AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Twenty-One
TORY
“Jasper,”Iwhispered.
Jasper’s eyes widened as he looked down at the dagger still embedded in my chest.
“Fuck, Tory.” He reached out to touch it and then quickly drew his hand back, gasping.
The pain around the knife intensified, burning. The dagger flashed gold and then began to glow like embers. Searing flames of pain poured from the dagger and into my heart before sweeping through every artery and vein until my whole body felt like it was on fire. I staggered to my feet, wrapping my fingers around the blade, meaning to pull it out, but sheer agony burst through my veins. My head tipped back, and I screamed, my arms flung out to the sides. I couldn’t control my body as the flames raced through me, and I saw, with horror, the fire licking along my skin. I was literally on fire. The flames burned through my shoes, leaving me vulnerable to the poison that coated the floor, but then that caught fire too.
I stepped backwards, away from Jasper and Zayn, but the fire was spreading now. Jabari groaned and struggled to his feet. His eyes widened as he saw me and he turned, hitting out at Jasper. Jasper blocked the swing with the metal bar he’d used to take him out the first time, and I heard the bones in Jabari’s forearm crack. Jasper pushed past Jabari, trying to get to me, but I screamed for him to get back. The flames were painful and swept across my naked body, but I realised with amazement that my skin was still perfect and unmarred beneath them. The fire hurt, but it wasn’t burning me.
Flames swept along the floor, burning blue and green where it encountered the poison Jabari had covered the concrete with. Jasper stepped back away from the flames, but Jabari walked through them, wincing as the flames licked at his ankles. He grabbed the gun off the table and raised it towards Jasper.
I leapt for him, my only thought to stop him. I gasped in agony as our bodies collided, driving the knife even deeper into my chest. I had no idea how my heart was still beating under that much pain, but I would fight for my men as long as I could still draw breath. Jabari and I crashed to the ground, and he began to scream. I was no match for him size wise, but I looked down and saw that while the flames simply danced along my skin, they were catching on his clothes, and the fire began to crackle as it took hold. Flesh bubbled and boiled under the flames.
He screamed, fighting to get away, and I knew I couldn’t let him go. I held on, wrapping my arms and legs around his body. The blue sheen on the floor evaporated into the air as we rolled across the concrete together. His clothes burned away, and his skin turned black and cracked, and still he screamed. Then he began to jerk and twitch in my arms, shrinking down until I saw his cracked black skin was not burnt flesh but dark scales. A large snake hissed and twisted in my arms. I nearly let him go from pure instinct, but I tightened my grip. The snake struck, its fangs piercing my throat and then again at my shoulder. This wasn’t the hot, loving desire of my priests, this was cold fire, cold pain, and cold death. Venom raced through me, and for a moment my resolve weakened. I looked down at the puncture wounds, the same as those that I’d seen on Austin’s leg.
A vision of Austin lying pale and unconscious on my bed danced across my mind, and I roared, my grip tightening as I leaned forward and sank my fangs into the dark creature that writhed in my arms. I wanted no blood from this vile creature, only its demise, and I tore it apart with my teeth, biting and tearing until only shreds remained. I fell to my knees in Jabari’s burning clothes.
Vaguely, I became aware of someone shouting my name, and I looked up at Jasper who held his hand out to me. I reached out to take it then snatched it back, afraid the fire would burn him too, but he moved forward quickly and grabbed it, entwining his fingers with mine and pulling me up and away from Jabari’s remains. Where my hand touched his, the flames died back. I looked towards Jasper in panic, and he squeezed my fingers gently. In one swift movement, he pulled me into his arms, running his hands over my body. The flames died away where he touched me, leaving only his cool touch, like the sweep of rainclouds over a bush fire.
His lips moved against my ear. “Tory, breathe, just breathe. You’ve got this. This is okay. You can control it.”
“I can’t,” I rasped. “I’m dying.” I looked down at the dagger, where blood still trickled from my chest.
Jasper’s fingers wrapped once more around the hilt, but this time, no flames came forth. Instead, he pulled it from my body with one hard jerk. Blood poured from the wound, and I felt my remaining power ebb away with my life force. I screamed at the pain, and he pulled me into his arms and lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist and tilting his head to one side.
“I’m yours, my queen. Take what you need. Take it all if you need to.”
His words didn’t register at first. I saw the artery that throbbed under his skin, and I didn’t hesitate. Thirst rose up inside me like I’d never known before, and my teeth broke through his skin in an instant. His blood flooded my mouth, and I recognised the taste from the hotel room. Dark and bold, like an aged wine in ancient oak barrels, it flowed through me, and I felt the burn of the wound in my chest as it healed. I closed my eyes, losing myself to his heavenly taste, until I felt hands clamp down on my shoulders, dragging me away.
I turned with a roar, swiping at the intruder. Zayn ducked, pulling me in close and offering his own throat. I took him, tasting the familiar and the unfamiliar, as the last taint of the drug Jabari had dosed him with flowed through his system. The flames around us were dying out, having burned through the last of the poison.
I looked over at Jasper. He stumbled towards the cage, something shiny and metallic in his hand—the key. It took him a couple of tries to undo the padlock, but it finally gave and the door swung open. Austin was out first, striding over to me and wrapping me in his arms from behind, the others followed, all shifting back into their human forms.
My thirst had been so great, I hadn’t even felt the dark pull of my other desire, but it began to come back to me as my body took what it needed. I pressed myself against Zayn’s frame, feeling him harden against my stomach, and opened my eyes. I couldn’t think and couldn’t feel beyond the desperate urges of my body and the power that burned inside me.
I tore my mouth from his throat. “I need you,” I murmured, reaching down and gripping his cock. He groaned, and I felt Austin’s hard cock pressing against my bare ass. Desire flooded through me, and I was lost in the storm.
“Help me,” I cried. “Please, I need... I need...”
“Take her,” Austin ordered over my shoulder. I felt his mouth trailing down my neck, nipping at my ear, as Zayn pressed himself between my legs. Reaching down, he guided his cock to my entrance. I was already wet for him, I knew it as the head of his cock slid down to where I needed it. With one thrust, he buried himself inside me. I cried out, digging my nails into his shoulders.
I reached behind me, cupping Austin’s neck and holding him close to me, but it wasn’t enough.
“Jack,” I called.
He came to my side in an instant, and my fangs slipped into his throat, even as Zayn pounded into me. I slid my hand over Jack’s length and he groaned, cupping my breast and pinching my nipple. I released him, still needing more but afraid to take too much from anyone. He slid behind me as Austin moved away, and a sense of loss filled me. I felt Jack’s cock slide between my legs, his fingers guiding it until they found where Zayn and I were joined. Zayn slipped his hands under my thighs, wrapping my legs around him and spreading me wide. Jack inched his way inside me, his cock sliding against Zayn’s in my pussy, stretching me.
It was like they knew I needed to be filled in every way. I turned my head to find Wesley standing beside me. He brushed his lips over mine, but I grabbed him and crushed his mouth against mine. I didn’t need gentle, I needed something else. I tore away and sank my teeth into his throat. More, I needed so much more.
Jack and Zayn fucked me harder. Another hand slipped between us, twisting and rolling my nipples. I wanted to scream for them, but I needed more blood. Then Wesley was gone and I was looking straight at Austin. His ice-blue eyes pierced mine like bullets as his hand wrapped around my throat, dragging my mouth to his own neck. He held me steady as the others fucked me hard, slamming into me as I fed. I could feel the climax rising within me, and I tore into Austin’s skin, knowing it was his blood I needed the most. It charged through my veins as my climax erupted.
I felt Zayn shudder as he emptied his load inside me, and then Jack followed, his fingers digging into my hips as he slammed into me a few more times before he found his release. I pulled away from Austin as Zayn lowered me gently to the floor. The burning, all-consuming lust was gone, sated for now, and my own mind returned. I wished it hadn’t.
Jack tried to wrap his arms around me, but I pushed him away. I stumbled away from them, looking over at Austin. I was still weak and shaky, and though the flames had died down, I could still feel a burning sensation deep in my heart and cold shame deeper than anything else.
