Page 51 of These Dangerous Fates

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I walk into Malakai’s room and ignore Cade and Sterling softly talking by the window. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I smooth Malakai’s hair back from his face. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.” I lean down and press a kiss to his clammy forehead.

Without giving the guys any time to stop me, I pull the scalpel from my pocket that Allie gave me and slice it across my wrist. The sting barely registers in the back of my mind. All I can focus on is getting my arm to Malakai’s mouth before Cade or Sterling can stop me.

By the time they realize what I’m doing, it’s too late. Blood wells ruby bright along the cut and I press my wrist to Malakai’s lips, using my other hand to open them. I watch as drops of blood fall and land on his tongue.

“Ellis!” Cade rushes to my side, fear making his voice tremble. “What are you doing?”

“I won’t let him die,” I say with resolve echoing in my voice.

Just as Cade reaches out to grab my shoulders, Malakai’s hand clamps down on my wrist. His mouth seals around the cut, and his tongue feathers over my skin. Shivers run down my spine as he sucks my blood into his mouth, the tugging sensation odd but not unwelcome. I watch his throat work as he swallows once, twice, three times. Each pull on my wrist sends lightning shooting through my veins, and it doesn’t take long before I’m on fire.

On the fourth swallow, Malakai’s eyes open. The gray is mostly swallowed by red, but I still see recognition flare in his gaze as it lands directly on me. Cade tenses, prepared to grab me if Malakai were to try to hurt me.

“Ellis,” Malakai rasps against my skin. “What have you done?” He squeezes his eyes shut and his face screws up in pain. With tremendous effort, he releases my wrist and pushes it away. My blood stains his lips, and a drop slowly slides down his chin. “You need to leave. Now. I can’t hold myself back much longer.”

I watch as his muscles tense and shake. It’s obvious he is fighting himself, holding himself back from launching at me. I grasp his face in both of my hands and lean down. I press a soft kiss to his lips, tasting the copper of my blood, and he groans in agony.

“Ellis, please,” he begs against my lips. His entire body is shaking and sweat beads on his brow.

“I’m not leaving,” I say firmly. “You don’t get to make my choices for me. This involves me, too, and I get to have a say if I want it or not.”

He opens his eyes. His chest heaves as he stares at me with gritted teeth, fangs digging into his lower lip.

“I want it. I want you, Kai.” There is no fear, no uncertainty, as I speak those words. Only a sense of rightness. This is how it’s supposed to be.

I press my lips harder to his. He’s stiff at first, holding his body perfectly still. Until I pull away and angle my head to give him access to my neck, my gaze never leaving his almost entirely red-tinted eyes. His self-control snaps, and he moves faster than I can track. His arms band around me, knocking the breath from my lungs, and his mouth moves to my neck. A soft growl rumbles in his chest and sends shivers of anticipation down my spine. Heat is already building in my core when he slides his fangs along my skin.

“Ellis!” Cade’s hand squeezes my shoulder like he’s about to pull me away. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

“Yes,” I breathe.

As if that gave him the permission he was looking for, Malakai’s fangs sink into my neck. Fire erupts over my skin where he bit. It shoots through my veins and burns me from the inside out. I scream. It hurts so bad, but the pain only lasts for a second before it morphs, and my scream turns into a moan. It’s like a light switch was flipped and I went from experiencing the most excruciating pain of my life to the most incredible pleasure.

Each tug from my vein is echoed in my core. It takes three pulls before I orgasm. It crashes through me so fast and harsh my body shakes and spasms uncontrollably, and light dances behind my eyelids. When it passes, I’m panting and sweating. My body is limp and heavy, like it’s been wrung through the ringer. I distantly hear Cade and the others leave the room, but I spare no thought for them.

Malakai pulls away and I shudder as his fangs slide out of my neck. Blood dribbles down his chin and his eyes, now mostly gray, are wide and shining. Complete and utter awe lines his features. “Ellis,” he breathes. “You taste so fucking amazing. Like the finest wine—rich and dark, with a hint of fruity sweetness.”

He licks his lips, my gaze tracking the movement, and his mouth curls into a seductive grin with his fangs on full display. Fangs that were just buried in my neck. I clench my legs together, remembering what it was like to have them inside me. What would it be like to have his pierced cock inside me at the same time as his fangs? The pleasure from just his bite alone destroyed my world. What the hell would sex do to me at the same time?

Malakai’s nostrils flare as he scents my arousal. “Ellis,” he groans. “If we do this, you know what it means, right? There is no going back.”

“Quit trying to talk me out of it.” I swing my leg over his hips and straddle him. He’s so hard under me, and fuck, I want him inside me. “I’ve made up my mind, Kai.” I emphasize my point by tangling my hands in his hair and kissing him. The coppery flavor of my blood is still on his tongue, and I don’t know what it says about me, but it turns me on even more.

Kai flips us so I’m laying on my back, and he hovers over me, resting his weight on his elbows. We stare at each other for a moment, drinking in the sight and committing everything to memory. The fluttering in my stomach makes me squirm. This man does things to me. The way he is looking at me like he never wants to stop makes my heart pound in my chest. Emotions build inside me, a rising tide I know I’ll never be able to keep at bay. Knowing Kai will pick up on them, I force my focus elsewhere.

All the bruising and cuts have disappeared from his skin. He’s completely healed from my blood. The thought that me, a human, can have that kind of effect on him, makes my heart stutter. Maybe I’m not so useless after all?

My hands slide under his torn t-shirt, skimming along his sides and drawing up the fabric. He shivers at the touch and reaches behind his neck with one hand to pull his shirt off. His beautifully sculpted body draws my attention, and I rake my gaze over him, drinking in the deep grooves of his muscles.

Kai makes quick work of removing the rest of our clothing. The first time we had sex, it was more frenzied. There was no time for enjoying the sight of each other. Now, he takes a moment to rake his gaze over my naked body and I return the favor. Holy shit. Kai is everything I could have ever dreamt up for myself. His beauty dries my mouth. I could stare at him all damn day.

“I want to take this slow,” he mutters against my neck. “But I don’t think I can.”

Anticipation swirls deep in my gut as his fangs glide along my sensitive neck. “Then don’t take it slow.” I lift my hips and feel the cool metal of his piercings against my skin.

Kai curses, and he takes my head in his hands to tilt it to the side. His eyes are dark and bottomless, drawing me in and drowning me in desire. This time, when Kai bites me, I feel only a slight pinch before the euphoria of pleasure washes through me. My body is no longer mine to control. All I can do is ride the pleasure and do whatever feels good. My hips lift at the same time Kai grinds his cock against me. The pleasure is so intense my brain short-circuits. When Kai growls against my neck, the vibrations combined with the tugging on my vein almost send me over the edge.

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