Chapter 22: Chapter 21

I pressed against him, as close as possible. His hand slid slowly up my back and lingered at my shoulder. He traced his finger down my arm, to my wrist, my hand, my fingertip, until it rested warmly on my stomach. He spread his palm wide and held me in place for a second.

I gasped and surged upward against him. I needed air.

Roane groaned as he pulled his lips away. “Your shield’s down.”

I pressed my lips against his and moaned when I felt the struggle inside of him. He paused. He wanted to say something, but my tongue gently touched the tip of his. Then he lost the battle for control. Both his hands claimed my head and he tilted it so his tongue swept further, deeper.

I was so lost in his exploration that I hadn’t realized when Roane lifted me in the air. As I felt the satin sheets underneath my bare skin my eyes shot open.

When had I gotten undressed?

Roane’s lips settled on my neck and I felt the throb pound furiously inside of me—it didn’t matter when I’d gotten undressed.

He rested just above me and cradled the back of my neck. He lingered just over my collarbone, but swept his lips gently back and forth before he settled down to suckle lightly. I swept a hand up into his hair and the other explored down his chest to rest on his belt buckle. My fingers paused and then dipped inside. Roane growled as he surged upwards.

I laid there on the bed as he stood between my legs and both of us froze in place.

Then I felt something come over us. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I didn’t want it there. My hand fell away from his jeans with lightning speed. He caught it and held it. My eyes locked with his and I found myself thinking, ‘~What~?’

‘~Your shield shouldn’t be down.’~ How could a thought be so accusing?

‘~We’re in the middle of something and you want to lecture me on my shield? Really? Is this the time?’~

~‘Your shield should always be raised. You don’t know who could get in.’~

‘~Besides evil vampires who want to drain my blood? I have no idea.’~

“Enough,” Roane snarled viciously. I jumped from the sound. “Raise your shield now! I shouldn’t be able to read your thoughts.”

“What’s the deal?” I sat up, but Roane didn’t move. The movement brought us closer, only a few inches separated us. I swallowed tightly. My body reacted so quickly.

“The deal is that someone else, someone who doesn’t want to protect you could get inside and read your thoughts,” Roane leaned over and whispered, intimately.

A shiver sent goose bumps over my skin. ‘~Why would I worry about some evil vampire getting in my head when you’re already there?’~

Roane didn’t react—outwardly. He didn’t show a thing, but I felt him. He was all fury. It blasted against me. Acid dripped from his voice. “Right.”

“I…” I scrambled up, but stopped abruptly.

Roane jerked his head back and to the side.

I jumped in reaction from his quickness. When he didn’t move back, I waited—something needed to be said or done or exploded. I wasn’t sure what I voted for, but… just something.

“You’re angry.”

I hadn’t expected that. I blinked in shock at the understanding in his voice. “Uh…”

Roane turned his head back and his dark eyes caught mine. “You don’t understand this. You, me, and you’re angry.”

“Are you serious?” I snarled back at him, but I felt a traitorous tremor build in my body. It wanted release. It demanded release, but… nothing.

“This… attraction we have for each other—it’s like a pull.”

How quaint. “Is that what it is? I hadn’t noticed.”

Roane moved back a step. I felt his hands leave my thighs where they’d been resting. The cold invaded…. “You were hunted by a vampire, my kind. I feel it too, Davy. We can barely be in the same room without touching. It’s been there since the beginning and it’s been growing every minute. It’s almost uncontrollable lately, but—this is new to you.”

And it wasn’t to him?!

I sat up straighter and stood slowly. “So are you the big bad experienced vampire lover and I’m the virgin? Are you here to teach me what I need to know? Or maybe your job is to guide me correctly, make sure I don’t fumble along. Right? Am I getting this wrong?”

“You’re hearing me wrong,” he said faintly. Defeated.

I stood tall, shrugged my shoulders back, and firmed my jaw. “I hope so because you’re sounding pretty damn superior.”

“That’s not what I’d intended…”

“That’s not what you intended? This whole thing wasn’t intended. I shouldn’t have gone up to that roof. I shouldn’t have answered that phone. I shouldn’t have a best friend who’s a brainwashed bunny by your ‘human’ twin and I really shouldn’t be here with you. None of this should’ve happened. I shouldn’t have even come to Benshire, but I listened to Blue.”

I stopped and gasped for air, my eyes wild. Then I choked out, “She should’ve picked someone else. I can’t be this Immortal. I don’t want to have this on my shoulders. I can’t—someone else should be the Immortal. I haven’t had this for a few days and already my roommate was kidnapped. My best friend is in love with a vampire that wants to drain me and… my empath sponsor is in a coma. I don’t even know what to say about you.”

Something happened and I felt like I could breathe again.

Roane moved closer, but he paused. “I hurt your pride before. I’m sorry. All I meant is that you know ~of~ my world, but you don’t ~know~ my world. Now you’re the Immortal and your entire life needs to change. You’re right. Being the Immortal is a lot to bear. It’s a great burden, but you’re also wrong. Talia didn’t choose you. The Immortal thread chose you. Talia trusted the Immortal thread to choose the right person—it did. It chose you for a reason, Davy.”

“I really don’t want to be the Immortal, Lucas. I want—can’t I pass it along?” I was still a little miffed.

He didn’t answer for a moment. “You can’t. Once the Immortal thread is linked with your body, you’ll die when it passes to the next carrier. The body goes through a withdrawal that’s lethal. Talia didn’t want—she didn’t want to suffer like that.”

I closed my eyes swiftly and felt everything from that night again. She’d chosen her death… now I understood, but I still wished I hadn’t. I wrung out, “I just want to wake up and hear Emily snoring. I don’t want this. I can’t have this.”

I slowly dropped back down on the bed and cradled my head in my hands. My fingers slid through my hair and clung to each strand. I wanted to pull them out. I wanted to feel something other than what I was feeling. I couldn’t deal with it.

Roane reached forward and delicately moved my knee aside. He knelt before me.

I held my breath.

He moved his hand from my leg and slowly reached to untangle my hands from my hair. I gasped as the last finger was detangled and then my fingers desperately sought his shoulders. He slid in and I surged forward to wrap my arms tighter around him.

“You have to bear something that you didn’t choose. I understand, Davy. I understand it more than you think.” Roane tucked his head against mine. His lips brushed the tip of my ear. “I know what it’s like to have your life suddenly change and it’s not what you decided. I do understand that.”

I frowned.

His hand curved around my neck and I felt the cool touch of his lips when he pressed a kiss to my ear. “You can do this, Davy. We’ll figure everything else out.”

Did I dare believe him? I wanted to—badly. I lifted my head, met his black eyes, and smoothed my thumb over his cheek. “I’m a little moody right now. I’m not used to being… so powerless. I hate it.”

He didn’t say anything. Then he dipped and touched his lips to mine.

I closed my eyes and felt it again. It had been rushed and fevered, but the wave of lust swirled slowly throughout me. The heat spread from my fingertips, up my arms, down my sides, around my toes, and back to settle in my center.

I entwined my arms around his neck.

Roane grazed his lips against mine, hypnotically back and forth. I arched upward, needing more. As my neck was stretched to the fullest, he slid his mouth down my neck and settled on my collarbone where he started to suckle.

My hand cradled the back of his neck and my other slid over his shoulders, feeling the hard dip between his muscles until it rested on his hip. Roane continued to suckle and I pressed down on his head, just lightly.

It inflamed him. He swiftly lifted me up to place me on the bed.

I laid there; dazed at how quick he’d reacted, but Roane didn’t wait for my brain to catch up. He shucked his pants and quickly unzipped mine. As they slid down my legs and past my toes, I panted for breath. After he dropped them on the ground, Roane crouched over me. His eyes met mine, captive and fevered.

Then with a tug at his lips, he slid a hand up my leg. Sharp desire pierced me, but I could only gasp for breath and lay there, nearly paralyzed. I watched, entranced, as his hand slid to my waist, caressed my stomach for a moment, and then dipped between my legs. As a finger entered me, my paralysis was gone. I shot up from the bed and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I threw one leg around his hip. Roane grasped it and raised it higher. His finger slipped further inside and I could only cling as it started to move in and out.

The sensations built quickly. He kept moving, in and out, until I gasped and turned my mouth towards his shoulder. My lips grazed his skin and in a drunken state I pressed my teeth against his skin.

Roane groaned roughly.

I nipped his skin—he shuddered. I licked him and he slid two fingers inside of me.

My fingers dug into him, starving. Then I bit—quickly and savagely. I needed more, but I didn’t know of what.

Roane arched his head and growled. I felt the reverberations between my legs and then I moaned as Roane quickly positioned himself and entered smoothly. At his first thrust, I wrapped my legs around his waist and hooked my ankles.

The pleasure intensified and I couldn’t think. I couldn’t do anything except hold on as the fever built and built.

Roane bent his head down and found my collarbone again where he started to suckle. His teeth grazed against my skin and he nipped lightly when he thrust deep at the same time. The pace quickened, in and out, back and forth.

I groaned, but bit my lip to silence my moans.

“No,” Roane gasped and lifted himself off of me so his weight didn’t press down anymore.

I protested and tried to draw him back down.

He held me off and I bit down harder on my lips as he pistoned into me. Deftly, Roane slid his thumb between my lips and bent down to whisper, “Bite down on me, not on yourself.”

I didn’t register the desperation in his voice, but I felt the pleading through my body. And, answering something carnal, my teeth pierced his skin.

Roane cradled my head and quickened his pace. We were both lost, only feeling each other.

I felt his blood slide down my throat and gasped, needing more.

Roane held me tighter against him, almost crushing me, but I welcomed it. I needed it. I was starved for more—and then the fever built. I was on the edge—Roane grasped my hip, pulled out, and slammed back inside. Both of us went hurdling over the edge. The waves took over my body. I collapsed on the bed and was powerless as the ripples coursed through me. Then slowly my eyelids fluttered shut.