Page 37 of Our Sins in Shadows (Coven of Sin 2)

How could I leave them when I knew they needed me as much as I needed them?

Eros needed me because I was the only one who could penetrate his hard exterior, the only one to keep the peace between him and Vincent and maybe even soften the coven’s opinion of him.

Corry needed me because he needed a mortal to keep him in touch with his humanity.

Sterling needed me to help remind him who he was before Thomas Knight savaged his life. I already resolved to help him remember his real name.

Then there was Vincent Feral, who needed me more than all of them combined.

I was the light to his darkness.

The love to his hate.

The pleasure to his pain.

And he was all those things for me in return.

He would be the father of my child, the strength to my weakness, the fire to my flame. And together, we could burn the whole world of Dagon Knight down to the ground.

My muscles finally relaxed after some of the tensest minutes of my life. I pried my eyes open to gape wide-eyed at the guys, my chest heaving with frantic breaths.

“Ruby?” Sterling’s eyes were brimming with crystal clear tears. I’d never get over this male’s haunting beauty.

“Holy shit, doll. You made it out of the woods.” I swung my attention on Eros, whose gaze bled red and his nostrils flexed. “Ster, she’s—”

“I know,” the priest said through clenched teeth as his hand dropped down my back, probing the base of my spine. At the contact of the male, who smelled like me, I let loose a low-pitched purr.

“Why is her scent changing?” I tipped my head to see the youngest male, his eyes lust-red, just like Deathwish’s.

The silver-haired male was the only one who seemed to resist my scent. I released more of the pheromone, rattling off another purr that was sure to lure at least one of them between my thighs so they could sate this infernal ache.

Victory bloomed in my chest when the silver one’s eyes turned to a muted shade of pink.

“What’s happening?” Corry muttered, his hand dropping to grip the obvious erection that pressed against the crotch of his jeans. “Is this the same thing that happened in the library?”

“Just about,” Sterling said. “Half-blood females seem to go into heat during their primal youngblood state, which would explain the pheromones she’s creating. It’s weaker because of the birth control, but it’s still incredibly dangerous for her to be here. Eros, restrain Corry. We can’t have her triggering his youngblood state. Otherwise, he might try claiming her here, and I can’t imagine a worse place for that to happen.”

Having the youngblood mate me here didn’t seem like such a bad idea to me. Not when it meant easing this sensation between my thighs. “If they come, we’ll kill them.” I gestured to one of the headless bodies that was lying just a few feet from me. “They will pay for interrupting their queen in blood.”

Eros choked on his laugh while he fought a very eager Corry, pinning his arms behind his back.

Sterling only frowned as he stood, hauling me up on my feet with him. “While I find the confidence of this side of you immensely attractive, the recklessness that comes along with your more animalistic side is nothing but a liability here, my love.”

“More,” I whined at the tall, silver-haired prince.

“You’ve had enough blood, Princess Ruby,” Lavinia informed me from her place where she stood beside the door. “Leave now.”

I let out another growl that bordered on a roar. I didn’t want more blood. There was a new lust that my mates’ blood had invoked inside me. It was an ache so intense it made my head fuzzy and bogged down all logic and reason.

My monstrous side was in the driver’s seat, and what she wanted, she got.

“We need to get Miss Baxter out of here. Now.” Sterling gripped my arm, his hold firm but not unkind as he dragged me toward the door. “Eros, get Corry to the car. Restrain him if you must.”

Eros gave a nod and yanked the youngest prince away. Corry’s eyes clamped on me as his brother lugged him out the front door, throwing him into the backseat of their car parked rather haphazardly on the curb.

“Miss Sharpe, are you coming?”

The girl froze as Sterling’s gaze drifted in her direction, her cheeks staining with a dark blush. “No, Your Highness. I haven’t changed my mind since our first discussion. I’m needed here.”

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