25. CATALINA

TWENTY-FIVE

catalina

“Cat. Don’t move,” Jax snapped, but I ignored him. My arm trembled as I curled my hand around the back of Bastien’s neck.

I relaxed my shoulders and held my breath as his lips pressed against my throat. A wet tongue lashed out and I bit my lip at the erotic sensation. Suddenly, he struck like a cobra and sucked.

My fingers speared into his hair, scraping the scalp slightly. He groaned against my skin and his body fully settled on top of me, pressing the oxygen from my lungs with his weight. I became accustomed to his mass and settled under the vampire. His wide lower torso pressed between my legs as he splayed across me. Now that my thighs were spread, the long shirt I wore pooled at my waist, leaving me embarrassingly bare. The pressure of his smooth, hard abdomen against my core short-circuited my thoughts. That’s how big this one was . . . his fangs were embedded deep into the crevice of my neck where my shoulder met it, while his belly button lined up with my core.

Bastien made some sort of rumble in his chest and retracted his fangs from my flesh. Red stained his lips and his nostrils flared. His palms dipped the bed at my sides, jostling me. What was he doing? I gawked as he slid down my body to bury his head between my thighs.

His tongue lashed out and lapped at my arousal. I yelped at the onslaught, trying to catch my breath. He didn’t seem to care about anything but licking away the moisture. My body clenched and his teeth sank into my inner thigh. My back arched off the bed as I cried out. Dear Lord. My toes curled. The orgasm blistered through my core, and I panted as my body spasmed from release.

My lashes fluttered as my eyes opened to meet Jax’s, Asher’s, and Tobias’s gazes as they watched my face.

Tobias pushed his fingers through his hair while a flush spread on Asher’s face, a multitude of expressions crossing his eyes.

Jax’s jaw ticked but he hadn’t looked away from me.

Bastien dragged another mouthful of blood and my core gushed again. I felt so damn wet.

“You need to stop him, or he’ll drain you,” Jax said sharply.

I registered the words, but I didn’t want to stop him. That was orgasm brain speaking though. I dragged my elbows back and pushed up, making an effort for my stomach muscles to hold me up. Slipping my hand under his chin, I gripped it hard, but he didn’t budge.

“No.” I added a little shake with my word and Bastien tensed, red iris’s flicking up to mine. I frowned exaggeratedly at him and his teeth retracted, head lifting.

He licked the red painting his lips. His long white hair tickled my arm as I sucked in a breath. I lifted my arm and speared my fingers through his strands, dragging his head down to rest on my lap. There was hardly any resistance and he sank on top of me, allowing me to keep him close.

His shoulder muscles rippled as he adjusted his position and sank onto me in a kind of cuddly, grizzly bear sort of way.

Asher went invisible and Jax’s hand dropped. I had no idea where he was but Bastien tensed, a deep, aggressive rumble starting in his chest.

“He knows you’re near,” I muttered and pressed my fingers into Bastien’s shoulder when his hold tightened.

I dragged my palm down Bastien’s back, he groaned and leaned into my touch.

“Fuck.” Asher reappeared and hooked his hands behind his neck.

“I guess we wait.” Tobias sighed and leaned against the wall while Asher paced. Jax remained in place, his attention fixed on my face. I pressed my lips together and lowered my eyes as warmth spread in my cheeks. He was so intense. I couldn’t get a feel for Jax. Sometimes it felt like he hated me, but his actions pointed otherwise. Then there was the fact I felt no true danger from him anymore.

From the time I could remember anything, I’d never felt safe. My parents were a bit unreliable and absorbed in their toxic relationship, mix in some drug addictions that landed them dead and by eighteen, Peter and I were on our own. All my life there was work, worrying, and providing.

Then that vampire had taken me and opened my eyes to the supernatural world.

From early on, feeling ‘safe’ or ‘protected’ wasn’t something I had the pleasure of experiencing. But these vampires somehow brought all of it forward, everything I’d ever wished for.

Bastien nuzzled my leg. I kind of liked this.

Okay, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I should admit. Bastien’s thick lashes settled on his cheeks and he stilled preternaturally. From observing the other vampires, I noted they didn’t really breathe. The only time I’d seen one of them suck in a lungful of air was during or after something stressful.

It was interesting to be around people that didn’t have to do the thing I struggled most with.

Bastien didn’t move for many minutes, nothing, not a twitch. If I wanted to get out of his hold, this was my chance.

I scooted more into a sitting position and slowly removed my hand from the tangles of his hair. He gripped my hand.

“Don’t—” Jax’s sentence cut off at my scream. Bastien continued crushing my fingers as he clutched them to his chest.

My bones ground together, and something snapped. Mother fucking shit. A sharp pain radiated up my arm and I whimpered as I collapsed in the bed. Sweat beaded my forehead and I heaved out a sob. He still hadn’t let my broken hand go.

Jax was on the bed and at my side, arms wrapped around my upper body while Bastien stared him down with a snarl curving his lips.

“Calm him down, now,” he snapped in my ear. Tears trickled my face as I lifted my uninjured hand and rubbed it against his arm as my entire body trembled.

Bastien curved into my hand and settled, even as Jax’s legs corralled my sides so I could lean against his muscled chest.

I pressed my cheek against his chest, tears streaming down my face.

“It hurts,” I whimpered.

He went on in a stream of curses I didn’t understand.

“As sexy as it sounds, cursing at me in your native language right now isn’t going to help anyone,” I whispered roughly.

Jax stopped the angry cussing and his chest moved once against my cheek in a deep breath. His arms wrapped around me tightly.

“How’s your hand, Pet?” Asher paced nearby, his face tight.

“Hurts,” I muttered. “Jax, can you put the inhaler to my mouth.”

Jax’s hand patted to the side and he did as I asked. Better able to breathe and see without spots dancing in front of my eyes, I found Asher inching closer.

A sharp ringing in the room interrupted abruptly and I tensed as Bastien tightened his hold on my hand. I screeched as Jax’s lips settled in the crevice of my neck.

“Hold on, Kitten. Just hold on a moment.” The words tickled my neck. I lifted my head so I could press my mouth against his cheek to stifle my cries of pain.

“Fuck,” Tobias shouted crisply.

“Go, we’ll watch her,” Asher snapped. “You’re aggravating Bastien.”

Steps were the next thing I heard. The pain was still stabbing, but I sucked in shallow breaths.

“Move carefully, Pet.” Asher inched close, making sure to keep an eye on Bastien. “Switch your hand out so Jax can take a look.”

I nodded shakily, focusing on the heavy vampire half-draped across my legs. He hugged my broken limb to his chest like it was some sort of toy. His gaze was hyper-focused on my face to the point that it surprised me holes weren’t burning into it. With my other palm, I tugged at his forearm holding my other arm down. Bastien loosened his hold enough for me to slip my crushed hand free. He scooted closer, and his ear pressed to my upper thigh and arms wrapped around my legs. Hopefully they wouldn’t be next. I paused my pulling, panting at the pain. Jax gripped my arm and helped me pull it up to him. Each minuscule twitch sent a wave of electricity throughout my fingers.

“Holy, shit,” I croaked, whimpering into Jax’s chest. Bastien looked up at me, tilting his head. I rubbed my thumb across his forehead.

“Yes, Pet, keep at it. He’s responding to you.” Asher sounded half-awed and half-excited. With his perverse sense of . . . everything, I was positive that was not a good thing.

Asher knelt by the bed.

“Hurry it up, Jax,” Asher snapped, jerking his chin toward my too limp hand. Jax’s grunt vibrated against my back. His thumb pressed into my wrist and I tensed up.

“That’s hurting her,” Asher snapped.

“Yes, well, I need to feel around to know the extent of the damage.”

Asher’s brows furrowed as he focused on Jax’s moving hand. Shards of pain struck my nerve endings, and I tensed up so hard against Jax it felt like my muscles would snap. Asher caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

“He destroyed your hand.” My throat tightened at Jax’s words. Tears flooded my eyes and they trickled from the corners. “It will take you a long time for this to fully heal, and even then, it may not feel right.”

I blinked quickly, but regardless of how many times I blinked, the tears wouldn’t stop. Exhaling shakily, I trembled against Jax. This couldn’t be. I was a writer. My hand was my life. My pulse shot to hell and a panic attack loomed over me.

“Pet. There’s another way I can help you?—”

“No,” Jax snapped, his body tensing.

Asher’s teeth clicked together and I pressed my eyes tightly shut until the tears allowed me to see. The twins stared each other down.

“You’re not tying yourself to her, Asher.”

“Tying yourself to me? What does that mean?” They were acting too weird. My mouth dried up like a raisin.

“When vampires share blood w?—”

Jax slammed his teeth into his own wrist in a swift move and then pressed it to my lips. I sputtered against his skin, muttering at him, but his grip didn’t loosen.

Liquid trickled into my mouth and a sweet taste spread on my tongue, tightening my belly. I swallowed on instinct and a rush of energy spilled through me.

I moaned, my eyelids fluttering closed as I sucked in another gulp.

“What the fuck was that?” Asher snapped. They settled into a rapid argument in their language.

I lulled against Jax, comfortable and blissful. My belly felt warm and toasty as the blood spread throughout my body. Jax lifted his arm from my lips and tugged out of my grip trying to keep him close. I hadn’t realized I’d clung onto him.

My wrist twinged and the ache dulled significantly. Panic obliterated the hazy, lustful blanket that spread through my veins. I sucked in a breath as I lifted my hand, gingerly twisting it in a circle. There was hardly a pinch. My eyes wide, I lifted my stare to Asher. The edges of my vision faded for a split second, and then refocused.

“I feel . . . better,” I said, slightly slurring my words while actively working to ignore the sensitivity between my legs biding me to grind against Jax. Asher was still glaring at his twin. I twisted to look at him, making sure not to jostle Bastien too much. “Why did you do that?”

My tone sounded more accusing than I’d meant it to.

Jax’s jaw tightened and he pushed me forward. I grunted as I flopped toward Bastien, and Jax slipped out from behind me.

Asher shook his head as Jax exited. A pit balled in my stomach when he disappeared, settling uncomfortably. I didn’t feel as comfortable or warm as I’d felt in his arms.

I scowled and pressed my hand to my stomach, fighting the urge to rub between my legs.

Asher sighed. “He didn’t give you too much, so you should be clear-headed in a moment.”

What did that even mean? I scowled harder. I poked at the furrow between my eyebrows.

“This was why I wanted to give you my blood, I wouldn’t have a fit every other second and march off,” Asher said . . . mumbled, whatever. I shook my head, struggling to focus.

“What does that mean? You mentioned a connection.” I licked my dry lips.

Asher brushed my hair back.

“When vampires share their blood, it heals, but it also creates a bond for as long as it runs through your veins. It’s even worse when you’ve exchanged blood with a vampire. You will feel each other’s absence and you will feel when you need each other. It’s like a call to one another. A sort of tether. You can also find one another through it.”

This must have been how I survived in the cave for so long. The Pale One fed me his blood. And here I thought I’d survived because I’d eaten the damn bugs.

My stomach soured at the memory. Nope. No, time to block the traumatic memories. Not one of my finer moments but I’d been determined to live so I could get back to Peter.

Turned out I didn’t have to do that because he’d been giving me his sweet blood the entire time. Sweet? No! I’d hated it, I hated everything about it . . . but not really. I rubbed my temples. Asher said something about finding—a cold wave washed over my thoughts and I climbed out of the mental cobwebs.

If we could find one another, did that mean...

I sucked in a breath.

No. No.

Had he known where I was the entire time?

He’d known how to find me. The whole time he’d known as I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off.

“ Sh . ?lskade. ” Asher perched on the end of the bed and pressed my head to his chest.

I was at an odd angle since Bastien weighed my legs down, so I had to twist my torso, which didn’t help the shortness of breath.

“What has you so terrified, Pet?”

I squeezed my eyelids shut, unable to get the words out even if I wanted to. No, he couldn’t get to me now even if he found me. Vampires seemed territorial and there’d been no other one of them to step foot in their home.

“Distract me, please.” The words rasped free, rough and desperate.

“I—” Asher sighed, and I could practically feel the nerves radiating from him. My fingers clenched onto his shirt.

“Tell me about Ren? Or Bastien? Why is he down here? Why is he like this?”

“Ren... enjoys chaos. Bastien is subtler. Kills anything that crosses him even when he’s not blood-mad.” Asher snorted and shook his head.

“What’s blood-mad?” Dread tugged at my stomach.

“It’s an illness that started running rampant in vampire communities more than three decades ago.” Asher dragged his palm down my side. My heart rate was starting to go down and the fingers of the panic attack slowly withdrew. “It drives vampires crazy. The illness eats at their brain and all they want to do is drink blood.”

I swallowed hard, nose flaring as images of the Pale One filled my mind. He’d been indiscriminate when he bit me, just as Bastien was. The skeletal monster looked like it’d been vacuumed of anything resembling human, leaving behind a husk of a thing . It’d had no care or patience, sleeping or eating practically all the time. A sick cycle that led to feeding me his blood, which, according to them, meant he could have found me this entire time.

How stupid was I?

I’d spent the last few years running, uselessly. If he could find me, then why hadn’t he captured me?

Was he playing a game with me?

I rubbed my forehead against Asher’s jaw.

“Bastien was always a bit loose up there, though. Where Ren thrives on calculated disorder.” Asher chuckled. “Ren and Bastien were known to create the largest number of vampires in one century, which was probably why Imogen wanted?—”

He cut off and I frowned, lifting to look him in the face and quirked my brow questioningly.

The corners of his lips tilted up.

“Ren and Jax may have been fooled by her, but the cunt only used us,” Asher added. “Bastien would have eventually left Crimson Coven if he hadn’t become blood-mad. I stayed for my foolish brother. Ren looked for alliances that benefited him, but was just as quick to turn on you if something didn’t. And Tobias couldn’t leave.” An odd wrenching tore at my chest. That would explain Jax’s bitterness toward... everything.

“Why couldn’t Tobias leave?”

Asher sighed. “That’s enough story time, Pet. You need to rest. Don’t think I didn’t notice you stifle that yawn.”

“I just woke up,” I said, forcing pep into my words. Another yawn encroached. My eyelids did feel heavy.

“Come. Rest against me. I’ll keep watch over you.”

I pouted and went along with his decree more because he was stronger than me. He settled against the headboard, and I rested against him.

I wiggled my toes, trying to get some blood circulating. My legs were going to be numb by morning with Bastien’s weight. There seemed to be tons of baggage accompanying these guys and the one with big blaring lights was named Imogen.

She had a hold on them, even in death, and that soured my stomach. There was nothing positive with thoughts attached to her, but I was sure that had more to do with the jealousy creeping up on me. She had them all seemingly wrapped around her fingers, and I knew now that I had no chance against the memory of her.

As I faded away, Asher’s hair brushed my cheek.

“When you’re ready to tell me what has you so fearful. I will protect you.”

The vow was heaven . . . My shaking subsiding and I slept.