21. 20

20

Serina

I stirred awake before the sun, my hair still damp from my shower last night as I sat up and tied it up into a messy bun on top of my head.

I didn’t smell breakfast cooking yet, and as I thought about it, I figured I could cook breakfast for Nox and Thorne as an apology for whooping their asses in the woods the other day. They were stiffly hobbling around the house last night, even after a day had passed.

They kept assuring me they were healing normally, but doubt still nibbled at my brain about it. Hopefully after another goodnight’s sleep and some breakfast, they would feel better. Perhaps that might fully heal their wounds and boisterous egos.

I slipped on my house shoes, leaving my weapons in my room, then quietly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. I had done little to no cooking in my life; I lived off of fast food and diners, so I didn’t even know where to start, but it couldn’t be that hard to make French toast, could it?

I went to the fridge, grabbing the milk, eggs, and bacon. Next, I looked through the pantry for cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and anything else I thought I might need.

I pulled out a large pan and sprayed it with a ridiculous amount of oil because I didn’t want the bread to stick. I cranked up the gas stove as high as it would go to bake the bacon. Then I placed a pan on the burner and did the same to heat up the pan. Once the inside was fully heated, I threw the bacon inside and closed the door.

Next, I blended the eggs and milk together, but the mixture seemed way to runny. Oh well, there was no going back now.

I tossed the bread in and soaked it with the concoction before throwing it in the pan. I did that three more times, as the pan was big enough for four pieces.

It sizzled and popped, but soon black smoke began circling above it, and it only kept getting darker and darker as I flipped it. The bread was charred and black on one side.

“Shit,” I murmured under my breath and then tossed that piece on a plate before trying again. One side was black, while the other was still runny with the eggy mixture.

The next batch I tried again, flipping it sooner, but it was still awful, and as I took a small nibble off of one of them, I realized it was extremely salty. What the hell?

I hadn’t grabbed the sugar… I had grabbed the salt.

“Fuck,” I mumbled again with a groan.

“What are you doing?” Thorne’s sleepy voice came from behind me, cutting through the silence. I turned quickly on my feet to face him.

“Uh, I was trying to make you guys breakfast,” I said, eyeing his body.

He was shirtless in nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants. The wounds on his body had closed, but the skin was still bruised, and redness still lingered where the holes had been.

I didn’t care what they said; they were healing slowly for some reason.

He snickered under his breath as he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, effortlessly leaving a gentle kiss on my forehead. I didn’t question it; his presence around me had always been so gentle, and even now, him touching me, even kissing me on the forehead just felt so… right.

I moved out of his way and out of his arms as he admired my horrendous attempt at cooking. I huffed a breath just as his hand was reaching for the coffee.

“What’s still burning?” he asked, glancing around in confusion.

Then my eyes grew to the size of saucers as I rushed to the oven to try and save the bacon. But it was too far gone.

I opened the door and black smoke barreled out of the oven. The bacon had caught fire, and I went for it without a thought. As soon as my fingers skimmed the pan, I pulled back with a squeal of pain, not thinking about the heat, only thinking about how I needed to get it out of the damn oven.

I grabbed the oven mitt and threw it on quickly, then grabbed the pan again. Now I was holding a pan with a campfire of bacon on top of it.

“Ahhh!” I hissed as I tossed the pan in the sink; the heat had hit my already burned hand through the thin oven mitt, causing my already blistering fingers to burn more.

“Fuck, Serina, are you alright?'' Thorne exclaimed, yanking the mitt off of my hand and quickly examining my singed fingers.

The skin had already started to bubble. He gripped my hips and gently placed me on the counter, my feet dangling. Then he moved and squatted down, reaching into the cabinets under the sink to retrieve a small first aid kit.

He set it on the counter and began unraveling the bandages and disinfectant, meeting my gaze with a reassuring smile.

“The great monster hunter, Serina Velika, also great at killing breakfast,” he jested as he looked over my hand again.

“ Ha, ha. ” I rolled my eyes, sarcasm dripping from my fake laugh as he started dabbing the antiseptic over the burn. I winced, but his eyes never left mine.

His touch was feather-light, a delicate dance between treating the injury and ensuring I felt comforted. The early morning sun was now casting the kitchen in a warm glow through the large window above the sink where the bacon was still smoking.

A soft light against the planes of his face. Gods, he was beautiful.

Nox cleared his throat, and I looked over my shoulder to see him standing at the bottom of the stairwell, his brows knitted with confusion.

“What the hell happened here?” he asked.

Thorne chuckled. “Serina doesn’t know how to cook, and she was trying to cook us breakfast.”

“Awww, are you getting soft on us, Serina?” Nox teased, giving me a side-eye as he grabbed a piece of burnt bacon from the top of the pan out of the sink.

“No, and you don’t have to eat it. It’s literally black.” I wrinkled my nose.

“So? It’s bacon.”

I stuck my tongue out in disgust. “Ew, gross.”

“Really? You know we eat people, right? You think burnt bacon is the worst thing out there?” he questioned, and I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in my throat. “Besides, I like my bacon crispy .”

He took a bite, and it crumbled apart as he chewed it down, his jaw smacking as he attempted to work the sandy, burnt bits out of his mouth.

Thornes lips thinned as he tried to keep his own laughter inside. After Nox finally choked down the last of the bacon, he grabbed a large glass of water and took it down in one swig.

He cleared his throat as he moved around the counter and began walking in the direction of the door that led to the garage.

“Stick to what you’re good at, Serina,” Nox said as he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek effortlessly as Thorne finished up the bandage on my hand.

Their attention on me came so naturally, I didn’t question it. If I was being honest with myself, I liked it. I wanted more of it.

“Yeah? And what’s that?” I asked.

“Definitely not cooking,” he said, and I chuckled again as he headed into the garage and shut the door behind him.

The lively notes of music wafted from the Bluetooth speaker on the kitchen counter as we started cleaning up the mess I had made. Thorne had told me I didn’t need to help, but it felt wrong not to.

The music soon transformed the simple task of cleaning the kitchen into a dance floor. The beat was infectious, and soon, we found ourselves moving, twirling around each other as we reached for the clean pans and fresh ingredients from the refrigerator.

Thorne grabbed my hand. As the next song started to play, we spun into an impromptu dance, our feet sliding on the slightly sticky wood floor. With each spin, I reveled in the joy of the moment, forgetting the rest of the mess we were supposed to be cleaning and doing my best not to think about Bastian.

I was trying to trust what they had said. Considering how close they all were, I didn’t think they would intentionally let anything happen to him.

Once the song was over, Thorne guided me to the counter and stood behind me as he murmured the directions on how to make the mixture to dip the bread in again.

Every whispered word brushed against the shell of my ear and made my blood heat, sending shivers down my spine. I giggled as he placed the sugar in my hand and tossed the salt to the side. After he gave me the instructions, he placed his hands on my hips as he swayed ever so slightly to the music still playing in the background.

He sat his chin gently on my shoulder as he watched my hands start to try and make this again.

My fingers trembled as I picked up the whisk to blend it all together. I couldn't ignore the subtle shivers that traveled through me from his proximity.

I leaned into him. His breath brushing against my neck had me craning my head slightly to the side. My voice was low and filled with a tension that mirrored the unspoken desires lingering in the air.

“Like that?” I asked as I dunked the first piece of bread in, and he nodded, placing a soft kiss on my shoulder.

“Just like that,” he murmured as his hands slightly moved up and down on my hips. My body was practically humming with need.

If he put his hands down my pants right now, I didn’t think I would have the willpower to stop him.

I would let him play out some of the fantasies I’ve had about him, about them , ever since I played with myself that first time. It had become a recurring thing, and I wasn’t sure how much longer that would sustain me.

Did I want to have them?

I shouldn’t want that.

I shouldn’t want them.

Ugh, for fuck’s sake.

His hand brushed against my hip again, a fleeting touch that sent goosebumps pebbling across my flushed skin.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, our mouths mere inches apart now, and I wanted so badly to bridge the gap, but all the thoughts of how I shouldn’t go there kept littering my mind.

I could sense the internal struggle within him too. Could he feel my apprehension? Conflict mirrored in the furrow of his brow and the hesitation in his movements as he stilled behind me.

We were standing on the precipice, and the choice was ours to make—mine to make…

He’d never cross that line unless he knew I was sure of my decision.

I could step back into the safety of the known or surrender to the intoxicating pull that threatened to consume me—us. He had to feel this, too.

I blew out a breath, turning my gaze forward again, and at the same time Thorne released me. My mind had won, and he knew it.

Maybe he had just started to feel the tensions rise in my body from where my thoughts had gone. I didn’t know, but he moved to the sink to finish up the rest of the dishes as I finished making the French toast. Tensions began webbing together though the room all over again. As soon as I was finished with the toast, I had to get out of here. I needed air.

“I finished the toast. Can you do the bacon and eggs?” I asked, my voice weaker than how I wanted it to sound.

“Yeah, of course,” he said, taking a long sip from his coffee as he peered over the rim of his mug at me.

“I need some air,” I admitted as I walked to the side door and opened it, heading out into the garage. The chilly breeze cooled my heated skin, but it didn’t take away the fucking pulse between my thighs.

I’d have to take care of that tonight. Again .

No matter how hard my mind tried to keep me on what would be considered the right path , my body betrayed me in every regard to it. I was practically fucking panting.

I paced in the garage, feeling the cool winds from the open garage door. I tried to breathe, but it didn’t help as much as I thought it would.

I couldn’t show my face and walk back through the kitchen to get back to my room, not yet. Tensions were far too high in there. How awkward would that be? But fuck, I was desperate for the pulsing to stop.

I was so damn needy; I couldn’t walk back through and see Thorne. I’d fuck him without a second thought right now.

I glanced around the garage but only saw the array of tools neatly placed around on the shelves with Nox’s car sitting in the center. Another wave of pleasure coursed through me at the thought of getting myself off in his car. Similar to the way getting myself off in Bastian’s bed always did something to me.

I didn’t give it a second thought; I didn’t have the time too. I’d make it quick.

The doors were unlocked, and I hopped into the backseat. I had my hands down my pants without even shutting the door all the way. I panted out a moan as my fingers teased my clit. I could already feel my orgasm building.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as I started to quicken my strokes. Then a hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me. I gasped out in surprise and Nox was standing there, looking down at me before he climbed into the backseat next to me.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded, my voice breathy.

He immediately ripped my pants off down my legs and I yelped in shock; the cool air running over my bare skin had gooseflesh skittering over me.

He moved, grabbing my left thigh and slinging me over his lap with his inhuman strength. His cock was hard and straining against his black pants.

My breath hitched. “W-what are you doing?” I asked again, my question coming out way more ragged with the feel of him pressing against my pussy.

“Exactly what you want but keep denying yourself,” he said as he palmed my center, slipping two fingers inside me.

I groaned as I started riding his hand, my own hands resting on his shoulders as my head lolled back. His other hand lifted my shirt, my breasts falling out freely for him since I wasn’t wearing a bra.

He sucked one of my peaked nipples into his mouth before moving to the other one and I moaned, grinding against his fingers as they hit that perfect spot inside me.

I moved my hands down his chest, trying to get to his pants, my fingers trembling as I attempted to get them unbuttoned.

I kissed him hard, sucking his tongue, before they turned into rough kisses over teeth.

I–I wanted him. I needed him.

“Ah, ah,” he tsked as he pulled back, removing his fingers from me.

I whined from the lack of friction, from the feel of him inside me. He moved my hands back up his chest and to his shoulders, but I could feel his cock, just as needy as I felt. I started grinding against it.

“The first time you have me, have any of us, there will not be a single doubt in your pretty little mind,” he said as I started grinding faster against him, my orgasm bubbling so close.

He returned his fingers, hard and fast, matching my pace as I grinded against them.

“That’s it, take what you need, little monster,” he growled.

I cried out, and my pussy clamped down on his fingers as my orgasm exploded through me. Darkness clouded my vision for a moment as I gently rode his fingers through the last blissful waves of my climax.

He waited to remove them until my movements completely stopped and my breathing had settled. When he did, he shoved his fingers all the way into his mouth and sucked them clean.

The sight made a fresh wave of heat flood through me, and then I realized what I had just done. I quickly crawled off of him to get to my feet.

He handed me my pants. I took a few steps back, and Nox got out of the car, eyeing me as if I might faint or explode and he needed to be prepared for whichever one might happen. I couldn’t think of what to say, so I decided to ask more about what he had said in the car.

“What did you mean by have any of us? Why would you think I would want that?” I couldn’t think of anything better to say.

“Oh, Serina, the tension between every single one of us has been there from the moment you came into this house, and it’s only gotten worse with every day that you’ve stayed. Which begs the question… why did you stay? You could have left after you got your stitches out like Bastian said, but you stayed, for weeks now… I wonder why that is.”

“I-I feel safer here,” I argued, stumbling over my words.

He blew out a breath. “I’ll tell you what I think, little monster, I think you enjoy the company of a few Vampires more than you care to admit, and you're battling with your demons on whether you should stay…”

He had gotten so close that he began pressing into me while the large shelf dug into my back.

Nox gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “…Or go.”

He stilled, and our eyes volleyed with one another’s. Doubt and untamed fire burned through me, and Nox scoffed and let me go.

“Let us know when you’re done battling your demons,” he said as he turned and headed for the door.

My eyes followed him as he left me in the silence of the truth I’d been trying so hard not to face. Damn him.