Chapter 6

Sebastian

Iwasn't sure what I expected when Ada told me we'd been thrust into a parallel dimension.

Because although I'd lived in the city for most of my existence, my actual home was situated out in the middle of nowhere with a thick forest surrounding it. And what I'd seen here so far didn't look any different than what I was already used to.

Mountains were to our left, great towers of dark rock that seemed to reach higher than I could even gauge. And to our right was a thick forest, the trees heavy at the top, the darkness making them appear almost black in color.

I had yet to see any other creatures, Otherworld, human, or native to this plane. But the scents were different. More pungent, hitting the back of my nose before dripping down my throat.

We'd had to make a swift decision on what the plan would be leaving the cave, because we didn't know how much darkness we'd have. So we decided to head back toward the direction we assumed the portal we'd come out of was.

It was a shot in the dark—fucking ironic—but not knowing the terrain of this world, or how much cover we'd have from the sun, left us few realistic and safe options.

I focused on Ada once more, glowering because she insisted on leading the way even though I wanted to go first in case there were any dangers that I could take out and keep her safe.

She was stubborn, my female, tiny but fierce, and it turned me on like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

Not even the thrill of taking a life, the high of satiation when I drained a body and took my fill of their blood, compared to how she made me feel.

Just looking at her brought me immense pleasure.

She was doing her fucking best to avoid me, to act like I wasn't here. It infuriated me. It tore my chest open and ripped out my heart.

I wasn't used to feeling this way, hell, to feeling any type of way.

All I'd ever felt was loyalty. To my brother Kane. To the American Vampire Council, and to my cousin and leader of said council, Adryan.

But then here I was, feeling sensations and emotions, fucking hardcore needs and wants that were driving me insane.

I knew what she was doing, knew she was keeping me at a distance to protect herself. I could see that wariness in her eyes, and that notion was solidified when she woke up screaming from a nightmare. I didn't know how long she'd been with the Assembly, but I knew they'd hurt my female.

I knew they'd probably done unspeakable things to her, tortured my tiny Fae mate until she was having flashbacks. They made her cry out because she remembered the pain and fear they'd inflicted on her.

If I could have killed them all over again, I would have gladly ripped out every single one of their hearts and made a pile in front of her as an offering.

My rage was heavy inside of me, a living entity that I was having a hard time reining in.

In fact, I was so consumed with my thoughts of anger that my mate had been hurt, that I wasn't even paying attention to our surroundings.

Aside from the obvious, that this dimension was lush with greenery and mountainous, I'd been focused on Ada.

Which was exactly where my gaze landed as she trudged ahead of me. The pants she wore were dark but formfitting, and my vision was crystal clear so that I could make out the perfectly rounded mounds of her ass.

We were walking uphill, boulders surrounding us, and the thick line of forest to our right. To our left were the mountains that blocked out everything else.

She stumbled and I reached out instantly, curling my hand around her tiny waist and righting her.

She pushed me away but mumbled thanks, not bothering to look at me. I gritted my teeth, feeling my desire for her grow because of her indifference.

"You know you don't have to pretend I'm not here." I'd said more words since I'd woken up and met Ada than I had in far too long.

I was solitary and preferred to keep to myself.

I followed my cousin's orders, and the only joy I got was when I killed. I had no opinion on most things one way or another, and was content to stay back, watch and learn, listen and observe.

And I found myself wanting to know every little detail about my mate. I'd never been so invested in another living creature—hell, in anything—since she came into my godforsaken life.

I wanted to know where she was from, how she grew up. I wanted to know what her favorite scent was, if she preferred the sunrise over the sunset.

I wanted to tear off her clothes and look at all that alabaster skin, picturing her body covered in the same freckles that were sprinkled over the bridge of her nose.

"I know you're there. Believe me." Her voice grew softer on that last part, as if she didn't want me to hear.

My cock thickened impossibly further.

I reached down and adjusted myself, my dick all but throbbing at just the sound of her voice. Popping a hard-on for the first time in my life was enough to make any male's brain short-circuit.

She stumbled again and I bared my teeth before making my way forward and stopping in front of her. "You need to rest. We've been traveling nonstop."

She was shaking her head before I even finished. "I'm fine. I want to keep going." She went to push past me and I growled again.

Ada had sweat dotting her brow, her breathing was labored, her cheeks were red from exertion, and I could hear her stomach growling.

My mate wasn't being taken care of, and it was my fault. I'd put a stop to this. And whether she hated me for it or not, I wouldn't allow her to make herself sick.

"I said no." There was a distinct aggression laced within my words that had her immediately stopping.

She huffed out a breath, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at me.

"Excuse me?"

Although she phrased it like a question, I knew it was anything but. "We're going to take a break. And that's that." I'd been scanning our surroundings constantly, and knew there was a small outcropping that would protect us on the off chance that ball of fucking death came back too soon, about ten minutes back.

I stared down at her, although there was no aggression coming from her. I wasn't used to people not doing what I said when I said it, so a part of me was frustrated as fuck. But more than that I was… so fucking aroused.

She narrowed her eyes at me and pursed her lips, and my gaze went to the bead of sweat that started to trail down her temple.

Her dark red hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the top of her head, and wisps were stuck to her forehead and cheeks.

Before I could stop myself—because I was fucking starved for her—I reached out and dragged my finger along that droplet of perspiration.

She gasped but didn't move, and that pleased me to no end.

Her eyes were wide as she watched me bring my hand to my lips and suck that finger into my mouth. The salty essence of my female exploded on my tongue, and a low hum of pleasure came from me before I could stop myself.

My fangs ached, my cock throbbed, and I felt delirious from the need to be closer to her.

"Oh my gods," she whispered and licked her lips.

I could hear how fast her heart was beating, and could see how blown her pupils were.

"Destiny gave me a pervert for a mate."

I blinked rapidly, laughing as I shook my head. "My female is fucking fiery."

This push and pull with her turned me on even more, and the fucking steel pipe between my legs was an incessant reminder that Ada wasn't going to give in to being mated easily.

And goddamn it, did that make my cock hard.

To envision knowing how much she wanted me yet fought me tooth and nail because Ada wanted to keep the upper hand was such an aphrodisiac that I took a step closer, crowding her.

"Wow, you don't know much about personal space, do you?"

She backed away from me and turned, but I kept advancing until she had nowhere else to go because the rocky mountainside stopped her from escaping.

I let a smile spread across my face, feeling like the hunter to my prey.

"You're giving off little dick energy."

I felt my eyes flash red before I narrowed them on her. "It's called big dick energy, and I've got that shit in spades."

The dainty little snort that came from her had me grinning.

"Man, you're arrogant as hell, aren't you?" She tipped her chin up, but I could see how her pupils were dilating.

She didn't want to be affected by my close proximity, but I smelled the air become saturated with her curiosity and desire.

"Any male who says that is for sure packing light down below, if you get my drift."

Oh. A fucking challenge.

I made a primitive sound and really crowded her then, but my spiky mate held her ground, trying to feign that I didn't turn her on by intimidating her.

I gripped her waist and jerked her forward. An outraged gasp left her. I grabbed her wrist and shoved her hand between our bodies to press her palm right against my hard-on.

I leaned in, teeth bared, feeling my eyes really flash red now. "This feel like I'm packing small, sweetheart?"

Her hand was small against my throbbing dick, and fucking hell, did it feel incredible.

The way her eyes widened, the sound of her breath hitching, and the feeling of her fingers curling—no doubt involuntarily—against the girth told me she knew I spoke the truth.

"Oh I'm a big male… in all aspects." I leaned in close and let my gaze lower to her mouth, her lips plump and pink, slightly parted.

Her chest was heaving, and I could see her tight nipples bead beneath the too-thin material of her shirt.

"Fight me all you want, but in this I will not bend. Your safety and well-being comes first."

"You sure have a lot to say," she said breathlessly.

I had my other hand on the rocky outcrop beside her head, my entire body caging her in. Fuck, she was so tiny compared to me, this little doll that brought me back to life when I'd assumed I was dead inside.

"I've never needed to say anything until you came into my life."

She opened her mouth, and I knew it was probably to give me a smart-ass retort. But the sound of a creature in the distance roaring, followed by a screech of an animal clearly in pain, ricocheted all around us, and she snapped her mouth shut.

She blinked back into focus and looked around, as much as she could given my big body.

I heard her swallow before she blew out a slow breath. "Maybe a little break isn't such a bad idea."

I kept my smirk of amusement to myself, making sure my expression was the stoic, apathetic demeanor I always wore.

"But just so we're clear, I'm taking this break because my feet hurt and I'm sweating in places I didn't even know I could sweat."

She placed her hands on my chest and shoved, but it was half-hearted, and I sure as fuck felt the way her fingertips gently pricked against my pectorals.

But I gave her space and took a step back.

Although my focus was trained on my mate, I had my senses attuned to everything around us. I inhaled deeply, sifting through the scents and pinpointing any threats. Whatever creature or creatures had made that noise were a good distance away, so I didn't feel any immediate threat toward Ada.

I took one more step back and looked to my left, where I knew the outcropping was. Then stared at the right. I could see the way we'd been walking curved up ahead and moved back toward her. I heard her suck in another sharp breath when I placed my hand in the center of her back and gestured her forward.

"I want to see if there's something up here," I murmured.

She didn't fight me or complain as I took the lead to ensure she was safe. As we made our way up the steep hill and around the corner, I could see a part of the mountainside was carved out. It wasn't an overly large opening, but it was better than the shelter behind us. I could protect Ada far more efficiently here.

"Here," I said and gestured her inside, but shifted us so I was the one taking the lead in case there was anything living inside. Aside from the scent of damp earth, I picked up another scent. Fresh water.

The cave was only about ten feet deep, but as I led her inside, I could see the source of the water as the cavern curved to the right just slightly. Another twenty feet back there sat a small pool, a steady flow of water dripping down the dark rock and into the basin at the body.

I canvassed the area, making sure there wasn't anything living in here, that it was safe and secure for the time being.

I could feel Ada close behind, and a thrill of intense pleasure washed through me. Although she wanted to act like we weren't compatible and she was indifferent toward me, instinctively she also knew I'd protect her.

"We'll stay here and rest." I glanced over at her and saw Ada staring at the pool of water, this almost longing in her expression.

She had dirt smeared across her alabaster skin, her clothes were torn and tattered in places, and I hated myself for not ensuring she was taken care of before my own needs were met.

And those needs meant touching her, scenting her, and thinking about all the filthy fucking things I'd do to her.

So I went about and gathered up things to create a fire. And when that was burning in the center of the cave, I went over to the water, feeling it, smelling it, and finally tasting it.

Not the smartest conclusion to see if it was safe, but I'd poison myself ten times over just to take care of her needs.

When I felt secure that it was safe for her, I walked to the entrance of the cave and looked out. Although it was still dark, I could see hints of dusky daylight starting to peek across the horizon.

"Motherfucker," I growled. We'd made it just in time.

"What? What's wrong?" She was by my side an instant later, scanning the area. "Are you kidding me?" Her voice was breathy and incredulous.

She huffed out an irritated breath and turned, stalking back into the cave before sitting down in front of the fire.

Ada pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them and staring at the flames.

I gritted my teeth, not used to this feeling of frustration. The fact that I couldn't give my mate everything and anything she needed, even if said things were completely out of my control, pissed me off.

How did any Otherworlder stay sane?

So this was what it meant to be mated, to have your entire world revolving around one single person.

This was what it meant to know that you would live and die by the sound of their voice, the look of desire and need in their expression, and with the promise of the touch of their fingers against your skin.

I turned away from the cave and the rising sun and made my way back to Ada. She glanced up at me and I expected to see a fight reflected in her eyes, but instead I saw a hopelessness that had my chest tightening.

"Sorry. I promise this is my one and only temper tantrum." She exhaled and gave a humorless laugh. "I'm too old to act like this, but I feel… frustrated is the only word that comes to mind."

She closed her eyes, rubbing her fingers across them. "I'm just tired. And hungry." She looked back at me again. "And I'd kill for a bubble bath right about now." She snorted.

I didn't show any expression, just tilted my head and watched her, seeing how the firelight played along her ruby-red locks and how her freckles seemed a little bit darker in the shadowed cavern.

Gods… she was stunning. And she's all mine. Only mine.

Iwalked over to the satchel she'd set aside and started riffling through it. I grabbed one of the protein bars and the canteen of water, handing them both to her.

She slowly reached out and took them. "Thank you," she said softly. "You should eat something, too." She split the bar in half, handing part of it to me.

I shook my head. "You eat it." She opened her mouth to argue, but a firm shake of my head had her pinching her lips shut. "I just want to take care of you." With that, I turned and went into the small antechamber where the pool was.

The water was lukewarm, which told me there might be a hot spring deep underneath.

I reached down and tore off a part of the bottom section of my shirt, setting it on the stone lip of the small pool and walked back out to where she was seated.

Ada had eaten half the bar, and I silently watched as she wrapped up the other half and tucked it back into the satchel, rationing it. My female was smart.

"Come, Ada." She glanced up at me, those dark reddish brows pulled low again, her tiny pointed ears peeking out from the heavy mass of her wine-colored hair.

I was surprised she didn't argue, just slowly stood and made her way toward me.

"What's going on?"

I stepped aside so she could see the pool, and pointed to the strip of cloth I'd taken from my shirt.

"I figured you'd like to clean up. I have a piece of cloth for you to wash yourself with. I'll stay out in the other cave to give you privacy." I stared at her for just a moment, a selfish reaction because I liked looking at her.

It gave me life, filled my lungs with oxygen. It had blood rushing through my veins. She looked between me and that strip of cloth, then lowered her gaze to where my T-shirt was cut.

I saw her throat work as she swallowed and saw the quick beat of her pulse at the base of her throat.

"You ripped your shirt so I'd have something to wash myself with?" It was hard to gauge her reaction from the tone of her voice, but I could tell well enough that she was surprised.

I shrugged. "I just wanna take care of you," I said again and turned, giving her privacy.

It was only a few moments before I heard the sound of clothing being removed and the soft noise of water splashing.

Instantly my body reacted. My pulse pounded, my muscles tightened, and my cock got so hard it fucking throbbed and ached.

I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply, my nostrils flaring as I sifted through the scents in the cave until I picked up on Ada.

The scent of wildflowers, fresh air, and sunlight clung to her.

The sound of water splashing continued, and in my mind I pictured her naked body slipping into the water, beads dripping down all that porcelain, freckled skin.

My cock jerked hard, and I reached down to adjust myself. I groaned at that first touch of the heel of my palm to the length.

My heart thundered and I went toward the mouth of the cave, pulled my cock out, and jerked off like a fucking deviant, thoughts of Ada firmly planted at the forefront of my head.