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I will make her crave the very thing that terrifies her, and when I’m finished, I’ll drag her into the abyss.
“Aw, looks like the blood sucker caught you,” an all too cheery voice comments from behind us.
Fucking dog.
“She’s busy,” I say, not breaking the contact I have on her, hands or mouth.
He stands there like a damn puppy, waiting for the human so he has someone to play with.
I have no real opinion where the mutt is involved. As a whole, wolves are annoying as hell. Overly happy in that clueless, brain-dead kind of way. They’re like big children. If anything, he and the stray babysit each other. I can tolerate that.
Blocking him from my mind, I bite down on Sumner. Her taste blooms across my tongue. I drink, devouring each jeweled drop as it exits her veins.
Just as I savor her now, so too will I own her.
Slowly and forever.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SUMNER
Istudy Josten’s face while he speaks, the way his dark hair falls into his chocolate eyes, the way his hands move expressively with every word. There’s a sense of comfort in his presence, not like with anyone else I’ve met here, where the need to be alert and on my toes is a constant.
I am guarded, never letting anyone in. It feels like I could with him, like there are no intentions lurking in the background.
I’ve been burned before though. Too many times to count.
We step out of the tavern together, me ready to go home and Josten offering to walk me. I think he feels guilty for getting caught up in a conversation at the bar while I was left to the mercy of…Rhenn.
I bite my lip, a small shiver working its way down my spine at the memory of his hands. Steady and possessive, like he was holding onto something that belonged to him. And I fucking hate it. I hate how my body wanted it.
Josten starts in a direction that isn’t my home, then turns to look at me. “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we could go for a run first.”
“A run? Right now?”
“Yeah, come on.” He nods toward the back of the tavern. Internally groaning, because that doesn’t sound fun, I follow. Josten leads me down a small footpath which wraps around the building, opening up to a grassy park a few blocks from where we started.
We find ourselves at the forest’s tree line. I stare up at the night sky, seeing a canvas of deep blues and purples. Stars flash like gems. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Josten asks, breaking our silence.
I nod, taking in the stunning view before us. It’s like we’re standing in the middle of a painting, surrounded by the most vivid colors.
“I love coming out here at night,” he says, a smile spreading across his face. “Here, take this.” Josten tosses me his bag, then begins to lift his shirt.
I raise an eyebrow, watching him pull it over his head while I sling the pack across my shoulders. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“I don’t want to ruin my clothes,” he answers casually, moving to unbutton his jeans.
“Whoa, okay.” I turn around, quickly facing away from him. “Look, I don’t know what impression you think I gave you, but please put your clothes back on.”
Josten only chuckles behind me. “I’m guessing you’re new to this?” I feel him rustle with the bag. It tugs against me in a way that makes me think he’s filling it with something. “Don’t worry, you gave off no impression that would suggest anything happening, and I have no expectation of that. Like I said, I thought it would be fun if we went for a run.”
“I think I’m fine running the old-fashioned way. Fully dressed.”
“Just wait. I promise you’re going to like this.”
Before I can respond, there’s a thrash behind me, a deep rumble almost like thunder that echoes into the trees, shaking the ground beneath my feet.
