And truth was, she’d been infatuated with him since their first meeting, the night Obsidian had removed the bullets that had riddled Kaj’s chest. He’d been in so much pain that night, so Acadia had remained at his side, watching over him while he healed. That night and the many that followed. As those minutes had ticked by, her love for him had been established, growing stronger and stronger until he’d shattered her heart into a million tiny pieces when he’d walked away.
For a brief moment, she wanted to tell him how much she missed him, how her heart physically ached whenever he fed from another, how she wished she could have him in her bed for one more night. She would tell him none of those things, though, because Acadia knew, in the end, none of it mattered. They were simply not meant to be. The vampire Alpha and the lowly Fae did not a love story make.
“You must feed,” he said softly, still holding her stare.
“I will.”
He shook his head. “Now.”
She nodded because she was in agreement. As soon as he left, she would call upon someone to come to her. It didn’t make sense for her to ignore her health, and despite her black mood, she knew she had to pull herself together, move forward. After all, that was what Kaj was doing.
Kaj didn’t turn away. Instead, he reached behind his head, grabbed the neck of the black T-shirt he wore, and pulled it off. He neatly set it on the bed beside her.
“Use me, Acadia.”
Her eyes instinctively dropped to his massive chest, to the thick muscles that padded his shoulders and arms, across his pectorals. She visually traveled downward, her gaze caressing every ripple of his abdomen, then onward to the stretched muscles that formed a V and dipped down into the dark jeans he wore. There were many scars that dotted his body, but they only added to his appeal. He was not a male who sat on the sidelines. He was in the trenches, fighting for the things he believed in, for what mattered most. It was one of the many things she loved about him.
“It’s not a request,” he stated firmly.
She met his stare, saw the same heat burning in his eyes that she felt igniting deep within her core. There was no denying the physical connection they shared. It had been almost immediate, from the very day Obsidian brought the injured male back. Acadia still couldn’t go back to where it had all happened, the Lair as they referred to it now, the very residence Kaj now called home.
“I swear to you, I will not take anything in return.”
The deep rumble of his voice sent a shiver down her spine.
And wasn’t that the real issue here? Acadia knew if she put her hands on him, if she drew from his energy, there would be no stopping for her.
“I can’t, Kaj.”
“You must.”
Acadia shook her head, and Heaven help her, a tear fell.
It was all too much.
The sight of that single glittering tearsliding down her smooth cheek was enough to rip Kaj’s insides clean in two. Made him want to drop to his knees, pledge his love and loyalty to this female for all of eternity. He wasn’t the only one who’d been hurting as of late, and it pained him to know she was feeling it, too.
“Acadia.” Her name fell from his lips as he swiped the wetness away with his thumb. “I assure you, I’m asking for naught. All I’m requesting is that you take from me.”
He was lost in her purple gaze, the way the color shimmered with more unshed tears. It broke his heart to see her like this, knowing he was responsible for her pain. Not her hunger, no, but the emotional influx he could sense within her.
They’d been through so much together, yet there was more keeping them apart. Hell, he held the entire future of her species, not to mention his own, in the palm of his hand. All he had to do was resurrect an ancient vampire and Acadia would be set free. Free to live without being enslaved to the angels, free to rule her race with fairness and certainty. He wasn’t even sure she realized her status within the Fae, nor was he sure she cared, but that wasn’t the point.
Another tear fell from her lashes, slowly trailing down her perfect face, breaking his heart all over again.
“I can sense your hunger,” he whispered, his hand still on her cheek, his thumb stroking the soft skin. “Take from me, Acadia. I beg of you.”
Her eyes lowered. “It’s not fair to you.”
“Who said anything about fair?” This was about necessity. He would deal with the aftermath, the need that would slay him. It was the least he deserved for all the pain he had caused her.
“I’ll want more than you’re willing to give.”
Kaj took a step closer, cupping her face with both hands. “There is absolutely nothing I will not provide you, Acadia. You are and will always be what matters most to me. Doesn’t matter what stands between us.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I only speak the truth,” he assured her.
