The First Night

DELLA

Sorin’s goodnight kiss leaves a playful sting on my lips before he departs, leaving us to our dorm. As we pass through the entry, I gently pat the heads of the gargoyles. Then Micha escorts me to my room.

“Are you all right?” he inquires, his gaze searching mine.

“Yeah, just a bit anxious,” I admit with a shrug.

His eyes soften, and he tucks a stray blue curl behind my ear.

“Micha…,” I falter.

“Yes?” he prompts.

“Would you mind staying with me for a while?” I ask, feeling a bit needy.

“Absolutely,” he replies with a gentle smile, following me into my room.

“I need a shower. I feel grimy,” I mumble, heading to grab some shorts and a tank top. The shorts are adorned with a quirky llama print.

“You don’t look grimy,” he assures me with a smile.

“Oh, you’re making my heart flutter,” I tease, placing my hand over my heart.

“You know what I mean,” he grumbles.

I approach him, my hand tugging at his shirt, pulling him down to my level. Our lips meet in a tender kiss. “I know what you mean,” I whisper, a smile playing on my lips before I retreat to the bathroom.

I’m in the midst of adjusting the shower temperature when the door swings open. Micha stands in the doorway, determination etched on his face.

“Took you long enough,” I jest.

He responds with a low, enticing sound before lifting me onto the countertop, positioning himself between my knees. “Are you sure about this?” he asks, his voice laced with concern.

“I’ve never been more certain,” I assure him, beginning to unbutton his shirt to reveal his toned, pale chest. As I trail kisses up his neck, his hands wander up my thighs, eliciting a shiver.

His hands explore my body, his touch igniting a fire within me. I moan as I slide his pants down, my hand wrapping around his length.

This time, I’m ready. I tear open a condom packet with my teeth and roll it onto him. Simultaneously, Micha slips a finger inside me, his movements slow and deliberate, causing me to pant.

“Oh my God,” I gasp, writhing under his touch.

“You’re so beautiful. I need you, sweetness,” he growls, his voice thick with desire.

“I’m yours,” I whimper. He withdraws his finger and thrusts into me, causing me to cry out. “Oh, God! Micha!” I shout as he fills me, my body adjusting to his size. I dig my nails into his back as he groans into my neck.

As he begins to move, I feel myself growing wetter. I lose myself to him, our bodies moving in sync.

We’re a tangle of limbs, our breathy moans filling the room. Just as I’m on the brink of climax, he pulls out, causing me to whimper in disappointment. He chuckles and flips me over on the counter. My breasts press against the cool countertop, my back to Micha. I catch his reflection in the mirror, his copper eyes filled with desire.

“Look at us, sweetness. Watch us come together,” he murmurs, guiding us to the peak of pleasure.

The intensity is overwhelming, and I start to close my eyes, but he smacks my ass, causing me to gasp. “I said watch us,” he commands, and I obey.

I watch his muscles flex with each thrust. I watch his copper eyes watching me moan and writhe beneath him. We watch each other as we climax together, our cries echoing in the room.

We lay there, our breathing ragged, our faces flushed. Our auras, pink and white, blend into each other, and I see the red string flare to life in my center. He pulls out of me, causing me to gasp again, and he kisses up my spine.

I turn around to capture his lips with mine, pressing my soft body against his hard planes.

“We should probably get clean now,” I suggest, glancing at the still-running shower with a wince.

“We’ll share a shower and conserve water,” he suggests, pulling me under the warm spray with him.

We take our time washing each other and drying each other off. I draw the line at my hair, though. My curls require a delicate ritual that can’t be disturbed. I toss him my comfiest gray sweatpants to wear as I get dressed.

“Whose are these?” he asks, eyeing them suspiciously.

“They’re mine,” I say with a chuckle. “They’re my comfort pants. Oversized, soft, and comfy. Relax.” Yeah, he says he’s okay with sharing. This should be interesting. I braid my hair back to prevent it from going wild in the morning.

He pulls on the sweatpants and climbs into bed. I join him, snuggling into his warmth. I can’t help but worry about Kade.

“What’s on your mind?” Micha asks, his finger tracing the crease between my eyebrows down to the tip of my nose.

“I’m worried about Kade,” I confess in a whisper. “I hope he’s all right.”

“He’s a tough punisher, sweetness. He’ll be fine,” he reassures me.

“He’s more like a toasted marshmallow,” I counter.

“A what?” He chokes on his laughter.

“He’s tough and bitter on the outside, but sweet and gooey on the inside,” I explain, causing him to chuckle.

“Maybe to you. I’ve seen him choke a vampire unconscious for merely speaking to him.”

“What did the vampire say?” I ask.

“I’m not sure,” he admits.

“Then I’m sure he had a good reason,” I assert.

“Perhaps. But he’s different around you. So is Sorin. You bring out his wild side.”

“To be fair, Sorin brings out my wild side too.” I giggle softly, but it’s cut short by a yawn.

“It’s been a long day. We should get some sleep while we can.”

I nod in agreement, closing my eyes.

“Goodnight, sweetness,” he whispers.

“Goodnight, handsome,” I murmur before drifting off to sleep.

***

I’m immobilized. My hands and feet are bound. Panic sets in as I struggle against my restraints. I’m trapped. Again.

I thrash around on the all-too-familiar altar. No. No. No. No.

Kade approaches, a cross-shaped brand glowing a skin-melting orange in his hand. Raziel lurks in the shadows behind him, a hungry grin on his face.

A scream tears from my throat as the hot metal sears my flesh. Kade’s beautiful eyes are vacant as he brands me. I feel the pit inside me open and I begin to feed—feed on Raziel. On Kade.

Tears stream down my face as I watch my beloved Nephilim wither and die as I consume the soul of the man I love.

“Della?” he pleads.

“Della, wake up, sweetness. You’re safe,” Micha’s voice pulls me from my nightmare.

I bolt upright, struggling to catch my breath.

“Della?” Micha asks. I nod silently. I need to see Kade. I need to ensure he’s all right. I jump out of bed and quickly throw on my uniform.

“Della. Talk to me,” Micha urges, stepping in front of me.

“I need to make sure Kade’s okay,” I whimper.

“Okay. Let me get dressed, and we’ll go together,” he suggests, waiting for my agreement. “You should arm yourself today.”

I nod and start preparing.

We arrive at Tenn’s office after what feels like an eternity but probably only took five minutes. I knock on the door, trying to maintain my composure. I’m not sure it’s working.

Tenn answers the door with a soft smile and leads me straight to the mirror, sending me through without a word. I’m grateful for his understanding.

“Kade?” I call out. Silence. Panic begins to set in. What if Raziel found him? What if the police came? What if… “Kade!” I call out again, checking the other cells. He’s nowhere to be found. I check the gym and the kitchen.

Aside from an empty cookie bag on the counter, there’s no sign of him. Where could he be?

“Kade?!” I call again, desperation creeping into my voice.

I feel a gentle pull from the pit inside me. It’s different from my hunger; it’s warm and comforting. It tugs again, leading me toward the stairs, so I follow it. Professor Coach did say to get to know my center, right?

I follow the pull up to the clock tower. I open the door to find not only Kade but also Sorin. They’re lying on the damp wood, curled up without any blankets in sight. It’s freezing up here.

“Kade? Sorin?” I whisper, my breath fogging up in the cold air. “If you guys froze to death, I’m going to kill you,” I mutter as I kneel down between them. The cold bites at my bare legs, but my concern is for the two men in front of me.

“Please be alive,” I plead.

“We’re fine, babe,” Kade assures me, causing me to jump in surprise. He chuckles as he turns over, pulling me into his arms. “Sorin! Wake up. We scared our girl.”

Sorin stirs, looking a bit dazed until his eyes land on me in Kade’s arms. He winces. “I forgot to leave a note. I’m sorry, my handful,” he apologizes, taking me from Kade and pulling me into his arms. “I knew you’d be worried about Kade, so I came back, and we liked it up here better, so I used a warming spell on us. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

My heart melts at his words as his magic warms my body. Kade wasn’t here alone all night. Sorin came for him. He had Kade’s back too.

I throw my arms around Sorin, knocking him to the ground with a laugh. “Thank you,” I whisper before pulling him into a kiss.

He moans into my mouth, and I feel him growing hard against my stomach. I wiggle against him, causing him to growl and nip at my lips.

I hear Kade chuckle behind us. “Don’t get too carried away, babe. We have to go soon,” Kade reminds me, dousing my arousal.

I sigh and climb off Sorin. “All right. Let’s go.”

“I’m not done with you, my little handful,” Sorin promises, causing a thrill to run through me. He grins but wraps his arm around my waist.

“Wait. What time is it?” Kade asks.

“Six o’clock. Back home,” I reply.

Kade grins, causing a rush of naughty thoughts to flood my mind. “Then we have some time to help our girl out.” He smirks, trailing a hand down my spine.

He steps closer to me as I rub my thighs together in anticipation. “Using Sorin to tease me?”