Just like that, I turned a corner. I wasn’t a girl who did things by halves. Dying or not, I was going to run at this like I ran at danger. With a snarl turned smile and the refusal to be bested.
I pulled us off the bed and repositioned us so he was sitting in midair and I was straddling him. As soon as he was once again inside me, I threw my arms around him, laid my head on his shoulder, and went for it. He answered by squeezing me tightly and thrusting harder. Faster. Almost immediately, the orgasms resumed, smashing into and through me one after the other, not human and almost unbearable. I held on for dear life, not even having to focus on keeping us in the air. Power pumped into me, like I’d opened a floodgate. He shuddered as much as I did.
My fingers started to tingle. So did my toes. No haze overcame me, though. No lightheadedness or dizziness from blood loss. When Darius pulled his head away with a gasp of air and a flash of bloodstained fangs, I lifted my head to look him directly in the eyes.
A crease formed between his brows. He didn’t say anything. But then, he didn’t have to.
What is happening? he thought. Does she not need blood to survive?
“Remember that I can hear you. As far as what’s happening…I probably do need blood, but I think my demonic side is overriding my human side right now. I’d probably die before I admitted I was dying, because I’m pretty sure demons need blood, too.”
His eyes dipped to my lips. He kissed me passionately. “You are like a puzzle. What fun I will have figuring you out.”
“Right. I’ll just put us down now, and we can move on to what’s next.”
The bed bumped off the floor right before we bumped onto the bed. I was pretty impressed with my own soft landing.
Is your magic receding?
“Not yet. You can use words, though, so I don’t feel like I’m intruding.”
You are not intruding. If I don’t wish you to hear my thoughts, I simply won’t think them. How fortunate for me not to have to waste energy moving my lips.
That was one way of looking at things. I doubted Callie and Dizzy would agree. That was, if they ever forgave me and deigned to speak to me again.
Assuming I made it out of the underworld at all.
“I still need to send Callie and Dizzy a note,” I said, feeling the pang of guilt.
We will arrange it when we wake up.
“Talk normally, please. As a favor. Hearing you without actually hearing you is weird.”
“If you wish.” He ran his thumb along my chin. “Now you must take my blood. Normally, I would advise you to take as much as you wanted, but…I worry that might be foolish. So I must ask you to stop taking blood when I tap you. Or resist you. Or, in dire circumstances, attack you.”
“Fair enough. What’s good for the goose is good for the vampire.” I glanced at his neck, then his wrist, then his muscular body and erect manhood. “It amazes me that you never seem to get tired.”
“It is your blood. It acts like human crack. Or speed. Honestly, I’m not sure what the difference in effect is between those drugs. I haven’t bothered to research it.”
“Your pillow talk is sure something.” Part of me wanted to bend down to the distinctly male part of him, but I figured I should get some blood in me before I passed out. I was probably on fumes and didn’t know it. “I don’t want to rip into your neck like a wild animal, so can you make a cut with a claw or something?”
“Where?” A claw extended from his pointer finger. Just one.
“Impressive.”
“Your blood gives me greater control. It has since I first consumed it. I wonder what bonding will bring me. And which of my strengths will come to you.”
I tapped the wrist of his other hand and he made a small slice. Blood welled up out of the gash.
“Ew. I’m not really into this. Hang on while I try to push the magic away. If I’m on the verge of death, I’ll probably like doing this more.” I squeezed my eyes shut and focused, pushing at the power pumping through the shell of my body. It wouldn’t go anywhere. Both types of magic were pumped up and didn’t want to leave.
I tried again when skin bumped against my lips. Without thinking, I latched on to his wrist with my hands and mouth, sucking like my life depended on it. Just like last time I’d taken his blood, power surged through me, adding to what was already there. His heartbeat pounded in my ears. His skin against mine felt like velvet.
I moaned, both from our friction and the taste of him. The feel of his blood as it boosted my magic. My life force sang inside me, lifting me up. My hair felt like it was standing on end, and my stomach filled with butterflies.
I felt the tap but didn’t want to stop. The climaxes had started again, and I was riding them all the way to Happy Town.
A harder tap hit my thigh.
I need to stop.
But my body wouldn’t listen. The taste curled my toes. The feel of him, all of him, put me into a state of euphoria that I never wanted to let go.
I was flying through the air before I knew what had happened. I had time to blink twice before I hit the wall and fell to the ground. My head bounced off the floor.
“Ouch.” I lay there for a moment, because I was still shivering in climax. Still. After being thrown across the room. “That’s a good time.”
My legs wobbled as I picked myself up and went back to the bed. Darius pulled the blanket over him and turned onto his side, holding it up for me to slip into the hollow of his body.
“Now we sleep, then we wake up and do it again?” I asked as I crawled in next to him.
“Yes. The sensations are supposed to get more intense as the days go by, which is why the sixth day is to recover and let the bond finish taking root.”
“The sensations will get stronger?” I looked at the dent in the wall. “Let’s hope my urge to kill you doesn’t.”
Chapter Eleven
I lay like a zombie, staring up at the ceiling. Darius lay next to me, also not moving.
It was day seven and I hadn’t spoken for thirty-six hours. I’d lost my voice during day five from all the screaming and had no idea if it had come back yet. Darius was in the same condition. Guy code might’ve said they didn’t scream, but bonding code held no such reservations.
Part of me never wanted to do that again; another part wanted to do it at least once a year. I thought I’d die from pleasure if it happened more than once per day. Actually die. It was that intense.
We should get up, Darius thought. He hadn’t spoken out loud, other than the ululations of lovemaking, since day three. My power hadn’t receded, so I could hear him just fine. It is time to get going.