Page 102 of Bite of Passage
“Will she be okay?”
Fontaine stared at her in silence for a while.Abruptly, he said, “I don’t know.Serina is coming at dusk.Decisions need to be made.”
“What exactly is Serina?”
“She’s the guardian who watched over Gemma in the other realm.A witch.”As he departed Fontaine said, “I’ll send a bath for you.Use it.You will not stink up my house.”
Skarde laid Gemma on the bed, careful to arrange her hair off her face.Her breathing came at a slow, steady effort, and her heart rate was normal.He used water from the bath and a washcloth to clean her, getting her out of the clothes that were shredded.
With a kiss to her forehead he whispered, “I swear on my soul I’ll never let this happen to you again.”
ChapterForty-Two
Gemma thoughther heart might break as she rolled in the cage of Skarde’s embrace to watch him sleep.It had to be daytime.The compulsion to drift back into the depths of a dreamless slumber tugged hard.
But seeing him…
The fullness in her chest surprised her.She brushed tears off her cheeks and rubbed her eyes.
“I thought I was going to die.But you didn’t give up,” she whispered, not that he heard her or even stirred.In her heart, she hadn’t doubted he’d come for her.What he’d faced to get her free, the injuries he’d sustained, it was almost too much.
So much damage, everywhere on him.She traced the almost-healed bruises and cuts across his face.He’d fought for her.He’d saved her.He hadn’t given up, even when she’d been terrified.The pain of fighting the demon in her head and body had been too much.It’d been easier to relinquish herself to the entity that wanted to run the show.However, even in the background of her own mind, she’d still harbored hope.She still believed Skarde would find a way.He’d promised.And he had.
It felt like centuries since she’d last seen him; he was still so gorgeous, perhaps even more so than she’d remembered.With his strong profile and straight nose, his face was that of a warrior, with a huge body to match.
He needed blood.Her blood.
She punctured the skin of her wrist and brought it to his mouth.Even dead asleep, instinct kicked in.He latched on.
His eyelids popped open and met hers.
“You’re in so much pain.Let me do this for you,” she whispered as she moved hair off his forehead gently.Each gentle suck of his lips sent shocks through her to the point her body burned for him.
He continued to drink, then licked over her punctures, which inspired them to seal over.“Enough.”He pushed up onto his elbows.“Gemma?Are you…you?”
She nibbled on her lip to avoid smiling.“I think so.The girls are feeling super naughty.”She glanced down at her naked chest.
“They are?”He cupped one breast with his hand and gently traced its shape.
She bit her lip as sensation zinged through her.
His hand worked over the round globe, gently exploring.He flipped them so he had better access and lowered his mouth to a rosy peak.With his head bent forward and his body over hers, his hair tickled her naked skin.She traced the contours of the muscles of his shoulders and chest.
He squeezed her other nipple between his fingers as if impatient to have all of her attention.Waves of pleasure shot through her.
She pushed upward on him.“My turn.On your back.”
Taking his nipple with the ring into her mouth, she sucked, accidentally nicking his skin with her newer teeth.He hissed.
“Oops.Sorry.Damned teeth.”She licked to erase the wound.A glance up found his lips parted and cheek color high.Did that turn him on?She kissed along the ridges of his chest, tracing them with her tongue.She broke his skin once more.
His entire body bowed up.
“Like that, do you?”She licked the new mark clean as well.
“Pain has its …” He moaned when she grazed him lightly again.He gritted out, “Place.”
As she moved down she shifted her weight away from him to grant him a nervous smile.“I want you in my mouth.I’m pretty good at it, but you’re pretty big and…” Jesus, could her face scorch any hotter?She cleared her throat.“With these teeth, I’m pretty sure I’ll hurt you.It’d be in a way that might be beyond pain-has-its-place happy.”
