King of the Asheville Coven (Winterset Coven #1)(16)

His grip around her ribs tightened as he drank her. “It’s okay. Almost done. So good.”

And just as her fingers began to tingle with cold, he unlatched from her neck and sucked gently on her skin until her shifter healing sealed the cuts. Their heaving chests matched in rhythm. She gripped the back of his hair tightly, unwilling to let him go yet. Her breath shook at how intense and amazing that had been, and when Aric pulled back and lifted his gaze to hers, his eyes had softened to a dark gray.

“Are you okay?” he murmured, concern flashing across his face.

Sadey smiled, and unable to find her voice yet, she nodded.

Aric’s relief was instant. It came off him like a gust of wind. He carried her gingerly into her bedroom and crawled under the sheets with her, pulled her tight against his chest, and let his lips linger on top of her hair.

She clung to him and stared at the window. The sky was lightning on the horizon, and the sunlight would chase away her love soon. Her love? Sadey pressed a soft kiss against his chest and smiled. Yeah, that word felt right. She loved him.

“Sadey?”

“Mmm?” she asked dreamily as sleep tugged at her body.

He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, “You’re reaching again.”

“Okay,” she murmured as her eyelids grew heavier. How could she feel this safe in someone’s arms?

“Can I tell you something?” he asked softly.

“You can tell me anything.”

He kissed her gently, a slight smile on his lips as he did. And when he eased back, he brushed his knuckle against her cheek and whispered, “I love you, too.”





Chapter Eight


Sadey startled awake. She blinked rapidly, her heart galloping against her sternum. The soft glow of the living room light fixture made her wince. She’d fallen asleep on the couch, and the television now had a frozen screen, asking if she was done watching the show she’d nodded off to.

She exhaled and stretched, then smiled as Aric cupped her breast and settled again. Silly mate, feeling her up in his sleep.

Sleep? She frowned at the window near the door. It was still pitch black outside.

Her blood chilled to ice. Aric was on shift tonight, not lying behind her on the couch. Panting shallowly in fear, she forced her gaze down to the arm draped over her hip. It was bigger than Aric’s, tanned from the sun, and scarred from where she’d raked her claws down it after Brock had hit her.

“Did you miss me, baby?” Brock murmured in her ear. His warm breath made her want to retch.

She lay there, too afraid to breathe, too afraid to move, her palms going damp with sweat. Her animal snarled a warning, but she couldn’t get a single muscle to move when he sat up and pressed his weight onto her, slipped his meaty hand around her throat.

It was the touch of his calloused hand against her skin that woke the fight in her. Sadey struggled like some wild thing, but Brock was twice her weight. She wanted to Change, but he was straddling her now, both hands wrapped around her throat, his eyes glowing the same light gold color hers did. Sadey thrashed and bucked, gasping for air, but Brock’s eyes were empty. They were soulless.

“I knew you were here all along, you stupid bitch,” Brock growled out. “Who do you think ran you off the road? Who do you think has been watching you play house with that f*cking bloodsucker? I was going to let you live, Sadey.” His voice echoed with the hollowness of insanity. “If you would’ve come back to me, I would’ve let you live.”

“Please,” she choked out. “Don’t.” Tears streamed down the corners of her eyes. She wasn’t ready to go yet. Wasn’t ready to succumb to the darkness without telling Aric goodbye. Without explaining she’d tried to be stronger for him.

“You’ll die alone now. No people, no friends. No vampire f*ck-buddy to save you. He’s working. He’ll find your body long after you’ve gone cold, and that’s my revenge on him for taking what was mine. I can put you in the grave, and he can’t raise you from the dead.”

Wait…Aric. Reach! “Aric! Help me! Please, Aric.” She squeezed her eyes closed against the shattering edges that were demolishing her vision. Sparks zipped this way and that behind her eyelids as she sucked desperately for air. “Aric…I’m sorry. I love you. I’m sorry.”

This was it. The end. The darkness had reached across two state lines and swallowed her up. At least she’d had a good ending. A happy one. How sad would it have been to go still trapped?

The front of her house exploded inward, and when she opened her eyes, sheetrock, siding, insulation, and glass blasted above Brock. His face was red with hate and exertion, but as he looked up, fear flashed in his eyes. And then he was gone.

There was no weight pressing her down, no hands crushing her neck. There was just the beautiful breath of oxygen she dragged into her lungs, and then the pain of her knees hitting the wood floor beside the couch.

Aric was against the wall, and a moment of confusion took her. Where was Brock?

Aric reached in the hole and yanked something massive out of it. Brock fell to his knees, crimson painting his neck and arm.

Sadey winced away from the sight of Brock’s throat, which had been badly torn. Gads, Aric was so much faster and more lethal than she’d realized.

The front of the house was demolished, and outside, the squeak, squeak of bats and a thick purple haze transformed the night. Garret appeared on the porch first, and then one by one, the rest of the Asheville coven solidified.