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He kisses the top of my head, and I shut my eyes, nuzzling harder against his chest. At least I feel a world safer in Xander’s arms.

“Don’t let me die, Xan,” I whimper.

Chapter Nine

Xander

Don’t let me die, Xan.

Noah’s terrified voice filters through my mind as I run my fingers through his hair. He still shakes in his sleep, but his breathing is even and deep. I chew the inside of my cheek as Nyx hops up on Noah’s bed and finds a spot beside Pumpkin, who sprawls out on his back.

The past few hours have been a nightmare for everyone. Noah especially.

It wasn’t Nyx’s portal to hell in the pond that caused so much terror in my little human, but rather the fact that Tyler’s vision was hitting a little too close to home.

The way Noah clung to me like a life support had my heart thundering and every instinct within me to tear this entire town to dust just to find whatever threatens his life.

Tyler’s voice echoes in my head. ‘Someone’s already holding a piece of you. If they break it, you’ll break too.’

I’m not sure who this someone is, but I'd be damned if it’s me.

The rancid scent from the cave still follows me through town whenever the wind blows from the east. It’s no different from the first time I caught a whiff of it but something doesn’t sit right in my stomach.

I’ve scoured each corner of the magical wards that border Moonfell. I’ve checked under every stone, boulder, and fallen tree. But nothing, not even tracks in the mud, has given me any clue as to whatever killed the girl.

Penny. That was her name. A freshman at Moonfell’s college and from the town's largest coven. I can still hear her mother’s screams and her father’s whimpers as Malcolm informed them their daughter had been murdered. They still don't have the closure they seek. And neither do I.

Just the thought of losing Noah has my skin crawling and every muscle in my chest tensing. The back of my throat cuts into little bits and I swallow the thought.

I need to get back out there. I know there will be something I've missed. A clue I've overlooked that will answer my questions. But leaving Noah in my house, alone and scared for his life, has me heavily planted beneath him as he sleeps across my chest.

His room is filled with his spicy vanilla scent, and each breath I suck in is a reminder of his presence. I’ve only just found him and I can't lose him. Not to death itself. I’ll turn him before that happens. But only unless he asks.

I smooth my fingers through his orange locks and twirl a curl around my thumb. His lips part as he breathes and his hands still grip me tightly in his sleep. For the rest of the night, I simply watch him. I count the freckles on the bridge of his nose and memorize the curl of his eyelashes. He’s beautiful. He’s far more than I deserve.

As the sun seeps through the blinds above the bed, Noah begins to shift as his eyelids flutter open and he looks up at me with a concerned frown.

“Are you mad I broke the rules?” He asks, his voice raspy from sleep. I can’t help myself when my eyes drop to his plump lips.

Leaning down until my neck cramps, I capture his mouth with mine. For a moment, we both barely breathe as our lips mold against each other and our hands tighten, pulling each other closer.

Noah pulls away and blushes. “Morning breath, sorry.”

I grin and cup his chin, tilting his head back so I can kiss him again. I swipe my tongue against his lower lip and growl into his mouth. “Like I care. And no. I could never be mad at you.”

Noah whimpers as his hips press against my thigh, and I feel a small bump grows in his sleep shorts.

Oh, how I've fantasized about his body. Noah isn’t too skinny nor too plump. With the softness of his skin and the strength of his muscles above mine, he carries himself with such elegance, despite his overtly colorful socks he wears around the house.

I’ve seen the way his toned stomach tenses as he moves, how his thighs contract with each step and the sway of his hips as he walks. I want to touch every inch of him. I want to map his body from head to toe. And then I want to mark what’s mine.

Noah subtly grinds against my thigh, and another timid whimper slips from him. I bend knee, knee giving him more of that pressure he seeks, and his whimpers turn into sultry moans.

My own cock plumps up and I know he can feel it against his stomach as he audibly gasps and has me burning with desire. I want to give him all the pleasure he can take and then some. I want to hear him scream with rapture with his head thrown back and his throat decorated with my teeth marks. I want to taste him.

My fangs descend, and I force myself to pull away. Noah’s gaze follows my mouth, his eyes heavy with need. The sharper spice of his arousal quickly overtakes the sweet vanilla of his scent, and I inhale deeply, letting it fill my lungs and feed the fire building inside me.

“Please, Xan. I want you just the way you are.” He grinds his hips against me again and lets out a needy moan. My eyes threaten to roll into the back of my head as I grasp his waist to hold him steady.