Page 59 of A Court of Bones & Sorrow

I understood that I was part of the small group of Moroi who were exceptions to the rule. Something about us was different, our bloodlust integrated more with who we were, but Vail and the other rangers weren’t like me, and they could harness their bloodlust just fine. It was possible for any Moroi.

Alaric was letting his fear override everything else, and that was making things so much worse. There was no separating a Moroi from their bloodlust. It was something that had to be accepted. Alaric was trying to deny an intrinsic part of himself, and it was going to be the death of him someday.

Panic wrapped around my heart and squeezed when a little green came back into Alaric’s eyes, and I could tell he was pulling away. If things had been different, I would have lethim. I understood now why he was so paranoid and obsessed with control. His perfectly organized office. The clothing that was never out of place. Why he was so annoyed at me every time I got him to lose his temper.

Alaric lived every day terrified he was going to lose control of his bloodlust. Given his family history, his concerns were valid, but starving himself wasn’t going to help—he had to know that. His fear was winning over his logic. I was leaving tomorrow, and he was still weak from the monster attack in the cave. He needed to feed, and I refused to leave this office until he was sated.

With slow, deliberate movements, I slid off the desk until I was straddling his lap. Alaric went completely still, his hands hovering around me but not touching.

“Samara,” he warned.

“You’re not healing the way you should be because you’ve waited too long to drink,” I said calmly. “I’m worried about you, and that means I’ll be distracted when Vail and I leave tomorrow. Do you really want me wandering around the woods with this weighing heavily on me instead of fully concentrating on my surroundings?”

He narrowed his eyes. “You won’t convince me with logic.”

I smiled, completely undeterred.

“There are two ways we can do this.” My hair fell in a dark curtain as I pulled it aside and bared my neck to him. “You can drink from me andonlydrink, or”—I rolled my hips, feeling his hard erection, and he groaned—“you drink and fuck me at the same time. The choice is yours, but you have to drink, Alaric.”

Blue and green warred in his eyes like waves crashing against each other. Then his lips parted, revealing sharp fangs, but he still didn’t move.

“I don’t believe you’ll hurt me.” He shivered as I trailed a finger along his jawline. “But I am capable of defending myself and will do so if I have to.”

“Promise me.” Alaric reached around me and pulled a drawer open before a silver blade appeared between us. “Promise you’ll use this if things get out of hand.”

I took the dagger, wrapping my fingers around the handle. His eyes bore into mine, and I knew he would not relent on this. If this was what it took to make him willingly drink from me, then I’d do it, even if my stomach rolled at the idea of hurting him.

My grip tightened. “I promise.”

Alaric studied me for a long moment before wrapping one hand around the back of my neck. He was giving me time to change my mind, which was kind of sweet, but I was officially out of patience.

I let my hand holding the dagger fall loosely to my side but slid the other one behind Alaric’s head and yanked him towards my neck. His chest vibrated with a deep growl, and the possessiveness in it had my toes curling.

Fingers dug into the ridge of my hip as his hand on the back of my neck squeezed harder. A throaty moan slipped from my lips as I ground against him. If he didn’t bite or fuck me soon, I was going to burst. Lips brushed against my neck, the touch delicate compared to the punishing grip of his hands. Then he kissed my neck again before I felt the sharp sting of his fangs sinking into my flesh.

“Yes,” I breathed out as the brief moment of pain gave way to pure pleasure.

Alaric drank deeply but still pulled away too soon, and warm blood slid down my neck as I looked into bright turquoise eyes. Quick, shallow pants escaped through his lips, and I could feel how taut his body was beneath mine. He needed more.

I licked my bottom lip, and his eyes snagged on the movement. “You’re still hungry,” I purred, “so we’re not done here.” I sucked in my bottom lip and bit down, piercing it with myown fang. Blood dribbled down my chin, and Alaric was there in an instant, his mouth crashing against mine.

The knife almost slipped from my grasp when he suddenly rose out of the chair, taking me with him, but I kept my hold on it. I’d promised him I’d watch out for myself, and while I didn’t believe I’d need to, it was important to him. He didn’t trust himself yet to not lose control, and that knife was his safe word.

Alaric sucked on my bottom lip before kissing me deeply as he sat me down on the edge of his desk, my legs spread wide on either side of him. Fingers wrapped around my hair to wrench my head back, and I writhed in Alaric’s grip when he struck at my neck, leaning me further back on the desk. The neat stack of papers went flying, and I barely managed to slam my hand down on a pile of books to keep them from crashing to the floor too.

Fingers slipped between my thighs and roughly tugged my undergarments to the side before plunging into my slick center, and Alaric gave an approving growl at how wet I was for him. A strangled moan escaped me as he slowly pulled his fingers out, rubbing them over my clit before thrusting them back in. The climax was instant and brutal. I barely managed to keep from slamming my head back onto the desk as my body clamped down around his fingers, the books tumbling to the floor.

Alaric’s fangs slipped from my neck as he raised his head and eyed the mess we were making of his desk. He glanced at my hand that was still awkwardly holding the dagger to the side because I really didn’t want to accidentally stab myself or him. My mind was still reeling from the orgasm, so I was only faintly aware of him plucking the dagger from my grip before he slammed it into the desk. The blade sunk a few inches into the wood, still upright and within my reach.

I extended my hand to grab Alaric’s tunic, wanting to seemore of him, but apparently he had the same idea because he ripped the front of my dress in half. I moaned as his mouth found my nipple and sucked hard, his hand gripping my other breast, then I arched my hips up, trying to grind against him. I wanted to feel his hard cock in my hands, but I wasn’t in a position to reach it.

Alaric laughed against my skin as he twirled his tongue around my sensitive nipple. “You’re very needy,” he said roughly before sucking my nipple back into his mouth. “I want to taste you everywhere.”

“Fuck!” I cried out when his fangs sank into the swell of my breast, causing me to buck upward. I slipped my hands under the back of his tunic and felt the hard, corded muscles of his back flexing beneath my touch.

Then the hand that had been playing with my breast trailed down my stomach, fingers dipping and rising over every one of my curves until they disappeared between my thighs once more. I felt his nails harden into claws that he slid lightly across my skin before tearing my undergarments away.

Sliding his fangs free, he hovered above me, hunger still shining in his bright turquoise eyes. There wasn’t a hint of green to be seen, his bloodlust riding high. The sound of more fabric being torn rang throughout the room, and then I felt his cock nudge at my entrance. Alaric went predatorily still as he took me in, splayed out beneath him, and hesitation flickered in his eyes.

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