Page 148 of Immortal Bastard

“Delilah, all transitions must eventually let go of their mortal self. We can’t move forward until we accept that we can never go back.”

Was that it then? Would life truly never go back to the way things used to be?

CHAPTER 21

Her back slammed into the wall, rattling the dresser and all of its contents. Delilah snapped her jaw, but Christian was faster, as usual.

His teeth clamped down, piercing her flesh at the curve of her shoulder as his hand cupped her sex possessively. Mine.

His claim ran through her like heroin, drawing out a long shiver as she preened and those first delicious pulls from her vein forced her to soften. “I’m not going.”

His fingers hooked into her, possessively driving her passion higher until she was arching and moaning in completion. “You are.”

Her hand curled around his length, tugging and working him to that precarious edge. Then, when he was least expecting it, she sprang.

They crashed onto the floor in a frenzy of jaw-snapping snarls. She clawed and tumbled with him, rolling across the hardwood until she landed him on his back, laughing when she got him to submit.

“My turn.” She lunged, sinking her teeth into the flesh over his heart.

Christian grunted as his body went still for those first few pulls and then he was holding her to him, rocking his hips against her body, as he growled and took back control. “Yes. That’s it, pintura. More.”

She drank heavily as she gripped and stroked him—teased him—marked him, all the while never letting him regain the upper hand.

The moment she paused, dislodging her fangs to take a breath, he propelled forward and once again had her on her back, his hard length driving into her as he pinned her body to the floor, arms spread overhead, suspended by his unbreakable grip. “There can only be one alpha, little one.”

She moaned and took every dominating thrust as their pleasure blended as one. She could keep fighting him, but why bother? She lived for this part when he finally took her the way he wanted—hard, greedily, and without apology.

They came in an explosive release of ricocheted euphoria. Only when he marked her in every possible way—scent, sweat, seed, bite—did his grip on her arms loosen.

His weight blanketed her as he leaned down and caught his breath. It had been like this ever since her come to Jesus moment about the blood. She was immortal. She needed blood. How had she ever assumed it could have been any other way? Some battles just couldn’t be won.

But others could. “I don’t understand why I have to go to service.”

He pushed up from the floor in a stunning show of carved muscles roped with thick sinew. “Every member of The Order attends.” He held out a hand to help her off the floor.

Technically, she wasn’t a member. There had been no swearing in. She had no letterman jacket or lanyard. She was more like a visitor. A sponsoree. “Can’t you tell them I’m an atheist?”

“You’re not an atheist, Delilah.”

“Don’t tell me what I am—”

“A poor choice of words.” He held up his hands before an argument began. “But an atheist believes in nothing. You believe in something.”

She did. She now believed that they were meant to find each other, but that was beside the point. “I believe that no one should try to indoctrinate others into a religion. That, my dear,”—she poked his nose—“is how cults start.”

“No one is indoctrinating you. I’m asking you to attend service—”

“Asking?” They both knew she didn’t have a choice. She shook the wrinkles out of a dress.

“Fine. I’m ordering you to attend because I have a responsibility to be there and I don’t feel safe leaving you alone for hours while the entire Order is otherwise occupied.”

“Stop pushing your worry at me.” There was no guilt like that of an immortal bond once that mental link was forged. It was bad enough she had her own emotions to contend with. Now she had his as well.

His refusal to let her stay home had nothing to do with trust. He literally feared something bad might happen to her in his absence.

“Christian, I’ll be fine.”

“No. If you don’t go, I’ll have no choice but to stay home as well.”

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