24. CATALINA

TWENTY-FOUR

catalina

My eyes fluttered open. This time I hadn’t woken from the dream like a bat out of hell. After Tobias ran off, I’d passed out, blissed out on all the orgasms. I hadn’t thought it was possible to come so much, but I was fortunately wrong. I stretched out in Tobias’s bed—utterly alone. Moonlight filtered through the multicolored glass pane, the brown shades enhanced in the shine. I dragged my palm over the silk duvet, marveling at the intricate weavings.

My bladder was especially tight. A yawn stretched my jaw. I kicked the bedding off, and pushed off the high bed, making my way to the restroom. I was so sticky, especially my belly. I thought back to the reason why and my face warmed.

I turned the knob of the shower and water rained lightly across my skin. The cool droplets splashed on my skin and I held my hand suspended until it warmed. Stepping inside, I let the water fall over my head and seep onto my scalp. I squirted shampoo into my palm and scrubbed my head, massaging the cedar-scented liquid into my hair.

Finishing my wash, I tugged the towel from the rod, wrapped it around my body, and stepped onto the mat to dry my damp feet.

Tobias had to have something I could wear in here. Exiting the bath area, I went to the drawers. Bingo. Combing through a few drawers until I found a shirt, I paused when I caught a glint.

I pulled out a shiny rectangular frame and frowned at the image where Tobias posed beside an elegant woman looking to be his age... or the age he stopped aging. Had he been married at some point?

The woman’s long neck was elegant and it led to a well-endowed bosom and a tiny waist cinched by a corset. Skirts ruffled out around her legs and her hands were prettily set on her lap.

Some strong twisting happened in my gut when I looked at her. Tobias seemed so serious behind her, looming over her like a protector. I ached to ask him who she was, but I feared I wouldn’t like the answer.

That nasty twisting rose to my esophagus, and I tucked the image back in its place. Plucking a shirt from the neatly folded stack, I tugged it on, and the hem grazed below my knees.

I didn’t want to put those heels back on, but I saw no other way to get around it unless I walked around barefoot. Especially since I didn’t know where Asher put the ones I’d brought.

A bang echoed down the hall and I jumped, whirling around. It sounded like it’d come from the hall. What was that?

I shut the drawer and went to investigate. The door had been left ajar. Another louder clang resonated through the mansion and I followed it to the right of the hall, away from the staircase. I passed Asher’s bedroom, and then four other doors, stopping at the last one on the opposite side. It seemed innocent enough.

I prodded it open the rest of the way with the tip of my toe to a dark room.

Palming the wall, I felt around for the switch, but there was nothing. The slightest sound reached my ears. Was that a groan? I shuffled a few more steps inside, leaving the door wide open so the light speared across the room in a narrow beam that reached the far wall. It was enough to give me courage to take a few more steps. I rubbed my arms. By this point, I was inside of the room and very much doubting whether I should be in here. A rattle, much lower than what I’d originally heard, bounced around the room. Like metal shaking against metal.

I jumped back so fast, trying to flatten against the wall to sidle to the door, but my hip bumped into what I could only assume was a mattress and then a cold palm wrapped around my wrist. A scream slipped free as I was yanked to something hard.

Panting, I froze, the hands feeling oddly familiar.

I squeezed my eyelids together and felt a light touch on my hand as it was dragged up. My fingers settled on... hair?

I gawked up at the male that had moved into the direct line of the beam filtering inside. Red eyes stared down at me, almost expectantly, the same blank aspect to them as in the dream. They lacked humanity. Like I stared into the eyes of a tiger. A large hungry tiger waiting to tear into its bleeding prey.

“You’re real,” I breathed.

He hissed, pressing my fingers into his long pale, white hair, just like he enjoyed in the dream. He was fucking real? A hysterical laugh wanted to escape but I swallowed it.

My trembling digits dragged across his scalp, scratching slightly. His eyes slitted and he buried his mouth into my neck, biting down hard. I screeched, the sound ripping from my throat.

It was combination of surprise and absolute agony. My fingers curled into his hair, desperately yanking as he sucked in deep pulls.

It’d felt the exact same as when I was held by the other vampire, as if he was pulling too hard and too fast, so much so it burned coming out of me. Like the pressure of blood surfacing was too much to come through the little holes caused by the fangs.

I whimpered, and my mind scrambled.

“Tobias,” I shouted, or attempted to. The noise rasped past my throat. “Asher!”

Dots specked in front of my eyes. When I heard nothing I assumed they must not be here... the only one here then, was... “Jax!”

I cried it out so hard my throat burned.

The white-haired vampire didn’t seem to like it. He pulled back and sank his teeth into another spot. My body jerked.

The door slammed open.

“Catalina!” Jax shouted and his entrance caused the vampire holding me to retract his teeth and scramble back, clutching me to his massive chest like I was some toy.

I whimpered in his too tight hold. He was going to pop me. My joints felt close to rupturing.

“I can’t move any closer, or he’s going to squeeze you to death.”

The low words from Jax calmed me enough to not hyperventilate, but there was already tightness in my lungs.

There was a click and light speared my eyes.

“Jax?” I whimpered.

“I’m right here, Catalina. Relax for me, sweetheart.”

I whimpered. I wasn’t sure if I was more shocked at the endearment or the soft tone. I did as he bade and softened against the rabid vampire. My head bounced on his shoulder as he inched to the corner near the bed.

“Bastien, no,” Jax snapped.

Bastien . . .

My back smacked into the mattress and my chest expanded sharply. The simple metal frame the bed rested on creaked as he climbed over me. His nude body pressed into mine and I grunted from the weight pushing me into the plush bedding.

The door banged again and Tobias came into the room at vampire speed. Jax grabbed hold of him as Bastien curved his body tighter over me, blocking me from sight. His wide chest blocked the ceiling.

“Tobias, don’t. If any of us come after her, he’ll kill her before we get to her.” The image of him in my dream, enjoying me combing through his hair filled my mind. He hadn’t seemed so bad after he’d initially attacked me.

“We can’t allow him to?—”

At that point, Asher stepped in and strode forward. Bastien tensed, lifting off me with a hiss. The predatory look on his face shouted deadly intentions. Bastien swiped one of his large hands out and wrapped his fingers around Asher’s throat, who grabbed at his wrists. Flesh burst and blood leaked from between Bastien’s fingers. Asher hissed, eyes turning red. He didn’t seem to be trying to hurt him back, instead he jerked at the arm to get him to release. It wasn’t working and the effect was Asher’s throat was being torn out as I watched.

Pushing to my ass, I wrapped my arms around Bastien’s waist and squeezed. I lifted my hand to the one he was digging into Asher, managing to grip onto his forearm, and I yanked at it.

Bastien turned his attention to me, tilting his head to the side as he flung Asher away.

Asher slammed into the wall, snarling as he pushed up. Jax pulled him back.

“He’s territorial with her,” Jax shouted in his slightly raspier voice. Bastien swept me into his arms as if confirming the comment.

“Don’t worry, Catalina. We’ll find a way to get him away from you,” Tobias said in a calm tone. I flexed my stiff arms currently squeezing into my side. Bastien continued looking down at me—waiting.

“We should end his torment.” Asher’s voice floated to me. The low tone strained. My attention narrowed on him.

“We are not putting him down, Asher,” Jax snapped. For once, I agreed with the rude twin. “The repercussions are too extensive. We can’t afford the loss of his?—”

“I said, ‘end his torment,’ there is no need for drastic measures.” Asher huffed.

“I’m in agreement with Asher for once,” Tobias added. “We should have put him out of his misery when he became blood-mad.”

Bastien pressed down on my sides and a sob wrenched free. He wasn’t helping my soreness.

“Fuck,” Jax hissed. “Fine, but you two will answer to Ren for this.”

The agreement to end the life of the vampire hovering over me didn’t sit well.

I pressed the pads of my fingers into his stomach.

“No,” I said sharply.

Bastien’s brows furrowed and when I squirmed in his grip, he loosened. My heart drummed in my ears.

“He won’t harm me...” I should try to sound a little more convincing.

“Cat, he’s blood-mad. He’s no better than an animal right now.” Tobias sounded closer than before.

Even though he no longer squeezed me close to death, there was tension viced around my lungs. I attempted to suck in a breath.

“Can you get... inhaler?” I pushed from my tight chest. The room tilted and my sight faded at the edges.

I wasn’t sure how long I was out for but when my eyes fluttered open, Tobias and Jax were arguing, so it must have only been a second. I was no longer upright, my back was flat on the mattress and Bastien’s weight was settled over my lower body, pinning my legs.

Asher sped back inside but stopped when Bastien bared his fangs at him.

The medicine landed near my head and Bastien stared as I used it. Now that I was able to breath properly, I could take stock of my situation and think about it.

Bastien wouldn’t hurt me. I wasn’t sure if it was pure hope spawning the words, but it was a feeling I would go with. So, if he was instinct right now . . . I had to find a way to get through to him...

He seemed particularly docile when I wasn’t trying to escape. I licked my lips and met his eyes.

He was hyper-focused on me. I swallowed hard and tipped my chin, exposing the column of my throat.