Page 53 of Fated to the Damned
Finally, he pulls away with a smug grin. His face is slick with my juices as he slowly licks his fingers. “I can’t wait to do that for the rest of my life.”
I hold on to him, wobbling as I try to stay balanced. “You can do that…” I gasp for air. “Whenever you want.”
“Good.” He leans in, kissing the inside of my thigh and from the euphoria of his venom and the orgasm, I barely notice as he bites the skin on either leg. He drinks a mouthful on either side before shifting me back into his arms.
Just in time as the boneless feeling of his efforts rushes over me, my eyelids droop. I’m barely holding onto him, and I know he’s doing this on purpose.
Nikolai crushes his mouth to mine desperately, kissing me with bruising force as if to imprint himself on me. When he finally pulls back, resignation fills his eyes.
"I think you’re ready.” I nod numbly. “Then we will begin." He carries me to the bed, laying me down gently on top of the pillows. It’s a struggle to keep my eyes open, but I force myself to watch as he brings his wrist to his mouth, fangs glinting.
My heart pounds, but I don't look away. Nikolai rips open his own skin. Crimson blood wells up as he presses the wound to my lips.
"Drink, Jessa," he rasps. "And when you can take no more, I will take from you in return. Let the Change begin."
I part my lips, the coppery blood filling my mouth. Nikolai meets my gaze, ancient sorrow and devotion etched on his face. Then he lowers his head to my outstretched wrist, and I see more than feel as he rips open the skin there.
I swallow mouthful after mouthful of Nikolai's blood as his fangs sink deeper into my wrist. At first all I feel is the ecstasy he has pumped through me, the absolute addicting blissful state.
But then the spasms start - my muscles jerking and twitching uncontrollably. Nikolai holds me tighter, never ceasing his rhythmic swallows.
Despite his venom, pain begins leaking through, flashes like strikes of lightning across my foggy mind. I try to focus on Nikolai's presence, his solid body anchoring mine.
I’m sure it would be much worse if he hadn’t already numbed my whole body and drugged me with an orgasm.
When he finally pulls back, I'm too weak to keep drinking. My head lolls to the side, vision blurring. I just make out Nikolai above me, his mouth and chin stained red.
"Jessa," he says urgently. "Stay with me, ómorfi."
I try to respond but only a faint moan escapes. More convulsions wrack my frame and I arch off the bed.
Nikolai is there, pinning me down, his voice a distant murmur. I feel the pinch of fangs again, pleasure temporarily driving back the agony.
His hands caress me, no doubt meant to soothe, but I'm fading fast. Still I cling to consciousness, knowing he needs me awake.
As my trembling slowly eases, Nikolai gathers me close, surrounding me with his warmth and scent. His fingers comb through my damp hair.
"I'm here, I have you," he repeats over and over. Darkness eats at the edges of my vision, but I focus on his voice – my anchor in the storm.
Even as I cling to the sound of Nikolai's voice, the pain continues to build. It feels like my blood itself is on fire, the venom scorching through my veins. I'm no longer trembling – my entire body is locked in rigid agony.
Through the haze I feel Nikolai adjust his hold, one arm under my knees and the other bracing my back as he lifts me. We're moving, the cool night air whispering across my fevered skin.
"Just a little longer," Nikolai says, his voice tight with anguish. "I'll do everything I can, I swear it."
My cheek presses against the chill stone wall a moment later. Nikolai keeps me pinned there with his body as his fingers trail down my stomach. Despite the pain, I feel a throb of anticipation.
"Let me give you this," he rasps in my ear. "One more before..."
He doesn't finish, just hitches my leg around his hip. I cry out as he pushes inside me, my raw nerves protesting even this invasion. But Nikolai starts to move, each thrust careful and controlled.
The pleasure builds slowly, warring with the agony in my blood. I cling to him, panting and moaning. When I finally peak, it's almost more relief than ecstasy.
Nikolai doesn't stop, keeping me tethered to him through the haze of pain. "I love you," he vows brokenly. "Stay with me, Jessa. Just a little longer."
I summon my last bit of strength to nod before the darkness drags me under at last.
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