The feeling of his touch should disgust me, or at least anger me, but it doesn’t. In fact, every bit of hatred I have toward him seems to vanish in this moment. It doesn’t make any sense, and right now, I don’t need it to.
I just need him.
I draw in a deep breath, waiting for him to claim me with his fingers, but he never does. And somehow, this form of torture is the worst of them all.
Thane
For some unexplained reason, I felt an unyielding need to brand her with my mark. I knew there would be consequences, but this is beyond anything I could’ve imagined. Now that she’s mine, it’s almost agonizing how much I want her. It goes beyond bloodlust. I want her body. Her attention. Her affection. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything, and although I know she feels a pull toward me too, it’s different for her. She didn’t choose this. She was the one bitten, which means the rules aren’t the same for her. It’ll be easier for her to resist the bond, and knowing her, she’ll do everything she can to make sure that happens.
But I felt it. Her want for me. If I were a different kind of animal, I would’ve splayed her out in front of everyone and claimed her with my mouth until there was nothing left to lick up. But that’s not my style. I’ve never claimed to be a gentleman, but I have a few principles I refuse to waver on, and taking a woman’s body against her will is one of them.
Still, in that moment, she wanted me just as much as I wanted her. I swear I could hear her pussy calling to me, pleading me to satisfy the aching I knew she was feeling, but somehow, I found the will to stop my hand from going any further.
What kind of cruel torture have I cast upon myself? It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to own her, but now it feels like the other way around. Perhaps it’s because I’m a hybrid. Maybe it affects me differently. No matter what the reason, it’s too late. I can’t undo it, which means I’ll have to find a way to control these urges. I made a promise to myself long ago that noone would ever hold power over me, and I’ll be damned if I break it over some human girl.
Chapter 9
The feeling of euphoria fades, and a rush of anger comes flooding in as I come to my senses.
“What the hell did you just do?” I demand, trying to push myself off of him.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” he murmurs, tightening his hold on me.
“Yes, you do! You did something to make me react like—”
“Like you wanted it?” he interrupts with a seductive look that makes my stomach hollow with regret.
“It was your stupid bite!” I snap, trying to rub away the mark he left on my neck.
His wicked laugh is cut off by the announcement that Kole has won the fight. I watch Thane’s eyes track Kole’s movements and realize that something about me staring at Kole moments ago is what made him bite me. I’m not sure if it’s because of brotherly rivalry or because his ego couldn’t take that my heartbeat quickened for someone other than him, but whatever the reason is, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I know what triggers him now, and I plan on using it to getback at him for what he just did. Even if I had liked it in the moment, I know he did some vampire mojo thing to cloud my judgment.
I clap my hands as Kole puts his shirt back on and rejoins the vampires. “He’s impressive,” I mutter to Thane, knowing damn well the thought of his brother earning my praise will provoke him.
“Hardly,” Thane dismisses, failing to hide the bitterness in his tone. “He should’ve won this fight in less than a minute.”
“Perhaps he wanted to put on a show for the other leaders,” I counter with a shrug. “He certainlylookslike he could’ve ended it quicker.”
A low growl escapes Thane’s throat, letting me know I’m pushing the right buttons.
“Your standards are low, Grey.”
“You sound jealous,” I bait, turning my attention back to Kole.
“Kole is thelastperson I’d be jealous of.”
Something about the way he says it makes me think he’s trying to convince himself of that fact.
“So I take it the two of you aren’t close?”
“We’ve had our issues.”
“Let me guess… Mommy loved him more?”
Thane grabs onto my arm that he burned and digs his nails into the bandage. I try to wrangle myself from his grip, but it feels like the tips of knives are stabbing my arm beneath the bandage. Blood begins to seep through as the pain intensifies.
“Let go of me!” His hold on me tightens the more I struggle against him, and I clench my teeth, desperately trying to hold back the scream wanting to break free. “Stop!”
The fight that had just started comes to a halt, and the leaders turn their attention toward us. Thane finally lets go of my arm, and I see that it wasn’t his nails digging into me, but hisclaws.They retract, but the rage seething from him remains fully intact, matching my own.
