Perfect Pet

Ch. 25: Sharp Edges

Malik's P.O.V

Her warm body pressed against mine was the greatest feeling the world had ever known and it was all mine.

I had discarded my shirt at some point in the night, preferring to sleep nude but knowing she wasn't ready for that level of intimacy, I settled for just my upper half being bare. I'd meant it when I said I only wanted to sleep, sensing she needed me as close as I needed her at the time. She hardly stirred as I sat up, only letting out a content sigh as the arm she had wrapped around me drifted to rest against the hard planes of my abdominal muscles and nuzzled her head deeper into my shoulder.

Vulnerable and oh, so trusting.

It had been the best sleep I had gotten in weeks. Her warmth against me, her scent everywhere... My body had taken the clue and accepted that I was safe enough to fully relax. Even now, early into the morning, I couldn't resist being anything but content. We were together again, my demon was satisfied. Everything was good.

Except it wasn't. My hands clenched around her involuntary and she let out an annoyed grumble even in sleep, shuffling around to get comfortable again. I forced myself to relax even as my eyes fell to the bruises that marked her delicate neck, their darkness a sign that a certain someone was getting cocky.

And a mark against that same trust I wanted her to put in me.

A fresh wave of fury washed over me at the thought that Brielle would dare touch what was mine. Vampires were insanely territorial and possessive and for another to attack someone as clearly claimed as Eden was, they either had a death wish or were trying to provoke. My lips lifted into a snarl, the sharp tips of my fangs peeking through. Mission accomplished.

If she wanted a fight, I would give it to her. I was a male defending his female, no room left for anything but instinct. My demon snarled in my head, the sound unusually loud since he was so close to the surface and I didn't have the will or power to fight him back down. To do what needed to be done, I wanted him close. It was one thing to go after me but to drag Eden into our problems was low-handed and uncalled for. I would be doing exactly what she wanted, playing into her plans, but it didn't matter. Both I and my demon wanted her blood and we wouldn't be satisfied until it coated our hands and we were sure Eden was safe.

My demon had been thrilled when we slipped into her room and our senses filled with her unique, delectable scent. He'd wanted to come out and play and I had let him, figuring he deserved it after being without her for so long. The nerves I had once had that he would be too rough and hurt her, even on accident, had faded away because he had proven otherwise. My demon was a completely different creature around her, as gentle as he could be and relaxed. She was the one person he would be soft for. It hadn't taken long for the light mood to vanish once he noticed the dark marks around her neck and any control I might have had slipped away under the weight of his anger and need for vengeance. He was the best one to protect her. Faster and stronger and not hung up on morals. No one else could be trusted right now.

It still burned that I hadn't noticed the bruises until my demon did, so caught up in being with her again that I hadn't noticed my female was hurt, even if the injuries were old. I was an awful protector and my demon slithered around in my head in agreement. He wouldn't hesitate to jump back in if he thought I wasn't doing good enough. His fury still pulsed in me like a second heartbeat, a constant reminder that I wasn't alone in this fight.

First things first. I gently removed Eden's hands from my body and slide out of bed, wrapping them around the pillow I had slept on instead so she wouldn't notice I was gone too soon. She needed her rest. I couldn't help the small surge of satisfaction when she latched on and snuggled into it, letting out a breathy sigh at my smell. She'd missed me as much as I had her, the way she had clung onto me in the night all the evidence I needed.