed Elliott. If I'd gone that long without release, I never would've lasted as long as Damon had a few nights ago. He certainly hadn't acted like he abstained.

"I think that's everything," Lorna said, emerging from her closet.

She gripped the hem of her shirt in both hands, almost like she was nervous. It was cute and a little disconcerting. I didn't want her to feel nervous around me. I preferred the confident woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

"So." Lorna paused for several seconds, twisting her fingers in the fabric of her shirt.

Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her thin shoulders seemed to sag with each of her breaths. Her exhaustion was obvious, and I felt guilty for not noticing it earlier. I should be getting her ready to sleep, not thinking about a night of sex.

I was about to intervene, but Damon grabbed her hand and pulled her to the bed, gently urging her to sit on the mattress. I went to the dresser and found a nightgown, a soft cotton blend that would hang to her knees. I didn't need something sexy to tempt me if we were really just letting her sleep.

When I turned back around, Damon knelt in front of Lorna massaging her feet. Her nose wrinkled as she watched him. She glanced up at me as I approached, and a small furrow formed between her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

I laid the nightgown on the bed beside her, waiting for Damon to answer her question. When he didn't reply, she huffed.

"Seriously guys. I don't need to be pampered." She wiggled her toes, and a soft sigh escaped her lips, completely contradicting her words.

"Obviously," Damon mumbled. "I'm going to make some hot tea while you change." When Damon stood, Lorna started to protest. "You're exhausted, little d'laej. Let's take care of your dhampir's needs so you can get some sleep."

I hid my surprise from Lorna, but I was truly shocked. The demon was going to let her bite him and then go to sleep. He had way more self-control than I could ever imagine.

I let my fingers trail down Lorna's arm, then leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be right back."

We left the room but didn't close the door. I could feel Lorna watching me as I walked away. I wanted to turn and see her expression, but I didn't want to interfere with whatever plan Damon had going. He had to have one. I was beginning to see that everything he did was calculated.

I followed him into the kitchen and leaned on the island countertop while he washed his hands, then filled a kettle and set it on the stove.

"I hadn't realized how tired she was until just now," Damon whispered. "I don't think she nor her dhampir have the energy to lose control tonight."

"You don't want me to stay?" I asked, a little surprised by his suggestion.

"I'm not sure it's necessary," he replied. "But I'm not asking you to leave. I know her dhampir has only fed from me once, but her caution around me is encouraging." He frowned before taking two cups from the cabinet. "I don't want her to feel like she has to pay for her meal with sex. I won't deny her if she wants to get intimate, but I shouldn't make it a stipulation, not even an implied one."

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "I hadn't even considered the implications," I said. I should have, though. Here I was thinking with my dick instead of my brain. "Damn," I muttered.

Damon chuckled. "Let's make sure she knows it's a cuddle night and let her decide where we go from there."

The kettle whistled, and Damon poured boiling water over the teabags in each cup. I hadn't even paid attention to what flavor of tea he'd selected. Then it dawned on me that there were only two cups, not three. I would've enjoyed a cup of tea after dealing with the Exiled all day.

I shook my head, not wanting to think about the nonsense I'd endured. I'd just wanted to move out of the mansion. They did everything they could to stop me, short of tying me up and locking me in my room.

"Here, take this to our mate."

Damon handed me both cups. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled again.

"I don't drink tea, Kenrid."

I felt like a complete idiot. I knew so little about him. But if I would be sharing my mate with him on a regular basis, I really needed to change that. I also hoped I could have her to myself every once in a while. It was a selfish thought, though. Damon might never enjoy her without having me there.

"We've got a lot to talk about," I said, taking the steaming mugs from him and heading back to Lorna.

"Yes, we do, Your Highness," he said.

I stopped in the middle of the living room, barely resisting the urge to spin around and face the demon. My royalty status wasn't a secret—all the fae knew—but no one had ever mentioned it to the clan. Nathan hadn't known until I told him. He'd probably shared that information with Damon and Elliott. Neither of them treated me differently, which surprised me. Again.

Damon brushed by me without a backward glance, spurring me forward. I could hear the water running in Lorna's attached bath, so I set her cup of tea on the nightstand. Damon crawled into the king-sized bed, his shoes disappearing before they hit the covers. By the time he sprawled out beneath the bedspread, he was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs.

I envied his ability to magically conjure clothes.

I kicked off my shoes but didn't remove anything else. It was my night to do clan business with Nathan, so I'd only be staying until Lorna fell asleep. If Damon had his way, I'd be gone in the next half hour. The thought spurred a flare of jealousy. I would've loved to spend the night holding my soulmate, but it wouldn't happen tonight.

Elliott was supposed to be back before midnight to make sure our little dhampir wasn't alone and unsupervised with Damon. I briefly wondered if Elliott's wolf would relent and let him sleep next to his mate—in the same bed as Damon. Or would the wolf force him to sleep on the sofa?

Lorna's quick intake of breath drew me out of my thoughts. I gripped my warm mug with both hands and smiled. She gaped at Damon taking up half of her bed. He'd only pulled the blankets to his waist, leaving his chest bare for her. A grin spread across his face, and Lorna finally started moving.

The hem of her nightgown fell well short of her knees, giving me a very nice view of her long legs. I failed to force back my desire for her. I probably needed to quit trying. My longing for her would probably never go away.

When she reached her side of the bed, she picked up the cup of tea, sipping it without looking at either of us. Her eyes slid shut with another sip. I would've thought she was enjoying her hot beverage, but her eyebrows drew together in an almost painful expression. Was she arguing with her dhampir again?

"I don't know how to do this," she muttered. "How can this feel so right and so wrong at the same time?"

I glanced over her shoulder at Damon, knowing she was referring to him. I couldn't blame her having mixed emotions about feeding on someone. Vampires had always disgusted me until I fled the fae realms. The thought of feeding off someone else made my stomach churn, not just because I was a vegetarian. I'd always seen vampires and dhampir as parasites. Technically, they were. But Nathan had proved that they were not much different from me.

"There is nothing wrong with who you are." Damon sat up and moved closer to Lorna. "And everything about this is right."

Lorna shifted on the bed so she could see Damon. "You're not a meal to be devoured, Damon," she insisted. "You're my … my mate. My friend. I shouldn't be treating you like a chocolate milkshake."

Damon grinned, and Lorna's face flushed. I suppressed a smile, knowing where each of their minds went, because mine traveled down the same path. I'd love to feel Lorna's mouth on my cock just as much as I'd love to taste her. I crossed the room and took the mostly full cup from her hands. She didn't resist.

"Your hesitation only proves how amazing you are," I said, putting both our mugs on the nightstand. "We'll help you find your place with us and make sure it's not awkward for you."

She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "But you shouldn't have to."

"I want to," Damon said. "Now lay down and get comfortable."

Lorna glanced at me, her eyes pleading, but I had no idea what she needed. I slowly reached for her, giving her time to pull away. She didn't, so I trailed a finger along her jaw, then leaned down and kissed her. It was meant to be gentle and reassuring, but she threaded her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer. Her tongue demanded entry, and it wasn't like I'd deny her anything.

I leaned over her, letting my hands slide down her back. Her kiss became more demanding, and a tiny fang nicked my lip. My cock throbbed with need, and I nearly gave in to the urge to tear my clothes off and take her how I wanted. I reluctantly pulled back, loving the sting against my scalp when Lorna didn't let go.

I smiled against her lips. "Let's get you in bed."

She growled but let her hands fall to her sides. I reached behind her and tugged the covers back. A few moments later, Damon pulled her against his chest. I watched with envy as she drew in a deep breath. I wanted her lips on my skin. I wanted her desire to flare for me and no one else.

I silenced the snarl trying to escape. Jealousy wouldn't help any of us.

Damon whispered in Lorna's ear, and she rolled over to face him. I caught a glimpse of her irises flickering from hazel to black, then back again. I didn't wait for an invitation to slide into the bed right behind Lorna. Her closeness made my magic flare to life. She didn't shy away from me when I ran my fingers along the curve of her hip.

"Just like last time, little d'laej," Damon murmured.

I continued caressing Lorna's bare thigh, while wrapping my magic around the three of us. Our girl brushed her lips against Damon's skin, right beside the mark she'd left on his chest. My cock hardened when she ran her tongue over the same spot, then sank her teeth into his flesh. Damon's skin pebbled, and his magic swelled, mixing with mine. Heat warmed my chest where my own little bird fluttered beneath my shirt.

My dick throbbed as I watched her mouth suck on his skin. How I would love to feel those lips on me. Lorna's hands slid around Damon's waist, pulling him closer. She whimpered, and I assumed Damon healed faster than she liked. She bit him again, and the demon groaned.

It took all my willpower to not grind my hips against her ass. I squeezed my eyes closed, but it did nothing to subdue my desire. Not that I thought it would. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in her heat, but Damon was right. She didn't need to feel like sex was expected. So, I lay there silently wrapping my magic around my soulmate.

A rough hand on my bicep had my eyes popping open a few minutes later. I immediately searched Damon's face for signs of distress, but he just smiled at me and dipped his chin toward Lorna. She no longer had her lips pressed against his skin. Her long eyelashes brushed her cheeks as her eyes slid closed. A deep flush spread across her face, but I suspected it was from her meal. The smell of her desire faded, replaced by the soft floral scent that was all Lorna.

Her slender fingers made small circles on Damon's pectoral, but her eyes remained closed. Her breathing slowed, and all the tiny wrinkles on her face faded with the tension that had built around her. She was beautiful awake and even more so when she slept. All her worries, fears, and insecurities left her alone, at least for a few hours.

I wished mine would do the same, but I doubted I'd be that lucky. After my conversation with Nathan regarding Brance's questions, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in Lorna's kidnapping. No matter how much I wanted to ignore my suspicions, I'd be a fool to not do some digging of my own.

In the meantime, I'd enjoy being close to the other half of my soul.