Chapter 23

Chapter

Twenty-Three

S erenity

Angelo carried me into the bathroom that had a sunken marble tub and shower big enough for three. I stripped off my jeans and the shirt that Balthazar had given me. The bastard hadn’t given me any undergarments—another sick way to make me feel vulnerable and exposed. The clothes were caked with Shannon’s blood and I threw them into a corner, never wanting to wear or even see them again. The blood had soaked through in places, leaving rusty stains on my skin that sickened me. Shannon’s blood. I could still hear her screams. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold back the tremors those memories triggered. Even here in Angelo’s bathroom, the sounds wouldn’t leave me alone.

Angelo watched me silently. There was nothing sexual in his gaze—just a fierce protectiveness that steadied my shaking hands. His eyes tracked each bruise and scrape on my exposed skin, and although his expression remained carefully neutral, I saw his jaw tighten. The marks were a reminder of everything he hadn’t been able to prevent, everything Balthazar and his men had done.

His eyes turned to midnight as his gaze locked on mine. “Who hurt you?” The words came out soft, lethal—the kind of quiet that preceded bloodshed.

I looked down, trying to hide the bruises around my neck. The same shame washed over me, hot and suffocating, just like when Freddie used to hurt me. “Gage,” I whispered, the name bitter on my tongue. “He did this when I couldn’t heal the Luparion Crystal.”

I flinched when Angelo reached for me, my body reacting instinctively before my rational mind could catch up. The hurt that flashed across his face was quickly replaced by something darker and more lethal.

Angelo lifted my chin, his touch gentle but his eyes promising death. “He’ll never hurt you again. I protect what’s mine.”

“I know,” I said through my tears, wanting Angelo’s hands and lips on my body. He’d be the one to erase my nightmare, not just wash away the physical traces of that place but replace every cruel touch with his gentleness, every fearful moment with his love.

I stepped closer to him, my fingers finding the buttons of his shirt. They were stained with blood, too: blood he’d spilled coming for me. “Touch me,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Make me forget everything except you.”

His eyes darkened, but he caught my trembling hands in his. “Serenity...” My name was a prayer on his lips. He brushed away my tears with his thumb, his touch so tender it made fresh ones fall. “Let me take care of you, cara mia. Let me make you feel safe again.”

I gave him a mischievous smile. “Perhaps you should take off those stained clothes, my king.”

I heard his clothes rustle and fall as I turned on the hot water, its force pelting against the white tile walls. Angelo’s hands gently turned me to face him, and I couldn’t help but admire his sculpted body—the well-defined muscles of his arms, the broad expanse of his chest, the narrowness of his hips. My eyes were drawn to his bulging cock, and my cheeks flushed with desire.

He took my hand, pressing it to his lips. Without breaking his gaze, he led me to the shower and checked the temperature. Steam curled around us as we stepped inside together. The warm water ran down in rivulets between us as he drew me closer, until nothing existed but his eyes and the heat of his body against mine.

I closed my eyes, letting the water cascade over me in sheets, soaking my hair and washing down my body. Each warm drop carried away another fragment of fear, another moment of pain from the past few days. Angelo had found me. Had saved me. My protector, and my salvation.

When I opened my eyes again, Angelo had turned around, his muscular frame now between me and the spray as he faced me. Water traced a path down his chest, highlighting every powerful line of him. My trembling fingers followed one droplet as it trickled down. This was the man who’d torn through armies to reach me, who’d painted the world in blood to bring me home. His muscles tensed under my touch, a reminder of the lethal strength he contained—although he had never been anything but gentle with me.

Desire pooled low in my belly as his hands slid up my arms, leaving trails of heat in their wake. I belonged to him, body and soul, and right now I needed him to remind me of that. Needed him to chase away the memory of other hands with his touch. My fingers curled against his chest as he drew me closer, our bodies molding together perfectly.

He picked up a bottle of shower gel and squeezed some into his hands, creating a thick lather. Something in his eyes darkened.

“I can feel your need to be clean of them,” he murmured. “Let me help with that.”

I froze, staring up at him. “You can feel what I’m thinking?”

His lips curved slightly, but his eyes remained intense. “Of course. You’re part of me now, Serenity.”

My heart stuttered as pieces clicked into place. All those desperate nights in captivity, when I’d felt less alone, less broken... “When I was in that cell,” I whispered, “sometimes I felt... safer. Protected. Like someone was watching over me.” Tears pricked my eyes as the truth sank in. “That was you, wasn’t it? You were there with me somehow.”

“You’re powerful, Serenity. You were able to contact me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t contact you.” His kiss against my neck held a hint of regret, as if the memory of that one-sided conversation still tormented him. “But it’s how I found you.”

His hands moved gently as he massaged the suds over my breasts, each touch replacing violation with worship, sending shivers of pleasure through me. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth and he bent down to me, our lips meeting in a fervent kiss. My tongue tasted the metallic tang of blood, but all I could think about was Angelo—vampire…king…and mine.

My fingers traced a path down his chiseled chest, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from him. As I wrapped my hand around his throbbing length, his gaze met mine intensely.

“You’re playing with fire, Serenity,” he warned, his voice low and husky. But the desire in my veins was undeniable as I continued to slide my hand up and down his velvety shaft, aching to feel every inch of him.

“Maybe I want to get burned,” I breathed, my body on fire with need.

He guided me back until my legs met the shower bench. His hands settled on my hips, easing me down onto the marble. He knelt in front of me, water cascading over his powerful shoulders as he trailed kisses down my neck, and I arched my back, surrendering to his touch. His sharp fangs grazed my skin, making me shiver with both fear and excitement. He moved a hand lower, caressing my stomach before plunging a finger into my wetness. I gripped his shoulders and groaned, the combination of pleasure and pain overwhelming me and making my blood boil with desire.

With a gentle touch, he trailed his tongue along my neck, sending shivers down my spine. As he moved lower, his mouth found my breast and he pulled one nipple between his lips, causing pleasurable tingles to spread throughout my body. His skilled tongue danced along the most sensitive parts of me, igniting a fire that threatened to consume me. I tangled my fingers in his wet hair, pulling him closer as I moaned wantonly in response to his touch.

The steady rhythm of the water, the subtle movement of his lips, the calculated flicks of his tongue… It all sent me spiraling into a state of pure ecstasy, driving me closer to the edge with each passing moment. The warm, refreshing water droplets cascading over my skin added to the overwhelming sensations building inside me. My senses were heightened as I was consumed by his touch, lost in the rhythmic dance between our bodies. It was like being tossed on a tempestuous sea, with waves crashing and winds howling, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here.

He gently parted my legs, his warm breath caressing the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. Slowly, his skilled tongue left my breast and made its way down to my most intimate place. His dark hair glistened, water plastered to his skin as his head settled on my blond curls, eagerly exploring every inch. My hands gripped the marble bench, my body trembling with anticipation as he continued to tease and please me with his wicked tongue. With each lick and kiss, I felt myself further consumed by pleasure and losing myself more in a world of sensation and desire.

“You taste exquisite,” he murmured, his voice like a dark promise.

“I need you,” I whispered, feeling the blood rushing between my legs.

“And you’ll always have me,” he replied, his tone possessive yet tender. “Just me, nobody else.”

Every nerve in my body sparked at his words, like matches being struck against sandpaper. “Take me,” I pleaded, unable to deny the overwhelming pull towards him.

With a sudden burst of strength, he lifted me off the bench and pressed my back against the cold, wet wall. My thighs quivered under his firm grip, his throbbing erection pressing against my leg. Then with one stroke he thrust inside, stuffing me completely with his thick cock. The sensation was overwhelming, flooding me with pleasure mingled with a slight sting of pain.

My entire body was ablaze with desire as he slid in and out. Every nerve in my body was alight, sending sparks of ecstasy coursing through me. Each thrust drove me closer to the edge, building a tsunami of pleasure that threatened to consume me entirely. This was what I yearned for—his control, his touch. It banished any lingering shadows from the past few days and replaced them with pure, unadulterated bliss. The intensity of our union left me breathless, lost on a sea of pleasure.

His scent marked every inch of me, erasing every trace of Balthazar like holy water burning away corruption. His toned and powerful body pressed me firmly against the marble shower wall, trapping me in his embrace, keeping me from falling. His touch as his fingers held my trembling thighs was both gentle and possessive. We moved together in a wild and primitive dance, each thrust of our hips sending sparks of pleasure through my entire being.

I trusted him. He was the light I would always reach for, the light that would chase away every shred of darkness.

He plunged deep within me, claiming me utterly. The hot water cascading down our bodies only added to the intense sensation of being consumed by his desire. I was lost in a sea of bliss, completely surrendering to him—mind, body, and soul.

Our slick skin slid against each other’s desperately. The scalding water rained down on us like a torrential downpour, swallowing our moans and cries. My hips collided with his, the impact echoing off the walls intensifying our desire.

He threw his head back, revealing sharp fangs dripping with hunger. Without hesitation, he sank them into my quivering flesh. Fire erupted through my veins, igniting every nerve in an explosive wave of pleasure.

I screamed out his name. My fingers dug into his broad shoulders. He responded with one final thrust, driving deep inside of me and releasing his hot seed. I let out a ragged breath and collapsed, my body trembling with pleasure and exhaustion, reveling in his arms holding me against his hot flesh.

He smiled down at me as his hips still pulsed against mine. “The water’s turned cold.”

“Funny, I didn’t notice.” I kissed his wet chest and smiled as he drew in a quick breath. “Thank you. You don’t know how much I needed this.”

“I do, in fact.” He kissed me deeply. “Remember, I can read your mind now. For the record, Nephilim, I wanted this as much as you.”

I gazed up at him lovingly, my heart overflowing. “Then you also know how much I need you.”

He chuckled. “Indeed I do.”

My fingers traced patterns on his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat soothing me. Our eyes met, and in his gaze I saw a reflection of all the love and devotion we shared. “I love you,” I whispered again, the words a promise and a declaration. There was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than in the shower with him, sharing this moment, with him deep inside me—even if the water had run cold.