A low scoff echoed off the iron. "I’m not gone to bloodlust, yet, demon. It will take more than a taste to make me a monster," Bastian uttered, voice quiet and resigned.
Luella met Az’s gaze, her hand falling on his, where it kept her trapped against his body protectively. The need to see him, to touch him, burned through her. "He won’t hurt me," she said softly.
Even whispered, the vampire heard. "I did before, pet. Do not put so much trust in me, I have a habit of breaking it."
She shook her head. "No,no, Bastian. You didn’t h-hurt me."
In a lithe movement, he unfurled from his spot on the ground, walking to the iron bars, pale hands wrapping around them, forehead resting on them as if he wanted to crawl through the slats to get to her. She swore she heard the faint whine of the iron under his strength. He sucked in a ragged breath, eyes blazing. "I didn’t hurt you," he purred. "I know—I scent how much Ididn’thurt you. Tell me, pet, what did he do to you?"
Az’s hand tightened on her, and her wings shivered. The space between her thighs was still wet, achingly so.
"Like you don’t know." Az’s laugh grumbled through her. "I finished what you started."
Bastian ignored him, staring only at Luella as he said, "You look like you had fun. Did he take care of you, at least?"
A surge of protectiveness rushed through her. "Of course he did," she bit out.
Bastian watched her lazily, hunger smoldering in the depths of his eyes. Through the thread between them, she felt a range of emotions—desire, desperation, and most pressing, disgust. She knew that it was not at her. He was sad that he had hurt her, taken from her.
But she understood. She had felt the waves of his need, felt it even now—a soft press of hunger and emptiness that made her mouth dry and stomach clench. If it was this way for her, she could only imagine how awful he must feel.
Her brows lifted in understanding sorrow as she faced him. "It wasn’t your fault."
Az wrapped around her back, leaning down until his chin was notched on her head, still careful of her wings. But the ache situated around her spine had relented. Only to be replaced by a new sort of feeling: stormy distress.
The tendrils of air that rushed outside the ship beat against her flesh, desperate to enter her. Each crack of lightning she felt in her bones, rattling inside her skull.
Something inside her chest opened, a chasm filled with air, crackling fire, rushing water, and groaning earth. She felt her power, deeper than ever before. As if her second brush with pleasure had unlocked something inside her, some secret cage that let free the ability to… call it back.
Her limbs grew weary, but she kept herself upright. For him. For them. To make sure he knew she did not hold his weaknesses against him.
"I do not think a vampire in bloodlust would be able to hold a conversation like you are doing…" she hedged quietly. "Right?"
Bastian didn’t reply, so she peeked back at Az, who gave a rigid nod.
Bastian tutted. "You’re far too soft on her, a bit submissive, even, Az."
Submissive?she wondered.
Nothing about her beast was made to submit.
"Then why are you here?" she continued. "Why imprison yourself? Did… did Graves force you in here?"
"No, pet. I made him lock me away so I would not hurt you again."
"You didn’t hurt me," she repeated, holding back the part of her that wanted to say she had almost liked it. "Come out. You cannot stay here."
"I can, and I will." He turned his attention to Az. "Make her see reason."
"I won’t make her do anything, but, Lu, if he thinks he should be locked away, then let him."
The storm inside her grew. Thunder ripped through the sky outside. She jumped. "You’re notunderstanding," she stressed.
Though, she did not know why she was so adamant about having him outside the cage. Maybe she knew what it felt like, maybe it hurt, maybe it made her feel like the vile monster she thought herself to be. Like the green-eyed males who haunted her—one haunting her waking moments with fiery glances and hot hands; the other, filling her dreams with nightmarish visions of death and darkness. Atruevillain.
"If you do not want to be released, then drink from me, at least," she managed.
Az’s growl ripped through her. Bastian yanked his hands off the iron bars, his body slamming against the wall.
