Page 24 of Hell Storm

And then, I got my answer.

“Let me claim younow.Right here, while it’s just you and me.”

I didn’t turn away or blink. He wanted to break me, to force me to admit that being in his presence was unnerving, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. So, in a fit of bravery, I offered him my wrist.

“Fine.”

That wicked smile of his returned, and with what I knew to be a deliberate gesture, he lowered my arm back down to my side.

“But … isn’t this what you want?” I was so confused when my offer was rejected.

Even more so when he shook his head, implying I’d gotten it all wrong. I waited for further explanation, and eventually got my answer.

Only, Levi didn’t use words.

There had been a wonderful smell I noticed the night of the gala. At that time, with all four princes surrounding me, I wasn’t certain which it belonged to, but I now knew the scent was Levi’s. As he lessened the space between us, pressing his cool lips to the side of my throat, I drew in deep gasping breaths.

His mouth was the only point of contact between his body and mine, but you couldn’t have convinced me his entireessencewasn’t blanketing me. Maybe that’s just what I wanted. My hands balled into tight fists when the urge to stretch my arms toward him became too great.

Don’t forget who he is.

Don’t forgetwhathe is.

It was no use. I couldn’t trick my mind into believing I didn’t like this—being seduced by this monster, because I did. As his tongue traced small circles over my skin I lost myself, barely noticing the moment the soft swirls became a bite. His mouth was fixed there, so tightly it felt like he’d take everything I had, and it felt like I wouldn’t fight if he did. In short, the pain was no match for the pleasure.

The tight fists I held opened and I gripped the armrests instead, praying two contradictory prayers.

One, that he’d let me go.

Two, that he wouldn’t ever.

I found myself wondering something unfathomable—what I tasted like to him.

Is that a sick thing to consider? Do I really think someone as wicked as Levi can think anything is too sick to consider?

I listened as he swallowed, breathing against my ear as he sucked harder. It was then that I lost myself, accepted that there was a disconnect between my limbs and my brain. I was certain of it because I reached for him, pressing my palm flat to his back. His skin had warmed from the fire behind it. I held him, allowing him to have his way.

A slight sting beneath the surface of my skin reached me, and I knew he’d begun to inject his venom. A gentle moan left my mouth, and he responded to it with kindness I didn’t expect. His hand cradled my cheek, as if to let me know this part was only temporary, and it was.

The burn subsided, and then he withdrew his fangs. However, his mouth stayed fastened to my skin. He was feeding like we were instructed to do, but this was more than that. It was passion, and lust, and heat all rolled into one frustrating heap, making me want to pull him closer, and shove him away all at once.

The pressure released from my neck and a few small kisses were placed there instead. Kissing was not mentioned in Silas’ handbook, but, in this moment, it felt right.

Tooright.

Dread filled me at the realization that he was finished with me. Dread at the realization of how disappointed I was.

Outlined by firelight, he stood tall before me, allowing for a ringside view of his perfection. I ached for him in unmentionable places, and glancing below his waistline, I didn’t have to wonder if he felt the same need. His desire for me was abundantly clear.

I turned away in an attempt to refocus, but it would take more than averting my eyes to get Levi out of my system. Especially once the final stint of the Claiming was finished.

He’d injected me with his venom, fed from me, and now I only needed to feed from him to complete the process.

My gaze returned to him just as he broke the skin on his wrist with his teeth. He offered it to me, and I was admittedly less repulsed this time. With Julian, I hadn’t known what to expect. Now, I knew it wasn’t as awful as I imagined.

Our eyes were deadlocked on one another as I secured my lips over two small puncture wounds. The bitterness of his blood hit my tongue when I sucked gently, causing a tsunami of lust to flood Levi’s expression. Perfect teeth sank into his bottom lip and I could hardly catch my breath as that same sensation washed overmethen.

A fantasy seeped into my thoughts. One where neither logic nor clothing formed a barrier between us. The image was of he and I sharing the rawness of a passionate moment, one that felt so real the intensity of it brought a question to mind.

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