23. TOBIAS

TWENTY-THREE

tobias

I buttoned my fresh slacks and strode out of the bedroom. An imbecile. That’s how I’d behaved.

Entering the kitchen, I yanked the fridge door open. My blood was gone. I snatched an empty bag from the side door. Asher could have had the decency to clean up after himself. As soon as I shut the fridge, a fist flew at my face. I braced myself and a sharp burn spread on my cheekbone. I needed that or else I would have turned right around and had my way with Catalina. Every delicious inch of her body would have been mine. Every drop of her blood . . .

My cock hardened from the visual and ache to fuck her even as pain radiated from my cheek.

Asher’s nostrils flared and the red evil tint of his eyes faded from sight. That famed relaxed visage returned and he rolled out his shoulders.

“What do I owe such an aggressive reaction to?” I leveled out my tone. Simply put, the aggression was out of character for him. A word vibrated through his head, faint and as if behind a veil.

Mine.

He raked his hair back.

“Her scent is all over you.” His fist flew at me again, and I avoided it, but not in time to evade the foot to my stomach. I groaned and slammed against the wall. The sharp sting at my spine lasted a split second before I straightened, brushing the lint from my black jacket with my free hand. “And that’s for placing her in your bedroom.”

The hard-on I’d had the entire night I’d held her must have broken records, and I hadn’t been able to let her go despite the fucking burn.

“Are you jealous, Asher?” This reaction was utterly out of place for him and the fury in his gaze pointed to only that reason. His possessive words and this anger he harbored in his gaze . . . he behaved as if I’d taken his wife—as if he were a cuckold.

But that could not be it, vampires did not love. We did not feel softness, we owned, we possessed, we devoured, we claimed.

There were no ‘soul mates’ as some deluded humans believed. With creatures such as ourselves, hell-bound and evil, selfish to the core, we were not given such a gift from God. But in my long, ceaseless life, I’d seen bonds formed between pairs, a Beloved , the chosen mate to a vampire. Their loyalty to each other was just as binding. He behaved as if she was his Beloved, but that was impossible, a human and a vampire would never work and she could never be turned into a vampire with the vampire illness running rampant. Even before blood-madness violated vampires, women could hardly survive the change.

Asher’s body tensed, the muscles along his neck becoming taut. My human, his thought shouted at me. He staggered back and then he snapped straight as if he hadn’t meant to react so viscerally. He masked the slight confusion on his brow with a smirk.

Too late. I’d seen it all.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Asher’s eyes narrowed. Hon var min. Bara min. The English he was thinking in switched to Swedish, which he well knew I couldn’t understand.

“She was mine first, that is all.”

“You’ve never had an issue with sharing.” There was a sharpness to my tone. I didn’t want to share Catalina if I could have her. I would not give him the pleasure of owning her. Not when they’d all shared Imogen. “None of you have.”

“She’s different. She’s mine.” Asher bared his teeth. I’d never seen him so tightly strung or possessive. It angered me. My fangs burned to spring out, but I ground my teeth to keep the show of emotion hidden.

“You know well there is no future for a human and a vampire.” I murmured, studying the tension lining his features. Such human emotions flickered over his face. The twins were the youngest of us all, so it would be within reason to believe they could be rash.

“She’ll be my blood-whore and if I don’t tire of her, I’ll turn her.”

I scoffed. “You’ll end up having to kill her regardless because of the blood-madness.” Even if it no longer existed, turning a female vampire had only a twenty percent chance of success.

“Then she’ll live as my blood-whore.” The corner of his lips tilted up. “She doesn’t know it’s in the process of happening. Thanks for that by the way.” Lying to her about the blood-whore transition time had come much easier than I’d anticipated. She could not know all our secrets. Deceptions and rumors were all that was allowed to be shared with humans. “Or even better, so she doesn’t become an addict, I’ll share my bloo?—”

I narrowed my eyes at him and he cut off.

For us, it was forbidden. There were countless perks the human would receive, but it would open us all to dangers we could not risk.

Sharing our blood was sacred.

“You’ve been stealing all of my blood bags,” I commented offhandedly. The empty package I still gripped slapped Asher on the face. “Come with me to restock since you’ve drained it all.”

He scoffed.

“Send one of my Progeny.”

“You know we cannot risk it right now.” He knew it too, but he was being difficult on purpose. “For once you’re not complaining about having to drink from a bag,” I added, hoping to get something out of him. But he just stared back at me instead of saying some insipid thing as he usually did. My comment didn’t force a reaction out like it would have done to Jax.

The way he watched Catalina wasn’t lost on me. He enjoyed her... truly enjoyed her, and Asher had enjoyed no one in the centuries we’d all been together. His sly flirtations were all an act. They were all he knew from his past life as a whore. Even with Imogen he was never affectionate as he was with Catalina.

“You’ve always refused drinking from the bag. What changed?” The answer was clear, but I enjoyed his discomfort.

“Are we going to get the bags or not?” Irritation marred his tone.

I tilted my head and he turned on his heel, the muscles of his back rippling as he stalked toward the garage door located toward the end of the kitchen.

I caught up to him as he navigated downstairs to where our vehicles were housed. Fluorescent lights flickered to life, illuminating the rows of vehicles.

“I saw you too,” Asher said. Pulling open the door to the newest Mustang model. “I’ve never seen you so intrigued by a woman, Priest.”

“Don’t.” The word came out in a snapped tone, much quicker than I could stop it. I wanted to bash my foot into the side door, but refrained with a tug at my vest.

Asher became eerily still.

“Do you realize it’s too dangerous to bring a human into our fold? If anyone finds out we—” I paused mid word and slitted my eyelids at Asher. “You. Hypothetically own a human. She’ll be used against us. No one has the luxury to keep her. You’re placing her in danger.”

There were selfish reasons for my words. I didn’t want her to be with him. Watching him touch her so freely when I craved to do the same ate away at me.

It was too late for me not to desire her, as much as I denied it, there was so much there, but I would continue to turn my back on that. I couldn’t face it even if she tempted me unlike any other.

Yet, he got to have her.

My teeth ground as I watched him climb into the car.

No, I couldn’t have thoughts like this. I exhaled sharply, closing my eyes. I shouldn’t be lusting after anyone. It wasn’t something I’d ever needed or wanted. One woman wouldn’t tempt me. She wouldn’t make me lose my mind.

She already had Asher wound around her finger, and Jax . . . he was on his way there even if he didn’t realize it.

It would be wrong of me to want her. She was perfection and I was a monster. She didn’t need creatures like us in her life. We would bring doom to her—and her death. My intention at the beginning leaned toward breaking her neck, but everything in me recoiled at the thought now.

“I want to be back before she wakes,” Asher snapped, becoming quiet and sullen. He revved the car, and I settled into the passenger seat for the ride. He was acting more and more like Jax as the days passed.

“Are you serious about making her your blood-whore?” His only response to my question was the quirking of his lips. “Leave the girl alone, Asher.”

“No,” he said mulishly. “You’ve tasted her blood and her presence. How could you want to be away from that?”

I didn’t, but if we kept her, I may lose myself if she was near for too much longer. The descent to hell may be worth it . . .

I gritted my teeth again as Asher navigated the vehicle on the road. The fight against my instincts was a day by day thing, which was why I kept myself away from temptation and Catalina was the only temptation I’d ever had.

I ached for her to where I feared I’d choose her above all else, as well as my vows.

The thought struck horror through me. Obsession would be the downfall of us all.