Page 32 of Heir of Blood and Moonlight

I managed a weak smile and craned my neck to see Bastian’s face. “Thank you,” I whispered. “I’m sorry if that was awkward.”

He guffawed. “Are you kidding me?” He nuzzled my neck, his rough stubble tickling my sensitive flesh. “That was the single fucking hottest moment of my life.”

“Right?” I said, laughing softly. I turned to face him. “I’m not even embarrassed about how into it I was, but I feel like I should be.”

He lifted one hand, running the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “You definitely shouldnotbe, and holy fuck, this mouth.” He shook his head, his lips spreading into a wondrous smile. “It’s like the eighth fucking wonder of the world.”

The blush heating my cheeks flamed hotter as he slipped the tip of his thumb past my lips.

“I was thinking about hopping in the shower,” Bastian said, his amber eyes glittering mischievously. “Want to join me? Because if we sit here like this much longer . . .”

I bit his thumb, hard but not hard enough to break the skin.

His gaze darkened.

I pulled my mouth off him, kissing the tip of his thumb before scooting to the edge of the bed to stand. “Well?” I asked, glancing back at him as I crossed the room to the open bathroom door. “Are you coming?”

“I fucking hope so,” he murmured and stood to follow me.

17

The high faded farmore quickly this time, though the effects of thecommunionremained. By the time I stepped into the steaming shower, I no longer felt dazed or floaty, but the sigils on the walls and windows were still visible. I studied them as I stood under the streaming water, my hair knotted atop my head to keep it dry. The sigils glowed with that same silvery light as the markings on Gavin’s body, only these were accented by faint streaks of color—crimson, violet, teal, and sapphire blue.

Bastian opened the glass shower door and stepped in, his heated gaze skimming over my body. I admired him in return, studying the intricate tattoos covering his muscular body, the designs flowing seamlessly over his copper skin. The black ink seemed like a natural part of him with how perfectly it wove over and around his anatomy.

I moved aside, giving him access to the water streaming from the broad showerhead, and grabbed the bar of soap from the inset soap dish in the tile wall. I quickly lathered the soap in my hands and offered the bar to Bastian.

Gavin had been right to stop the sexfest when he did. Without the amped-up lust, the soreness between my legs became all too apparent. The first touch of my fingers between my legs brought a wince. My swollen labia felt bruised and incredibly tender.

“No shower fun, then?” Bastian asked, his teasing tone belied by the concern shining in his amber eyes.

I shook my head, offering him an apologetic smile, even thoughthe sight of him stroking soap suds over his growing erection sent a jolt of desire to my core. I wanted him again. Even with the pain. But the knowledge that Micah was out in the living room, grappling with his new reality, doused my rebounding libido with ice water.

I reached past Bastian for the smaller, detachable showerhead, and used it to rinse myself. I hoped my awakening powers and my body’s need for immortal blood stabilized soon, or I would be in a lot of pain.

Or maybe I could attempt to feedwithoutsex? Not that I minded the sex—at all—but I had a feeling that having to excuse myself to get it on with one of my guys every few hours was going to get old, fast. And would I just constantly be sore? Sex with both Bastian and Gavin had been intense. What was it going to be like when seven partners were involved? I couldn’t even fathom how that would work.

In the dream—or prophecy, or whatever it was—the group dynamic had felt so natural, but it had all been such a blur of lust that I couldn’t recall the mechanics of it. I hadn’t evenseenall my partners, but I hadknownthere were seven. I honestly wasn’t even sure if they were allmale. It was all so hazy. Gavin and Bastian had been there, as well as Thane and Ash, the two mountainous vampires guarding the loft. But I couldn’t recall any specifics about the other three. Would I know them when I saw them, as I had known Thane and Ash?

My gaze lingered on Bastian’s wrist, where I had taken his blood. The wound had already closed, though there was still a faint red line from the cut he had made. There was no silver marking curving around his wrist or anywhere else on his body. No bonding sigil. Nothing tying us together. Because I hadn’t actually bitten him? Or because he hadn’t taken my blood as well?

I had been dazed when Gavin first dragged me into Bastian’s room, but I vaguely recalled Gavin saying something about our blood bond forming because he had taken my blood earlier. Did that mean a blood exchange was always involved? I knew so little about my powers.

Bastian moved closer, taking the shower head from my hand and replacing it on the wall. He turned back to me, raising one hand and brushing the pad of his thumb over my furrowed brow. “A lot has happened in the last few hours,” he said, his voice a gentle thrum. “How are you doing?”

My gaze raised to meet Bastian’s, and my chin trembled. I closed my eyes, drawing a slow, deep breath into my lungs and reining in my flailing worries. When I lifted my lids, I had better control over my emotions. My lips spread into a quavering smile, and I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’ve been running away from all of this for so long, I think I convinced myself it wasn’t real.” I let out a weak laugh. “And now there’s no avoiding it. It’s real. And Micah ishere, and heknows–”

“Wait,” Bastian said. “Micah’s here?”

My eyes opened wide at the familiarity in Bastian’s voice, then narrowed to suspicious slits as I backed away from him. He had been watching me for months, posing as a library intern by day, and as the stray cat I had taken in by night.

“Did you know?” I asked, enunciating each word clearly. I had opened up to him. Confided in him. I had shared heartbreaking pieces of my past with him like they were some big secret, andthe thought that he may have already known made me feel like such an idiot.

Bastian became very still.

“Did you know Micah was my son before I told you about Wes and—” I swallowed my rising rage. “And everything that happened when I was on the street?”

Bastian clenched his jaw, the tendons in his neck tensing. “I suspected Micah’s relationship to you, but I didn’t know for sure, and I had no idea about the rest. About what happened to you on the street.”

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