Page 110 of Vervain

He offers me his wrist, and my mouth opens, saliva slick on my fangs before I snap it shut and turn away, scanning my surroundings for a way out. “You’re a liar,” I whisper. “Because if you aren’t, it means that one day I might turn on those I cherish most. One day I will kill you. Or worse, my brother…”

Serun moves, and his chest rests against mine. His hand slips from my wrist, catching me by surprise. I face him when his mouth crushes against mine. My body sags, and I close my eyes, understanding that he must have accepted my words and won’t push.

I open my mouth, and when he does the same, my entire body stiffens. Blood rushes down my throat. My eyes fly open, and I stare into raw, firm neon eyes as this sweetness thickens, exotic, filling me with adrenaline and excitement.

When he closes his mouth, I do the same, only to take a deep breath, ready to burst. Rage fills me, smouldering bones, and I am about to spew every insult I can at him when he says, “I am selfish by design—I know I am. I take and take, and as much as I try to keep my indulgence in check, this I will take willingly.” His thumbs brush my tears, and I sense the desperation in his words. “If I can’t have an eternity with you, I will take a lifetime instead. But for me to do that, I need you to feed on me.” Serun reveals his nape. “I’m all yours, darling.”

The breath filled with malice shatters like glass, and the ache in my bones softens. As I exhale, I grab Serun by the hips, use my body weight, and roll across the bed until I am on top of him. My focus falls on his neck. Serun tilts his head to the side, a silent invitation.

Trust. Acceptance. And vulnerability.

Leaning down, I sink my fangs into the side of his neck. A pool of blood fills my mouth, slipping messily down his collar.

Serun lets out a breathy, “Fuck.” Rough hands grab at my flesh, gripping my thighs. He tips his head further to the side, giving me more room to sink into him.

His blood tastes of lemongrass. Like the rain in a sunshower. Like the first cup of water in the morning. As I break away from the skin, a breathy moan escapes me before my tongue traces his neck. “Look at you. Such a good nightwalker, bleeding prettily for me.”

Serun grips my arse, pushing my heat against his cock. “Bite. Me. Harder.”

I lace my hands into his hair, and I completely indulge in my treat. The memories come in fragments. A sharp dagger to the mind. Flames, screams, and a boy running away from the wagons, thickening with smoke.

I drink more.

He runs through the woods, branches cutting into his skin, and tears of regret filling his⁠—

“Stay here with me,” Serun says hoarsely.

I retract my fangs and sit up, blood dripping down my chin and splashing onto his bare chest. He doesn’t look at me, but looks away, jaw tight. Sighing, I rest my chest against his, touch his cheek, and guide him back to me. “I’m yours, Serun,” I say. “No memory of yours could change that.”

He leans in, his nose kissing mine, and our breaths shared. “Hold your liar’s tongue.”

“Yes, I will.”

Serun tips his head to the side again. “Indulge, kamai.”

My mouth grazes the corner of his, leaving trails of bloody kisses down to his throat. I sink my fangs back into him, and his hands run up and down my spine. Excitement, or a thrill, they can’t stay still as I close my eyes and let it race with his memories.

Bubbles float around my vision, and there’s a scarcity in my throat I can’t explain. Through the blur, as if waking from years of deep sleep, I overlook the tank I float in. On the other side, a woman watches. White hair, silver eyes, and moonlight freckles dusting her cheeks.

The woman who saved him?

She rests her hand on the tank, a tear slipping down her cheek. “What have they done to you, Serun?”

I retract my fangs and close my mouth over the bite, sending tender kisses across the puncture wounds. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.

He laughs bitterly, and his hands on my hips tighten. I gasp as he rolls over until he is on top of me. Serun’s long fingers run up my thigh, sending flutters through me as he grips tight, lifts my leg until my thigh presses against his waist, and his body collides with mine. “That’s enough. Give me it all, my kamai.”

A whimpered moan escapes me, and my legs squirm with excitement and frustration as he nuzzles my neck and his fangs sink into my nape. He sucks hard, sending electric currents down my body. My arousal tightens and hardens my nipples that brush against his firm muscles.

Our bodies move, clashing in a cadence. His belt rubs frustratingly against my clit, and my fingers dig into the satin sheets. Moans escape me with every suck, and venom bleeds from my skin as light and shadow wrap around us. Our magik collides, two snakes mating as he drives his fangs deeper.

I coil my legs around him. My hands on the mattress slap against raw, broad back muscles, and my long fingernails scratch down his back. Serun retracts his fangs, his mouth moving lower. His hand pushes up my breast, allowing his mouth to take me. My nipple softens into a dewy drop as he bites down and suckles, teasing my piercing with his stiff tongue, running it in a circular motion. Every flick becomes another spasm in my core.

Daring, I slip my hands away from his bleeding back and to the buckle restraining his cock. I toss the leather aside, then plunge my hand into his pants, fisting him, but my hand barely wraps around the base.

What in the fucking monster… I’m stunned into silence by the size and shimmer of a silver stud near the top of the shaft. My thumb brushes the piercing, and he twitches.

Serun lowers himself on me, his mouth against the shell of my ear. A low purr comes from him, and his cock vibrates in my tight grip.