Page 24 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

"Did you notice any difference in the thrall on your end, Hayes? Did your bond affect it in any way?"

Through the gap over her shoulder as she turned, I saw Hayes. His lips were pressed tightly together, as if deciding whether or not to tell the truth. "Yes," he admitted finally. "I could feel the thrall suggestion separately in my thoughts. I think I could have fought it if I wanted to."

And yet he hadn't. Why? I stared at him, confusion and surprise clouding my thoughts.

"Try again," Elowen commanded and Hayes wavered before attempting to walk to me. "Enough. Interesting. I could feel your struggle to resist. It seems that perhaps you can borrow some of Leonora's talent through the bond."

"How is this possible?" I finally managed to ask and Elowen smiled, showing nearly all of her teeth.

"You must have a strong bloodline indeed," she murmured and I frowned. "I do suspect that you may be one to watch, Leonora."

Somehow that didn't make me feel better.

Elowen clapped her hands again and all heads turned to us."You've done well. Enthrallment is taxing on our energy and our personal magic source. You need to replenish this as soon as possible. Living vampires, that means food and rest. Leonora—"

"Got it," I muttered and tried to ignore the desperate ache in my fangs and the way my body seemed to hum at the thought of sinking into Hayes once more. Fuck, I really hoped he hadn't heard that particular thought.

Dismissed, the class began to walk away, probably heading to the hall where a food spread would be laid out for lunch. I didn't move, and neither did Hayes. Even when we stood alone on the grass, I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"Come on." He held out one hand and I looked at it for a second before taking it and allowing him to take me further from the castle and into the shade of the trees.

"You need blood."

"You need food," I pointed out and he shrugged.

"I'll eat after."

I waited another second and then hesitantly stepped closer to him, backing up until his back was against the bark of the tree closest to us. The scent of earth, rain and Hayes filled my head and I swallowed hard as he tilted his head to one side, inviting me in. The push and pull between us was driving me crazy—especially because I knew it was all down to the bond.

Making me want him. Making this feel like... more.

"What are you waiting for?" he rasped. "You want me to bleed myself for you too?"

I scowled. At least whatever I was feeling faded quickly whenever he opened his fucking mouth.

I gripped his shoulder and he winced slightly until I loosened my fingers. "Sorry," I murmured, my voice falling into a lower register I didn't entirely recognise as all my attention centred on him.

Rain began to hit the ground around us, the soft drops sounding like a thunderstorm with my sensitive hearing but I tuned it out, too caught up in the way Hayes’ breaths had quickened.

"You can lie to yourself," I murmured, my lips a breath away from the skin of his neck, "but you can't lie to me. Not when I can feel how much you want this—need this." I laughed and it was low and cruel as I let my hunger take over. "Needme."

His mouth opened to protest as his head whipped toward me. He didn't get far.

I growled, catching his chin in my hand and thrusting his face away until he was back in the submissive position from before.

"This is mine to take," I breathed and he didn't protest. "Tell me. Say it."

"It's yours." He sounded resigned but I could feel his anticipation, his arousal, mounting through the bond. I smirked. No, he couldn't hide that from me. He liked it when we were like this. For that matter, I was pretty sure I did too.

I struck, my fangs sinking deep, and we both groaned at the same moment. Maybe it was what he'd told me, or what I could feel from him, but this feeding felt different. Deeper. Wilder. In class he'd stood still, holding himself in place and firmly in control until eventually the crest of pleasure broke him and he caved.

This time... he didn't even try to stay in control. His hand reached up and fisted my dark curls, clutching me to him, urging me to drink deeper, to take more. I obeyed and as my tongue flicked across his skin, his thigh slid between mine. The trouble with the bond was not just that I could feel his emotions, pick up on a few stray thoughts, but his lust fed mine, the wild looseness he felt was trickling through to me too. And when my hands tightened on his shoulders the bolt of pain and pleasure that slid through him lit me on fire. I pulled away, licking his blood from my lips and for a beat our eyes met and held.

His hair was mussed and damp from the rain as a sheet of it fell between us and the rest of the world. The occasional drops hit us, sliding off the edge of the branches above our heads, and I was surprised they didn't turn to steam from the heat Hayes was generating.

When he stepped closer, I was expecting it. I didn't move away, didn't flinch, and when sparks erupted through the bond, we both shivered. His hands were my hands and mine were his. There was no conscious decision that could be attributed to only one of us, there was no me or him—there was justus.

Our lips met and it was feverish, his teeth on my mouth, tugging at my lips roughly until I was certain that if I'd had a heart it would have been beating out of my chest.

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