His cock slides against my stomach, eliciting trails of precum along my skin, and I take his cock in my hand without thinking and stroke him slowly.
He leans his head back, opens his mouth, and exposes his fangs.
“Oh fuck, Adrien, I’m?—”
I cover his mouth once more, swallowing his scream of pleasure as he erupts all over my stomach, the truth painted across my skin. But it’s not enough. Because I can see him rubbing his hard cock against her as he kisses her, coming in his fucking pants because ofher.
And that thought is the one that drives me over the edge as I come undone inside him with a deep growl. I grip the pillow beside his head, balling it into my fist as I bare my fangs. I close my eyes, trying to combat the thoughts, feeling equal parts ashamed, relieved, and heartbroken.
“Adrien—” he whispers my name, but I can’t speak. Tears pool in my eyes and my throat is tight. And then I feel his arms wrap around me, feel him pull my head against his chest and I collapse. His heartbeat sounds in my ears, and I unravel like thread as I empty myself inside of him in every way possible. I give Wesley everything I have to give.
The sob that racks me is unavoidable. I don’t fight it, because there’s no point. Nothing and no one will ever feel like this.
His hands run up and down my back slowly. His touch is warm.
This is the part where it hurts the most. The knowing.
The calm before the storm.
“I love you, too,” he whispers, and I let the tears fall. When I remove myself, I hate how empty I feel. How cold my skin feels when it’s not pressed against his body.
I say nothing, because I can’t. There’s nothing left to say, nothing left to do but let the darkness take us both under.
Twelve
Wesley
Iawaken to an empty bed once more, my heart sinking in my chest. I stare at that empty spot, knowing it’s always the same, but somehow this feels different. Worse than it usually does.
My memory falls back to last night. To Ivy and her bloodheat, to myownbloodheat and those assholes who wanted to take what was mine.
She’s not mine, what the fuck?I shake off the weird thought. Nothing feels like it’s making sense anymore.
What I felt in Ivy’s presence… is not something I can even begin to describe. It was like I’ve always known her, and in a way I guess I knewofher. She was meant to be my bride one day, but I don’t know if she knows that. Probably not. Still, I can’t shake the fact that fate put her here because in some twisted way, she’ssupposedto be here, with me.
Like it’s her destiny, and not some series of unfortunate events, and I know that’s fucking crazy.
I’ve been here for four years. Four bloody years, and now, all of a sudden, she shows up and…
And then there was the bloodheat.
Her bloodheat, to be exact. I’ve been around enough women in their bloodheat to know the usual symptoms: the hunger, the smells, the allure. And I’ve scented my fair share of vampiresses in bloodheat, and not one of those ever made me feel so…unhinged.
It was like there was some monster in my psyche pushing against a cage I didn’t know existed until that moment.
I was no longer Wesley Castor. I was someone else.
Some amalgamation of desire and primal need with legs.
But even beneath the sudden rush of blood to my cock, amidst the chaotic voice in my head, I felt the deepest desire toprotecther. To care for her.
To make sure she was safe, because she was mine to protect. Mine to care for. And I know that sounds crazy. But even now, in the depth of my stomach, I feel that same compulsion. To get up from this bed and knock on her door and see if she’s alright. Though she may be gone already to class at this point, so I’m not sure what good it would do either of us.
And then there’s Adrien.
I let out a deep sigh, reaching across the empty space and place it where Adrien slept. The spot is surprisingly still warm. Which means he must have overslept.
I told him I loved him last night. He didn’t say it back, not that I expected him to, but a part of me feelsgutted he didn’t say it. And I’d asked him to make love to me, because I know hedoeslove me, even if he doesn’t say it, and I had the feeling if I didn’t tell him then, I never would.
