14. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Felix

My hips roll as my jaw tightens, a low growl rumbling from my chest while I draw more of Zia’s blood into my mouth.

I have never tasted anything like the rich, decadent liquid coursing through her veins, and the way it instantly takes effect is intoxicating.

And when another small whimper vibrates against my lips, it’s almost like I snap.

My free hand slides down Zia’s body until I’m gripping her thigh, sliding it out from underneath me before lifting it high on my hip. And fuck, widening her legs to cradle my hips, nothing but our jeans separating my cock from being buried inside her hot little pussy, it’s almost maddening.

I need to be inside her.

I thrust against Zia as I use my knee to push her legs open further, my hand on her neck sliding up into her hair, gripping it tightly to tilt her head, exposing more of her pretty throat. I grunt as her nails dig into my pecs, my other hand flying to the hem of her shirt before slipping underneath to cup her breast.

With a moan, I knead that perfect handful, squeezing as my cock throbs against her, then I pinch her nipple, twisting it between my fingers until Zia gasps, and I immediately stop.

Fuck .

“Fuck,” I groan the second I release her vein. Jesus, that was close. Licking my lips, I press my forehead to her collarbone and pull my hand from under the cotton material. “Fuck… Zia, I’m sorry.”

“Felix?” She reaches for me as I roll off her, her tone a mix of lingering lust and confusion. “Felix, why did you stop?”

“I’m full,” I lie.

I feel her blood working through my system, almost tingling as it rushes through me, an unusual heat radiating down my throat before it moves like lightning within my body. But I need more. I want more. It’s been so long since I’ve fed that way. I’m sure that’s a small factor but I have never tasted anything like Zia’s blood and the boost I’m already experiencing because of it will easily become addicting. Because it’s her . The delicious life force coursing through her, it tastes like Zia—fiery, feisty, sweet and spicy. It feels like Zia, and it’s giving me one hell of a pick-me-up.

And one taste was all it took to know I will never have my fill of her, but that feeding was going in one direction and one direction only, so I had to stop it.

“You’re full?”

I drape my forearm over my eyes as I nod. Zia’s stare is something I can physically feel, and I don’t really want to see. “I’m full, and you asked me not to kill you.”

Which is also a veiled lie, because I wouldn’t have killed her unless you can die by orgasm, then I would have fucked her to death. So, lying to the only other creature living up here who could possibly understand me is my only option.

Unfortunately, for as na?ve as Zia has come across at times, she can apparently smell my bullshit.

“That was only a few minutes, Felix. How are you full after that when you’ve barely been conscious because you’ve been so hungry?”

“Guess your blood is more filling than coconut water.”

“How is that possible? It’s all liquid.”

It’s cute how she’s trying to get me on a technicality, even more so when I think about how Zia probably doesn’t know how to get me on a technicality. But I can’t tell her the truth, so I keep lying. And trying to keep my cool because I’m growing stronger by the second thanks to her liquid .

“Are you suddenly a pro at how vampires feed?” I’m holding on by a thread—my patience and my sanity. She’s testing me and I’m not in the right headspace to deal with it.

“I don’t need to be a pro to know you’re lying about something.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are, and I don’t like it.”

“Okay!” I snap, quickly getting to my feet, my patience worn because I’m not good at lying like this. “I’m still hungry, Zia, but if I kept feeding from you, I would have done something I’d regret.”

“Something you’d regret,” Zia says with a subtle flinch.

My heart drops when her face falls, when this beautiful female quickly looks away. I’m not sure if vulnerability is something she’s unfamiliar with or just something she refuses to show, but it’s there and I hate that I’m adding to it by making her think it’s her I’d regret.

“I didn’t mean you, Zia.” She scoffs and refuses to look at me, so I step right in front of her, then gently take her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tilting her head so she’s looking at me. “You’ve already had so much taken from you. You had decisions forced on you without your say, and if I kept feeding, I would have been another male to do that to you.”

Zia searches my eyes, her pretty dark ones almost shimmering. “So you don’t regret feeding from me?”

I shake my head and smooth my thumb over her lower lip. “No.”

“And you only stopped because you didn’t want to fuck me without making sure I wanted you to?”

Sucking in a sharp breath because I like hearing her say that more than I should, I nod and take my hand away from her face. “Something like that.”

“Felix,” Zia says with a sigh. “Ever since I heard your voice, all I’ve wanted is for you to fuck me. I thought you knew that.”

“I…” This conversation is not helping keep my erection under control. “I guess I do, but it’s not quite the same. I didn’t want consent to be implied just because you sent me very detailed emails prior to kidnapping me.”

“Well, consider this me giving you consent to fuck me.” Zia’s smile is warm as she shifts a little, embarrassed again by what she’s saying as she almost whispers the rest. “You have my consent for anything you want because no one else has ever asked for it before.”

And that breaks my fucking heart.

Just because Zia is a demon who doesn’t bat an eye at murder, kidnapping, or opening other people’s mail doesn’t mean she doesn’t get a say in what happens to her. Which has a plan quickly taking shape in my mind.

“Your brother said that asshat knows where you are, right? Said the second body was enough to get his attention?”

Zia nods as she watches me start to pace.

“Then we need to get out of here.”

“We do?”

“Yes.”

“Both of us?” she asks eagerly.

“All three of us.” I move to grab the suitcase I had out the other day, then toss it on the bed. “Do you have anything you need to bring?”

Zia gets to her feet and starts looking around the room. “No. Nothing other than my phone, I guess.” Then she spins in a slow circle and points toward the attached bathroom. “And that sex toy. We should definitely bring that.”

With a groan because fuck , I flip the suitcase closed and make my way into the hall. “Grab it. I need to find Roger, then we’re leaving. Did your first victim have a car?”

I start searching for my cat again, clicking my tongue and calling Roger while I crawl on hands and knees with a semi in my jeans.

The reaction I have to this female is insane and very alarming, but the more time that passes—all of three days—the less of a shit I give. Stockholm syndrome or not, I want Zia, and I need to keep her safe because of it.

“Found the keys!” she chirps as she hurries into the living room. “And I think there’s a vehicle in the garage.”

I spot Roger hiding under the sofa, and instead of trying to pull him out, I hop up and lift it, tipping it against the wall.

“Good. Do you know how to drive?” Zia blinks at me and holds out the key ring with a rabbit’s foot attached. “We’ll figure that out together then.”

“Together?”

“Together.” I hoist my cat over one shoulder, holding him in place with one hand before I walk over and cup her cheek with the other. “We are a we now, Zia. It happened when you made me an accessory to tampering with the mail and murder.” Dipping my chin, I bring my lips close to hers, hesitating for the briefest of seconds before I give this adorably unhinged female a slow kiss. “And that’s why I need to get you out of here.”

I hop the curb with a loud thud followed by the scraping of metal as I turn right toward the studio, narrowly missing the streetlight when I do. Zia giggles from the passenger seat as she’s tossed around the inside of the tiny little car, some kind of Cooper or something, painted bright yellow with a black stripe down the side.

It’s absolutely hideous and I barely fit inside, but it was our only option to get to Hellcat fast enough to beat the imaginary clock I’ve conjured up.

Roger yowls from the back as I straighten out, jerking the steering wheel back and forth a couple times before I’m back on track. I’ve never driven anything like this in my one hundred and ninety-eight years of life, and I don’t really want to ever again.

If my knuckles get any whiter, they’ll be completely transparent.

“Turn here!” Zia blurts as she points her arm across my face.

Whipping the wheel left, I blast into a trash can and drive through the corner of someone’s lawn before focusing my eyes on the road. “Are you sure? I don’t see it.”

“Uhm…” She scrolls through her phone before nodding. “Turn right… here!”

With another hard jerk of the circle of death that’s supposed to steer this hunk of junk, I accidentally floor it and send us flying down the first street I’ve recognized this entire time.

“There, see.”

“I see,” I grunt. Driving this clown car from that house to the studio was the single worst trip of my life, including when I took the portal from Purgatory to the surface all those years ago, and I’m pretty high strung.

More than normal, anyway.

But getting here quickly was important.

Zia’s brother didn’t exactly give her a timeline or date to be expecting her husband to show up, but knowing he most likely knows where she is, we needed to leave. And when I told her what my plan was, Zia got on board very quickly.

“I’m so excited to watch you record!” She squeals as I swerve into the parking lot before whipping the car into a spot. “I bet you look so sexy doing it.”

I roll my eyes as I figure out putting it in park, then throw open my door and carefully unfold myself from the seat before walking around to let Zia out. “I doubt it.”

But it doesn’t matter what I think.

This crazy little female was getting anxious the more we talked about my plan, and coming here to record was my way of trying to take her mind off that.

So, we’re going to be here while I get the next—and possibly final—episode of The Word Nerd squared away, then we’re going to go to my apartment for the day before leaving as soon as the sun sets.

I wasn’t really sure where we were going to go after that since we’re both supernatural beings running from our homes, but I remembered this place Silas used to talk about, a camp or a commune of sorts in Alaska. I’m pretty sure he said there was someone there who could help people like us get somewhere even safer. I have no idea if any of that is true, but now seems like a good time to find out.

“Such a gentleman,” Zia says with a smile as I close her door behind her. Then she grabs a healthy handful of my ass before I grab her hand and turn toward the back of the studio. “And so nice to look at.”

I chuckle as we stop at the door. “That was very forward, Azizia .”

She visibly shudders as I growl her full name, then grins when I can’t help but kiss her. “You didn’t like it?”

“I liked it too much, but I’m not sure we have time for this right now.”

“ Fine ,” Zia pouts.

And I smirk. I have no idea how we even got here, but I’m very taken with my abductor, and I’m not mad about it.

After going in alone to send Mandy off without her knowing I have company tonight, I take Zia into the room I record in and get her situated before starting my regular routine.

If I’m going to be here, I might as well do some work.

Once everything I’ve neglected the last few nights is cleaned and running smoothly, I head to the break room to prep the coffee, and see if I have any coconut water here. It’s not that I necessarily need it right now, but I’m not sure if Zia will let me feed from her again, and once we’re on the run together, who knows what I’ll be able to find to keep myself from eating every living thing we come across.

“Bingo,” I say as I pull one sad bottle out of the fridge before pouring the contents into a mug and zapping it.

The first sip has me pulling a face, but I knock it back like a shot, barely forcing it down even though I know it’s good for me.

I guess Zia has completely ruined my taste buds with her absolutely delicious blood.

A grin tugs at my lips as I think about that, about how she tastes, and how that rich liquid made me feel. I bet a proper feeding would have me fucking zinging. I’d be like goddamn Superman with the right amount. And I think I need to show Zia just how special she is because of it.

Completely insane, but special as fuck anyway.

I grab her a bottle of water and a granola bar from the community cupboard—I have no idea what demons need to survive but if she needs food, she’s got to be running on empty—then damn near saunter my way back to the room.

Tonight’s episode is going to be different.

I think, since I have a special guest, I should make Crude Corner the focus, so she gets the most out of watching me.

“Brought these for you.” Setting the snack in front of her as I walk by, my grin grows. “You ready?”

Zia nods eagerly as I sit next to her and grab my headphones, the gorgeous little demon turning to face me with a brilliant smile. “I’m so ready.”

“Good evening, word warriors,” I croon after pressing record. “I have a special treat for you tonight. One so many of you have written in requesting.”

My special guest tilts her head in question as I stretch the mic stand so I can face her as well. She’s going to love this.

“Tonight’s episode is all about Crude Corner.”

Zia’s eyes flare, and she licks her lips, but she stays silent.

“And our focus is going to be on how exhibitionism and voyeurism can go hand in hand.” If I can make it through this fucking episode. “For those who may not be familiar, an exhibitionist is one who enjoys being watched while exposed or engaged in a sexual act.” Nope, I’m not going to make it.

Not when I hear Zia’s pulse pickup and I see her squeezing her thighs together.

Fuck it, right?

She kidnapped me because she wanted me. Zia wanted me without even knowing anything about who I am. She had no idea how I looked. She just wanted me, and even though it was beyond unorthodox in terms of a meet cute , I want her too.

So, I maintain eye contact with her as I lean back in my chair, pulling the microphone toward my mouth before slowly moving to my fly. I pop the button and unzip while I keep talking.

“In other words, an exhibitionist would like showing off their cock.” Zia sucks in a sharp breath as I pull mine out, already erect and leaking precum. I give it a firm stroke from tip to base, squeezing tightly as I add, “Especially while masturbating with an attentive audience.”

I groan into the mic as Zia scoots closer. Her stare is laser focused on the way my hand moves up and down my dick, stroking at a steady pace. “And a voyeur is one who derives sexual gratification from watching others engage in sexual acts—the one who watches the exhibitionist jerk off until he comes.”

With a grunt, I slide my hand back down my cock before cupping my balls and giving them a small tug. “When a voyeur meets an exhibitionist, it’s a match made in heaven, the perfect storm of sexual tension, unless both parties happen to be interested in both fetishes.”

One arch of my brow has Zia getting to her feet, and as I point to her jeans, I growl at how fast she drops them and sits back down.

“Looking at a pretty, wet pussy,” I say as she widens her thighs to show me exactly that. “A pair of perky, round tits.” Zia pulls her shirt off and slips the cups of her bra down under hers, my cock twitching in my hand. “That can drive one participant crazy, even more so when she dips her fingers in that tight little channel before circling her clit.”

Good god, Zia is fucking beautiful, damn near perfect as she follows my instructions without being asked. A perfect partner indeed as she fingers her pussy and rubs her clit exactly like I said, completely exposed and open for me.

“Such a good fucking girl,” I moan into the microphone while stroking my cock faster. “Those perfect breasts gently bouncing as her chest heaves, as she plays with her pussy faster, pinching her tight little nipples hard while she watches her partner pump his cock, all as she inches closer to climax.”

Zia gasps as her body jerks, following everything I’m saying to a T, and when I see her cunt start to drip, I know it’s game over for me.

I get to my feet and bring the mic with me, my cock now in Zia’s face, and before I can get any words out, she leans forward and fucking licks me root to tip with her goddamn forked tongue. And if that’s one of the ways demons are able to change their appearance, fuck, I really want to know what else Zia can do.

Fucking gone.

“When an exhibitionist and voyeur get together,” I pant, staring down at her as my spine begins to tingle. “It doesn’t always end in sex, but when it does, it’s fucking divine.”

I cup her cheek with my hand, gently pulling her to her feet as I do, and I give her a quick kiss before spinning her toward the mixing board.

Letting my jeans drop to my ankles, I kick Zia’s legs open as she plants her hands on the desk in front of her. “But don’t forget, word warriors, consent is key in any and all sexual acts.” She looks back at me over her shoulder, her eyes glassy, pupils blown the fuck out, and when she gives me a firm nod while mouthing yes , I can’t help but groan. “And once you get that clear, unmistakable green light—” I line my cock up at her entrance “— that’s when you’ll reach divinity.”

I slam into Zia on the last syllable but still briefly, because holy shit, I have never felt anything like this before.

The level of heat, how fucking wet she is, Zia’s pussy is absolutely divine, and when it spasms around me, I know it’s going to pull my possible soul right from my body.

“Fuck,” I hiss as I grab her hips, pulling mine back before slamming in again. “Fuck yes, with the right partner, the perfect partner, sex can be existential.”

“Felix…” Zia tries to whisper, but it comes out in the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard, and I thrust harder because of it. “Fuck, Felix.”

Keeping one hand on her hip, the other slides up her side and around to her breast, squeezing it tightly before I twist her nipple. Zia whimpers and pushes her ass against my hips, bouncing on my cock in this position just as hard as I’m slamming into her.

This is so goddamn good.

So good I know I won’t be able to control myself. And I don’t really want to.

I let go of her tit and run my hand up her back before burying my fingers in her hair, leaning forward as I pull Zia back against me, exposing her slender neck.

My hand on her hip moves to her pussy and I start circling her clit, the podcast forgotten while I growl in her ear. “Consent, Azizia.”

“Yes. Yes, Felix, please.”

I pinch her clit as my fangs sink into her flesh, Zia’s pussy immediately clamping down on my cock. I pound into her harder, faster, deeper than before, bottoming out on each thrust. And as I pull on her vein, tugging to the rhythm of my hips, Zia screams my fucking name as her cunt gushes all over me, and I explode so deep into her body she will never get me out of her system.

“Goddamnit,” I groan as I lift my mouth and twitch out the last of my orgasm. “Zia… holy shit, baby.”

“Mmhmm,” is the only response I get, and I can’t help but smile.

She sounds satisfied and sleepy, and that has pride swelling in my chest.

“Did we just record that?”

She giggles as I lick the side of her neck and nip at her ear. “We did. And I’m not going to air it, but you better believe we’re listening to it later. Preferably when I have you completely naked in my bed while I’m balls deep inside of you.”

“You… you want to do this again?”

I turn Zia around to face me after I pull out, both of us a mess, but I need her to know this isn’t a one off or circumstantial. Not really. “I want to do this again, in multiple ways, and I figure since we’re basically running away together, you might be okay with that.”

She nods and hits me with a huge smile, pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss me. “I am.”

“Good. I was really hoping—oh shit!” I look at the clock and realize Mandy is going to be back in less than twenty minutes, the entire night already almost gone. “We have to get dressed.”

Rushing around the room, Zia and I fix our clothes, clean up, and try to make sure there aren’t any fluids anywhere. We can’t really get rid of the smell of sex on such short notice, but once Zia is outside waiting on the roof, I can only hope it gets ignored since I look to be alone.

“Hey, Felix,” Mandy says with a smile just as I notice a spot of cum on my jeans. “Did you have a good night?”

“Yep. It was great. I have to split, coffee is going, I’ll see you later.” And then I’m all but running out the back door, scrubbing at my crotch like a lunatic.

“Zia,” I whisper-shout. “Zia, baby, let’s go.”

I back up and look at the roof, searching for the silver gleam that was there the night she kidnapped me. “Zia?”

Pausing, I search the roof, looking for any sign that she’s up there and hopefully waiting to pounce, but I don’t see anything at all.

I close my eyes and focus on her scent, breathing deep while running my tongue over my fangs. Her taste is just like her scent, but stronger and the more of it I have in me, the easier it is for me to find.

Except I don’t have enough.

“Where the hell have you been?”

I jump at the sound of Silas’s voice, but I keep looking for the female I’m quickly realizing I don’t want to be without. “I was kidnapped.”

“Yeah, okay.” His lighter cracks behind me and I smell his non-filter cigarette, so I move toward the left side of the building. “Why haven’t I seen you in three days?”

“Because I was kidnapped.”

“Stop screwing around, Felix. I was worried Davina showed up or something. There’s a lot of shit going on down below lately, and I… what the fuck are you looking for?”

I roll my eyes as I walk along the back of the studio toward the right side, my heart starting to beat a little faster when I still don’t find any sign of Zia. “Looking for my kidnapper.”

Silas grabs the back of my shirt just as I step up on the bottom rung of the ladder. “There isn’t anyone up there.”

“How do you know? You just got here.”

“ I was just up there, Felix, and I was alone.”

Fuck .

Zia wouldn’t have taken off, not without me. I barely got her out the back door because she didn’t want to let me out of her sight and now… “Goddamnit, I should have listened to her.”

“Who?” Silas asks as he follows me toward the car. “What the hell is going on? And since when can you drive?”

“I can’t.” Wrenching the driver side door open, I check the mini backseat trunk thingy and find Roger sawing logs—Zia brought him out with her so I know she’s been here at least.

“So why do you have a car?”

I walk around the Cooper in a slow circle, looking for anything that might help me figure out what happened to Zia and just when I’m about to go back inside, I stop short of the passenger door when something shiny catches my eye.

Handcuffs.

The handcuffs Zia used on me, and decided to grab last minute before we left, are on the ground and they’re partially melted.

“Son of a bitch,” I growl as I bend down and snatch them up. “Fucking bastard.”

I rush around to the driver’s side and get behind the wheel, starting the clown car up because it’s close to sunrise and if I don’t want to die before I figure out what happened, I need to get to my apartment.

“Felix!” Silas grabs onto the side mirror as I start to back up. “What the—”

“Get in.”

He blinks at me before shaking his head. “You just said you can’t—”

“I fucking know! But if you want to know what the hell is going on, get in this goddamn car and buckle the fuck up!”

Silas scowls but gets in. “Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Why?”

The tires squeal and spin as I tear out of the parking lot, ignoring his question while I fly down the road. “Do you see a phone over there?”

“You know I’m going to be in some deep shit if I’m not back by sun up, right?”

I slam on the brakes, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I slowly turn. “In or out, Silas. I never ask anything of you, try to keep things quiet so I don’t make trouble, but I am about to cause one hell of a shit storm, so I need to know if you’re in or out right now.”

He stares at me for a few seconds, his pale-colored eyes shifting between mine. Then he nods firmly and starts looking around the floor. “I’m in. Just don’t get us killed.”

It’s not us I’m worried about.

I should have listened to Zia.

I didn’t think anything would happen in such a short amount of time, but it did, and it’s all my fault.

“Found your phone.”

I glance at Silas as I take off down the road again. “Look through the contacts for Rae.”

“Got it.” He hands me the phone. “It’s calling.”

After two rings, the same voice I heard from outside the bathtub answers. “Where are you?”

“Is this Rae?” I know it is, but I need to be sure.

“Who the fuck is this? Where’s my sister?”

“My name is Felix. Your sister kidnapped me a few nights ago. I heard everything you two were talking about and I wanted to help her. We planned on leaving for Velariom tomorrow night and—”

A low growl rumbles down the line. “I don’t give a shit about any of this. I want to know where Azizia is.”

“She’s gone and—”

“What!” he barks. “I swear to god if you laid one—”

“Shut up and listen!” I swerve just in time to miss another trash can. “Someone took her from me, and I need your help to get her back.”

I can feel Silas staring at me, his curiosity and confusion practically palpable since I’ve never acted this way over anyone before, but I’m not about to entertain any of that right now.

No, I’m way too focused on figuring out a plan to get Zia back and I don’t give a shit if it’s Stockholm syndrome or not, that unhinged little vixen is mine now.

Zia is mine and anyone who takes from me is going to find out what lengths this freak of a vampire will go to in order to keep what belongs to him.

Xadrian better be ready because he has no idea what the definition of Hell truly is, and I’m about to bring it right to his front door.