Page 60 of Hell Storm

Standing in the chill of his shadow, I wondered what he’d do or say next, imagining all the possibilities.

“Do you intend to make me beg, Love?”

Absolutely not. Because if you so much as breathe on me, I’ll fall into bed with you without a second thought. That’s how badly I want you.

My thoughts would betray me one of these days, but not today.

“Beg all you want, but I’m fine right here.” I held my ground.

When I folded both arms over my chest, Levi full on laughed at me, making me aware of how I probably looked like a bratty child to him. But I wouldn’t be bullied. Not even into something I secretly wanted.

“Have it your way.”

At first, I wasn’t sure of his intentions when the vague words left his mouth, but then the room suddenly turned upside down as I was hoisted into the air and tossed over a broad shoulder.

“Are you crazy?” I screeched.

It was over before an answer could be given, but I knew he was insane even before asking. My body flopped down onto the thin mattress and I bounced a little. Peering up, Levi’s satisfied grin was both infuriating and tempting at the same time. I hated that he’d gotten his way, but inso manyways, we wanted the same thing.

He didn’t hesitate, or open the floor for discussion before dropping down beside me on the small cot meant for one. Sandwiched between his large frame and the wall, there was nowhere to run from all these things he made me feel.

Nowhere to run from how badly I wanted him.

Resisting had been one of the hardest things I ever endured. He was, somehow, my new weakness.

“I’m locking you in, so don’t eventhinkabout trying to escape,” he teased while turning to face me. Next, his hand came to rest at my hip, holding me in position. Just like he promised.

My breathing was loud and erratic, which he had to have noticed—having supernatural senses and all. Still, I couldn’t quiet it. He made me feel so … tangled. My thoughts and emotions spun out of control when he was near. It shouldn’t have been so easy foroneman to tear down my defenses, let alone two.

Julian was never far from my thoughts. As much as I hated admitting it, I missed him. That realization alone left me wondering how long I would have lasted back at base with my team. Would this feeling of longing for him have driven me right back inside the palace walls? Only … that might not have been possible with the destruction I left in my wake a few nights ago. For all I knew, Julian had grown to hate me, and would have me put to death the moment we laid eyes on each other again.

If… we laid eyes on each other again.

However, even as I entertained these dark thoughts, I knew none of these things were true. If what he felt for me was even half as strong as what I felt for him, doing anything to harm me would have been out of the question.

Which I guessed to be the same with Levi.

I glanced down at my wrist as a thought occurred to me. He must have been starving. In fact, the darkening circles beneath his eyestoldme he was. And yet, he hadn’t even thought about hurting me.

If someone had told me I’d one day trust a prince of the Lydian Dynasty with my life, I would have laughed in their face. Only, now, nothing made more perfect sense.

“Here,” I whispered, lifting my wrist to him. Moonlight beamed in from the high window and swam in his eyes.

Confused, Levi quirked a brow at me as I relaxed in this space beside him.

“You’re hungry, so you should drink,” I offered, making the gesture even clearer. “You said yourself that we can’t trust them. So, this is our only option.”

It surprised me when he began shaking his head in protest, before I even finished my sentence.

“I appreciate the offer, but … no. It’s not safe,” he admitted. “While you’re in no danger that I’ll black out and attack you, to be tempted by your blood after having gone so long without feeding … it’s too risky.”

I considered this, mindful of my previous concerns. However, the next thought I had was how even though I had been hellbent on escaping the palace just a few days prior, a small part of me regretted that now. Because, had I stayed put, I wouldn’t miss Julian as badly as I did, nor would I have possibly jeopardized our safety, or my chances of having access to these men to whom I’d grown so attached.

So, bearing that strong bond in mind, I placed my wrist to the softness of Levi’s cool lips, taunting him, daring him to pass on such a tempting opportunity.

The silver centers of his eyes were slowly cut off from me as his lids became heavy, lowering until they eventually closed. He was trying to fight the urge, but appeared to be losing the battle. His hand left my hip, and crept upward until it met skin, caressing my waist. The length of chilled fingers eventually wandered beneath my shirt’s hem, and I drew a deep breath. I imagined my pulse throbbing against his lips as he tried to resist, thinking that, one day, this would be me. I’d be the bloodthirsty beast unable to fight the hunger.

“Corina … I can’t even begin to express what a terrible idea this is,” he spoke against my veins, wetting his lips before dragging them across my skin.

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