Page 38 of Given

The field and the man disintegrated. The claws turned into Laurent’s fingers, and I found myself in the middle of my bed in the Midnight Palace.

“Given!” Laurent loomed over me, his slate-gray eyes wide.

He was the king. I knew I should rise and greet him, but I couldn’t do either of those things. My head swam, and a great lassitude kept me pinned to the bed. A loud thumping noise filled the air. It was slow, like the beat of a drum.

“She’s lost too much,” he told someone. “She needs to feed.”

On the other side of the bed, Varick moved into view.

Even in my floating, fuzzy state, I managed to frown. I didn’t need his scorn, and I certainly didn’t need his broad chest filling my vision.

His bare chest. The mounds of his pecs were lightly furred with golden hair. Flat, pink nipples peeked from among the dusting of curls. His jaw was tight, his lips compressed in a thin line as he bent over me and lifted my hand.

Fiery pain licked up my forearm. I hissed weakly and tried to free myself.

He held me fast—and that was when I got a good look at my arm.

My wrist was…shredded. A mess of meat and exposed bone. It looked like an animal had tried to chew my hand off. Nausea rose hot and thick. I whimpered and turned my head.

“No.” Varick forced it back with a big hand on my jaw. “Face what you’ve done.”

What I’ve done?

“My blood could kill her,” Laurent said. “I’ll summon a thrall.”

“They’re tapped from the feast.” Silver flashed as Varick produced a dagger from somewhere. “I’ll do it myself.” He sliced his forearm like it was nothing. Then he slid his other hand under my shoulders and lifted me as he pressed the wound to my lips.

Blood touched my tongue.

Fire ripped through me. A wild, hitherto unknown beast within me lunged forward, jerking my body with it.

I latched onto his arm and sucked in greedy swallows, drawing his delectable blood in deep pulls. He tasted of raw power. With every mouthful, I felt my wrist knit back together. Bones slid back into place. Veins sizzled as they reconnected. His power flowed hot and rich through my veins. This—this—was a vampire’s strength, and I wanted more. With a growl, I clutched his arm to my mouth and sank my fangs deep.

At the same moment, desire slammed into me. Moisture surged between my legs. My inner muscles clenched, and my hips rolled hard. My thighs parted of their own accord. I moaned, grinding my ass into the bed as I struggled to find the friction I needed. Bliss hovered just out of reach, but I couldn’t grasp it. A frustrated sob broke from my throat.

And then Laurent was there. He slipped a hand under my nightdress and found my center with unerring accuracy. Strong fingers stroked the hot, pulsing nub between my folds. “Let go for me, Princess,” he said, his voice ringing with command.

The shimmering ball of bliss exploded. I came on a strangled scream, my whole body quaking. Dimly, I was aware of Varick’s big hand gripping the back of my hair and pulling me off his arm. My head hit the pillow, my spine arched, and my hips bucked against Laurent’s fingers. He worked magic against my wet, heated folds. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over me, until the currents receded and I couldn’t bear another crest.

Laurent knew it. With a final lingering stroke, he withdrew his hand, leaving me limp and panting. He pulled my nightdress down, and I realized it had ridden up and tangled around my waist, exposing me to both males.

They sat on either side of my hips, their gazes bright, fangs fully distended. The bed was a bloody mess, but that was the least of my concerns.

I’d just had the most powerful orgasm of my life in front of the King of Nor Doru and the commander of his army. Laurent had touched me where no man had ever touched me. There wasn’t a word to adequately describe the depth of my humiliation. I scrambled upright, some wild part of me intent on fleeing.

“No, you don’t,” Varick growled, gripping my ankle before I even realized he’d moved. With his other hand, he seized my newly healed wrist.

“What?” I gasped. With his blood pumping through my veins, I felt like I could lift a boulder. I struggled against his hold, a growl brewing in my throat. “Let go of me!”

“Not bloody likely.” He yanked me closer, and my nightdress rode up again. “You little fool. One trip across the Rift and you’re ready to throw your life away.”

My eyes bugged. “You think I hurt myself on purpose?”

“You severed every vein in your wrist.”

“It wasn’t me!” I squeezed my eyes shut briefly. “I mean it was, but I did it to save the man.”

“Man?” This from Laurent, whose gaze sharpened. He glanced at the door.

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