Page 43 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

No!

No, no, no!

“No!” Axel cried, shoving his fingers into his mouth and sucking on them. This wasn’t blood. This was water. Lukewarm water.

“No, no, no!”

He ran a palm across his face before licking it.

Water.

He did the same to his arm.

Water.

All of it was water, but he could smell it. He could taste it in the air. He could?—

He cursed as brightness blinded him, someone turning on lights. So used to the dark, his vision was blurry, and he blinked several times, water continuing to cling to his lashes and drip down his face. It took him far longer than it should have to realize he was in a shower, and quite a grand shower at that. Beautifully tiled in black, the floor he was sitting on was the same color. It was large with gold fixtures, two rainfall shower heads in the center and a bench on the other end that he’d clearly missed in his manic blind search. One wall was entirely glass, and that was when he saw her, perched on a vanity. Her long legs were crossed, the deep slit of her dark red dress reaching nearly to her hip. There was amusement on her face as she lifted a crystal goblet to her lips, taking a sip that stained her lips redder than they already were.

“The craving can be such a bitch, can’t it?” she simpered.

“Not as much of a bitch as you,” he rasped out.

She tsked at him as she gracefully slid from the countertop. The clicking of her heels was sharp as she crossed the tiled floor before tapping her fingernails on the glass, making him wince.

“Your senses are so heightened it hurts, and everything reminds you of what you can’t have,” she replied in a sensual purr. “All other needs fade away. The need to eat, drink, clean up, fuck.” She shrugged, taking another drink from her glass. “I am told it is worse for a Legacy on the brink of turning. Is that true?”

“I wouldn’t know,” he bit out. “I have nothing to compare it to.”

“Fair point,” she mused, tapping a single nail against the glass in thought. “Clean up and come have dinner with me. We can discuss your…situation further.”

“No,” he ground out.

“Axel, darling, you really have no choice,” she replied. “Either clean yourself up, or I shall have Julius come and assist you.”

Axel blinked, looking down at his exposed thigh to find it completely healed.

“Everything else fades to the background,” Bree said again. “Even pain outside of the craving becomes trivial in comparison. It was silly to allow it to remain without a purpose. You can thank me by joining me for dinner.”

With that, she turned and left the bathroom, each click of her heels making him flinch. His vision was still bleary as he cataloged his skin. All the wounds inflicted on his father’s orders were gone. There were scratch marks on his arms, but he was fairly certain those were self-inflicted. If anything, maybe getting out of the dark would help him feel more grounded and help him regain some control over himself.

Using the wall for support, he managed to get to his feet, stumbling his way under the shower water. It was hot compared to the spray that had been reaching him along the wall. All he could do was stand there for a minute, letting the water beat down on him before he made the effort to remove his underwear.

He had to talk himself through every motion.

Reach for the shampoo bottle.

Open it.

Tip it over.

Use your fingers to squeeze the bottle.

Watch it spill into your hand like her blood will spill.

No!

Lather your hair.

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