All of her.
I swear to myself, as I hold her close, that I will devote myself to her safety and her comfort. That I will shield her from the Magistrate, from rival Dons, and most of all, from the consequences of the dangerous choice I have made in binding my survival to her.
I will be her protector. Her anchor. Her haven.
And if the day comes when she leaves me—when she returns to the Human Realm and I am left behind, wasting away without her blood—then so be it.
I will endure it.
Because loving her, even briefly, is worth the price.
I press a kiss to her hair, breathing her in once more, and hold her as though she is the center of my world…because she is.
44
Jules
I wake slowly, wrapped in warmth.
For a moment, I don’t move. I just lie there, half-dreaming, aware of strong arms around me and the steady rise and fall of a broad chest at my back. The bed is impossibly soft, the sheets still warm from the fire burning low in the hearth.
Then reality drifts back in and I remember what happened.
Lucian…last night between my thighs. The way he tasted me and eased my pain. The way he made me come so hard…
I shift slightly—and immediately regret it.
A dull, familiar ache answers the movement, low in my belly. It’s not as sharp as before—not enough to make me gasp. But it’s persistent…heavy. A reminder that my body is still very much doing its monthly thing.
I sigh softly despite myself. I had hoped that the pain was gone for good, but apparently no such luck.
Lucian stirs behind me at once, as if he’s been half-awake already. His arm tightens around my waist, possessive but gentle.
“Ah, my darling,” he murmurs, voice rough with sleep. “Are you hurting again?”
I don’t even bother pretending.
“A little,” I admit. “It’s not terrible, just… there.”
“Come,” he says quietly. “Let me ease you.”
There’s no hesitation in him, no embarrassment, no impatience. Just calm certainty—as though caring for me like this is the most natural thing in the world.
He shifts, guiding me gently onto my back, his movements unhurried and sure. I feel my legs opening naturally for him, almost of their own accord. It’s like my body remembers the relief he can give me and leans toward it willingly.
I let my eyes close as I try to relax. I never imagined waking up like this, I think dimly. In a vampire Don’s bed, trusting him to take care of me.
But I do trust him. He’s so big he could break me in half with one hand, but he’s never been anything but gentle. Also, he’s never been anything but complementary about my body—he genuinely seems to love my curves, so I feel like I can trust him both physically and emotionally.
And that realization startles me almost as much as the relief itself.
His hands are warm on my thighs, spreading them wider with a firm, gentle pressure that brooks no resistance.
“Open for me, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his voice sleep-roughened and thick with intent. “Let me taste you again.”
This time, there’s no panic or shame—only a warm anticipation that pools low in my belly, hotter than the lingering cramps. I obey, my legs falling open even wider, the silk sheets cool against the backs of my knees.
Lucian doesn’t kiss his way down this time—he goes straight to his prize, as if drawn by a magnetic pull. The first touch isn’t tentative—it’s a claiming—a broad, hot stroke of his tongue from my entrance all the way up to my clit. It’s slow and deliberate as he tastes me deeply.
