He disappears in a blur, then returns a few seconds later with a hot, wet cloth. “Open, Mouse,” he tells me and I spread my knees apart so he can clean me up.
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to clean your cum from my pussy,” I say, my voice thick with exhaustion.
“You’re not. I’m cleaning you up. There’s a clear difference.”
I laugh when he hits my still sensitive clit. “A girl could get used to this.”
He disappears again to take care of the cloth, then flicks off the bathroom light, lengthening the shadows in the room.
Next, the bedside lamp goes dark and then he’s sliding into the bed with me.
“Naughty little mouse,” he says against my neck as he pulls my back to his chest.
I sigh contentedly. “I will never learn my lesson.”
He snorts. “I can see I have my work cut out for me.”
I snuggle into the pillow, my head suddenly heavy. “Bran?”
“Yes, Mouse?”
The air conditioning runs through the vents with a whir. I can hear the ticking of the analog clock that sits on Bran’s dresser.
“Will we be okay today? After my Pledging?”
His arms tighten around me. “Whatever happens, I will protect you. You have my word.”
I sigh and tangle my legs with his. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mouse.”
Episode 49
Dangerous and Extremely Reckless
When I wake, I roll over and reach out for Bran but find the bed empty beside me.
The windows are still shuttered so it’s impossible to tell what time it is.
I stretch for the bedside table and pat around in the dark for my phone. When the screen lights up, I read 4:00 p.m.
That’s early for Bran. Late for me.
My Pledge is in three hours.
I flop to my back, air rushing out of the thick pillows and surrounding me with Bran’s scent.
Today is the day when everything changes.
If all goes according to plan, by the end of the day, I will officially be a member of the Duval Vampire House.
I will be Bran’s and there will be no turning back.
My brain is telling me I should be freaking out. It’s a lifetime commitment. But my heart and my gut are telling me this is exactly where I should be.
If only there was a better way to guarantee my sister’s safety without her having to make the very permanent transition to vampire.
In the dark hush of Bran’s bedroom, my mother’s words echo in my head.