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The warm feeling his drawl erupted in her belly was replaced by panic as she realized just how out of her element she was. Diplomacy was what she knew, but even though it had been drilled into her since she was five, she’d already proven she wasn’t capable of playing the game as Callum and Emery did. Her level of diplomacy didn’t extend past dinner parties and galas.
The gasp that fell from her lips was lost to the wind as Draven grabbed her and threw her up over his shoulder so she was upside down with her head halfway down his back.
“What are you doing? Put me down!” Flora pounded her fists into his broad back with as much strength as she could muster even though her shoulder throbbed, and she was pretty sure she was dripping blood down the back of his shirt.
Draven ignored her pleas and rested his hand on her behind, like she was a prize animal he’d slaughtered. Not only was he acting like a complete barbarian, but the dress she wore rode suspiciously high up on her thighs, leaving little to the imagination. Her body heated, wanting for him to take notice of her, but the fact they were surrounded by his pack left her blushing.
Feet shuffled around her, and she could just see the pack parting for their heir. Maybe they had been ready to hang him out to dry not moments before, but at the order of their Alpha, they obeyed.
Flora didn’t miss the way Draven’s shoulders tensed beneath her, though he didn’t outwardly react. He didn’t say a damn thing. He didn’t need to. They may be following orders out of respect for their Alpha, but it didn’t change the underlying dissonance in the room.
The moment the brisk night air hit her exposed thighs, Flora shivered, despite the heat that simmered under her skin. Draven paused on the porch of the bar and exhaled a heavy breath. Flora opened her mouth to question him, but for once, her breath was stolen from her by the dashing hybrid.
He took off into the night at a speed she’d seen but never experienced for herself. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Her emotions were all over the place, and she struggled to keep up with what she was feeling and what she should be. She should be panicking about what would come next, considering the fury she had seen in Draven’s eyes. And if she was smart she’d try to find a way off his shoulder safely; but for that brief moment, with the world flying past her, she forgot about her mission, about the wound on her shoulder, and let herself be immersed in the freedom that came with experiencing immortal speed.
All too soon, Draven slowed to a stop, and Flora craned her neck to see the outline of a log cabin in the moonlight.
She shimmied her hips against his shoulder, trying to find the leverage she needed to push off his shoulder. Her shoulder ached painfully, and she noticed that the bandage Mateo had placed there had come loose during their run. Even if she could get off Draven’s shoulder, she couldn’t run from him, but there was no reason she shouldn’t be able to walk into the basement with at least a shred of dignity.
A firm crack came down on her behind, accompanied by Draven jostling her back into place.
“You hit me!” she shrieked, ignoring the way her stomach hollowed and the warmth that spread through her body simultaneously with the pain.
“You were wiggling that ass of yours, I figured you wanted it smacked.”
Flora scoffed. Barbarians. All of them. “I can walk, you know. Put me down, and I'll follow you. I’m still bleeding, and this isn’t exactly comfortable.”
“Well, at least we both agree on that.” A rumble formed in his chest, and Flora could swear he chuckled, even though he bit it back right away. “But you’re in my world now, not yours, and here we don’t take kindly to a pampered princess ruining our lives with a promise I’m sure she can’t keep.”
Flora opened her mouth to ask exactly what he meant, but before she could speak Draven stepped through the threshold and slammed the door behind them, immersing them in darkness. He yanked her off his shoulder, and the moment her feet hit the ground, he pushed her up against the uneven wood of the cabin wall. His hand caressed her throat as he leaned in and whispered against her ear. “Just because we share an unfortunate tie to my brother doesn’t mean we are on the same team. You just ruined my life. Ruined my standing with this pack. But that stone around your pretty little neck represents the most hope our pack has had in centuries. Which means despite how much you infuriate me, you’re going to fix this.”
No pressure.She’d just add it to her pile of hopes right along with securing protection for Emery and her own future in Callum’s court.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she pressed her hands into Draven’s chest, trying to create space between them. He didn’t budge. Instead he shifted his weight, forcing her further into the wall, every inch of his muscular chest aligning with hers. Flora sucked in a breath as she tried to steady her racing heart. “If we’re going to work together, I suggest you learn some manners.”
Draven leaned in and dragged his lips across the angle of her jaw to her ear. “Manners are for pretentious assholes who want you to believe they’re proper. I never claimed to be such a thing.”
Flora parted her lips to tell him exactly what he was, but before she could, Draven sank his fangs into the fleshy part of her neck. Her body tensed, and a scream erupted from deep within her as she waited for more pain to wash over her, but it never came. She used both arms to shove against him but with every passing moment the need to escape lessened. The shrill noise coming from her mouth ceased, and against her will, morphed into something downright erotic. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy his fangs buried in her flesh, but with every pull, she fell deeper into him, needing more.
Draven let out a moan of his own, and the vibrations of his deep baritone timbre sent shivers down her spine. She tipped her head back, giving him better access, despite the fact that somewhere in her brain she knew she shouldn’t. Her nipples pebbled as they raked against his chest, and Flora let go of the last bit of control she held.
Calm washed over her followed by an intense heat. She welcomed it as it started in her head and flooded down through her extremities. An involuntary moan fell from her lips when it swirled through her stomach and settled in her clit. Her thighs clenched together in an attempt to soothe the ache that only seemed to grow as Draven pulled her lifeforce. She’d never considered being a feeder, but his venom had her wondering why the hell she hadn’t. Every bit of hesitancy that had been coiled around her spine seemed to unravel, and she was left with only a desire to please. Herself. Draven. It didn’t matter.
Draven pulled his teeth from her neck, and she stumbled into his arms. He was her lifeline. He shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t remember why. He was everything she needed. The air she breathed. She would follow him over a damn cliff if that meant she could keep him.
Wait, that didn’t make sense. What was going on with her?
Flora looked down. Her head felt oversized and heavy on her shoulders. She noticed that the bullet wound no longer bled.
“Thank you for healing me.” Her voice came out more breathy than she intended, but she hoped he liked it.
“Don’t thank me yet. I only need you whole long enough to tell me what the hell you’re doing here, and why you have the only thing my pack has ever wanted hanging around your damned neck.”
“Okay,” she whispered. The darkness made her nervous, but his touch grounded her. Flora leaned into him and inhaled his earthy scent. “Whatever you need.”
He let out an irritated huff, and Flora’s brow furrowed. She’d displeased him, though she couldn’t fathom how.
“You are going to tell me exactly why you’re here and what my brother has to do with this shitshow.”
