Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(26)

This had just never happened before.

My shock became confusion when I braved the gaze of my white wolf. Of all of the things that I expected to see there, I had never counted on unbridled bloodlust. Shaz eyed the scarlet trails marring my skin, and he licked his lips eagerly. Surely, my jaw dropped when he moved to place his mouth on the matching wounds that Arys had made in my throat.

When Shaz tongued the oozing bite mark, I let out a sound that was almost a sob. It was amazing. He licked at my blood, sucking at the bite. With my dark vampire dominating my body from behind, I thought surely I was dreaming. Even as I met each of Arys' forceful thrusts, I reached for Shaz, holding him close as he drew my blood into him.

I felt completely exposed and uninhibited. It was a sense of freedom that was strangely new to me. I'd never dared to dream that it could be like this.

Sweat had broken out all over me, creating a slippery layer. Arys' grip never slipped, though, as he stroked me deep inside. Each one pushed me closer to the brink of orgasm.

There was the unmistakable twitch of his c**k within me, and he came hard. The intense climactic waves seemed to last forever, drawing the last of my strength.

The sound of my own heart beating seemed to reverberate inside my head. If I didn't know better, I would have thought the sound was external. Catching my breath was near impossible. Exhausted, I clung to each of them. My clawed nails were sticky, and it dawned on me that it was blood. Bringing a hand to my lips, I tasted the red smear on my fingers. Shaz.

Bloody scratches adorned his creamy skin. He didn't seem to mind. He licked a trace of my blood from his lower lip before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

Arys buried his face in my hair, his arm across me tightening possessively. I lay between my two lovers as the afterglow set in. I noticed the clock on the nightstand flashed as if the power had surged. That was lucky. Arys and I had destroyed electrical components before when the power got out of control. Finding no damage was a relief.

I smiled to myself, soaring on the joyous high. Intoxication this good would never be legal. Their scents were all I could smell, and the touch of them on either side of me was surreal and welcome. I could get used to this.

* * * *

A few hours later the rush had faded. I was adorned with bruises and a satisfying ache that had been so worth it. I stretched languorously and yawned. Arys lay sprawled beside me. He was propped up with his head on one hand, watching me closely. Too closely. It made me wary.

The sound of Shaz moving and banging around in the kitchen reached us from the main floor. He'd gone up to take a shower and make some coffee. I kept waiting for the rich aroma to reach me.

The silence started to grow awkward when Arys continued to stare at me, a look of quiet contemplation on his face. I couldn't help but tense up. I was actually tempted to reach out to him mentally, to touch his mind. I hated opening the mental door between us but I wanted to know why he was looking at me like that. I changed my mind. I didn't even try it.

“You're giving me that look, like you can't figure me out,” Arys said with a knowing grin. “Don't you know me better than that?”

This was the first moment we'd had alone since the night we'd argued about Harley. I was nervous. “I do know you, Arys. So I know that when you look at me like that, it's because there's something you want to say. The question is, do I want to hear it?”

He was suddenly so serious it almost frightened me. I clutched the blanket tightly, holding it against my chest.

“Alexa … about the other day. I want to apologize. As soon as you mentioned him, I couldn't think straight. I don't think I handled it all that well.” Arys picked anxiously at a fluff on the blanket. I noted his careful avoidance of Harley's name. “I don't want things to be strained between us in any way. I can't live with that.”

“No, if anyone should apologize it should probably be me. I know better than to even mention something like that.” I forced myself to make eye contact when the rising guilt made it difficult. It was a good thing I hadn't tried to get inside his mind. I'd never be able to hide thoughts of Harley from him then. I hated hiding anything from Arys, but this was something he just couldn't know about right now.

“Look,” Arys fumbled for words. “You are free to do whatever you wish, but you have my heart now. That's new for me. You've seen my past yourself. Love was not a big part of it. So, I worry about you. And, I don't trust him.”

“Then trust me.” The words came out more pleading than I'd intended. I blinked, praying he wouldn't see the truth in my eyes. “I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just want answers.”

“I can't control you, but it's in my nature to try just as it is in yours to resist.” His tone held much anguish, and I reached for him. He put his hand in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “I can't make your choices for you or stop you from doing anything that you feel you need to. We don't need to rehash this again. I just want you to know that the thought of you anywhere near him hurts me. It's ridiculous, and I feel like a jackass, but it's true.”

There was shame in his eyes, and my heart broke for him. Why did he have to wait until after I'd arranged a deal with Harley to tell me this? What was I supposed to do?

Tell him, or just forget everything?

Sure, Arys could do some great things. The little healing trick was a beneficial one for sure. His problem was that he wouldn't admit that he needed answers too. We'd both gained new abilities after bonding our power and our blood as well as some serious side effects. I wasn't sure why it was more important to me. Maybe because I had already had my ass kicked and controlled by the power I held. That had to stop.