Page 19 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

How the fuck did he even find me in the first place? Was the Council going to show up on my door next? Was Lucien going to find me again? I knew I had to disappear again, existing as a ghost in a new city. I would leave no trail, nothing to follow.My heart clenched as I thought about running again, leaving nothing behind and putting down no roots ever again.

With my clothes packed, I sat on the sad little cot in my apartment, trailing my hand over the blanket. I was already missing the familiarity and hated that I always ended up getting attached. Some part of me hated running, hated every aspect of what I was forced to do to survive.

The lazy tendrils of the rising sun were emerging from the horizon. Once the sun was up, it would be time to go. Vampires couldn’t withstand the sun, and I needed the time to put distance between Lucien and me. I couldn’t summon the energy for another rift for a while, so I had to run the old-fashioned way.

I glanced down at Bast, who was pacing through my legs. Idly, I scratched her head, and she emitted a loud purring sound that would normally relax me. Now, it only made me more anxious. My knee was bouncing up and down as I watched the ever-creeping sunrise. When enough light bathed my front door, I scooped the feline into her travel carrier and threw my pitiful rucksack over my shoulder.

Rule No. 5: Abandon Everything at a Moment’s Notice.

I paused at the door, turning back to cast one last wistful glance at my pitiful little apartment, unable to stop the tears from filling my eyes. I hated this part. This little apartment was home, even with its too-thin walls, the landlord with several missing teeth, and the reverberating noises from the nearby campus. At least for a little while.

The longing to stay in one place was a tangible force inside me. I wanted to make friends, to form a community, to feel safe.I didn’t know if I knew what it felt like to be safe. I didn’t remember what it was like to sleep through the night without waking in a cold sweat, haunted by the faces of the people I’d killed?

There was a moment, a single moment when I felt safe. When Lucien shielded me from the fae queen, there had been a glimmer of safety. It was just an illusion, one that I desperately wished to cling to, but he was a vampire. I had learned my lesson, once bitten, twice shy, and all that.

Rule No. 1: Trust No One.

Maybe I should change rule number one to include,especially a vampire.It might be a good idea. I swung the door open, my jaw dropping at the sight of Lucien. He was leaning against the door jam, the sunlight warming his face. My eyes went round, and I sputtered, “H-how?” I couldn’t comprehend how he was standing there on my doorstep rather than being reduced to a smoking pile of ash. My mouth opened and closed.

Lucien’s smile died as he took me in. His eyes trailed down my body, and he frowned when he noticed the bags in my hands. After a moment of stunned silence on my part, he crowded forward, forcing me back into the apartment. He took the bags from my hands and set them off to the side. I couldn’t summon the focus to fight against him.

With my hands-free, he spun me around, pulling me back against his chest. He pressed close, fitting his body against mine as his arms wrapped like steel bands around my waist.

“Were you planning to run from me?” His voice was deadly soft, which shot an involuntary shiver down my spine. My body immediately responded to him. His scent, his touch, his voice were overwhelming. A sensory overload from just a simple moment with him, and I needed more.

I knew I had to resist him, but that was easier said than done. All the reasons I needed to run vanished at his touch, logic nothing but a whisper in the wind.

“Yes,” I whispered huskily, wishing I could have made my voice cold and unfeeling, but it was impossible when his hands were on me.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and he chuckled darkly, no doubt able to hear the racing beat. My breath was short, even more so as he kicked the door shut and walked us further into my apartment.

“I must punish you for your attempt,” he growled into my ear. His comment slid across my skin, making my nipples tighten in want, already imagining his touch.

The flash of his claws was the only warning I had before he cut my shirt down the middle, leaving me exposed. He pushed the ruined fabric off my shoulders and tossed it aside. My translucent demi-cup bra did nothing to hide my nipples as they budded under his gaze.

“Look at you. You missed me.”

“No—”

My protest was cut off when his large hands cupped my breasts. He cradled their weight, and I moaned as he squeezed the soft weight, my head falling back against his chest. Slowly, he traced his thumb around each peak. The sensations made my hips rock, and I arched my back, seeking more of his addicting touch. His fingers evaded my nipples, not giving the pressure where I needed, teasing my desire higher and higher. Gods, all he had to do was touch me, and I forgot everything I’d learned on the run.

Finally, he took my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, roughly pinching one then the other. “The things I want to do to your luscious little body,” he said against the sensitive skin of my neck.

“Like what?” I whispered to him. My determination to resist him vanished, replaced by the same hunger that had taken me over the night of the ball.

“You want to know all the ways I want to fuck you?” My knees hit the edge of the cot, and I held my breath. “Then I’ll tell you all about it after your punishment is over.” Even the wordpunishmentmade me shiver with desire. Wait, punishment?

Lucien leaned down, and I felt the smooth edge of his claws along my hips and legs as he sliced my jeans, shredding them. A shudder rippled through me, not of fear but excitement. I briefly wondered if he could smell my arousal as I grew even wetter. He crouched behind me as my pants fell to the floor between my feet. I squealed when he gripped my hips and nipped my ass with his teeth.

Lucien hooked his fingers into my panties and tugged them down my legs. I moaned low and deep as he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses in their wake. He took his time, the heat of his breath making goosebumps rise on my skin. His hands followed my curves as he stood, catching a claw under my bra strap and slipping it down my arms. I leaned back against his solid strength, naked and trembling with need for him.

Lucien pushed me onto my hands and knees on the bed and stepped back. I looked back at him over my shoulder. His eyes flashed, and I squirmed in response. “Grab your knees and spread your legs. Show me your pussy.”

I bit my lip and rested my head on the bed to do as ordered. I reached to grab the backs of my knees, spreading my legs wide for him. His sharp intake of breath was a reward for my bravery, and I felt myself drip in response.

“Lucien, please…”

In answer, his hands landed on my ass, massaging my curves and eliciting another moan from me. The soft sound turned to a shocked gasp when his palm came down hard in a punishing slap. I flinched at the sting, relaxing when he massaged it away a moment later.

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