Chapter 36

My entire body is aching and sore after last night, exploring every inch of each other’s bodies. I didn’t think it was possible to come that many times in one night, much less still be interested in sex after the sheer amount of times we indulged. We can’t stop, though. I don’t know if it’s our bond, but every time we touch, kiss, or even just look at each other, the fire is ignited again, and we’re overcome with need and desire. Our greedy kisses that we can’t help but steal. Our searching touches fill my body with pure bliss.

I’ve never known a love quite like this, and I don’t ever want this feeling to stop. My eyes are open, and all I can see is him as my beginning, middle, and end. He’s my past, my future, and everything in between. He’s the place where my heart lives, my fated sanguis.

I’ve just collapsed over him when the sun begins to rise, its bright rays illuminating the dark room we lay in through the transom windows over the door. My voice is hoarse from screaming his name throughout the night, but I can still manage, “Should we go before the crypt keeper gets here?” A giggle slips out of me at the absurdity of the situation. We’ve desecrated a tomb, down to the door Chris kicked in and with cum stains across the floor from both of us—mine courtesy of the fact that Chris discovered I could squirt during the night. Even though I’m sure we’ve committed some sort of crime, I can’t bring myself to care. Everything about last night was magical, and I would happily use this mausoleum in the same way again. Maybe we could honeymoon here. I nearly cackle at the thought.

If that’s the shit I’m finding funny, we definitely need to get out of here. Now that I think about it, I could really use a shower and some food; the last time I ate anything was bar food before the concert. But what I want most of all is a damn bed and some rest. “Your human needs feeding and sleep, baby.”

Chris snorts. “Is that so?”

Almost like it’s timed to address his playfulness, my stomach growls at him. “Yep. That’s so.” I sit up, searching for my clothes. Ah, there they are, buried in a dark corner where I can barely see them. I slide off the casket, padding across the room so I can get dressed.

Chris’ growl sounds from behind me at the sight of my naked body, and I whirl, grabbing the first piece of clothing from the floor to cover myself. “No,” I say, trying to sound firm. “Food, a shower, and sleep—in that order—and then you can growl at me.”

He quirks an eyebrow as he rolls from the casket, prowling towards me.

“Chris…” My voice quivers at the sight of him, beautiful and already hard, crowding into me, his nose brushing my ear as he lays a kiss along my jawline. “Chris.” This time, his name is a moan, because he just licked my neck. “God, baby.”

A small chuckle escapes him. “Still interested in leaving, kitten?” My stomach grumbles at him again, and he steps back slowly. “Okay. Okay. Let’s get my sanguise something to eat. As much as I hate to say this, let’s get dressed.”

We dress quickly, in designated sides of the mausoleum after we both started moving towards each other before Chris even got his pants on. Now we’re finally dressed but still eyefucking each other on our way out of the mausoleum, doing our best not to even touch as we make our way to where the car’s parked in front of the cemetery. We discovered last night that neither of us can focus if we’re touching each other, and it looks like that’s continued into the morning.

I fear sleep may not be in my near future, given how last night played out. Every time I started to ask Chris if we could leave, he would touch me or kiss me again, and I was sucked right back into his allure. Maybe this is why no human has ever experienced the sanguis bond; we would never eat or sleep again and would die of famine or fatigue long before anyone ever found out we existed.

We get to the car and get settled, Chris navigating us effortlessly through beautiful forests, past neighborhood after neighborhood until it has been about 10 minutes since I last saw a house. “Wait, where are we going?” I ask, still focused on the wooded areas we’re driving past. The trees lining the road are beautiful, massive, and old.

“I’m taking you home,” he responds simply, his far hand resting loosely over the steering wheel.

“Wait, home? Your childhood home, you mean? Where you grew up?” I turn towards him. Am I getting to see another piece of his history?

He tilts his head and wiggles his hand in a sort of gesture. “Kind of, but not really. It’s the same property I grew up on, but I tore down the original structure and remodeled it completely years ago. So the house isn’t the same.”

“Damn.” I pout at him playfully. “I wanted to see where baby Chris took his first steps.”

He barks out a laugh. “No worries, kitten, my mother had plenty of journals keeping records of my childhood that I can show you.”

“It must be nice to have some record that somebody cared about you.” I sigh, staring out the window.

“What do you mean?” Chris’ voice is low, and I glance over to see his brow furrowed. “I thought you had your parents. Didn’t they take care of you?”

“If by ‘take care of,’” I say, putting air quotes around the words. “You mean putting zero emotional effort into me, making me feel like a burden, and fucking off to Florida without a word, just a signed deed granting the house to me with no notice that it was happening?” His fingers wrap around the steering wheel, squeezing tightly as his jaw clenches. “I don’t even remember the last time I heard from them on a day that isn’t the day they think my birthday is.”

“Do your parents not know when your birthday is?” he asks, his tone disbelieving. His disbelief turns quizzical as his brows furrow. “Shit, I don’t even know your birthday. Tell me when it is, kitten. I’ll never forget it.”

My heart squeezes in my chest at his remark, although it’s a minor sentiment, I love that he asked me. “They know the month I was born in, does that count?” Chris takes his eyes off the road to give me an incredulous look and scoffs. I roll my eyes with a smile. “My birthday is November 10th. Anyways, it doesn’t really matter. Elijah was, is, my family in all the ways that matter. And now I have you.” I can feel the cartoon hearts in my eyes when I look at him.

“And now you have me. Always,” he confirms. Chris is quiet for a few moments before he continues. “Want me to kill them?”

“Chris!” I shout, twisting my body so that I fully face him now with my jaw on the floor.

He snorts a laugh. “I’m only kidding, baby. Well, sort of. It really pisses me off that your parents treated you like that. I’m not saying I’m gonna go out of my way to hunt them down, unless you want me to. But no one disregards my girl like that and lives to tell the tale, parents or not.”

A small smile curves my lips. Even though I hear every word he’s saying, my heart stuttered at “my girl.” I think it’s pretty clear by now that I’m his girl, but hearing him say it out loud makes me want to melt into my seat. “Well, no, I don’t want you to murder my parents. Shitty as they were to me, it doesn’t matter. I’ve never been happier than I am now, in this moment. I have everyone in my life that matters now.”

“I feel the same way, little kitten,” he muses with a smile, turning down a hidden driveway.

“Be honest with me,” I joke as we drive down a long, winding driveway, no sight of a home in view, just lots of trees. “You’re actually driving me out into the middle of nowhere to kill me, right? This is all just your plan for my extravagant murder…” My voice trails off as we pull up in front of a stunning structure. “Wait, this is your house?” I ask, gaping in awe at the beautiful, secluded house before me. It must be at least two stories tall and has dark masonry on the exterior that’s interrupted by large lavish windows lining the front of the lower floor. It’s modern but has an old feel. If I were ever asked what my dream home looked like, this would be it.

“This is our home, little kitten,” Chris corrects.

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Who said I wanted to live here? I already have a home, little puppy. You should know; you lived outside of it for a week.” I give him a cheeky grin.

“My home is wherever you are, baby. I don’t care where we live as long as I’m with you,” he responds with his usual sincerity and charm.

My heart squeezes in my chest, and I reach for Chris, turning his face to mine and kissing him hungrily. It’s supposed to be a quick kiss, but since last night, everything with Chris has amplified in passion and intensity. The kiss is profound, as we bite and nibble greedily at each other’s already swollen and bruised lips. I don’t even realize that I’ve climbed over the center console until I’m straddling Chris in the front seat. Each time our lips meet, it’s like this. We’re fueled by an ever-aching need that feels like it will never be satiated, a flame that will never be put out. That endless inferno just grows brighter and hotter with each touch, each time our tongues dance as we kiss.

I arch my back as Chris grabs my ass in his hands, grinding me against the swell in his jeans. My hips start swaying with the rhythm he sets. “Chris, I need to sleep,” I say through each kiss. I know there are other things I need to do, but with Chris’ lips on mine, I can’t think of anything else.

“Sleep after. God, I fucking need you. I crave you. I can’t stop, kitten,” Chris groans against my lips.

“Okay, one more time. And then I’m going to go to bed. I mean it,” I say, with a playful smile slowly forming.

Chris unzips his jeans and pulls his hard length out in one swift movement before pushing my panties to the side and nudging my entrance with the tip.

I’m still soaking wet. But I’m so sore. Sore enough that when he grips my hips and thrusts into me forcefully, I shriek against his mouth. God, it’s painful as he stretches me and fills me entirely.

“Focus on me, baby. I told you I was going to fuck you until you couldn’t walk anymore. You know I always keep my promises.” With a light touch to his left, Chris lowers the seat back so we have more room, but it’s still difficult with his height. Neither of us wants to stop, though. “Touch yourself while you kiss me. I’m going to pound that tight, perfect pussy of yours, and I need you dripping for me.”

At his command, I reach down to rub my aching clit, desire mixing with the pain with each pass of my finger over my bundle of nerves. I bring my mouth to his and kiss him deeply.

Chris clutches my hips in his hands, lifting me slightly and holding me firmly in place, my wet heat still wrapped around him. Without warning, he plunges into me, setting a relentless, almost violent pace. Strangled moans wring out of me with each hard thrust, and every tight circle I rub over my clit, until all I can feel is pleasure coursing through my body. No matter what, my body reacts to Chris, and nothing else matters. I whimper against his mouth as I feel the muscles in my core start to spasm. “Harder,” I plead.

Chris responds with a deep growl as he thrusts into me so hard that if he weren’t holding onto me, I would have flown into the roof of the car. Even though I can tell he’s not using his full strength, he’s still so powerful. I cry out as my orgasm rips through me, rocking my hips back and forth over him as he keeps thrusting with that same force, forcing me through my climax.

Chris growls my name loudly as he finds his release not long after I do. His hands grip my back, squeezing the leather of his jacket that I’m still wearing as he spills every bit of his cum inside of me.

“Fuck, I love you,” I say, leaning against the steering wheel and jumping at the unexpected beep of the horn.

“I love you so much, Dani. You’re so damn incredible,” Chris pants. “But if you don’t get inside that house right now, I’m going to fuck you again.”

With a giggle, I climb off him and slide back into the passenger seat, my body still humming in pleasure. “Is this… normal for vampires? Having this much sex?”

Chris smirks. “It depends. We certainly have much more stamina than a human does. But I don’t think this has anything to do with increased stamina. This is because of our bond. Once you accepted me and the bond snapped into place, I had this overwhelming need to claim you entirely. I like to think of everything since then as making up for lost time.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Is it going to be like this for a long time? Because every time I touch you or kiss you, or even think about doing those things, I want you inside of me again. It’s like a physical ache that I can’t control.”

Chris bites his lip, his face intense. “It will probably last a while, but if you keep saying things like that to me, it’s going to last a lot longer, and we will never leave this car.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “Get. In. The. House. Kitten.”

I laugh and step out of the car, chancing a glance at the handsome vampire getting out of the car behind me, a sensual look in his eyes as he rounds the car towards me. No, I don’t think I’ll be getting sleep anytime soon.

Chris leads me into his home. Our home, or one of our homes, I guess. Chris was right when he said that home is wherever we are because I know that so long as Chris is with me, I’ll be home. With that mindset, I walk into the foyer of our home.

The first thing I see is a large black spiral staircase. Surrounding that is an open floor plan. The living area is off to the left, and a large modern kitchen sits to the right. The space is immense and feels expensive and, of course, mostly black—from the cabinets to the floor to the furniture. I roll my eyes at Chris, who responds with a snarky look. Color me shocked that the color palette for my emo vampire’s lair is shades of black. We’ll have to add in some splashes of color so it feels a little bit less like we’re living in a cave.

Chris gives me a hurried tour of the house, showing me where all the essentials are and promising me a more thorough tour later before he rushes me up the stairs and down a long, narrow hallway, ignoring many doors until we reach the door at the end of the hall that opens into the master bedroom.

I step in, and the first thing I notice is the scent of Chris wrapping around me, so soothing it almost takes my breath away. The second thing I notice is just how very Chris the bedroom is. There’s a large king-size bed, guitars on the wall, and luxurious décor in varying shades of black littered around the room. Everywhere I look I see little gothic touches, like dramatic archways over the doors, exaggerated crown molding, and an over-the-top chandelier as the main source of light in the room—save for the massive windows covered by floor-length velvet curtains. Black, of course. As if there’s any other color.

From there, he shows me the large walk-in closet, which he told me is mine to fill with as many clothes as I want, once I move some of my stuff here. It feels like this is all happening so fast, yet not fast enough.

Our next stop is the en suite bathroom, which is honestly the size of another large bedroom. The centerpiece of the room is a gorgeous claw foot tub with a massive double vanity counter sitting underneath a huge mirror on the wall behind the tub. Off to the right is a walk-in shower that is big enough to fit us and an entire audience.

Chris walks over to the shower, turns it on, and swivels the water temperature to hotter than hell, the way he knows I like it. “Get in the shower. I’ll give you a few minutes alone while I call Benji. They’re probably wondering where we disappeared to.”

“But all of my clothes are on the bus,” I remind him.

Chris smiles wide. “And? I don’t see a problem.”

I place my hand on my hip and glare at him.

He laughs, the sound coming from low in his belly. “You can just wear something of mine for now, baby.” Pausing, he licks his lips. “Fuck, it’s going to be so hot seeing you in my clothes. Even hotter taking them off you, though.”

My core pulses and a chill goes down my spine. It’s insane how needy I am for him. How desperate. I shake my head, pointing my finger at him. “I will be going to sleep after this shower, puppy. So keep your perverted thoughts to yourself.”

Chris bites his lip as he stares me down. “Keep it up, and I’ll feed you my blood to heal your aching pussy, and fuck you for the rest of the day.”

My jaw drops. “You could have done that this whole time?” Now I’m annoyed.

Chris laughs loudly, backing towards the door. “I had a promise to uphold.”

“You ass!” I shout after him as he turns and walks out the door, his laughter echoing back to me.

I spend a considerable amount of time in the shower just letting the water pour down my body, soothing my sore and bruised skin. But I welcome the pain because each bruise, every aching limb, is a testament to the soul-deep love I feel for Chris that lingers within every crevice of my body.

Chris returns to the bathroom just as I finish washing my hair, opening the shower door and just watching me with a hooded, lustful gaze. “One more time before you sleep. But you’re gonna feed this time, baby.” He holds up a knife casually.

“I’m sorry. Is that a knife?” I blink rapidly at him, trying to process what I’m seeing. “What the hell is that for?”

Chris says nothing as he strips his clothes, watching me with a predatory gaze as he steps into the shower with me, his cock already hard.

“Chris, what is the knife for?” I repeat in a concerned tone.

He flips the knife in his hand, extending the grip towards me. “Take it.”

“Why?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“I want you to choose where on me you’re going to feed from and make it happen.” He stalks towards me. “Make me bleed for you, little kitten.”

My eyes widen as I stare at the knife he’s offering to me. “I-I don’t want to hurt you.” I stammer on the words.

Chris tilts his head as he stares at me. “Take the knife and make me bleed for you, Danica,” he demands in a raspy tone that is hard to refuse. The knife hangs from his grip in the space between us.

I finally take the knife in my hand and stare down at it. I’ve never hurt anyone before—not intentionally. “I don’t think I can.”

Chris grabs the hand holding the knife and he brings the blade swiftly up so it rests against the side of his neck. I gasp softly and try to jerk my hand back, but he keeps the blade pressed against his skin, hard enough to dimple his skin but not hard enough to break it. “You’re not going to hurt me. My blood, my body, my heart is yours to command. So cut me and claim what’s yours, so I can bury myself inside of that sweet cunt and claim what’s mine.”

Desire swirls in my belly at his words, my breathing ragged with lust, and fear, and every emotion in between, as I dig the knife harder into his skin. He doesn’t even flinch at the feel of the knife’s sharp edge. He just stands there, staring into my eyes. With a deep breath, I drive the knife in and down the side of his neck hard and fast.

Blood pools along his neck, dripping down onto his chest. He groans as I drop the bloody knife to the shower floor, the hand that wielded the knife trembling with the adrenaline rush. “Fuck, you’re so sexy kitten.” Grabbing both of my ass cheeks, he lifts me into the air, pinning me against the wall. “Claim me,” he growls against my ear, offering me his bleeding neck, using his hand to gently guide my head towards the wound.

Drinking his blood doesn’t even make me feel disgusted. Instead, I welcome the warm, coppery taste into my mouth, his blood a shock to my senses, my pleasure drips down my thighs just from this act alone.

He pushes my head harder against him, forcing me to drink deeply. His groan echoes through the bathroom as I ingest more and more of him. I find myself moaning against his skin as I drink, his blood already bringing me closer to release. “Keep drinking, baby,” Chris groans, thrusting himself deep into me.

I’m no longer sore. All of my aches and pains are gone, his blood racing through me to heal me entirely. I’m letting out sharp cries against his neck, my body tingling with each drop I drink from him.

His strokes are slow at first as he pushes himself deep inside of me before dragging his cock out to my entrance and then driving back in with violent force. I let out a muffled moan with each thrust of his hips, tonguing the cut along his neck, craving more of his blood.

He wraps his hand through my hair and pulls me free of his neck. “Fuck, I’m about to come just looking at you with my blood dripping down your mouth,” he groans, tugging my lower lip down with his thumb.

“Then claim me,” I say with a husky moan.

Chris crashes his lips over mine. With one hand on my thigh and the other spanning my rib cage, he quickens his pace, each intoxicating stroke sliding over my G spot. I can feel myself getting so close to exploding. Like he can read my body and knows I’m about to detonate, he pounds into me relentlessly as he breaks our kiss, bringing his hand up to cup my neck so I can’t move my head, forcing me to stare directly at him so he can watch me come undone.

“Chris!” I shriek out his name, my cries echoing through the large room as my orgasm tears through me. My muscles spasm around his length.

He slows his pace as I twitch and writhe against him. “God, I love you, Dani. I’ll never be able to say that enough, and I’ll never get tired of watching you come apart just for me.” He kisses me hard. His grip on my thighs is firm.

Suddenly, he raises me high into the air, bringing me level with his head. “Chris! What are you doing?” I yelp as he adjusts the placement of his hands so he can drape my legs over his shoulders before pressing one hand against my stomach so I’m pinned against the wall above and planting the other on my upper thigh so he can spread me wider. “W-what-”

His mouth parts, his tongue running the entire length of my pussy before I can say another word. He groans loudly against my core, the sound vibrating through me before he sucks on my clit savagely. All conscious thought abandons me immediately. “Fuck, Dani, you’re so delicious.” His words are muffled as he presses his mouth into me.

I let out a strangled sigh as he sucks and flicks his tongue aggressively over my clit. Keening cries emerge from my mouth as I thread my hands through his black hair, holding him tightly to me as release floods through me again.

As I come down, Chris darts his tongue down my slit and thrusts it into me before dragging his tongue back up along the entire length of my center, groaning as he laps my cum out of me. He shifts back so he can lower me back to the floor. “Turn around, kitten, I want to see that pretty ass bouncing on my cock.”

I turn, placing my hands against the tiled wall and spreading my legs. “Such a good girl.” He moans as he enters me, before he slams himself home. His thrusts are unhinged, driving himself in and out of me, the sound of skin smacking against skin defeaning. From this angle, I can feel every glorious inch of his cock as he pounds into me. I’m lost in the feeling of him until he smacks my ass, the unexpected hit causing me to let out a tiny yelp. He slaps the other ass cheek, this time the strike making me moan as he rubs the sting away. Throughout it all, he maintains his punishing pace.

“Oh my god!” I cry out at the overwhelming sensation of how fast he’s fucking me.

“That’s right, you worship me when I fuck you like this, little kitten. My cock will bring you salvation every time I claim what is mine,” Chris growls, placing a hand around my throat, pounding harder and faster until he shouts out his release, his cock pulsing inside me as he fills me with his seed.

Between panting breaths, I slide myself off him, turn, and place my hands on his chest. “I can’t wait to do this with you for the rest of my life. God, I love you, Chris.”

Chris kisses me tenderly. “I love you too, Dani—my sanguise. You’re my everything.” Resting his forehead against mine, he’s quiet for a second before speaking again. “My life was so empty before you, and now that I know what I was missing, I realize I would have waited a thousand years for you. I just can’t believe I finally found you after all this time. I promise to spend the rest of my days showing you how much you mean to me and how lucky I am to have you in my life. I loved you from the moment I saw you, and I’ll love you until the minute I take my last breath.”

Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I realize that his words almost sound like a marriage vow. I can’t imagine what I did to deserve this man, but I know I don’t want to go through this life without him. Is it even possible to fall in love with someone repeatedly? To fall for them more every single day? With every breath, every touch, every word, and every kiss, I know that I love him more than anything else in this world. “You’ll never take your last breath. I won’t allow it. Promise me.” I kiss him softly. “If you die, then I die, too,” I whisper against his lips.

“I promise you. We’ll be together for an eternity if that’s what you want?” His statement lilts up into a question at the end.

I suppose this conversation had to come up sooner or later, but we need to have it when I can think straight. Between getting fucked for pretty much twelve straight hours and the general sleep deprivation, this is not the time to be making literal life-and-death decisions. “Ask me again after I sleep.” I smile.

There’s that dimple again, flashing as he beams at me. “Okay, kitten. Let’s get you to bed. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

I scoff in disbelief but let him scoop me into his arms, dry me off, and carry me to the bed. All thoughts of food are lost on me when my eyes drift closed, and I’m asleep before we even get to the bedroom.