13. Christos

13

CHRISTOS

I stand at the foot of the bed, my heart heavy with the weight of what's about to happen. Aria lays there, her eyes fixed on me, a mix of fear and determination in her gaze. The room feels too small, too confining for the enormity of this moment.

I couldn't put her out there in the clearing with the others. I wanted this moment to be intimate, to let this be just between us. If anything happens…I won't let her just be another body.

"Are you sure?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aria nods, her jaw set. "I'm ready, Christos."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. This is it. No turning back now. I climb onto the bed, positioning myself over her. My wings unfurl instinctively, cocooning us in a dark, intimate space.

"It'll hurt," I warn her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "More than anything you've ever felt. I can lighten the pain of the bite but not the Change."

"I can handle it," she says, her voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands.

I lean down, pressing my forehead against hers. Our breaths mingle, and for a moment, I'm lost in her scent - that intoxicating blend of courage and vulnerability that first drew me to her.

Holding her gaze, I lift my wrist to my lips and tear at the skin. "Drink," I murmur as I press it to her lips.

Aria hesitates for just a second before latching on. The sensation of her lips on my skin unleashes something in me I didn't expect. I watch her face as she drinks, her expression changing from uncertainty to something like wonder.

When I feel she's had enough, I gently pull my wrist away. Her eyes are wide, pupils dilated. I can see my blood on her lips, and it stirs something primal in me.

"Now," I say, my voice rough with need and fear, "it's my turn."

I lower my mouth to her neck, feeling her pulse quicken under my lips. My fangs extend, and I bite down as gently as I can. I focus on not wanting to hurt her and I can feel the numbing agent start to pour out.

Aria gasps, her body tensing beneath me. Her blood floods my mouth, sweeter than anything I've ever tasted. I could addicted to her.

Hell, I think I already am.

As I drink, I feel my venom flowing into her. It gives me a bit of complex to know that my veins are filled of her and her body is bowing up as I fill her with my own venom. Aria's breathing becomes labored, her hands clutching at my back.

I force myself to stop, pulling away to look at her face. Already, I can see the Change beginning. Her skin is paling, a sheen of sweat covering her brow. Her eyes meet mine, hazy but I can see some of the pain breaking through.

"Christos," she says, a whimper breaking through it.

I hover over her, watching as the Change takes hold. Her body jerks, and I know I have to do something.

"Let me help you," I whisper, and she nods, reaching out for me.

I bite farther down Aria's neck, injecting more venom. Her body responds instantly, arching beneath me, a gasp escaping her lips. I can feel her heart racing, her breath coming in quick, shallow pants, and I do it over and over, lining her throat and collar bone until I'm sure she can't feel any pain.

"Christos," she murmurs, her voice laced with euphoria. I can smell it, the sweet, intoxicating scent of her pleasure. It ignites something feral within me.

I trail kisses down her body, biting gently at the curve of her shoulder, the swell of her breast. Aria shivers, her hands clutching at me, pulling me closer. I can hear her heartbeat, feel the rush of her blood, the pulse of her desire.

Her skin is hot, feverish under my touch. I can see the Change taking hold, her veins darkening, her breath coming in gasps. But there's no pain in her eyes, only pleasure. Only need.

I move lower, my lips and teeth exploring every inch of her. She writhes beneath me, her body responding to my touch in ways that drive me wild. I can feel her nails digging into my back, her hips bucking against me.

When I settle between her thighs, her scent is overwhelming. Her body is ready, begging for more. And she reaches down, pulling at her pants until I help her out of them.

With nothing between us, I loop my arms around her thighs and hold her still as I bite her inner thighs, making her moan. I groan as the blood spills across my tongue.

Another moan escapes her, and she reaches down to pull at me. I chuckle as I move over, diving between her legs. I taste her, my tongue and lips drawing out a cry from deep within her.

I flick across her clit, sucking and licking her until she is screaming. I feel the second her orgasm starts, and I flick faster as she tenses — and then shatters. Her hands tangle in my hair, holding me to her as she rides out her orgasm.

"More," she begs, reaching for me already.

Shaking my head, I rise up, undoing myself and positioning myself at her entrance. Her eyes meet mine, glazed with pleasure but lucid. She knows what she wants. She knows what she's asking for. And I want to do anything to stave off her pain.

And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want her.

"Please, Christos," she whispers, her voice raw with need.

I thrust into her, a groan escaping my lips. She feels incredible, her body clasping mine, pulling me deeper. I can feel her pleasure, her need. It's overwhelming. It's all-consuming.

I bite my wrist, pressing it to her lips again as I move within her to speed up the Change. Her eyes widen, then darken as she drinks. The scent of her, the feel of her, the taste of her - it's all too much. And not enough.

I can feel her climax building again, her body tensing around me. I thrust deeper, harder, my own release building. Her eyes never leave mine, her lips never leave my wrist. It's intense. It's intimate. It's us.

And then she shatters, sucking my blood down harder as her walls clutch me. It only takes a few more pulses until I am coming inside of her, and Aria's head tilts back against the bed.

I lean down, biting into her shoulder as I roar, filling her with my release as she floats in her euphoria, lost in the feeling of my blood and the way I made her come.

And fuck, if I'm not glad this is the way she's going through the Change.

I quickly clean her up as she shudders. She's unconscious, thankfully, and I curl around her as her body breaks and remolds. Small whimpers spill over her lips, but she never wakes. I hope that she's not feeling it at all.

"You can do this," I whisper to her as I brush her hair back. "I won't let you die."

But I have no option. I can only pray she makes it as my heart seizes with fear with every jerk and snap of her body.

Please, don't die.