Page 71 of Heir of Blood and Moonlight

I felt his hands tugging on the waistband of my jeans a moment before it loosened. He gripped either side of my unzipped fly and yanked his hands apart, using his vampire strength to viciously tear my jeans along the seam. With another yank, he shredded my underwear. A heartbeat later, his hands were gripping my thighs, lifting me and guiding my legs around his hips. The head of his hard length nudged my slick sex, and I dug my nails into his shoulders, urging him on.

I gasped into his mouth as he thrust into me, ramming my lower back against the wall with bruising intensity. The rough force was exactly what I needed, the harsh sensation drowning out the lackluster setting until every sense was filled with Gavin, with his taste and his scent and his sounds. With the feel of him taking me. Pressure and pleasure twisted in my core, building with brutal intensity, climbing to incredible heights.

As Gavin pounded into me, he broke the kiss and tilted his head to the side, offering me his neck. I struck without hesitation, digging my teeth into his flesh until the skin broke and more of his intoxicating blood gushed into my mouth. Blissful oblivion exploded from the core of my being, and I tore my mouth away from his neck, letting my head fall back against the wall as the pleasure carried me away.

Gavin’s thrust grew shorter, and he lost his rhythm until, at last, he buried himself inside me and stayed there, groaning out his release.

Our ragged breaths merged, and Gavin rested his forehead against mine. “Apologies,” he breathed, lowering my legs to the floor. He cleared his throat. Or maybe it was a weak chuckle. “You’re going to need a change of clothes.”

A breathy laugh escaped from my mouth, and I buried my face against his shoulder, my cheeks suddenly flaming. How was I going to get back up to the residential wing to swap out my pants? Talk about a walk of shame.

Gavin made a low, rough sound, and his body shifted as he craned his neck to peer back into the cell. “Move him to another cell,” Gavin said. “I don’t want him messing with the sigil.”

“Of course,” Ash agreed, a hint of strain in his voice. “I’ll wait for you here.”

How hard had it been for Ash to stand by while we gave in to our baser instincts? The man had an iron will. But then, thiswas all part of the mission to rescue someone he loved, and I supposed there was no greater motivation than that.

In one smooth motion, Gavin scooped me up like I weighed nothing at all and cradled me against his body as he carried me toward the stairs. I kept my face buried against his shoulder, perfectly happy to hide on the way up to change my clothes.

I refused to let my body’s needs control me again, even if giving in to those needs was immensely pleasurable. As Gavin carried me upstairs, I silently vowed to make learning how to control my bloodlust my number one priority. Gavin had said he would help me—teach me—and I fully intended to take him up on that offer.

I smiled against his shirt, absolutely certain these were lessons I would really,reallyenjoy learning.

43

Bastian and I satat the kitchen island together, Bastian scarfing down the breakfast burritos on the plate in front of him like they were the last ones in the world, while I picked at mine. I knew I should eat. There was no telling what we would face in the Sun Keep, and I would need my strength for the swim out, if for nothing else, but nerves twisted my stomach into knots and banished my appetite. I just hoped all the immortal blood I had taken in the last few hours would sustain me—because as far as my stomach was concerned, the breakfast burrito wasn’t even food.

Gavin and Ash were gathering the small team of guardian vampires who would accompany us and making the final preparations for our rescue mission.

A shimmering mist appeared on the opposite side of the island, and I gave up all pretense of eating as I watched Wes coalesce into his semiopaque silver form. I sat up straighter, and beside me, Bastian lowered a half-eaten breakfast burrito onto his plate and peered around the kitchen.

“It’s Wes,” I murmured.

Bastian became very still, his attention locking onto the place where the ghost stood a few feet away despite the fact that he couldn’t actually see Wes.

Once Wes’s form had gained definition, he grinned at me. “Micah’s waking up, Soph,” he said excitedly. “I know you’re about to leave, but I thought maybe you could introduce us before—”

“Of course!” I blurted, pushing my stool back and standing. I took three steps, stopping when I heard the scrape of Bastian’s stool legs on the floor behind me. “You should stay here,” I told him, turning partway to find Bastian starting to stand. “Finish eating. Micah’s awake. I’m just going to see how he’s doing.” I smiled giddily and glanced at Wes, who was rounding the end of the island, then looked back at Bastian. “I’ll be fine.”

Only when Bastian eased back down onto his stool, his expression uneasy, did I turn away from him and continue out of the kitchen. Wes fell in step beside me, and his hand found mine, our fingers lacing together like he hadn’t died two decades ago. Like we were still those lost kids who found a home in each other.

A thrill rushed through me. Wes was really here. Dead, but not.

“That is so fucking weird,” I heard Bastian murmur as Wes and I left the kitchen.

I glanced sideways at Wes as we entered the hallway to the front of the house. “Don’t mind Bas,” I told him. “He’s just looking out for me.”

“I know,” Wes said, squeezing my hand. “You’re brighter than you were before.”

My eyebrows rose, and my lips twitched. “I’m assuming you don’t mean that I suddenly got smarter?”

Wes shook his head, his lips curving into a crooked smile. “You have a glow, like an inner glow,” he explained. “I couldn’t see it until, well, you know, I died. It faded over the years until it was barely perceptible, but after you first met Gavin at the club, you shone brighter than I had ever seen you. But now . . .” He scanned me. “You’re like the sun compared to a candle.” Again, he shook his head. “It’s the vampires, isn’t it? Their blood?”

My cheeks burned, and I stared ahead, thinking about what exactly was responsible for myinner glow. “Immortal blood,” I clarified, not looking at him. “So, Bas counts, too.” I cleared my throat. “Exactly how much did my sister tell you about my, uh,needs?”

“Everything,” Amaya chirped from my other side.

I jumped about a foot off the floor and scrambled sideways into the hallway wall, pulling my hand from Wes’s in the process.

---