Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vance held onto me so tightly I could hardly breathe, his mouth plundering mine in a ravishing kiss that threatened to overwhelm me. Reaching up, I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned into him, feeling his desperation mix with my own. I pushed up on my tiptoes trying to get better access.

He stumbled backward a step, taking me with him, before uttering a growl-like sound. Moving with purpose, he dragged me toward the bed, his hands slipping around my waist and tossing me onto the surface with ease, before he climbed next to me. His eyes were burning red, and the telltale lines of black began to creep through his veins, warning me his demon traits were in control now. He was the predator once again, and I knew he was hungry.

I willingly embraced him as he stretched his length out against me, his lips finding mine once again. His kiss was rough, hard, bruising even, as he thrust his tongue into my mouth with wild abandon. Slipping one of his hands down my silk covered body, he reached the hem of the nightshirt against my bare leg. He didn't move his hand any further, instead stroking my skin with his thumb while trailing kisses down around my neck.

Even as I arched against him, I knew what was coming, turning my head to the side to give him better access. His teeth elongated against my flesh and his fangs sank into me. I gasped, not from pain, but from the mental connection established in that second. I could feel everything from him, the raging desire that flooded his system, and the intense anger laced with something even stronger. Fear, I realized. He was terrified.

Unbidden images began flashing into my mind, snippets of conversation he'd had with his father—pictures of Damien stroking my arms and legs as I lay blissfully unconscious, biting into me with relish, feasting on the blood of my body while he cradled me like a lover in his arms.

The rage I felt from Vance intensified at this image. He bit harder into my neck, a strangled sound escaping him, and I realized just how badly this had affected him. He was trying to put his mark back on me, to reclaim something that he thought had been stolen from him. His tears fell against my skin, hot and searing.

I couldn't take this anymore, and weakly pushed against him. "Stop!" I called, but he only dug harder into my neck. Crying out in pain, I pushed him again. "Vance, stop!" I tried again to no avail.

Desperately, I started searching for those mental barriers Hex had taught me, trying to build a wall against him in my mind to stop the images that were consuming him and raping my own mind in the process.

"Please, Vance," I sobbed, feeling my strength leaving.

Suddenly, he was out of my head and off my body. He leaned over, panting, braced up by both of his arms on either side of me. Full demon features contorted his face, and he stared down at me with those blazing red eyes, tears still falling silently over the edges to splash down and soak into the silk top I wore.

"You are mine," he ground out fiercely, his nostrils flaring with the breaths he was dragging in as he watched me intently.

Lifting my hand, I placed it gently on his chest, knowing instinctively he needed some type of reassurance. "Yes. Only yours." My fingers trembled slightly against his muscles and I fought to control my own emotions. "I'll only ever be yours," I added, trying to comfort him—my demon lover—so strong, so powerful and yet so broken.

He didn't move, didn't flinch at all, continuing to study me. The mental wall was firmly in place between us now. His doing, not mine, and I wondered if my words were reaching him.

"Vance," I whispered, meeting his stare. "Please kiss me." I needed to connect with him somehow, to let him know things were okay.

Something flickered in his expression. "Why?" he asked roughly.