Page 49 of Ouch! My Vampire Doms Don't Sparkle
I still haven’t phoned Neve to tell her about Maxim.I hope I only imagined the attachment in her voice when she spoke of him.
As Will gets behind the wheel, I bundle Autumn into the passenger seat, buckle her in, close the door.I wait for the click of the lock telling me she is safe, then I stride to my own car and start it up so I can follow them back to the library.
The tightness in my chest eases with every mile I put between me and Gaius’s mansion.The lights of the city are a comfort instead of an annoyance, the scents a relief instead of an assault on my senses.
Finally, we reach the library parking lot and pull into our spaces.
Will is out of his car in seconds.He must have asked Autumn for a minute to speak with me, because he stands between our cars and doesn’t open the door for her.She doesn’t try to get out.
I carefully step out of my car and close the door behind me.
Will wears an accusing expression.“You brought her with us to send a message to Gaius.”
I nod.
“What thefuck,” he says.
“You did hear me say someone tried to kill me tonight?”
His frown deepens.“Again?They just tried that…” He thinks for a moment.“…Four days ago.”
“That one was a warning.This was a real attempt.”
“It was Gaius?”he asks.
“I don’t have any other ideas.I don’t know if he truly expected the attempt to be successful.But those stakes were fucking real.”
“And so your solution,” he says, taking a step away from his car and toward me, “was to bring Autumn to the banquet.She’s not a pet, she’s not a pawn.She’s a human woman who needs our protection—”
Autumn’s door opens and she steps out.Her gorgeous mouth is pinched with consternation.
“Please,” she says, taking one of my hands and one of Will’s.“Please don’t fight anymore.You both did what you thought was best.And it’s too late, it’s done.”
She lets go of my hand and immediately I miss her contact.She reaches up to cup Will’s cheek, the gesture so tender it makes my chest hurt.
His gaze flickers to her neck.“He never even healed your bite,” he growls.
“It’s okay—”
Her words end in a gasp as he bends his face to her neck and licks over the wound.That sweet little gasp goes straight to my dick.I want her.I’ve wanted her all along, and I want her now.
And I’ve learned my lesson.I’m not going to hurt her again like I did before.The thought of her feeling emotional pain because of me is too much to bear.
“What are you doing, Will?”I say, moving closer to them both.“That’s my bite to heal.”
He freezes, his hands gripping Autumn’s arms.Then he murmurs, “All right?”in Autumn’s ear.
She nods and gives me a shy look.
I take her hand, tug her toward me.Will relinquishes his grasp and she stumbles a little as she comes to me.I steady her, grip her hair and tilt her head back.
That slender throat is exposed.The punctures from my fangs are already fading, thanks to Will’s interference, but I lock my mouth on them anyway, kissing, licking, gently sucking at Autumn’s skin.Not hard enough to hurt, but enough that she’ll feel it.
I switch to the other side of her neck, doing the same but sucking a little harder.Possessive fucker that I am, I’m hoping to leave a mark.Maybe I’m not welcome in her bed for the long run—she might still be too angry about how I treated her before.But I want her to remember this.I want her to remember me.
Autumn
Xander’s mouth on my neck—it’s what I wanted before the banquet.Slow, sensual.The bite he gave me outside of Gaius’s mansion was too short.Now, he’s taking his time, worshiping my neck with his lips, tongue.There’s a touch of fang, sharp and exciting.
