Page 20 of Hound

Heavy breaths filled the space between us.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he growled without turning back, his amplified voice brusque. “Whatever the fuck this is needs to stop.”

Chapter 7

LORENZO DEVON

In this new world, power was important. Politicians spent all their lives leaching after it, fighting over the reins even after attaining it. The CEG was stuck in the middle of its crossfire, so it was only logical for them to be diplomatic. Peace obviously depended on them—on us. Hence one of the biggest lessons for guardians. Tact was everything. Without it, there was no real grasp of power. And what power I thought I had shredded in seconds.

November was two days away, and the last five days I had spent locked away in my empty bunk. Fuck duties. How could I do them when I was going mad? When the beast hovered over my skin and filled my nostrils? Itched across my veins, demanding to be released? When the hunger deep in my belly wasn’t for food, but something else? Something new, intoxicating, dangerous?

The beast was out of fucking control for the first time in twenty-five years— and there was one damn reason for it.

Christopher. That kiss. It had all happened too quickly. How had we even gotten there in the first place? My body said one thing, but my brain said another.

Mom’s grave.

Why had I thought it was a smart idea to take him there? I could have visited her after, once he was hidden away in his little tower. There was no need to have himthere.A place that I’d never taken anyone—not even Nina.

Every waking moment was spent processing it, replaying it over and over?—

“That’s enough!” I shouted, the guttural, husky voice echoing in the room I didn’t share with anyone. It felt cramped with the looming beast that craved blood and ached for murder. Who was supposed to surface only when necessary.

Not when I was fucking aroused.

Yeah, I’d had relations in the past, all to tame that itch I got once in a while. They never required kissing or dealt with emotions. Definitely never brought up the beast. But this? With these muddled feelings in my stomach and the constant shadow of Christopher’s lips on mine. . .this was different.

My skin fevered. This was beyond embarrassment. This hadneverhappened before. A cocktail of confusion and annoyance disoriented me.

Fingers ran back and forth through my scalp, prickly short strands meeting my touch. Elbows dug into my upper knees as the moment replayed in full clarity.

One second, Christopher’s silvery voice had filled my ears, then suddenly, his sharp gaze had fallen on mine and softened as he studied my lips. The next second, our surroundings had turned invisible and he had claimed my mouth like I had done his the first time. Not as ferocious, but he shared the same excitement, erasing any leftover reasoning I tried holding on to the minute we stepped into the cursed parlor.

Sure, vampires had their ways to satisfy their sexual means just like humans. I never thought there would be a day I would witness it, though. To step into that scene was completelyunexpected, but what really caught me off guard was what it triggered.

Desire for Christopher, one that had been growing the night my eyes laid on him.

Fuck.

That restraint had vanished. As if the tight chain I developed on the beast the past decade never existed, somehow breaking five nights ago.

Why had our silent ride back irritated me? Why had his lack of touch pissed me off as much as it equally worried me? Why did the physical ache in my chest continue to grow like a tumor as if I missed him? I barely fucking knew the guy! What was there to even miss? He fucking threatenedmeto work forhim.

Christopher brought out feelings that went against everything I knew. There was no way this was anything more than the effect of our surroundings and my lack of action. With tensions rising in the CEG, it had been months since my last fling.

Fuck, what if he used this as blackmail to ruin Lace and the CEG? Lace hadn’t been returning my calls. Did something already travel back to him before I could reach him? No. That wasn’t possible.

“Shit.”

Clear the air. Apologize. Do whatever to fix this before it backfires on the man you owe everything to.

I rapidly grabbed the blueprint that was stuffed in my bookbag alongside the map and stomped toward the mansion. There was supposed to be some important Regal Vampire Family visiting in the next few days, so this had to be cleared tonight. As soon as possible. If anyone got in my way, I’d deal with it later.

The main entrance was off limits. Too central and in view of all the outdoor guardians that were currently posted. AlthoughI hadn’t stepped foot inside the mansion, I saw Chief Guardian Tristan and Nina exit through the underground hatch enough times.

Stepping below ground, a long, dark tunnel stretched before me. One side held a drowning abyss that lacked life while the opposite was poorly lit. I followed the only side that was reflected on the blueprint and walked through a revolving door that camouflaged into the wall.

Once on the other side, droplets swished onto the tiled floors a few meters away from me, a dark-haired man swimming laps in the large pool. Noah Sephtis didn’t detect me as I snuck toward the spiral staircase and onto the main level.

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