Blood Betrayal

Chapter Fourteen

Zion could hear her rustling the blankets and then nothing but his own pulse beating so hard against his eardrums he thought that he might be rendered deaf by the thunderous sound.

"Are you going to lay down?" Her question burst into the silence stirring him from his stupor. Clearly, he wasn't deaf. He sat still for a minute before resigning himself to whatever punishment he may receive. He slowly lay on his back over the blankets.

It wasn't just the threat of a jealous King that had him frozen in the near dark. Eyes open pointed at the ceiling all he could think was that he was actually in bed with a vampire. The number of times he had thought about a moment just like that were too numerous to count. The reality was different from fantasy. In his mind, he was always suave and sure but in reality, he felt apprehensive and awkward.

"Ghanny?"

She murmured an unintelligible answer he assumed meant she was listening. Zion turned his head to her shape in the dark.

He knew she was on her side facing him by the shape of her shadow but he couldn't make out any detail. "You don't think that King of yours would care about this right? I mean we're just sleeping."

Apparently finding that funny she giggled. "I'm not sleeping yet and neither are you," she said in a voice still light from laughter.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I wasn't aware that you cared about what Daxus thought."

"Yeah well, I don't really. Just prefer not to get pummelled for hanging out in a bed with his girlfriend."

"I am not his girlfriend. I am his Queen and I may do as I please. He may have some thoughts about what I should do but he is in no position to air them," she told him firmly. When she spoke like that her voice actually held a hint of the authority usually associated with royalty.

The blankets ruffled as her hand touched his arm making him jump. "Do you always wear this to bed?"

"Umm, not really?" The sudden change of topic was badly needed but jarring. "Why? You want me to model my pyjamas for you?"

"If you are asking my preference I would rather just take these off." Her fingers tugged lightly at his shirt. It didn't sound like she was teasing.

The mood had become heavy and thick again. His mouth opened and closed a few times but he couldn't will words out.

"You should take this off and get under the blankets. Skin contact is very relaxing and you sound as though you need to relax," she said in a whisper just as he had nearly recovered. It reeled him all over again.

"Do I?" he managed to squeak. Skin contact would certainly not relax him. It would be uncomfortable and awkward and embarrassing but oh so worth every second of awkward tense blushing. His body was already reacting to the mere thought of it.

The bed moved and he heard the rustle of clothing. "Not sure that would help me relax. I don't normally sleep with naked girls," he blurted. Feeling like an idiot his face scrunched up in the darkness.

"Never?" There was a disbelieving tilt to her voice.

Flustered he spoke before thinking. "No, I mean no not never... I've been with plenty of... people... but not a lot of sleeping... going on." He cringed. "Not plenty... just plenty as in enough... to know what I'm doing."

Rubbing at his face he sighed. There was probably no way to come back from the stupidity of the last few things he had said.

"I have a few times," he finally added.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked quietly.

The question made his head whip around to her. "Of course not." It wasn't exactly a lie. He was afraid around her but not afraid of her.

"Ah, should I be?" Zion asked carefully.

A long silence passed before she answered. "I already told you that I never gained immortal strength. By all rights, I should be afraid of you."

"But you're still a vampire, you could still probably take me if you wanted."

"I would rather not discuss my shortcomings anymore. It's embarrassing."

"My brothers still beat me up. Like yesterday Tommy held me down and tickled me till I almost peed and I can't even get them back because they're shifters."

The bed shifted again. That time he could see the shine of her eyes glinting and reflecting the muted light seeping in from the covered window and he knew that she was studying him. It was clear that she could see him perfectly well through the dark. Despite that the dark still felt protective. The same way that as a child a blanket over your head could stop the monsters from finding you.

"Why would you tell me that?"

"Because it's embarrassing?" he answered making her laugh again.

"You are strange Zion, very strange."

"But you like strange right?" He flashed a nervous grin.

She hummed sweetly turned and cuddled her back against his side through the blankets. His jokes stopped and his nerves escalated. He lay in the dark very still for a long time thinking about how close she was before drifting off into a dream.

The dream brought them back to the bathroom on their knees. Steam filled the room making it thick and hot. They were both naked.

Her fingers traced the line of his hip. Lips light and soft moved over his chest and then his shoulder and neck. He could feel that she was about to bite him but before she could his hand in her hair pulled her back from his shoulder.

The rough action made her heavily lidded eyes darken. Her breasts moved as she panted. Her nipples hardened in the thick air and her hands gripped at his hips steadying herself as she swayed.

He leaned down letting his cheek linger against hers before he licked the long curve of her neck. Her skin tasted of salt and bliss. She moaned for him. Her pulse jumped against her skin for him.

He bit into her. Her flesh gave way to the taste of hot metallic blood.

She screamed for him.

He woke with a fine sheen of sweat covering his skin. It was uncomfortable and sticky under his jeans. Moving his leg he realised that he had shifted in sleep. Ghanny still pressed her back against him and he was still over the blankets but it was his front she cuddled into.

One of his arms was loosely draped across her waist. He lay on his side his head on his bicep, the soft texture of her hair was light in his hand above the pillows. He rolled it in his fingers while the dream faded.

A cold shiver of terror crept over him as the realisation hit that he had no idea what time it was. Alistair could be back at any moment once the sun was down. Untangling himself from the sheets made her murmur slightly in what he hoped was sleep.

He scrambled out of the bed and went into the bathroom shutting the door lightly behind him flicking the switch on. The bright light flared making him blink and cover his eyes.

When they stopped stinging he dropped his hand and glanced at the tub. The tub where she had been. He shook his head and went to the sink so he could throw cold water on his face.

After the second cupped handful of water was streaming down his face he looked at himself in the mirror. Opening his mouth he looked at his very human teeth.

For a moment he had thought that he was becoming a vampire. The dream had been so vivid. Sure he fantasised about biting and vampires but biting her had felt real. Obviously, there were some deeply fucked up things going on in his head.