Chapter 12

Ada

Iwas sore everywhere, and I felt the combined fluids of what we'd just done smeared between my inner thighs.

My body ached, my flesh covered in bite marks and scratches.

It should have horrified me. Instead it made me feel a certain kind of way, one that had me aroused all over again.

Sebastian had made us a little pallet and had me draped over his chest and fed me from his hand, making sure I'd had enough to eat and drink before he allowed himself sustenance.

We'd stayed like that for so long I'd dozed off, only to be woken up by him gently giving my face kisses.

"It's nightfall," he'd whispered and kissed me long and slow and thoroughly. "As much as I want to stay here and hold you, hell, fuck you a few more times, my mate needs actual sustenance. You can't live off protein bars." He'd kissed me soundly, murmured he needed to hunt something down for me, and off we went.

And now we were hiking once more in this unfamiliar world as Sebastian searched for something to kill.

The dynamic, the very air around us was different now. I'd been aware of his presence before, had tried denying myself the pleasure just being near him caused within me. But now, after what we'd done, after he'd claimed me, I felt ultrasensitive.

My mind and body, the very core of who and what I was, had completely changed.

My skin felt so sensitive that even the air brushing on my exposed arms was almost painful. My pulse was a constant quick tempo. I was pleasantly sore in all the right places, and I was acutely aware that Sebastian was unable to stop looking at me.

I felt his gaze on me.

"What exactly are you looking for?" I asked, trying to steer my thoughts to "safer" topics so I didn't focus on the fact that I could practically feel his warm breath on my nape.

"Something to kill to feed my too tiny mate." His voice, so close and deep, had me stumbling.

Faster than I comprehended, he wrapped his big hand around my waist and righted me.

"Careful." There was this thick teasing note in his voice, as if he knew exactly what he was doing to me and got off on it.

"Ever hear of personal space," I murmured, his hand still on me, his body so close that if I just leaned back slightly, my back would brush against his chest.

"That doesn't exist between us."

I rolled my eyes. "Okayyy. Well, tell me what exactly you plan on hunting down for us, 'cause correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anything aside from that tentacle monster, and I'm sure as hell not eating one of those."

He was silent for long moments, and I glanced at him again to see him staring at the treetops, his brow furrowed.

"What? What is it?" I glanced at where he was looking but didn't see anything that would warrant much of a reaction. But the longer he stayed silent, the more I felt that prickling on the back of my neck again. "Sebastian," I whispered. "You're kind of freaking me out. Do I need to find a weapon?"

He looked at me so seriously. "I am your weapon." He was pushing me toward the mountain, glowering down at me, and ordering me to stay put.

I gaped at him as he loped into the forest. I held my breath as I tried to see through the thick darkness, but a Fae didn't have the best night vision. And as the minutes passed and I heard and saw nothing, I started getting worried.

Yeah, Sebastian could totally take care of himself, but we were in uncharted waters here and who knew what other freaky creatures were out there.

I was about to call his name and, hell, even attempt some bravery and go in after him, when awful screeching came from the woods.

My heart was thundering as I reached down and grabbed a rock, ready to bash a skull if anything came close.

"Sebastian?" I whispered harshly.

Another screech, followed by what sounded like wings flapping, a heavy thud following.

I covered my mouth with my free hand so I didn't scream and took a tentative step toward the woods. Not the smartest move, sure, but the very idea of not helping Sebastian wasn't even a thought in my head.

And just as I was about to go in and fight off whatever unseen threat there was, the sound of something being dragged got closer and closer.

Involuntarily I took a step back, but a moment later Sebastian's big body emerged from the forest and I sagged in relief. He was okay.

It was at that moment I realized how worried I'd been. The very idea of not seeing him again had this pang burrowing itself deep and hard into the center of my body.

I was staring into his face, not noticing what he dragged behind him until he tossed it between us with a heavy thud. It was then I looked down and furrowed my brow at the creature he'd killed.

It certainly was bird-like, with a beak and beady black eyes. It had legs reminiscent of a chicken's, but the talons were longer and sharper than any creature I'd ever seen.

It was also covered in brown, mossy green, and tan feathers that I assumed helped it stay camouflaged in the trees.

And it was big, the size of a turkey.

I lifted my gaze from the carcass to stare at Sebastian. He looked pretty smug, with his chest puffed out and his shoulders pulled back.

"I killed that for you."

I cocked an eyebrow and for a long second just stared at him, but then I dropped the stone, covered my mouth, and started laughing.

His expression was one of clear confusion as he took a step closer to me. "What's wrong?"

"You sounded like a caveman," I wheezed. Gods, it had been so long since I'd laughed.

"Are you hurt?" He started running his hands over my arms, then crouched by my legs before I shook my head, still laughing, and grabbed his biceps to pull him back up to his staggering height.

"People don't usually laugh when they are hurt," I said and wiped the tears from my eyes and looked up at him. "This whole situation is just… bizarre. I think I'm going to snap." My laughter died down, and I kept smiling up at him as I lifted my hand and cupped his cheek. "But…" I felt my face warm at what I was about to admit. "You make it bearable."

His scruff was coming in as a dark beard now, and I couldn't lie… facial hair made him look that much hotter.

I saw the way his expression changed from worry to something softer. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers over my lips, growling low.

"Come on," he said and turned to grab the leg of the bird-creature with one hand, and took mine with his other.

A good chunk of time later we found ourselves in a tiny alcove, with a fire started thanks to Sebastian. Stopping probably wasn't the best course of action seeing as we had limited moonlight in this world, but I couldn't find it in me to speed things along.

We talked and laughed, threw bits of food at each other as we joked, and then we just told the other about our lives.

"So you have no family aside from your brother, Kane, and your cousin, Adryan, who happens to be the leader of the American Vampire Clan?"

He grunted his affirmation.

"Never heard of him or this group. What is it, like a club or something?"

Sebastian was drinking water, which he'd gathered from the small pool we'd found close to the alcove and boiled to make sure it was clean.

But after I spoke, water sprayed out of his mouth as if my question had taken him off guard. I had to lean back to avoid being drenched.

"Club?" he asked incredulously, coughing slightly and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

I shrugged. "Yeah, like Boy Scouts in the human world?"

It was his turn to cock an eyebrow a second before he said, "No, baby. Not like the Boy Scouts."

I waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't right away, I held my hands out, palms up, no doubt looking impatient.

"Well, are you gonna tell me about this big, bad vampire clan and your cousin, Adryan, who runs it?"

He took another long drink of water before handing it to me. I shook my head, and when he did that typical Sebastian scowl, I rolled my eyes and grabbed the canister, then took a drink from it. I gave him an expression that spoke loudly. Are you happy now?

He grunted again, appeased with me obeying him. Otherworld males were definitely a dominant kind.

"Adryan is the leader of the vampires in the United States, with connections to other clans all over the world. He's based out of Ryeka, New York."

Sounded important. "And what exactly do you do for him? Paperwork? Bookkeeping?" It was hard keeping a straight face after I said that.

I saw the darkening of Sebastian's eyes as if he were highly offended that I'd ever suggest such a thing. It took everything in me not to chuckle.

"Enforcement." He said the word matter-of-factly and puffed out his chest. "And I'm the fucking best."

It was strange how arrogance coming from him could be so… hot.

And I wasn't surprised that his title was such a brutal and violent one.

He was big and strong, and he had this air about him that made me think he'd never allowed himself to have much pleasure in life, if any.

"Well, it's just me," I said and shrugged, looking at the small fire that burned between us. I used my foot to push a couple of the larger rocks closer that we'd used to make a border around the flames and wood.

When I glanced up because of Sebastian's silence, I saw that he watched me intently, waiting for me to continue, to go at my own pace.

"My parents passed away ten years back. No siblings. It's just been me staying below the radar because it's easier to not be anyone than to be someone." I shrugged again, more to myself than because of what I'd said.

After that the continued silence stretched on uncomfortably.

"You're not alone any longer. Not ever again." He leaned in and braced his forearms on his thighs, looking at me severely as if those words were the only bond I needed.

And all I could do was nod.

He handed me another piece of meat he'd torn off the feathered creature and cooked on a large rock on top of the fire. I was glad the moment had shifted to something else.

When I shook my head, his scowl had me rolling my eyes and taking what he offered.

"Bossy," I murmured, but I couldn't stop the smile that he was adamant on taking care of me.

I had to admit the bird-creature tasted like chicken. Wasn't that always the case?

He kept forcing food and water at me. Finally I had to scowl at him and shake my head while holding my hand out to stop him.

My stomach was fuller than it had been in a very long time, and because of that a lethargy settled in me, urging me to just lie down and sleep.

He huffed out in acceptance that he couldn't force the issue, and I watched as he got the rest of the meat off the bird and ate it.

I didn't know how he was surviving on so little food, but then as if reminding me, my neck tingled.

Before I realized what I was doing, I lifted my hand and touched the side of my neck. I felt two wounds, one from the first moment he woke up and attacked me, and the second fresh from what we'd done hours before.

The former twin puncture marks were all but healed and slightly scabbed over.

But the new ones… they felt hot in the very best of ways.

Sebastian noticed the action, his focus trained on the side of my throat. His jaw clenched and I noticed the pulse at the base of his throat beating wildly.

He averted his gaze, and I felt this discomfort settle in my belly because I wondered if he was hungry. Although he'd bitten me when he claimed me, I knew he hadn't taken enough to sustain a body as big as his.

He'd been holding back, and I hadn't even taken into account how thirsty he had to have been. It had been days since he drank deeply from me.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was rising from the boulder I sat on. I walked the small distance around the fire to get to him and stopped when I stood before my mate.

He was grinding his back molars as he stared up at me, doing everything in his power to stay in control.

I could tell he was trying not to look at my throat, but he was failing, his gaze dropping to where I felt my pulse beating.

"Are you hungry?"

He rumbled deeply.

"I can get you another protein bar since we're out of?—"

"I'm not hungry for that." He reached out faster than I anticipated and curled his oversized hand around my waist, jerking me forward so I almost lost my balance and had to hold on to his shoulders for stability.

"So what are you hungry for?" My voice was a whisper as I teased him.

He leaned in and nuzzled the side of my neck before darting his tongue out and lapping at me. "You know."

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, feeling wave after wave of pleasure just by being close to him. I was already so wet that when I clenched my thighs, I felt the slickness of my need for Sebastian.

Controlling myself around him was impossible, especially now that the seal was broken, so to speak, and he'd claimed me. As if thinking that was an accelerant in my body to light me up, the mating mark he'd given me started to throb.

It was like he knew it, because he dragged his tongue over the puncture wounds, back and forth, lightly sucking on me as he intermittently groaned.

"You're mine."

I didn't respond because I knew he wasn't looking for an answer. He was stating a fact.

"And anyone who touches what's mine is dead."

I shivered, feeling myself become even wetter, wanting nothing more than to have him fuck me right here and now in the open.

I forced myself to step back but he just jerked me forward again, growling like a primal beast who'd had his meal taken away.

"Kind of have to be naked, big guy." My head tipped back, and I moaned when he sucked on the hollow of my throat and grabbed my ass. His hands were just so big they encompassed all of me.

But then he let me go, making quick work of undoing my pants and pushing them down. I stepped out of one pant leg just as he was freeing his already hard cock.

The length jutted out, and he gripped it, even the size of his palm not dwarfing the sheer circumference of his dick.

I was transfixed at the sight of pre-cum already beaded at the tip.

"Come here," he ordered, and I was sitting on his lap a second later, rising up slightly so he could notch himself at my entrance. "So fucking juicy for this cock."

I didn't waste a second as I sank down, engulfing all of him in one fluid motion.

"This pussy belongs to me." He had his teeth bared and gripped my waist with one hand and cupped one of my ass cheeks with the other. "Say it."

"I'm yours," I cried out just as he pulled me down onto his cock, making me take every single inch.

When I was flush with his body, we both stayed still, groaning, the feeling of being so stretched enough to take my breath away.

I started riding him. Gripping his shoulders as I rose up and pressed back down. He allowed me to set the pace for the first few minutes, his teeth bared, his expression fierce as he stared into my eyes, refusing to look away.

His eyes flashed red as he tightened his claws into my hips and on my ass and really started fucking me then. Sebastian lifted me up and slammed me back down over and over again.

He fucked me hard and fast until the pain and pleasure morphed into one. And when he smacked my ass, the crack of his palm meeting my cheek was so loud I swore it would give our location away to anyone or anything that was near.

But I couldn't care. It all felt too good to stop.

I was bouncing on him, up and down, my breasts only held securely by my T-shirt, which really didn't offer any support as it was. My nipples felt rock-hard, aching, and when he leaned down and started sucking on a nipple through my shirt, I moaned loudly.

He kept smacking my ass every time I was flush with his groin, then would tighten his hold on me and force me to roll my hips back and forth, working his dick up inside of me until I felt as if he'd split me in two.

The sting of him at my breast had me looking down in a haze of clouded arousal. He pulled back and I could see his mouth smeared with blood, could see the twin holes in the shirt right over my left breast. Where he'd bitten me.

The fact that he'd pierced me through the shirt, so frantic in his need to taste me, had my pussy clamping around him, milking him so that he grunted and started really lifting his hips up as he pulled me back down.

The sound of our bodies slapping together was obscene and so incredibly hot.

"Put your ass into it, female. Work that pussy."

Sweat covered my temples as I kept bouncing on him, so close yet my orgasm still felt so far away.

"Fuck. Yeah, that's it. Work that little pussy on this big cock. Take it like you're desperate to feel me come inside of you."

Gods, his dirty talk was the top tier stuff of my fantasies.

I leaned back and rested my hands on his thighs, feeling the muscles strain under my touch. I rolled my hips, ground myself on him, and sought to find my pleasure.

With my head hanging slightly back, my hair swinging wildly behind me, I was so close. So close.

"I'll fucking kill anyone who thinks they can take you from me."

Oh. Yes. That was it. Right there, that violent, super red-flag waving shit that just did it for me.

Because it had me coming so hard stars dotted my vision and I felt a flush of wetness spill from me.

I couldn't move as I rode the ecstasy but somehow was still bouncing on his dick. I realized he had his hands on my waist and pulled me up before slamming me down, using me like his own little fuck doll.

And then I felt his hand circle my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter until I gasped and really rode him, my orgasm peaking again as I cried out.

Gods, that was it. That danger of not being able to breathe, yet knowing Sebastian would never hurt me, would never allow anyone else to hurt me.

The pleasure was… insurmountable.

It was long moments of me wailing as I rode the wave before I felt myself start to come down from my high.

But as soon as I was conscious enough of my surroundings, Sebastian thrust up into me once, twice before pulling out on the third. He pushed me down to my knees and palmed his big, fat cock.

He was leaking copious amounts of cum, so much so that I thought he'd already orgasmed, but he was still so hard. So thick. So goddamn big.

"Open for me. Be my good girl."

I had my hands on his upper thighs, my nails digging into his legs as I moved closer, leaned in, and opened wide.

He smoothed his slick cockhead along my lips, a mixture of his semen and my arousal coating my mouth before he popped the crown inside and I eagerly sucked on him.

He groaned and lifted his hips, pushing another thick inch inside. We did the slow tandem of him shallowly thrusting up while I moved my mouth down.

But it seemed his impatience grew because he tangled his hand in the back of my hair, and pushed my face down in his lap at the same time he pushed up.

He hit the back of my throat, and I gagged, pulling back and breathing through my nose roughly.

Tears started to stream down my cheeks as he grunted and kept up the hard force of fucking my face.

"Choke on Daddy."

That shouldn't have turned me on like it did, but it was like pouring gasoline on an already blazing fire.

I clamped my legs together and really started bobbing my head up and down on him, gagging every time he thrust up. My face was pressed to his groin to where I couldn't breathe. But then he'd pull my head back with his hold on my hair and repeat the action all over again.

The sounds that came from him were like nothing I'd ever heard. They were fierce, as if I were with a wild animal instead of my mate.

His onslaught of mouth fucking me was never ending, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I was so turned on I felt delirious from it. And when I reached down and started sliding my fingers through my slippery folds, I moaned loudly around his dick.

"Go on. Show me how you play with yourself. But fucking look me in the eyes as you do."

I ran my fingers over my clit and that was all it took for me to come. My jaw ached from sucking on him, and the pleasure almost had me stalling, pulling back so I could suck in great lungfuls of air.

But I never took my gaze off his eyes.

His hold on the back of my head was relentless as he kept thrusting up into my mouth, pushing his dick deep into my throat.

My face was a mess with tears as he yanked my head back suddenly, the sting of his hands pulling the strands enough to cause another round of pleasure to shoot throughout my entire body.

He started stroking himself as he leaned in, his gaze locked on mine, his teeth bared and his fangs long and extra sharp.

He groaned, orgasming and spraying cum all over my neck and chest, his focus dropping to my throat. I tipped my head to the side, offering it up, knowing he was so thirsty.

He struck like a cobra, sinking his fangs in deep, so hard I cried out for how painful it was. But that discomfort turned into euphoria.

I could hear him swallowing, deep mewling noises leaving Sebastian as if he'd never taste anything better than me.

I didn't know how long we stayed connected like that, but then he broke away, breathing deeply, and leaned back in to drag his tongue along the wounds.

"Fuck, you're so perfect. How did I get worthy to call you mine?" His words were so low I knew they were meant just for him.

He pulled back and I stared up at him in this hazy fog of post-euphoric bliss. I could feel his warm, sticky cum all over me, and didn't move when he smoothed his thumb over my chin and neck, rubbing himself into me.

He rubbed it in like the nasty bastard he was, but here I was moving closer, wanting more of that perversion.

I was lifted off the ground and placed on his lap a second later, his big, strong arms around me as he cradled me, and I rested my head on his chest.

We stayed like that, neither speaking, and I felt myself dozing and leaning even farther against him at the sensation of him running his hand up and down my back and kissing my temple.

"When we get out of this fucking place I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk straight, sweetheart," he murmured as he held me. "But don't worry, I'll make sure you get off at least twice before I let you rest."

I laughed softly at that, but my body heated all over again. I felt damp from sweat and his cum, and sore from his fucking, yet ready for more.

I let myself just soak up this moment of relaxation and contentment. Ever since that first nightmare, where Sebastian had witnessed my freak-out, he'd insisted on holding me while we slept. And the nightmares… had stayed at bay.

I was smiling when he kissed the top of my head, which pulled another soft sigh from me.

"I'm moving you into my place and not letting you out of my room until I've fucked you unconscious." He smoothed his hand up and down my back. "I don't think I'll let you leave the house. It's the only way to make sure you're safe."

I snorted, but when he didn't say anything else, and when I realized he'd had a serious tone, I lifted my head to look at him.

"Wait. What?" His expression told me he wasn't being a cocky vampire male like usual. He was legit serious.

"I'll end up killing any guy who so much as gets in your fucking vicinity."

He looked rough but sounded content, sated from what we'd just done and how much he'd taken his fill from my neck.

"In fact…" He pushed some of my sweaty hair away from my face as he stared into my eyes. "I need to make sure to be the only one inside the house keeping things safe. I'll keep the security patrols outside the estate, because for sure I'll gouge out their eyes if any of the Lycan Guard even look at you."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times as I processed that. After a second of gathering my thoughts and actually being able to form a coherent sentence, I climbed off him, much to his disgruntled disappointment.

"Where are you going?" He reached for me, but I took a step back, out of his reach.

"What's wrong?" he asked in pure male, totally oblivious form.

I felt sticky, especially between my thighs, and no doubt my shirt would be all crunchy after it dried from him using me like his personal cum rag. But I pulled my pants up regardless, fixed my shirt so it wasn't all crooked, and crossed my arms to glare at him.

He lounged back like a big old cat who'd gotten the canary, all smug smiles, heavy-lidded eyes, and a body that really shouldn't be that damn hot.

He was also getting hard again the longer he stared at me, his cock glossy from being inside of me as it hardened and lengthened.

And when he reached down to grip himself again, lazily stroking himself from root to tip, I lifted my chin in indignation and shook my head.

"How about you put that away"—I pointedly glared at his dick—"and explain to me what exactly you mean by keeping me under lock and key, so to speak."

He didn't answer, just kept stroking himself, but when he saw I was serious, his dark brows pulled down and he shook his head slowly. Sebastian made an irritated sound and tucked himself back into his pants with a grunt of discomfort. Then he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his thighs as he stared at me.

"It means exactly what I said." His tone was so… was so damn matter-of-fact.

At my cocked eyebrow and silence, he went on.

"I'm not about to let my mate put herself in danger, which, let's face it, baby girl, you seem to do quite a bit."

I made a very unattractive sound at his words, even if they were true. "Trying to help save you and fend off crazy-ass-looking paranormal dimension creatures is not me being reckless."

He rose to his full height of over six and a half feet to glare down at me. I wasn't afraid of him, knew he'd rather kill himself than ever hurt me, but he was an intimidating male. And he was used to getting his way. Obviously.

But I held my ground and tipped my head back as he stepped closer. I refused to look away from his too-penetrating stare.

"I will not risk your safety." He ground those words out one at a time and slowly as if he really wanted me to comprehend each one. "And if that means making you stay in my estate until you come to terms with how things will be run, if it means you hating me because all I want to do is fucking protect you so I can have you in my life until I draw my last breath, then so be it, Ada."

I wasn't about to soften at the fact he wanted to protect me because he cared about me so much. Nope, I was not going to let that sink in and wash away my annoyance.

"I'm not a pet, Sebastian." I tried to keep my tone more conversational. Fighting wasn't going to solve anything.

"No, you're my mate, and I will not, under any fucking circumstance, risk your safety." He shrugged as if that was it. Final. As if he were some damn king and his word was law. "My estate—your new home—sits on fifty acres, and there are enough rooms inside, you'll always find something new to explore." He lowered his head, and a slow smile spread across his face as he rumbled, "Or maybe I'll just keep you in bed and fuck you day in and day out."

I shivered at his words but was proud of myself for keeping my stern expression on my face.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Fuck exploring, isn't that right, baby girl? Wouldn't you like me to fuck you in every available room in the estate?"

I let out a shuddering breath and slowly shook my head, but all he did was grin broader and chuckle low.

"Regardless, I'll do what I need to do. I'm the dominant one, sweet thing. I make the rules, yeah." It wasn't phrased like a question.

Once again I was a damn fish out of water. I sputtered. He turned his back to me to stoke the fire, and I was fucking tempted to call him a few choice words.

"This isn't how being mated works." I ground those words out.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression stoic. Unmovable. "It is when you're mated to me, sweetheart."

I threw my hands into the air just as he rose to face me again, his arms now crossed over that beefy, wide chest.

"Maybe I'll just say screw this mating and leave once we get out of here. I don't need some overbearing caveman keeping me prisoner."

Because not getting out of here wasn't an option. I was thinking positively and all. When I gave him a saucy smirk, as if that would for sure change his mind on all this, that little smile faltered when he growled and stalked forward.

"Let's get one thing straight, Ada." His voice was dangerously low. "I've only ever cared about two people in my life. Kane and Adryan. And that's because they are family. It's all about loyalty." He kept stepping closer, forcing me to move back. "But what I feel for you," he gritted out, "is unlike anything I have ever felt. It consumes me. It's changed the very way I think and see things. It's made me fucking feel, Ada."

I couldn't breathe as he said the words, his eyes glowing red now from his very clear emotions.

"And I refuse to let that go. I refuse to let you go. Ever."

My heart was racing as emotions rose up almost violently in me.

"Before you I just moved through this godforsaken world because I was loyal to those around me. I didn't care if I died, didn't care how many bodies littered the ground at my feet." His chest was pumping up and down from the force of his breathing. "You're mine, and I will do anything to ensure you stay with me. Do you understand that, Ada?" He was all but snarling now. "Do you understand the lengths I'll go to, to ensure that?" He bared his teeth, his fangs lengthening.

I didn't know what to say or how to respond. I was so startled by how fiercely he was acting that it was even hard to breathe.

"If that means killing everyone to make it safe for you, so be it. If it means keeping you as a captive because that's the only way I can have you, I'll fucking do it in a heartbeat."

"You are insane," I whispered, stunned by how strongly he clearly felt about this. "I'm a person, Sebastian?—"

"No. I'm mated. My behavior is completely normal and justifiable given the circumstances." His glare was hard, unbending. "And you're mine." He all but roared that last word as if solidifying it in his mind that I wasn't going anywhere. "And nothing—no one—in this world matters to me but you. So hate me, fight me, fucking curse me out. But no matter how far you run, how much you hide, I will always find you."

He lifted his hand, and I tensed, knowing he wouldn't harm me but still so uneasy about how vehemently he reacted to all this.

When he cupped my cheek, my body instantly leaned in, as if the damn bitch couldn't control herself where he was concerned.

He leaned in so we were nose to nose. "Because without you there is no me."

All I could do was stand there with wide eyes, my mind whirling at all he'd just confessed. I wanted him, felt a connection with Sebastian that could never be matched or equaled. Fate had put us together, but at the same time I would not be some toy he could cart around as he saw fit.

I stepped back, his hand falling from my face, this gruff sound of impatience leaving him.

"You need to get your shit together. If you want me to be happy, then the first thing you need to realize is keeping me prisoner is not the way to go, buddy." I stabbed my finger in the center of his very hard chest.

With that I turned and took two steps toward the forest. But he reached out and gripped my wrist with a firm hold.

"Female," he gritted out. "Where the hell are you going?"

I huffed out my impatience and turned to point to a boulder just ten feet away. "To pee, Sebastian." He wore a surprised expression at my candor, but when he didn't release me, I pursed my lips. "I am so not gonna have you hover over my shoulder as I go to the bathroom."

His nostrils flared and he glanced at where the boulder was.

"Literally ten feet away, big guy. Stand right here if you want." I pointed to his spot. "You'll be able to hear if something creepy-crawly is coming, all right?" My tone was hard even though I was trying to keep my annoyance to a simmer.

The conversation about me being his captive little pet in the guise of him protecting me wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

He gave a hard nod and finally released my wrist.

I stalked over to the boulder, giving him the side-eye once I was behind it. Although it was wide enough to afford me privacy, the top came up to my neck, which allowed me to glare at my totally unreasonable mate.

And yup, there he was, arms crossed, legs slightly spread apart, and a fierce look on his face as if he knew as soon as I was done, we were hashing this shit out and laying down some ground rules.

I pushed my pants down and squatted as I stared straight ahead into the darkened forest and did my business. It was strangely quiet, without the usual chirps and strange sounds from the animals who inhabited this plane, ones I'd gotten used to hearing in the background.

That's why this strange stillness felt so off-putting.

I shook my head. "Damn stubborn male vampires and their too big egos," I muttered to myself as I finished and pulled my pants back up. I pursed my lips and wrinkled my nose as I stared down at my shirt. It was still sticky and damp from him orgasming like a geyser on me, and despite the anger I felt, a tingle settled right between my thighs.

He'd just been so… feral, so barbaric as he marked me like he was staking his claim for all to know.

I'd never really thought about finding my mate. Because I was only in my early twenties, young by human and Otherworld standards, I hadn't given much thought to finding the one person destined to be mine and vice versa.

And after my parents died, I'd just been trying to survive and stay under the radar. But it looked like I didn't do that very well seeing as the Assembly had caught me.

The soft conversations I'd had with Sebastian over the last few days, and with him holding me as if it comforted him just as much as me, I felt, for the first time in my life, that I wasn't alone.

We'd talked during those quiet times, sharing little pieces of information about each other. I learned he was one hundred and ten years old. His brother, Kane, was a year older.

I'd been mesmerized listening to him tell me stories about what it had been like for him. Living over a century boggled my mind.

He was so much more worldly and experienced than I was, and as I heard him talk about how he'd just been moving through life, not caring about even himself, I felt a pang in my chest.

He was known as cold and apathetic. Dead inside. And knowing he felt that way had literally sucked the air from my lungs.

I could only imagine what finding his mate was like to him, how utterly consuming it must feel. It certainly was very different for me. And although I could understand him and could see a part of his point regarding me, he was going to have to learn very quickly that this was a relationship. We would decide things together, not him being a dictator simply because he was terrified of losing me.

Feeling more of my anger ebb away, I turned to face him, seeing he was in the exact same position, not having moved an inch. I also noticed his eyes scanned the area as if he were seeking out some unseen threat.

My irritation slowly faded because I didn't want things to be tense between us. I obviously couldn't change him overnight. I didn't want to. I just wanted a little bit of compromise.

I was about to walk around the boulder when something in his expression changed.

He instantly got tense, his arms slowly unfolding from across his chest, his hands lowering and tightening into fists at his sides.

I could feel the anger radiating off him, the menacing, threatening demeanor that suddenly took its place.

I retreated back because he looked absolutely terrifying and I didn't understand why. He moved a step toward me, his upper body slowly hunching forward in a very predatory stance.

And then the growling came through, low at first and slowly increasing in volume the longer I stood there.

"Sebastian?"

"Come here, Ada." Those three words were loud enough I could hear, deep enough they felt like a knife scraping over my body and slowly peeling away at the skin.

The back of my neck prickled, and I lifted my hand to rub my nape. The hair on my arm stood on end, and it was then I realized… we weren't alone.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts concerning the fight with Sebastian that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings.

Reckless.

I felt the ground vibrate when a sudden thump came from behind me as if something very large had just dropped down from the trees.

I mouthed, Sebastian, but was too afraid to turn around, to even move.

I imagined it was another one of those tentacle creatures, but then I heard a set of footsteps. One after the other. Heavy. Solidifying that whatever was there was huge.

"Ada, come here, baby." There was a tightness to his voice. I realized he was afraid for me, that it was fear. "Come here. Come over to me."

His anger was paramount, tangible as it swirled around him. His eyes were blood red, his teeth bared, fangs longer than I'd ever seen.

"Calm down," I whispered. I knew I had to get him under control. I knew if I didn't, he'd react purely on primal instinct to attack. And right now, we had to be level-headed if we had any chance of getting out of this.

Sebastian held his hand out, his claws long and black and so sharp. And … gods… was it slightly shaking?

My mate took a step closer.

"You can try and get to her," the creature—clearly a male with a voice that deep and horrific—said. "Your kind is fast as hell, but not faster or stronger than I am."

I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"So if you want to risk her safety thinking you can get to her before I can…" The beast did chuckle then.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, mutilate your body until it's unrecognizable. I'm going to do all of this because you dared look at my mate. Dragging your pain out is going to be purely for my amusement because I'm a sadistic motherfucker, and you've now made a new fucking—ruthless—enemy."

More laughing from behind me.

"Sebastian," I whispered again. Please. Calm. Down." I was trying to hold it together, not just for myself, but for my mate, too. If I acted as terrified as I felt, I knew Sebastian would go full-on psycho mode.

Sebastian stilled. Although he looked fierce right now, so angry that he could spit nails, his focus was trained on whatever was the creature behind me.

And I was still frozen in place, unable to move.

I could practically see Sebastian's body growing bigger, his muscles thickening, the violence in him exploding forth with whatever threat was stalking closer.

I heard this deep rumble from behind me, so serrated that I felt the vibrations moving along my skin.

Instantly goose bumps popped out on my arms and legs, and I shivered, finally feeling something snap inside of me as I looked over my shoulder and peered into the darkness.

It was only a second before the creature emerged into the moonlight. I felt my eyes widen in shock and absolute horror at what I was looking at.

He was monstrously large, taller than seven feet, with horns curving up and back around his head, upper fangs that went past his bottom lip, and scars that littered his entire upper body.

His eyes flashed from completely black to a glowing red.

I slowly turned to face him, the survival instinct in me screaming out that I couldn't have my back to him.

He had his focus on me, as if he didn't even care that my mate was right behind me making the most primal sounds of warning.

But then again, this… this thing was the biggest creature I'd ever seen in my life. He was clearly from the Otherworld, and although I hadn't met a lot of the different species—far too many to even count—I'd at least heard of them.

But this one? No, never ever heard a whisper of what he was.

He had to be from this plane, some fucked-up creature that kind of looked human but then totally didn't.

When he was free of the tree line, he stopped, the moonlight washing over his face. He glanced over my head to stare at Sebastian.

I could hear my mate growling continuously, but I didn't dare take my focus off the creature in front of me. A horrified sound left me when he slowly grinned, showing off his sharp teeth and fangs longer than anything I'd ever seen.

He was a literal monster, and I stumbled back, the boulder stopping my retreat. I covered my mouth and cried out when he unfurled his wings, the boning visible through the black membranes, the wind picking up as he flapped them.

Gods… the wingspan was massive.

My heart was thundering now, and all I could keep thinking about was getting to Sebastian.

The creature looked at me as if he were hungry, and given the size of him, he probably needed a few of me just to have his appetite sated.

I started making my way around the boulder, keeping my focus on the monster, moving slowly.

He just chuckled low and inhumanly, the sound just as terrifying as the rest of him. And when he slowly moved forward and took an attack stance, I went into action.

I turned, ready to dart toward Sebastian, although the reality was I knew I couldn't escape something like this.

Sebastian had the most horrified look on his face as he stared at me and then looked at the creature, who I heard moving closer, so loud and heavy that the very ground vibrated with every step he took.

The look on my mate's face told me one thing. He knew getting out of this was going to be nearly impossible. His expression also told me one very cold, hard truth.

This was the first time he'd known real fear.

A sob tore through my chest at the thought of it ending here. I'd tried so hard focusing on staying alive, not just in the human world, but even being captured by the Assembly before being thrust into this hell.

I refused to go down this way.

I didn't know how we'd get out of this, but I wasn't going to take it lying down.

Sebastian ran full speed toward me. I reached my hands out, wanting to throw myself against his body and let him wrap his arms around me, when suddenly I was airborne, massive clawed hands snug around my waist as I was lifted up.

"Diablos!"

My ears rang as Sebastian screamed that one strange word.

"You motherfucker. Let her go."

We were airborne but hovering ten feet in the air, as if taunting Sebastian to try and get me. The creature chuckled again and dug his claws into me until I cried out.

"Don't fucking touch her. Fight me, you Diablos motherfucker." Sebastian snarled and gave this war cry.

I screamed and kicked out, twisted in his arms, and reached behind to drag my nails down his face.

He snarled and snapped those sharp teeth at me, and I jerked my hand back.

I turned and cried out for Sebastian, still reaching for my mate as he tore through the short distance that separated us. But I was too high up now.

Sebastian's roaring startled the entire forest, causing creatures to take flight into the horizon.

"Ada," he screamed,still making the most awful sounds I'd ever heard as he reached for me.

And then he was running full speed through the forest, following us as I was taken away.