“I will never let anyone hurt you,” I whisper, my voice rough with bloodlust and need. “Not after I’ve claimed you. Not after I’ve tied your soul to mine.”
I bare my fangs without realising, brushing my mouth over the fragile pulse beneath her jaw.
“I will slaughter cities for you,” I murmur against her skin. “I will burn the world down piece by piece. Anyone who touches you dies. Anyone who looks at you wrong dies.”
My grip tightens, possessive, violent, absolute.
She stirs faintly, and it nearly breaks me.
I press a kiss to her brow, slow and reverent, like a vow carved in blood.
“Wake up, Petal.” I rock her gently, wanting to shield her from everything, even the air.
My fury coils deep and patient, waiting for the inevitable.
Seraphine will be found. She will scream, and I will inflict such pain on her that only Lucifer himself is capable of.
She will beg me for death.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EVELYNN
He won’t leavemy side, always needing to be in contact with me. Every hour, his fingers delicately dance along the skin of my neck, feeling for my pulse, even when I’m awake and breathing.
They hunted for Seraphine, tried to chase her down, but she was gone. Her tracks disappeared around two miles from here. I saw that as a form of relief. That she was at least away from here. Lucian would not accept that, sending out his brothers each day, searching farther and farther afield to find her.
I sit curled up on the couch in the main room, the roaring fire in front of me warming my skin,while Lucian paces before me. It’s like watching a caged animal, desperate to be free.
I let out an exasperated breath. “Will you stop pacing? It’s been four days. She’s gone.”
He halts, those amber eyes pinning me in my seat. “I will not rest until she is found,” he snaps.
I roll my eyes. “I know, but pacing back and forth isn’t helping. Why don’t you go for a hunt? Maybe that will calm you a little,” I suggest.
He swallows, the thirst, the need to feed clearly visible. “I won’t leave you,” he says through gritted teeth.
I sweep my hair from my neck and tilt my head. “Well, then feed from me,” I offer.
He blinks. “I would never,” he says firmly, with no room for discussion.
“Well, you say that now, but what happens in one or three days’ time when you are starving, craving your next feed? Even humans will do whatever they can to feed themselves. So instead of leaving it to the point of you losing control, go and hunt,” I bite back firmly.
He moves swiftly, a blur of motion, until he stops before me, his hands resting on either side of my head on the back of the couch. He leans down, his nose brushing against mine.
“Are you telling me what to do?” he asks low, his voice rough.
A few weeks ago, if I were in this position, I would feel fear creep up and along my spine, even before I knew he was a vampire. Now, I live for it. The dominating heat searing from his gaze has my body reacting, wanting nothing more than to provoke the dangerous vampire who can so easily take my life. Yet I know, deep within my soul, he never will.
A slow grin spreads across my face. “Yes, I am,” I breathe, unable to hide what he does to me. His eyes flare, sensing it.
“Respectfully, if you two are going to start this back-and-forth sexual tension shit, then I’m going to end up throwing up in my lap,” Clutch says, adding a mock gag at the end.
I laugh as Lucian snaps his gaze to Clutch, glaring at him in annoyance. Clutch smirks, holding his hands up in defence.
“She’s right. You need to feed,” Cain states firmly as he comes to stand beside Clutch.
Lucian stands, his fingers gliding across the pulse in my neck as he does.
