The wind whips past so fast it is stinging my bare legs. When he stops, I feel dizzy and cling on to him. I can feel him laughing at me, and then, cold hands run up my back.
It’s Orion, I can tell him apart from anyone. Maybe someone is on my side here.
“Shorty couldn’t hack it,” Ryland laughs and smacks my butt.
I lift my face from Thaddeus.
“God, Thaddeus, how fast were you going? She is white as a ghost,” Orion says, making Thaddeus grip my face and look at me.
“You okay?” he asks and I just nod.
I don’t trust myself to speak without puking. My legs are wrapped so tightly around his waist, I am surprised it doesn’t hurt him.
“Give her here,” Orion says, reaching for me. I lean back, gladly allowing him to pull me away from Thaddeus. The moment Orion’s hands are on me, I grab him, welcoming the coldness of his skin. Orion takes his shirt off, and I melt against him. My body cools down instantly, and the urge to throw up leaves me. “Better?”
“Yes,” I whisper, kissing his shoulder.
“Come, have a look at the view,” Orion says.
I look around to see no more mountains and that we are up the top. A few humongous trees are up here, but it is pretty clear. Orion walks to the edge and sets me on my feet. I look out and can see everything, and nothing, because we’re definitely in the middle of nowhere. Only trees and fields. Looking down, I gulp as I step back against Orion. My stomach plummets when I see how high up the mountain actually is. Looking straight out isn’t so bad, but looking down makes me queasy.
“I won’t let you fall, love,” Orion whispers near my ear, as he wraps his arm around my waist. He then sits down, pulling me on his lap.
“We are going to run down, aren’t we?” I ask, already dreading the moment we have to leave.
Orion nods and starts laughing at the desperation in my voice. “You hate running that much?”
“Yes, it makes me feel sick,” I admit.
“I will take you and go slower,” he says, not that his words make me feel any less anxious.
Ryland and Thaddeus come over to sit with us. Ryland is lying on his back next to me, and I run my hand underneath the hem of his shirt. He raises an eyebrow at me as I move my hand over the hard muscles of his abdomen. He shifts a little closer and grabs my hand, pushing it lower to his crotch, and I can feel his cock beneath my hand. I squeeze it through his pants and pull my hand away.
“Tease,” he mutters.
“You put my hand there; you teased yourself,” I correct him.
We watch the sunset until Orion gets up, pulling me with him. The temperature is dropping, and it is even colder up here. Orion moves quickly, but not fast enough to make me sick. We get back to the house to find Ryland and Thaddeus in the shower. Ryland is pressed against the wall and Thaddeus is pressed against him. Arousal floods me at seeing them together, and Thaddeus freezes; clearly he had been too distracted by Ryland to notice us standing in the bathroom.
Thaddeus spins so quickly I barely notice the movement. He rips me into the shower and slams me against Ryland; his lips devour mine. I try to push him away.
“I still have my clothes on,” I mumble around his lips.
My clothes become drenched; nothing worse than wet denim shorts. I feel hands on my hips, and Ryland pushes my shorts down while Thaddeus’ lips move to my neck. As Orion steps into the shower, I give him a worried look. Their hands grab and touch me hungrily, my heart rate increases with how rough they are.
“Stop,” I tell them, and Ryland instantly freezes. He glances at me and places his hand on Thaddeus’ shoulder. Ryland manages to push him back a little, enough for me to notice he isn’t my Thaddeus, but the Dark King.
He growls, yanks my body to his, and sinks his teeth into my neck. My scream echoes off the walls loudly. At first, I think he’s done with me as he pulls his teeth from my neck, but I couldn’t be more wrong because he bites into it again.
I see black dots dance before my eyes and tears roll down my cheeks from the intense pain. Thaddeus is ripped back by Orion almost instantly and I stagger forward only for him to lunge at me again. Ryland maneuvers me behind him, and Thaddeus’ fangs sink into Ryland’s neck. Ryland grunts and I sink to the floor, feeling equally lightheaded and terrified of him.
Ryland and Orion manage to pull him from the bathroom, and all I can see is my blood, running down my body and spilling onto the shower floor. I touch my neck and immediately pull my hand back – it is dripping with my blood.
I can hear them fighting and things being broken as Thaddeus loses control. I’m trying to get up, only for a wave of dizziness to wash over me and all I want to do is sleep. I hear glass breaking, and it sounds like a window. My head falls heavily against the tiles with a thud I can only hear, not feel anymore.
“Evelyn!” I hear Orion scream as he rushes into the bathroom, Ryland hot on his heels. I try to force my eyes to remain open but it’s getting harder with each second. Orion taps my face every time they close and soon, he presses his bleeding wrist to my lips.
I open my lips and drink his blood, focusing on remembering how to swallow because it seems like a mammoth task. After a few seconds, I am able to move and grip his wrist, drinking from him more. I let go of him on my own and Ryland helps me up, while Orion washes the blood from my hair as I lean against him.
“Where did Thaddeus go?”
“Don’t know, and right now, I don’t care,” Ryland snaps, making me look up at him. He brushes my cheek with his thumb.
I don’t pay much attention to anything that is happening until I have to get out of the shower and get dressed. I pull on some cotton shorts and a shirt.
“Come. You need to eat,” Ryland says, scooping me up off the bed. He carries me downstairs and places me on the couch. Worry makes me wonder what Thaddeus is doing, and who he is killing. I know I shouldn’t worry, but I can’t help it.
“I will go find him, okay?” Orion asks as soon as he feels my unease through the bond. He quickly kisses me and walks out, shutting the door behind him.