Page 87 of Marked
His fangs elongate past his bottom lip as he rears back. They scratch my flesh as his rhythm speeds, forcing me closer to that edge. A small pinch precedes the soft pop...
My scream echoes off the ceiling as the orgasm does not build, but crashes into me like a truck.
I bow, grinding and twisting as Ruin seats himself as far as he can go, filling me as my blood fills him. He suckles again, and I contract.
Wave after wave of pleasure finds me as he feeds. It’s never ending, impossible. But my body doesn’t care. He roars against my neck as he comes too.
Quaking, I go limp in his arms and he stills. He pulls back, gold light fading rapidly under an empty, cold black. My blood coats his lips in a ruby-red sheen, but he seems to glow with an unholy light as he backs away.
I try to reach for him, but can’t. My arms are too heavy, weighted from the pleasure his bite brings.
The thought makes me ripple again, and my mouth opens on a wordless scream as another release finds me. I arch back against the mirror, head digging into the shockingly warm pane.
God.
Ruin watches it all, confusion warring with the fear. He shakes himself and rushes to me. “Lilah? Fuck, baby girl.” He bites into his wrist and presses it to my lips. I pull back. Away. He smiles, but it’s sad. “No, you need to drink, baby girl. I took too much.”
My face flames as I stare at him, trying to wordlessly explain my unwillingness is more about his words this morning than him moments ago. “Not ... blood ...” I cough to clear the rasp in my voice. “Orgasm ... too many ...”
His eyes go comically wide. “What?”
I cough again and finally manage to disengage my weak limbs from the counter-top. When I slide down to the floor, he scoops me up against him, one agile hand softly smoothing my hair back.
“Lilah?” He lifts his arm again. His spicy scent is stronger, mixing with the undercurrent of aged pennies. “Come on, baby. Just a little. It will replace what I took without hurting you. I promise.”
I glance up at the stoic lines of his face. But he remains unwavering. My hands shake as they wind around the heavy muscle in his arm, but I allow him to press that gliding heat to my mouth.
His flavor flows over my tongue to scorch my insides like really good liquor or cider. I moan and suck at the fluid almost greedily. He chuckles. “Not what you were expecting, huh?”
I ease back, licking my lips. “You taste amazing.”
His dark eyes roll to gold. “So do you.”
“Ruin ...” I pause, unsure if I want to even voice it. To bring up such a tense subject. “Thank you for trusting yourself enough to feed.”
He winces. “That was stupid, Lilah. I could’ve hurt you.”
“But you didn’t hurt me, Ruin. I swear. Your bite ...” My face heats again.
“Say it, Lilah.” His command is part challenge, part desolate hope.
Clasping his face between my hands, I look him dead in the eyes and smile. “It’s one of the best fucking things I have ever felt.”
Chapter 38
Ruin
I damn near skip into Markus’ office, a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. “My lord?” I sweep a low bow.
He raises one flaxen brow. Low coughs sound behind me and I turn to find my team already in the room. Their expressions are solemn, empty. The ones they wear in the field. My pulse speeds.
Facing Markus again, I force my heartbeat to calm. “You needed me?” I ask the king.
He rises from his seat and shoves a manila folder across the blotter to me. I scoop it up and flip through it.
The photos that stare back are not the worst I have seen in my career as a hired gun. Hell, the war was worse. A lot worse. My eyes dart over the images of the strangled male, noting the bloated features and distorted coloring.
“Time?” I ask, surprised my voice is as mild as it is.
