take it another second, I broke away from him. I wiped the kiss from my mouth with the back of my hand. I didn’t know what to do—how to fix it. Desperation covered my thoughts, making them frantic. If I could feel him again, if for only a second, it would make me stronger. Happy. Content. My life went to Hell. Literally. There was nothing left of my previous life. There was no comfort. There was no moment of solace. Nothing to shield me from constant pain. But it didn’t have to be that way. There was one thing that made me feel. One action that could make me sense Collin again—the way I used to. I gazed at Collin with my lips parted, breathing hard.
A single thought manifested in my mind. A reason, a small ray of hope that grew larger and louder as his caress fell on my numb body. It would work. It had to work. But I didn’t think he would do it. And I didn’t know if I should ask. I stared at Collin blankly, wishing things were different. Wishing things were the way they had once been when we sat in this space and laughed when he touched me and my body ignited. Things were so simple then. Anything was possible. But now…
He was breathing heavily, as he watched me. Collin finally said, “Tell me what you’re thinking. The bond is completely broken. I can’t sense you at all anymore. and the look on your face is worrying me.” He shoved his hair back, and stood opposite me. Waiting. Waiting for an answer to a question I was afraid to ask.
If I asked, and he said yes—oh, God, I wanted to his feel his touch again, but it came at a price. A price that I didn’t know if I could pay. And for what? For pleasure? For a few seconds of lust burning through my body? Was it worth it? Should I ask? I didn’t realize that I was twisting my fingers until Collin took them in his hands.
He looked down at me. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Your eyes are rimming. What do you want, Ivy?” He whispered my name and I could feel my reply try to pour into my mouth, but I locked my jaw, refusing to ask. His hand brushed my cheek as he threaded his fingers through my hair. I tried to turn away, but he didn’t let me. “Tell me.”
I looked at the floor and the square gray tiles, trying to untie the knot in my tongue. “It’s greedy. I don’t need it, and shouldn’t even think about it, never mind ask you.” I tried to pull away again, but he yanked my waist tighter, pulling me flush against his body.
He brushed a kiss to my cheek, and whispered in my ear, “I’ll give you anything I can. If it gives you a moments peace—a second of happiness, it’s yours. All you have to do is tell me what you want. Tell me, Ivy. What is it?”
I pressed my eyes closed as my lips parted. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to hear his rebuke. But the words had formed, and I couldn’t stop them. It was a part of me that was stripped away and I wanted it back. Desperation made me want it. The kiss he just brushed against my skin sealed my desire to have it.
The words came out in a rush of air, “Your blood. I want your blood. I want to be able to feel you, respond to your touch. I want to want you again—the way I did before.” Shame washed over me for revealing how much I wanted him, but I couldn’t stop speaking. “A drop of blood could fix it. I’d be able to feel more than pressure on my skin when you touch me. I’d feel you. I’d be yours again...” My voice trailed off. My face was hot as embarrassment washed over me. I knew my eyes were rimmed, and I couldn’t hide it. I looked away, trying to pull away from him.
Collin lifted my chin with his finger and looked into my eyes. A smile warmed his expression when he saw my face. “That was hard for you to say, wasn’t it?” I nodded. He slowly pressed a kiss to my head, right on top of my mark. His lips slid against me and my heart rang with hollowness. I was dead inside. The Demon Princess made sure of it. Collin pulled away and looked at me.
A single thought manifested in my mind. A reason, a small ray of hope that grew larger and louder as his caress fell on my numb body. It would work. It had to work. But I didn’t think he would do it. And I didn’t know if I should ask. I stared at Collin blankly, wishing things were different. Wishing things were the way they had once been when we sat in this space and laughed when he touched me and my body ignited. Things were so simple then. Anything was possible. But now…
He was breathing heavily, as he watched me. Collin finally said, “Tell me what you’re thinking. The bond is completely broken. I can’t sense you at all anymore. and the look on your face is worrying me.” He shoved his hair back, and stood opposite me. Waiting. Waiting for an answer to a question I was afraid to ask.
If I asked, and he said yes—oh, God, I wanted to his feel his touch again, but it came at a price. A price that I didn’t know if I could pay. And for what? For pleasure? For a few seconds of lust burning through my body? Was it worth it? Should I ask? I didn’t realize that I was twisting my fingers until Collin took them in his hands.
He looked down at me. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Your eyes are rimming. What do you want, Ivy?” He whispered my name and I could feel my reply try to pour into my mouth, but I locked my jaw, refusing to ask. His hand brushed my cheek as he threaded his fingers through my hair. I tried to turn away, but he didn’t let me. “Tell me.”
I looked at the floor and the square gray tiles, trying to untie the knot in my tongue. “It’s greedy. I don’t need it, and shouldn’t even think about it, never mind ask you.” I tried to pull away again, but he yanked my waist tighter, pulling me flush against his body.
He brushed a kiss to my cheek, and whispered in my ear, “I’ll give you anything I can. If it gives you a moments peace—a second of happiness, it’s yours. All you have to do is tell me what you want. Tell me, Ivy. What is it?”
I pressed my eyes closed as my lips parted. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to hear his rebuke. But the words had formed, and I couldn’t stop them. It was a part of me that was stripped away and I wanted it back. Desperation made me want it. The kiss he just brushed against my skin sealed my desire to have it.
The words came out in a rush of air, “Your blood. I want your blood. I want to be able to feel you, respond to your touch. I want to want you again—the way I did before.” Shame washed over me for revealing how much I wanted him, but I couldn’t stop speaking. “A drop of blood could fix it. I’d be able to feel more than pressure on my skin when you touch me. I’d feel you. I’d be yours again...” My voice trailed off. My face was hot as embarrassment washed over me. I knew my eyes were rimmed, and I couldn’t hide it. I looked away, trying to pull away from him.
Collin lifted my chin with his finger and looked into my eyes. A smile warmed his expression when he saw my face. “That was hard for you to say, wasn’t it?” I nodded. He slowly pressed a kiss to my head, right on top of my mark. His lips slid against me and my heart rang with hollowness. I was dead inside. The Demon Princess made sure of it. Collin pulled away and looked at me.
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