I can feel my heart pumping blood around my body and hear my pulse in my ears as he leans his weight on me. Tears brim in my eyes as I watch, horrified, as his fangs graze my lips, and I feel my blood trickle down my chin. When he drops his head into my neck, I know he will bite me.
My heart thumps against my chest erratically, and I struggle against his hold on my hands before dropping my face, trying to shield him from my neck when he growls.
“Orion, please,” I plead with him to help.
I see how he tries to step forward, but Ryland’s hand stops him. “Leave her,” he tells him, making my blood run cold. Why won’t they help?
I struggle against Thaddeus, but his grip gets stronger as he tugs my towel down until he can palm my breast. His hold is so tight, so rough, it’s painful. I cry out when he squeezes it. I feel his fingers bruise my skin. I try to free my hands that are trapped in one of his. Thaddeus’ face is leaning closer, his eyes don’t leave my neck, and I can tell he wants to feed on me.
He is gone, too far gone; at this moment, everything that makes him part human is gone. His growl is feral, and I see Orion hesitate, but Ryland’s hand grips his wrist, tugging him back.
“She needs to learn,” Ryland says, making my eyebrows furrow.
Learn what? How to fucking die? I think I am a master at near-death experiences.
Thaddeus watches me curiously, his head tilting to the side as he examines my face like he is trying to remember who I am and what I am to him. His eyes flicker oddly between their hypnotic green and the black orbs.
My eyes dart to his razor-sharp fangs so close to my face, making me wonder if dying will hurt when he sinks them into me. Adrenaline courses through me. I watch as he sniffs the air, closing his eyes and relishing my scent, and I do the only thing I can in the position I am in, completely at his mercy.
I kiss him.
His fangs slice through the skin on my lips. He freezes for a second, and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to decide if he wants to kill me or take me.
I am about to pull back from him, unsure, when his hand grips my hair tightly, making me scream at his viciousness. His tongue plunges into my mouth, swallowing my scream as he hungrily devours my lips, pushing himself between my legs.
His hand grips my hips, and his nails bite into my flesh painfully as he continues his brutal assault on my lips before finally letting me catch my breath. His lips move to my chin, and I suck in much-needed air. His lips bite and suck on my flesh savagely as he uses his hand to tug my towel down, exposing my breast before he bites into it.
Tears brim in my eyes and fall down my face as I try to get him to loosen his grip, his nails cut into me everywhere he grabs me, his fangs graze my ribs as he hungrily devours my skin.
The pain becomes too much, and I know I am covered in bite marks and am bleeding onto the carpet. I feel his fangs sink into my other breast, and I gasp, choking on air at the searing pain.
“Please stop! You’re hurting me, Thaddeus,” I choke out, and he freezes again.
My hand shakily touches his face, pulling it away from my chest. He looks at me as if it’s the first time he has noticed me. Really noticed what he is doing to me. He sits up on his elbows and looks over my body, and I can see the fear in his eyes at what he has just done. His hand goes to the bite mark on the top of my breast, and I wince when his fingertips brush it, making his eyes dart to mine.
“I’m sorry. I… I…” He doesn’t finish, just gets up and looks down at me as I clutch the towel, trying to wrap it around me and cover myself. He then turns on his heel and leaves the room.
Ryland and Orion watch me as I sit up. Orion offers me his hand, and I slap it away. “Why didn’t you help me?” I ask, feeling tears run down my cheeks. My skin is stinging, and I can feel blood running down my thigh from my hips as I stand up. Orion looks hurt by my words, but then, he turns and glares at Ryland.
R
yland
Helping her will just frighten her and cause more damage. Plus, she could get hurt in the process.
Orion, I can tell, isn’t forgiving of what I just did, leaving her at his mercy. She is terrified of him, and she has a good reason. Thaddeus is more a monster than a man. More instinctual and runs purely off of emotions.
Evelyn needs to learn that her fear only entices him and makes him crave her like a drug. She doesn’t realize how much her fear perfumes the room; how strong her scent becomes when she is in this state. Some may think what I’m doing is cruel, but she needs to realize that she needs to control her emotions when being around Thaddeus.
We wouldn’t let him rape her, I would step in if he tried. We can both see he is hurting her, but I want to see if she can rein him in and bring him back from the darkness that holds him.
Orion and I have tried for decades to help him remain in control, both of us already gave up hope of taming him. I want to help him become a better man, but the lifestyle, I must admit, is addictive, taking what you want when you want it.