Page 23 of Heir of Blood and Moonlight

I squeezed my eyes shut, every breath shuddering through my body hard enough to make my teeth chatter.

Growls and snarls filled the woods, and the air shifted around me. Whatever energy I had tapped into earlier might as well never have existed for all I could feel now. There were only the horrific sounds of a fight between a single vampire guardian and three vicious shifters. The tearing and crunching and sloppy wet sounds made my stomach turn. There was only the tang of blood and the stench of viscera. There was only the silence. The awful silence.

“Luna,” Javier rasped, his hand gripping my shoulder. “Keep your eyes shut.” He scooped me up with an arm behind my knees and one curled around my shoulders. “It’s over.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on to him like he was life itself as he carried me away. “Are we going home?” I asked, my voice thready.

“No,” he said. “We have to leave. To start over.”

“Again?” I whimpered.

Javier was quiet for a long time. “This time will be different. We’ll go to the city. It will be better there—safer. I promise.”

My head pounded as I stared out at the glittering water, memories playing out in my mind like a film reel. Javier was always so patient with me, so kind and gentle, fiercely protecting me from the immortal world as he guided me through the intricacies of the mortal world. I missed him more than I could bear sometimes, and I wondered if I would ever feel that same sense of safety and belonging again that I had always felt around him.

I blinked, tears catching in my lashes, and glanced at the clock on the wall, a minimalist, numberless analog device affixed directly to the concrete wall above the fireplace. Micah’s lecture didn’t start for another hour. Time seemed to slow with each passing minute. I sighed. How many more moments from my past would I relive while I waited? It felt like my whole life could fit into this endless hour.

I recognized this feeling—the headache, not the time-slowing. It happened every time I stretched the time between doses of Javier’s tincture further, which in this instance made little sense because I’d had raw immortal blood barely three hours ago. I should have been fine for another week, if not longer. The dimming glow of the ward sigils on the walls confirmed it. They were barely visible now. My magic was waning—fast.

“You’re entering abloodfade,” Gavin said. “You need acommunion.”

I turned away from the window partway to peer at him from across the room. He sat with his arms stretched out along theback of the couch and his knees spread wide. I crossed my arms over my chest and sucked in a breath to argue.

But before I could say anything, he added, “Your mature powers are awakening for the first time after being suppressed for far too long, and they’re consuming the dopamine that is fueling them at a rapid rate. Your body cannot keep up, Sophie. Come here. Let me help you.”

I huffed out a laugh and turned to face him fully, my fingers gripping my sides under my arms. “I don’t know what acommunionis,” I admitted.

His lips spread into a devilish grin. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

I gulped, realizing what he meant. Sex. Thiscommunionhe kept mentioning wassex—likely with a side helping of blood.

“I’m not having sex with you,” I said, ashamed by how uncertain I sounded. Like I was trying to convince myself. “I just met you.”

If I was being honest with myself though, Iwantedthat vampire to take me, just as he had in my dream. Just thinking about it made me instantly wet and ready. I wanted Gavin to thrust deep inside me while I sank my teeth into him, while I drank deeply of his blood. I wantedallhe had to give me.

“Come here,” he said, patting the sofa cushion beside him. “We don’t even have to take off any clothing, and I swear I will stop the instant you tell me to. But if we don’tcommune, you’re going to pass out, and I’m going to have to force-feed you, which will be much less pleasant for both of us.”

I blew out a breath and relaxed my arms, letting them hang limply at my sides. I trudged across the living room toward him, making my way around the coffee table to drop down beside him on the couch and curl my legs under me.

“Can I touch you?” he asked, his gaze skimming over me.

I licked my lips, only hesitating for a moment before nodding.

Gavin moved one hand to my shoulder, stroking the crook of my neck with his thumb. He licked his lips, and I wondered if he was imagining biting me there. I hoped so, because that was suddenly all I could think about. Desire pooled low in my belly, and I shifted my legs, self-conscious of the scents Gavin was likely picking up from my body.

A low, knowing growl rumbled in his chest, and he removed his other arm from the back of the couch and leaned closer. He placed his hand on my hip, his fingers digging in with tantalizing pressure. “Come here,” he said roughly, pulling me closer.

I raised up on my knees and lifted one leg to straddle both of his. He shifted lower on the couch, settling me against him so my aching core pressed directly against the hardness palpable through his trousers. He gripped my hips with both hands and rocked my pelvis, grinding my most sensitive places against his long, hard length.

“Oh,” I gasped, needing no further coaxing. My body’s instincts took over, guiding the rhythm of our movement. “Mmm . . .” I dropped my head, nuzzling Gavin’s neck.

He released my hips to unfasten the top few buttons of his shirt and tug his collar aside. “Whenever you’re ready,” he said, his voice rougher than before.

I was too needy. Too greedy. I couldn’t wait. I bit down, enjoying the sensation of Gavin’s skin resisting.

“Fuck,” Gavin groaned. Apparently, I wasn’t alone in my enjoyment. His hands returned to my hips, and he ground me against him harder and faster.

Finally, my teeth broke through the skin, and his hot, rich blood filled my mouth, carrying that tantalizing taste of chocolate and spice. For the briefest moment, a mere fraction of a second, I wondered if the distinct flavor was a characteristic of immortals or vampires, or if the chocolate and spice taste was unique to Gavin.

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