“Uh, how are we going to do that?” Scotty asked.
Lysandro stared hard at him. “As a family.” His gaze moved to me. “I won’t be able to feed you again tonight, but I’m worried you’ll need more sustenance for the battle ahead. Since you refuse to drink from a human—even though it would give you more power—I need you to consume a blood bag before you come.”
I licked my lips. “I’m not sure I want to leave here. I’ve, uh, I’ll feel more comfortable here.”
“In your self-imposed prison?” Lysandro quirked one perfectly arched brow. There was a time not too long ago I would’ve really appreciated his style, but those days were behind me. “No, you can’t do it here. Whether you consider this small castle your home or not, it’s yours, and that disgrace for a Master sired you. The threshold might acknowledge his claim over you once he’s here, and that would give him an unacceptable advantage.”
“Once he’s where?” Scotty squeaked.
“You and Ego shall be drawing him to Willowhope Mansion.”
“How?” I shook my head. That was irrelevant. “I won’t have him anywhere near Scotty.”
“Too bad,” Lysandro said. “See you soon.” Then he blurred away.
“What the hell?” Scotty asked.
Moving around on the mattress, I pulled Scotty into my arms and cupped one of his cheeks. “It doesn’t matter. We’re not going. I won’t risk you.”
He covered my hand with his own and leaned his head into my touch. “Ego, we don’t have a choice. We can’t do this alone, and I’m not risking you either.”
His words melted me, but… “You don’t understand.”
“I do.” He rose up, coming down to straddle my lap. “I understand better than you think. You planned to come here and waste away. I’ve known it since that first night, but you’re doing better now, aren’t you?”
Begrudgingly, I nodded.
“You can’t handle Master Douchebag on your own. I didn’t think you were coming back to me tonight.” His words were thick, like he was suppressing tears. “We need to do this together, with the help of our friends. I don’t know what they have planned, but I know Sky will do anything for you, and if this is happening in the Dreamveil somewhere, then we have to trust whatever they have planned.”
He pressed his lips to mine in a chaste kiss. “It’s been weird being your anchor because I don’t feel like I really do anything.”
“You do,” I reassured him. “More than you think. The inner turmoil, all the panic and self-deprecation have eased with your presence. It’s not totally gone, but it’s so much better. I couldn’t have done the other night without you. Every time the sounds of blood moving through our friends’ bodies got too loud, everytime it felt like my canines were going to descend in preparation of…well, you know, you squeezed my hand or leaned into me. Your touch calms the beast within.”
Scotty’s cheeks went rosy. “I’m glad I can do that for you, but it’s not like I’m actually doing anything.”
“You’re here, Scotty. That’s all I need.”
He pressed his lips to mine again, mumbling against them, “And I will be with you for this fight. I trust our friends to have a solution, and we’ll do whatever they say.” He kissed me a little harder, licking over my lips. “Together.”
Now that I had him in my arms again, right where I’d wanted him to be since the last time we shared my bed, I lifted him easily and spread him out under me. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get this chance with you again. I don’t want to waste it.”
His gaze moved down my body, making me realize I was still naked, and my hard cock was pointed straight at him like he was true North. And he was mine, I decided. Not just my anchor, keeping me moored to my humanity, but my compass, pointing me to where I should go. Just like I’d allowed him to cajole me into Lysandro’s training, which I now knew I’d need sooner than I’d thought, I’d go wherever he guided me and trust that the outcome would keep me here. With him.
Scotty moved his hand down and gripped my dick. “You plan on using this anytime soon?”
“I don’t have condoms,” I admitted.
Scotty grinned slyly. “Lysandro happened to slip into conversation that we don’t need them, baby vamp.” He gave me a firm squeeze. “And I don’t need a lot of prep. I’ve been giving my toys a workout since I moved in.”
My eyes widened. “Here? When? How didn’t I know?”
He waggled his brows. “I lay in the room next to you while you sleep like the dead, thinking about your cool skin.” He trailed his other finger down my smooth chest, causing a shiverto course down my spine. “Remembering how it heated up as you ground your cock to mine.” He stroked up my length, nice and slow, rubbing his hand over the head and through my dribbling precum.
“I think about how your fangs felt against my tongue.” He leaned up, claiming my mouth in a rough, dirty kiss. “And you know what I think about as I shove my dildo in and out of my ass, Ego?”
I gulped, so turned on by his words that I was worried I’d come just listening to him.
“I think about how badly I want your teeth in my wrist.” He kissed the corner of my lips. “Or in my neck.” He licked over the very spot my attacker had sunk his teeth, taking away the horror of that moment and replacing it with the erotic sensation of his warm tongue and hot breath against my cold flesh.
