“Probably with a cell phone,” Val muttered. “Except you probably don’t know his phone number.”
His words made no sense to me. It was overwhelming, and I was growing restless and more tense sitting and staring at the two men. I stood and decided to explore since we weren’t leaving anytime soon.
I sifted through a few racks of clothes, and a grin spread across my face as a shirt caught my eye. I knew Amari was going to hate it.
I threw it at him, and he held it up.
“They’ve made a mockery of gargoyles.” Amari showed Val the shirt that had the word scrawled across it with several creatures of various colors.
Val glanced at the shirt and shrugged. “They know about a lot of things that are Inferna but don’t know about Inferna itself. They are obsessed with vampires and wolf shifters here.”
I went back to exploring and found a small area that had so many bags that they were spilling off the shelves and hooks. I searched through them, marveling at all the different styles and sizes until a bag that sparkled made me stop.
It glittered like jewels and was a faint pink color. Two round circles that reminded me of rodent ears sat on top, with a bow in the middle. It was about the size of my head and was perfect for holding the feathers.
I was really enjoying myself, despite the dire circumstances we were in. What if I couldn’t get us back to Inferna? Would we be able to survive here until I tracked down my brother?
I was looking through books when I overheard Val speaking in a hushed voice. “I wanted to rip into her neck and drink all of her blood. Then I stared into her eyes, and she did what I said. I never believed half the things I readfrom my family, but they’ve mentioned that vampires go crazy for human blood. We need to get out of here as soon as possible before I come across any more of them.”
Val had excellent control over his urges, so to hear that one human made him uneasy was both fascinating and concerning.
I slid a book off the shelf and examined it. I had never seen a book with such a bright and smooth cover. It was shiny, and I could practically see myself in the reflection it gave off.
I returned to the sofa and sat down. “I overheard you talking. Do you need to feed?”
Val cocked his head. “Don’t ask me that unless you’re offering.”
A hot flush crept up my neck as images flooded my mind of Val’s fangs piercing my skin. I quickly started flipping through the book I had grabbed, desperate for any distraction from the dangerous path my thoughts were taking.
The book was unlike anything I had seen before. I caught sight of the word “pussy” on a page and stopped to read it. The woman was having sex with four men at once, and I shifted in my seat.
It wasn’t unheard of in Inferna, but to see it written out to devour was something else entirely. Maybe I needed to go find another bag and stuff it full of books.
As I became engrossed in the scene, Amari stood and walked to the front of the shop. He had the gargoyle shirt on, and it clung to his chest like it was a second skin. He stopped in front of the window and went eerily still as he stood looking out.
“What are you reading?” Val asked.
“It’s about a woman who has multiple lovers.” I didn’t look up from the book. How the woman managed that many men without pulling her hair out was awe-inspiring.
“Is that so?” Val’s voice was deeper than usual, and I glanced up. His eyes were locked on me. “If a man knows how to take care of his woman, she shouldn’t need more than one.”
“And what about two?” I raised my eyebrows and shut the book. I set it on the cushion next to me. “Are you saying you don’t know how to?”
His face was expressionless, and I was just about to pick the book up when he stood and walked across the short distance to me.
“Do you really think a dainty little princess like you can handle two men?” His eyes smoldered as he straddled me, his erection pressing against me.
How long had he been sitting there with an erection?
“I thought I had already handled two men.” I bit my lip and then glanced at his mouth that was begging to be kissed.
“You wouldn’t survive the two of us inside you at once, bruja.” He brought a finger to my collarbone and ran it gently back and forth. He made a strangled noise and ran his thumb up and down my neck.
My heart beat rapidly as he continued to stroke my neck. Did I want him to bite me? The thought made me want to clench my thighs.
To me, a vampire’s bite was more intimate than sex. They took a life force, and there was a lot of trust involved. Did I trust Val enough not to drain me dry? He was healing, his face still a little flushed from almost exploding.
“Maybe Amari could feed you.” I brought my hand to his jaw and ran my fingers along his stubble. The coarse hairs tickled my skin. I ran my thumb over his bottom lip, and he groaned.
