Page 125 of Our Sins in Shadows (Coven of Sin 2)

“A human school-yard tradition. At least, so says TV.” I waved him away, trying to climb over him to get out of bed. He grabbed my arms and flipped me so I was in his lap. Hunched down, he draped his body over mine, his fingers resting over my lower belly. The fire in his eyes was so potent, I found myself mesmerized by its light. A moth to a flame.

“I’m going to prove to you that I’m worthy of filling you with the blood heir to the vampire throne.”

Bloody hell. There was that ache again, throbbing to the point that I knew very soon I’d have to take care of it. Stupid horny as fuck monster. Why did I have to have the libido of an entire cast of one of those trashy dating shows? It was fun most nights, but it was annoying when it came to holding a grudge.

My attention veered away from my body’s need to bone when I picked up something lumpy pressing against my thigh. It wasn’t big enough to be Vincent’s dick, and it was at too weird of an angle. Sneaking a peek, I registered the pocket of his sweats along with the mysterious satchel poking out at me.

Before I could decide against it, I snatched it up as fast as I could and flew off the bed, giggling as I raced to the other end of the room with a furious vampire right behind.

“Ruby!” he roared, his heavy footsteps charging after me. “Get back here!”

Eros’ sleepy grumbles sounded as he woke. “Wha—”

Shit. I hadn’t really planned my escape route. My brain fumbled for an exit strategy. When the door to Eros’ den came into focus, my heart rate kicked up a few notches.

Okay, so I’d tried hiding in there once before, and while it hadn’t exactly gone to plan, I was pleased with the outcome. I threw myself into the torture room, Vincent’s thunderous footsteps growing closer, falling in line with the rapid-fire thrum of my heart.

Chapter fifty

A Gift from Faerie

Mybreathcameoutin short, erratic jabs as I slid Eros’ torture bench across the room to block the only entrance into his den. The door slammed open and collided with the wood just as I got it close enough to prevent a large male like Vincent from getting in.With one final shove to the bench, the door slammed shut. The dark fae was in a weakened state at the moment since he’d lost a lot of blood last night, but one door wasn’t going to keep him out for long.

“Ruby!” My lungs knocked together hearing my first name in his mouth—all frayed and filled with fire. It stroked my insides like a match strike.

“What was it that you said to me in my dream?” I teased in a sing-song voice. “Oh, yeah. ‘You’re always the most beautiful when you’re angry.’ Too bad I can’t see you now. It’s pretty damn hot when the tendons in your neck bulge, and there’s this cute little vein tick you get over your eye.”

I could practically feel the wrath rolling off Vin through the door. “Ruby. I told you I didn’t want to give you your gift until you’ve forgiven me.”

What I hadn’t told him yet was that I’d already forgiven him. I’d wanted to hold onto my grudge, to simmer in my anger for just a bit longer. Yet the moment I’d woken and caught him staring at me with that unguarded adoration...all my fury had simply washed away. Of course, I could have just told him that and he would have handed me the gift. But riling him up would always be an addiction of mine.

“I remember what you said, Feral,” I told him through the door as I flipped the light switch, allowing the bare bulb to flicker to life overhead.

“The fuck? What’s she doing?” Eros’ muffled, sleep-filled voice asked from the other side of the door.

“She decided to be an impatient little brat and took it upon herself to open her present early.”

Instead of pounding at the door, their voices dropped to a hush as they whispered to themselves. For some reason, that incited more panic in me than if they’d started ramming the door down.

A string of curses tumbled from me as my fingers began to tremble. Finally, I managed to work them into the satchel’s tightly cinched drawstring and ripped it open.

I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. Not this. What even was it? A necklace of some kind. Examining the object—pinched between my thumb and forefinger—I held up the delicate glass piece suspended on a dainty gold chain. It was a needle, made of hollowed glass. Inside, a yellow spark danced back and forth. The glass was barely more than a sliver. It was so thin that I wouldn’t have been shocked if a stiff breeze was strong enough to snap it. It was small and unassuming but magical and enthralling at the same time. The dancing light trapped inside was so mesmerizing, my brain dialed down Vincent and Eros’ conspiring to nothing but white noise.

“Whatareyou?” I asked the needle as if it could answer.

The door flung open with a deafening clatter, sending the torture table slamming back into the wall and slapping me out of my trance. Various tools clattered to the ground. Eros swore when he entered the room, his gaze sweeping over the mess. He leveled me with a look that made my nape prickle.

“Bad girl,” he snapped, his fang-filled sneer making my belly pool with dark need. “Making a mess of my things. I should punish you for that.”

“Will you?” I swallowed, trying to keep the excitement out of my tone, and failing.

“No. We have something else in mind for you,” he answered, a devilish smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. He bent to pick up the tools, allowing Vincent to squeeze into the den.

The lethal expression on the fae’s face made my heart skip a few beats. He loomed over me in two long-legged strides, devouring all distance between us before the next thump of my pulse.

He studied me intently in a tense moment of silence. Then his gaze softened.

“You’ve forgiven me.” It wasn’t a question. He knew it by simply looking at me.

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