27. Corvus

27

CORVUS

I cling to the window, trying desperately not to slide down the glass and hit the deck several hundred feet below. Trying to get a better look inside, I see Adelaide approach, wrapping a towel tightly around herself. Her scent hits me again, stronger now, and I have to fight to keep my composure. The smell of her blood is spellbinding, stirring something primal in my vampire soul.

She cracks the window open, her expression annoyed. "Corvus, what the hell are you doing?" she hisses. "Isn't this place supposed to be on lockdown?"

I can't respond in this form, but I flap my wings and duck inside, making her squeak with surprise. Once inside, I transform back into my human form, landing softly on the bathroom floor.

"Sorry for the dramatic entrance," I say, trying to keep my voice steady despite the overwhelming scent of her blood. "It was lifted a few minutes ago, and then I smelt your blood."

"Again? You are seriously creeping me out with that!" she snaps.

"I can't help it. You're like a drug to me," I murmur, scanning her body up and down but not seeing any harm done.

Adelaide's eyes widen slightly, and she pulls the towel tighter around herself. "I'm fine," she grits out.

It takes a moment to read between the lines, and when I do, I feel like a complete idiot. "Oh," I say eloquently. "Right. Sorry, I didn't mean to... intrude."

Adelaide rolls her eyes, but there's a hint of amusement in her expression now. "It's fine. Though maybe next time, try knocking instead of face-planting into my window?"

I chuckle, grateful for the break in tension. "Noted. Though in my defence, bats aren't known for their graceful landings."

She smiles, amusement dancing in those black depths. "Do you think I can change into a bat?"

Grinning back, I shrug. "Maybe a half-bat. Ooh, maybe like a human head but with a bat's body! Or?—"

"Oh, shut up," she laughs, throwing her bath sponge at me. "Blackthorn says you're meant to be my mentor, not some goof who makes fun of me."

I catch the sponge with ease, my vampire reflexes kicking in. "I can be both," I say with a wink. "A mentor with a sense of humour. It's a package deal."

Adelaide shakes her head, but I can see the smile tugging at her lips. "Lucky me," she says dryly.

The air between us shifts, becoming charged with something more than just playful banter. I'm acutely aware of her state of undress, the thin towel barely concealing her curves. The scent of her blood is still strong, mixing with the lingering smell of her arousal. It's intoxicating.

"Corvus," she says softly, her voice taking on a husky quality that sends a shot of lust straight to my cock. "You should probably go."

I know she's right. I should leave, give her privacy, maintain some semblance of propriety in this time of humanity for her. But every instinct in my body is screaming at me to stay, to close the distance between us, to taste her.

"I know," I murmur, taking a step closer instead of backing away. "But I don't want to."

Adelaide's breath hitches, her pulse quickening. I can hear it, the rushing of her blood in her veins, her thumping heartbeat.

"This is a bad idea," she whispers, but she doesn't move away. If anything, she leans in slightly, her body betraying her words.

Adelaide's words hang in the air between us, but neither of us moves. I can hear her heartbeat quicken, see the flush creeping up her neck.

"Probably," I agree, my voice low. "But when has that ever stopped me?"

Her eyes flick to my lips, then back up to meet my gaze. "Corvus," she breathes, and it's both a warning and an invitation.

I step closer, drawn in by her scent, her warmth. We're barely inches apart now. "Tell me to leave," I murmur. "Tell me you don't want this, and I'll go."

Adelaide swallows hard. Her fingers grip the edge of the towel tightly. "I... I can't," she admits.

That's all the permission I need. In one fluid motion, I close the distance between us, capturing her lips with mine. She gasps into the kiss, her body melting against me. Her lips are soft, but there's an underlying hunger that drives even more arousal to my cock.

My hands find her waist, pulling her flush against me. The thin towel does little to hide the heat of her body. Adelaide's arms wind around my neck, her fingers tangling in my hair.

I deepen the kiss, my tongue seeking entrance. She opens for me willingly, a soft moan escaping her. Her taste is intoxicating, better than I could have imagined.

But there is something else that is distinctly not her.

Zaiah .

The djinn has been with her recently. His scent is all over her. I growl, but not out of jealousy. No, it's out of a longing to have seen them wrapped around each other…

I break the kiss, panting slightly. Adelaide's eyes flutter open, confusion and desire warring in their depths.

"What's wrong?" she asks, her voice husky.

I run my thumb over her bottom lip, savouring the softness. "Zaiah's been here, hasn't he?"

Adelaide's eyes widen, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I... how did you know?"

"I can smell him on you," I explain, my voice low. "His scent is all over you."

She looks away, guilt flashing across her face. "It was just a dream," she whispers. "At least, I think it was."

I cup her chin, gently turning her face back to me. "Not a dream, Dollie. A bend in reality. He is a little shit. Did you want it?"

"Yes," she says instantly, and that's all I need to know. "But I want you as well… what does that say about me?"

"It says that you have room for more than one in your heart, Dollie. Your vampire is stretching its muscles."

"It's a vampire thing?" she asks with a frown, and I can tell exactly what she's thinking.

I chuckle. "It is, and if you're wondering if I have more than you in my life, the answer is no."

"I wasn't thinking that! And even if you did, this between us is…"

"Is what?"

"I don't know." She sighs.

My hands rest lightly on her hips again, and I tighten the hold, pulling her closer. "Let me taste you," I murmur.

"I'm not ready for that. Biting is… I'm not ready for that."

"Who said anything about biting?" I murmur and pull her towel away.

She gasps as she gathers my meaning and shakes her head, "No."

"Yes," I murmur.

"Corvus, no." She holds her hands up, but I grasp them lightly and drop to my knees. "Fuck. No. That's gross. It's… no!"

Smiling at her, I pull a small compulsion over her. Not enough so she can still be able to tell me to go to hell, but also enough to take the edge off her inhibition.

"Corvus," her voice shakes as her knees tremble.

I let go of her hands and place my hands on her hips again, lowering my mouth to her pussy.

She moans in mortification as I flick my tongue out and taste her.

"Fuck," I groan. "Adelaide."

"Jesus," she mutters, hands over her face. "This is…" She throws her head back as my tongue presses down on her clit.

Her hands go into my hair, and I feast on her hungrily, lapping up the blood pooling in her pussy, glad I caught her before she staunched the flow with the tampon that lies uselessly on the floor next to us.

Adelaide gasps as my tongue delves deeper, exploring every inch of her perfect pussy. Her fingers tighten in my hair, holding me against her as her hips begin to rock. The taste of her blood mixed with her arousal is irresistible, driving me wild with need.

"Corvus," she moans, her voice breathy and desperate. "Oh god..."

I growl against her, the vibrations making her shudder. My hands grip her arse, pulling her closer as I devour her. Her scent surrounds me, filling my senses until there's nothing but Adelaide.

Her legs start to tremble as I focus on her clit, circling it with my tongue before sucking gently. Adelaide cries out, her back arching as she grinds against my face.

"Don't stop," she pants. "Please don't stop."

I have no intention of stopping. Not when she tastes this divine, not when her pleasure is building so beautifully.

Adelaide's moans grow louder, more desperate. Her hips move erratically as she begs for her climax. I can feel how close she is, taste it in the flood of wetness coating my tongue.

"Corvus!" she cries out as she comes, her body shaking. I hold her steady, lapping up every drop as waves of pleasure crash over her.

When her trembling subsides, I stand up. Adelaide's eyes are hazy with pleasure, her cheeks flushed. She jumps into action immediately, handing me the sponge she threw at me earlier.

Snorting, I take it from her and clean up. "Thanks," I chuckle.

Adelaide blinks. "That was intense," she breathes.

"Just wait until I can really taste you," I say, running my tongue over my fangs.

She shivers and says nothing, but there's heat in her gaze that tells me it will happen. Soon.

"See you tonight," I murmur, knowing it's time to leave now before I drag her to her bed and nail her to it with my cock whether she wants it or not.

"See you later," she murmurs and waits as I transform back into my bat form. I take one last look at Adelaide and take flight through the open window, still tasting her blood on my tongue. That was the single most erotic thing I've ever been involved in, and that's saying a lot.

Lost in thought, I almost don't notice the two figures lurking in the shadows near the base of Adelaide's tower, but they are kind of hard to miss with their very conspicuous presence here.

I bank sharply, transforming mid-air and landing gracefully on the ground. "Lucian. Asher," I growl in warning. "Bit far from your rooms, aren't we?"

Lucian steps forward, that vicious sneer making his face even uglier. "Corvus," he drawls. "Fancy meeting you here. Checking up on the new girl, are we?"

Asher chuckles, a nasty sound that sets my teeth on edge. "Yeah, real noble of you, Corvus. I'm sure the faculty would love to hear about your late-night visits to a student's room."

"Go ahead. Blackthorn knows I'm here. But you two… yeah, not so much."

Lucian shrugs, feigning innocence. "We're just taking in the night air and keeping an eye on things. You know how it is, Corvus. Gotta make sure everyone's following the rules."

The threat in his words is clear. They're looking for dirt, for any excuse to get me in trouble. But they're barking up the wrong tree. I didn't lie. Blackthorn does know I'm here.

"Listen carefully," I say, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as I bare my fangs and hiss. "Adelaide Black is under my protection. If I so much as suspect you're planning to hurt her, or use her to get to me, I'll make you scream with so much agony, you will wish you could die. Are we clear?"

Asher takes a step forward, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "Is that a threat, Corvus?"

I meet his gaze steadily. "It's a promise. No one fucks with her. Spread the word."

For a tense moment, we stand there, the air thick with unspoken challenges.

"Sweet dreams, Corvus," Lucian calls as he and Asher back away. "Do give our regards to the lovely Miss Black next time you see her."

I wait until I'm sure they're gone before I take to the sky again, heading back to my room. Adelaide is protected in that tower. Only Blackthorn and I can get in without an invitation. Or a pocket dimension to another world… asshat djinn.

I land gracefully in my room and transform back to human form. The encounter with Lucian and Asher has left me on edge. Their presence near Adelaide's tower was no coincidence, and their thinly veiled threats make my anger issues have anger issues.

I try to calm the rage building inside me because that will lead to no good, and more than likely, it will end up kicking my own arse. Something tells me she won't be amenable to being locked up in her tower, so she is safe from idiots like Lucian and Asher, not to mention the Strix and, more importantly, the master of those assassins.

The taste of Adelaide still lingers on my tongue, a bittersweet reminder of what just transpired between us. But now, that moment of bliss is overshadowed by the looming threat and the increasing urge to keep this Vesper safe, not just because of what she is, but who she is becoming to me.