Page 4 of Hell Storm

There was only so much time before my life, as I knew it, would be over.

Then, there was an eternal life ahead of me in which time would lose its significance.

Peering up at Silas, I fought the stinging in my eyes, certain it meant tears were on the way.

“It’s fine,” I replied. “I’m ready.”

CHAPTER TWO

Corina

The option to choose where the Claiming took place was left up to me. Of all the rooms in this sprawling estate, my bedroom was the only one that felt familiar, even if only a little.

My hands trembled in my lap as Julian and I sat side-by-side, resting on the edge of my bed. We were both still clothed in our attire from the press conference. Me—the sleeveless blouse and gray pants that had been chosen for me. Julian—now missing his suit jacket, but still wearing the pants and dress shirt rolled up to both elbows, navy-blue tie undone around his neck. With all that transpired, no one thought to change afterward.

I twirled the silver bracelet from Felix around my wrist as we sat in silence. The only light in the room came from the fire Elle had lit for us. It cast ominous shadows on the walls, but they gave me something to focus on other than Julian. Other than the obligation hanging heavy in the room.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

I suspected the hint of confidence he radiated to be false. That suspicion grew when he lowered his head.

There were so many things I could have been angry about, but I found it harder and harder to recall that emotion since being bitten. That softness I felt toward Julian only took a stronger hold on me as the hours passed. It hadn’t even been a full two days and here I was, feeling something for the prince of the Eastern Quadrant I didn’t think possible.

Sympathy.

“Don’t blame yourself,” I mumbled.

This had all just been one horror after another, and he was not at fault. I saw that now. So, bearing in mind that he’d saved me so many times since our first meeting, I made the first move.

“Here.” His stare fell on my wrist when I extended it toward him as an offering.

It wasn’t until his gaze rose to meet mine that I understood the full breadth of the sorrow he felt. I hadn’t said as much, but he seemed to sense how much I valued my humanity, how giving that up pained me.

Even if the alternative had been death.

The tears I fought to hold in finally slipped down my cheeks, and I didn’t bother pushing them aside. Doing so would have only cleared the way for more.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “We don’t have a choice.” The words were barely heard as I surrendered to him—literally, figuratively.

Cool fingertips chilled my skin when my wrist was brought to his mouth. Our eyes locked just as the soft, fleshiness of his lips pressed down over it. The next instant, a contrasting sensation startled me—two sharp jabs. His teeth were like pinpricks as they punctured through my flesh.

A sane person would have been fighting for her life. I should have been absolutely terrified, but I was hypnotized by the first deep draw he took of my blood. Within seconds, long, dirty-blond lashes closed over his eyes, and the light grip he had on my arm tightened. He seemed to slip into what could only be described as a blissful trance.

What if he can’t stop?

What if he loses himself and rips me to shreds instead?

I considered these things, but said nothing. There was no taking my eyes off him—this beautiful monster I’d slowly begun to realize wasn’t so easy to figure out after all. For a while, I thought I had him pegged, only to find out that assumption was wrong.

His throat moved with one last swallow, and slowly, as if the act of stopping was physically painful, he pulled away. I didn’t miss how he allowed his lips to drag over my skin, collecting a rogue trickle of blood as it ran down my arm. Our gazes locked, and only then did I notice the darkness that had filled his eyes. It faded with each passing second, eventually leaving behind the otherworldly white with their silver centers.

The realization that my chest heaved alerted me of my rapid breathing. I was practically panting, breathless as I witnessed the single-most impressive act of restraint I’d ever seen. There was a fleeting moment where I thought he might lean in for more, but he didn’t, lowering my arm instead. Perhaps to curb the temptation I knew I hadn’t misjudged.

He removed a handkerchief from his back pocket, gesturing for me to wipe away the remnants. Turning to watch him, I wondered if he felt the effects Silas had spoken of earlier. Had the most basic parts of my psyche already begun to seep into his?

Nothing I saw indicated such, but … I wondered.

A sudden movement brought my eyes to him again. Without hesitating, he bit into his own wrist, using just enough force to break the skin. When he held it out to me like I’d done for him, I only stared.

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