Chapter 23

23

ARIA

A s the door closed behind me, I found myself in Ossian's dimly lit room. The heavy curtains blocked out most of the light, creating an atmosphere of intimate seclusion. My heart raced, partly from the chase after my dragon, and partly from the intensity of Ossian's gaze.

His dragon watched me with gleaming red eyes.

A ghost of a smile played at the corners of Ossian's mouth. "So this little one took off on you?"

As if on cue, my white dragon fluttered down from my arms, landing gracefully on the floor, Ossian's dragon following suit. The two creatures regarded each other with curiosity, no hint of hostility between them. To my surprise, the two creatures began to interact, their body language relaxed and curious. It was the first time I'd seen my dragon engage with another dragon.

I took a moment to really look at Ossian. His face was paler than usual, and he held his injured arm close to his body. The bandage peeking out from his sleeve made me wince.

"Your arm," I said, "how is it healing?"

"Slowly," he admitted. "It's... not as it should be." His lips tightened into a thin line. "The healing process is slower than it should be."

"Why?" I stepped closer, my brow furrowed with worry. "I thought vampires healed quickly. Is it because it's dragon fire?"

He sighed as he moved to sit on his bed. "Possibly the type of fire and it's magical qualities, but not just that. The animal blood they've been providing us... it's not sufficient. It will sustain us, but our healing is slowed."

"Oh," I said softly, the words settling in. "Is there anything that can help?"

Ossian's eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of something - hunger? longing? - before he quickly looked away. "No," he said curtly.

"What about my blood?" I offered.

"Aria, no. That... that wouldn't be wise." His dark eyes met mine, his jaw clenched.

"Why not?" I challenged, lifting my chin. "If it would help you heal-"

"It's not that simple," Ossian interrupted, his voice strained. "Feeding is… it's intimate sometimes. It can trigger things, heighten emotions if they're already there, feelings."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I processed his words. "What do you mean?"

Ossian took a deep breath. "If either party feels... something for the other, the act of feeding can intensify those feelings. It creates a connection."

My mind raced, thinking of how I did feel an inkling of something for him, but I didn't believe it to be something to worry about. I was with Chris, somewhat, and Ossian was just a friend… I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the matter at hand and not my attempts to lie to myself about how I truly felt.

"You need to heal. We're facing a war, Ossian. We need everyone at full strength."

Not only that, I had my worries about Marcus. With Ossian wounded, would he… No, I didn't even want to think about it.

Ossian studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded, gesturing for me to sit on the edge of the bed. My heart pounded as I lowered myself onto the bed beside him.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his eyes searching mine. "It could… get heated."

"How heated?" I asked as my cheeks flushed.

"Depends on what we feel," he said, although his gaze didn't waver.

"What do you feel?" I dared to ask.

His lip quirked at that as he shook his head. "Honestly, I'm not sure, Aria."

"Neither do I. But I know we all need you at the top of your game. You seem to be the leader of the vampires here, however strained, so we need you at full capacity," I said logically even as my heart fluttered.

"Are you sure?" he questioned one last time.

I knew that my response could change everything right now, but I also knew some part of me wanted this. Whether it was to help or my curiosity about how he truly felt, I had no idea.

I nodded, tilting my head to expose my neck. "I'm sure."

"Okay then. Thank you, Aria." His soft words made a tingle course through me as he leaned in, his cool breath fanning across my skin. I quivered as his lips brushed my neck, and then I felt the sharp prick of his fangs.

The world exploded into sensation. It wasn't painful, not exactly. Instead, a wave of pleasure washed over me, unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I gasped, my hands clutching at Ossian's shirt as he drank deeply.

What was this? I'd never felt anything like it. The first time he'd bitten me, it hadn't been like this.

Time seemed to lose all meaning. I was vaguely aware of Ossian's hand on my back, supporting me, and the soft sounds of our dragons chirping in the background. But mostly, I was lost in the overwhelming sensations coursing through my body.

The pleasure pulsing through me, growing with each soft suck, my panties dampening. The desire hit hard and fast, burning through me like a wildfire.

He moaned against my neck, drawing a soft gasp from me as my body quivered.

His injured arm moved to cup my face, before dancing down the other side of my neck. It teased down my side, and despite knowing this shouldn't be happening, I didn't fight it as his hand reached the waistband of my pants. His body was vibrating now, his sucks both gentle and yet desperate, like he was struggling to contain himself.

Was his arm healing as he drank from me right now? A part of me wanted to see it, especially since he was moving it, but then my need shoved that thought away. The heat scorching through me, the insane longing and desire, it was too much, overriding everything else.

What was this? It was like I'd been hit by some insane lust, and I was at his mercy.

I whimpered as his fingers slipped under my waistband and into my panties, finding my clit.

"Oh god," I breathed, shuddering as he began teasing me.

He moaned again as his fingers delved lower, gliding over my slickness before focusing on my clit again.

My hands moved of their own accord, touching him and sliding down to his crotch, where his arousal strained against his own pants. He shuddered as I stroked him through the fabric, his hand on my back tightening.

I shouldn't be doing this…

The thought was gone as soon as it came, Ossian's fingers delving inside me and making a powerful quiver course through me as I moaned.

He continued to drink from me, his fingers working magic on me as I continued to caress his cock through his pants.

My breath was coming in pants now, the sensations like nothing I'd ever experienced, not even with Chris. This was different, something I couldn't put words to, and I squirmed in his grip, the bliss rising.

The pleasure was growing, my vision swimming, and I gasped as it crashed over me in an explosion, rippling through me over and over as Ossian fed, as if his bite was prolonging the orgasm. The soft moans and whimpers that escaped me as he fingered me filled the silence, the bliss not ending as my vision danced. He was lightly thrusting against my hand now as I continued to absently touch him, caught up in the euphoria claiming me.

His cock throbbed and swelled beneath my hand, and a deep moan escaped him as a wetness flooded through his pants.

He finally pulled away, and I sucked in mouthfuls of air as my head spun, the lingering bliss still coursing through me. He quickly bit his own thumb, pressing it to my neck to heal the puncture wounds. The cool touch of his blood sent another shiver through me.

As the haze of pleasure began to clear, I became acutely aware of what the hell had just happened, reality crashing down on me. Ossian's arm was still around me, our faces mere inches apart as he drew in equally shaky breaths. Guilt flooded through me as I thought of Chris. We'd slept together, shared something special, and we were a thing, somewhat. This felt like a betrayal of the biggest kind, and a sickness hit me despite it having felt so right.

"Aria…" Ossian breathed. "Fuck."

"I... I should go," I said, my voice shaky as I disentangled myself from his embrace.

Ossian nodded slowly, his expression a mix of things, as if he was only now processing what had happened as well. "Right..."

"Come, please," I called to my dragon, which seemed reluctant to leave its new friend. As we slipped out into the hallway, I couldn't help but scold it under my breath as I held it in my arms. "This is all your fault, you know," I whispered, still trembling from the entire encounter as my legs wobbled.

The dragon just chirped softly in response, looking far too pleased with itself for my liking.

As I made my way back to my room, my mind whirled with conflicting emotions. The encounter with Ossian had been intense, passionate, and utterly unexpected. But beneath the lingering pleasure was a growing sense of unease. What did this mean for my relationship with Chris? What had even triggered it? Was that some weird vampire magic?

And perhaps most troubling of all, why didn't I regret it as much as I felt I should?

I slipped back into my room, closing the door quietly behind me. My dragon immediately launched from my arms and curled up on the bed, looking for all the world like it hadn't just led me into a life-altering encounter.

As I sank down beside it, my fingers absently stroking its scales, I sighed. The lines between everything had blurred beyond recognition. I had done something I'd never have thought I could do.

I lay back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Whatever consequences came from this night, I would have to face them. But for now, all I could do was try to get some rest and hope that morning would bring some clarity to my chaotic thoughts.

As I drifted off to sleep, my last conscious thought was of Ossian's dark eyes, Chris's warm smile, and the impossible choice that now lay before me.