AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Relief surges through me. I might be in a predicament right now, but Corvan’s here now.
He didn’t abandon me.
Everything’s going to work out.
“Look at us,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief. “You’re thirsty and I’m stuck in the dirt. What a pair we make.”
He furrows his brow, his expression turning terribly serious. “It’s no laughing matter that you were stolen from me. I should never have allowed that to happen.”
“Your castle was attacked by a terrifying horde of undead,” I point out. “And the ones that took me were relying on you being preoccupied. I dare say that was an almighty diversion.”
“I’m going to destroy them,” he says mildly, his tone deceptively light as he wraps his hands around my wrists and gives them a gentle tug. Predictably, they won’t budge. “What are we going to do with you, hmm?”
“Ask the trees,” I growl, my voice sharpened by annoyance. “They’re the ones that got me into this mess, and now they’ve conveniently gone to sleep.”
“The trees spoke to you?”
“As unbelievable as it seems, yes. That one just above us… she’s calledEulisyn. She’s ancient, and she’s beingveryunhelpful right now. At least she killed Kinnivar and his lackeys.”
“Oh?” Corvan’s voice turns deathly cold. “I’m thankful she protected you.” He looks up, taking in the mangled bodies of Kinnivar and the guards. “They got what they deserved, even if Iwouldhave preferred to tear him apart with my bare hands.”
His voice trembles. There’s a tremor in his hands. I can feel his anger; white-hot and powerful.
I’d hate to make an enemy of him.
And IswearI can feel his thirst, too. It’s dark and pulsating, like a wild river barely dammed, held back only by the iron force of his will.
“Corvan,” I say gently, sensing that I need to take the edge off his anger. He’s been fighting for most of the night. He must be tired.
Vampires… surely they get tired too?
“What is it, Finley?” But when he speaks to me, his tone is oh-so tender.
“Before we go about trying to figure out how to extricate me from this bloodything, why don’t you drink from me?”
“What?” He blinks several times, dark lashes falling around radiant crimson. For a moment, he’s achingly innocent. “I can’t… not while you’re likethis.”
“Corvan,” I murmur, and even though I’m restrained by magic I don’t understand—myownmagic—suddenly, I feel powerful. “You’re on the verge of unravelling. If the world is falling apart, isn’t it better that you face it with a clear mind?”
“Gods,Finley,” he whispers. He lifts me up a little, taking the pressure off my arms. Then, with impossible speed and strength, he manoeuvres so that he’s lying on the ground, and I’m on top of him, still with my damn palms glued to the ground. He wraps both his arms around me and holds me tightly. “How do you know me so well when we’ve only just met?”
There’s something strangely thrilling about being trapped and helpless with him underneath me, his eyes glowing with hunger, his embrace infusing me with warmth.
“You’ve shown me enough,” I whisper, tilting my head forward, inviting his kiss.
He yields, pressing his lips against mine, letting his fangs graze my lower lip.
His jaw quivers. He’s barely restrained. “You drive me to madness.”
“I could say the same about you.” The forest above me whispers rhythmically, almost as if it’s singing. I can feel the power of the earth flowing through my veins, swelling, creating warm pressure inside my chest.
And of course, I’m aroused.
This man could do anything to me right now, and I wouldn’t care. “Stop overthinking things and bite me,” I growl.
Corvan laughs softly. “My dear Finley, it almost sounds as if you enjoy being bitten by me.”
He isn’t entirely wrong. I relax my arms and let him take my weight entirely. “As long as you’re gentle…” In fact, I yearn for his lips against my neck; for his tender, bittersweet bite, for the sublime hint of pain that would accompany it.
