Suddenly, a soft towel was swiped over his back, his ass, down his thighs. Acadia worked the cotton around to his front, successfully drying him. When she made a pass over his aching cock, he grunted, did his best not to think about her mouth on him.
And then he was finally in the bed, flat on his back, blankets pulled up over his hips.
Only then did he realize he was breathing hard, something his well-honed lungs weren’t used to. The pain was a constant now, his muscles weak from exertion. He knew Acadia was aware of his discomfort because she was eyeing him with concern.
When she reached to fluff his pillow, he gently touched her wrist.
“I don’t deserve your help,” he said softly, trying to get comfortable as more pain ricocheted through his chest.
“I believe you do.” Her soft hand curled over his bicep. “Now sleep, Kaj. I’ll bring your morning meal shortly and you’ll also feed. Until then, rest.”
Unable to help himself, he stared up at her, kept watching until he could no longer hold his eyes open.
Her face was the last thing he saw before he drifted off, and before he succumbed to exhaustion and pain, he sent up a prayer that her face would be the first thing he saw when he woke.
Chapter Eight
“Tell me, why is it we neverhad a club like this back in Seattle?” Blaz asked.
Figuring it was rhetorical, Mirakel didn’t bother to respond as he maneuvered through the horde of bodies filling the space. The place was wall-to-wall packed with both humans and vampires, the air ripe with the scent of cheap perfume and sex, and there was no question where the latter was coming from. Everywhere he looked, there were fornicating bodies, humans being used in every manner possible. All as a means to conceal the fact the vampires were feasting on veins.
Mirakel had never understood the fetish of taking a human vein. It didn’t provide sustenance, so what was the point?
Then again, until Briony, Mirakel had never known how erotic feeding could be. Since her … well, he almost saw the appeal.
Almostbeing the key word.
As they moved through the space, Mirakel felt the eyes turning toward them, watching, assessing. Though the humans wouldn’t understand what the draw was, the vampires were sensing who they were. It wasn’t necessarily their size that had the males in the space judging them, more so the power they would pick up on. As members of the Zenith, they had more abilities than civilian vampires. They had to, after all, considering they were tasked with protecting the Alpha.
“I wouldn’t even trust to drink out of a glass here,” Blaz muttered.
Mirakel peered back over his shoulder to see Blaz’s attention had been dragged to a pair of naked male vampires who were currently locked in a cage. They didn’t seem at all disappointed by their inability to get free, either, having found plenty of entertainment with one another.
When he turned back to scan the space once more, Mirakel found himself nearly face-to-face with the vampire who owned this place. Or rather, the traitor.
“Well, well. Looks as though the Alpha’s sent out his hit squad,” Darko remarked, his black eyes locking on Mirakel’s face. “Where is he these days, anyway?”
Mirakel didn’t bother to respond. It was all he could do not to wrap his fingers around the male’s neck and squeeze.
As though reading his thoughts, Darko chuckled. “You have nothing to fear from me, warrior.”
“I know.”
That didn’t seem to please the male who clearly believed all other vampires should bend the knee for him.
“So what brings you by?”
“Just checking out the local night life,” Blaz stated, stepping up to Mirakel’s side. “Interesting place you got here.”
“I happen to be fond of it.” Darko’s gaze bounced between them. “But I can’t imagine it’s a place you’re interested in.”
Oh, he had no fucking idea. Mirakel had great interest in it. In burning it down.
“Where’s the wifey?” Blaz asked, his gaze dramatically swinging around the space. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Talia.”
Darko’s black eyes seemed to darken. “She’s around.”
Blaz chuckled. “She was always good at that, huh? Getting around.”
