38
CASSIE
For a few minutes,Cassiehonestly thought they were done for the night…that everything was under control and she could sleep between her two guys.(Shedidn’t question why she was thinking ofRavikandSeverinas “hers” all of a sudden—it just felt right.)
She knelt there between them, panting and flushed, with the taste of both males still on her tongue and the bite wound on her arm dimmed down to the faintest golden shimmer.Herbody felt better—so much better that she almost wanted to cry with relief.Thefrantic, clawing need had gone quiet at last, and the terrible heat in her blood had cooled to something softer and less frightening.
She felt normal now.Well…almost normal.
But asRavikandSeverinsettled on the huge bed on either side of her,Cassiebecame aware of a strange, lingering ache low inside her.Itwasn’t sharp like before, and it wasn’t the desperate, feverish hunger that had been driving her out of her mind.Thiswas deeper…heavier.Itwas a hollow, pulsing emptiness that didn’t go away no matter how many slow breaths she took or how hard she tried to ignore it.
She shifted back on her heels and winced.
Both males noticed immediately, of course.
“Cassie?”Ravik’sbig hand came to rest on her shoulder.“Hurtingagain?”
“No,” she said quickly.Then, because that wasn’t completely true, she made a face.“Well…not exactly.”
Severin, who had been rearranging the pillow behind him went very still.
“What do you mean, ‘not exactly?’”he asked.
Cassie stared down at the coppery sheets beneath her knees, wishing very much that theVisskousmle who had built this bunker had believed in ordinary beds instead of gigantic heated mating platforms designed to make every conversation feel ten times more intimate than it needed to be.
“I feel better,” she said slowly.“Ireally do.Theneed is mostly gone and my arm isn’t pulsing like some kind of alien mood ring anymore.ButIstill feel…”Shestopped, pressing her lips together.
“Empty?”Severinasked quietly.
Her head jerked up and she stared at the bigBloodKindred.Howcould he know that?
His pale blue eyes were fixed on her face, not her body, and his expression was careful—too careful.Whichmeant he already suspected something and was trying not to say it because he didn’t want to upset her.
“Yes,” she admitted at last, her cheeks heating.“Empty.Andbefore you ask, no,Idon’t mean emotionally empty.Imean physically empty.Likemy body wants…needsfullness.”
Ravik’s eyes darkened at once.
“Cassie needs to be filled,” he growled.
“Thank you,Ravik,” she muttered.“Iwas trying really hard not to say itquitethat plainly.”
The bigBeastKindredlooked contrite.
“Sorry.”
But he didn’t sound sorry—not really.Hesounded concerned and aroused and maybe a little proud of himself for understanding what her body wanted before she did.
Severin’s jaw tightened.
“Cassandra,” he said slowly, “Imay have something that can help.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Why doIsuddenly not like the sound of that?”
He held up both hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture.
“It isn’t dangerous.”
