B Positive by Jewel Killian

Eighteen

“I knew better.I should have warned you.”

“Well, yes, you should have. But, more importantly, you should have told me you were the next pack leader.”

Jaxson at least had the good sense to look embarrassed as we stood at the front door. “I didn’t want you to see me any differently.”

Instead of trying to convince him I wouldn’t have—of course I wouldn’t have—I accepted it. “It’s a valid concern and I kinda get it. And when you’re ready to talk about the reason you 're hiding from your pack in the shitty part of town, I’ll be here.”

Jaxson’s gaze grew warmer, the amber seeming to glow from within once more, as the pine in his distinct blend of scents ticked up a notch. “Thanks, Eeds. I will.”

I gave him a hug and relished that sense of belonging that washed over me when we were close. It wasn’t anything I could put my finger on specifically. More like hugging Jaxson just felt right, like the way your house smells. Jaxson was family.

“So, how many shifts am I taking for you?”

I let out a long breath. “Ugh, I don’t know. I’m pretty sure Julian isn’t letting me out of his sight for a while.”

“Make sure you call Jerry. He’ll miss you.”

“I definitely will,” I said.

Jaxson gave me one last lingering hug, and we both held on tight. As if we knew things would never be the same after this.

I watched as he strode to the street, certain that I’d never be back in that shitty building again. That we’d never get that time, or those after work margs, or our late-night gossip sessions back.

The moment he disappeared, I spun around, sights set on finding Julian. Luckily, I didn’t have to go far. He was just inside the study as I barged in.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded.

Julian pulled a hand over his face, weary eyes settling on mine. “Tell you what, Eden?”

All the stupid accusations about keeping secrets to lord over me and make me look bad died on my tongue as I saw how tired he was.

Why did I automatically think the worst of him?

Why was that my default when it came to him? It certainly wasn’t the way I treated anyone else.

I aimed myself for the sofa and patted the seat next to me, exactly where we sat after he’d tranqed me. “How did the negotiations go?”

Julian stared at me for a moment, uncertain about my sudden mood shift before answering. “Not good.” His tone was flat as he sank into the cushion next to me. “Titus refuses to budge even a little. It’s going to take weeks at this rate.”

“Oh. So you’re not back because you’re finished?”

He scoffed out a bitter laugh. “Hardly. We broke for the day. I’ll head back tomorrow.”

“How can I help?”

His gaze shot to mine, a question clear in the crease between his brows.

I nodded, answering without words. I would help however I could.

“Study everything you can. Be prepared for anything, because Titus will certainly give it to us.”

I was already planning on that. “I meant, what can I do to help you now? You look exhausted.”

Julian searched my eyes as if he were searching for the truth of my words. “I just need some rest,” he said.

Perhaps. But I had a nagging feeling there was something he wasn’t saying. Something I could do. “There is something, isn’t there?” I asked, as I laid my hand over his.

I sucked in a sharp gasp as rivers of electric tingles spread up my arm and through my whole body, right down to my lady cave. I snatched my hand away, but Julian caught it with his free hand, placing it back where it was.

He held my gaze with his. “I’m a young vampire, Eden. I’ve only been in this form for about fifty years. I died on my twenty-eighth birthday at the hands of King Titus, along with most of my family. He expected I would rise and look to him for guidance, and in that way he could absorb my kingship, ruling it through me any way he wanted. I’d be nothing more than a puppet. But the day I rose, reborn as a vampire, I vowed I’d do anything in my power to end that tyrant’s reign. I devoted my life to it, to figuring Titus out, what makes him tick, what motivates him. I didn’t make time for anything else.”

He pressed my hand to his chest and my pulse jumped at the feel of his hard pec and racing heart. “I never thought I’d find my mate. And if I did, I knew for certain she’d have to be dropped in my lap or else I wouldn’t notice her.” He pressed a kiss to my fingertips.

I had kind of fallen in his lap.

“All that to say, your willingness to help is all I need, Eden. Thank you.”

I nodded, certain he meant those words, and just as certain there was something more I could do. Right then and there. “But there’s more, I know it. What aren’t you telling me?”

He stared at me for a long while, long enough for me to get annoyed. I crossed my arms. “No more secrets, Julian. Tell me.”

He inclined his head, as if bowing to me, to my words. “If you allowed me to drink from you, it would instantly renew me.”

My lip curled in disgust, and I jerked back. “Um, isn’t that a big vamp no-no? We’re not supposed to drink from each other or ourselves.” Even I knew that. I’d learned it the hard way, like everything, but I still knew better.

He smiled at me, a warm sweet smile, and my fucking dickhead heart tumbled over itself like an excited puppy. “You are right. Vampires may not drink from one another. It causes, shall we say, undesirable side effects.”

Fuck if I didn’t know that. By the time Carisa found me on the street, I’d gnawed my wrist to the bone, totally lost to the bloodlust. I felt no pain, no remorse, nothing.

“However, when mates exchange blood, they strengthen each other. It’s fortifying both physically and…” he trailed off, hesitating. “Emotionally, it will draw us closer.”

Closer.

I took in his serious expression, the V in his forehead, and tightness of his mouth, but also the smears of deep purple under his eyes. He needed this, right? And so many people were counting on him to negotiate to their advantage.

I could do this.

I could help him.

“Wrist or neck?” The words were hardly more than a whisper.

A smirk lifted half his mouth. “We should begin with the wrist,” he said, while eyeing the pale expanse of flesh at my throat.

I knew that look. Hunger and desire all mixed up to form a new vice. “Yeah, wrist is probably best.” I didn’t want to end up without a throat, and judging by his expression, that might be a real possibility.

I offered him my upturned hand, and Julian’s entire body relaxed as he cradled it in his. He laid another batch of kisses across my fingertips and palm before resting his lips on the inside of my wrist.

My heart slammed into my chest as his tongue darted out to draw a wide circle across my skin. I stifled a gasp as pleasure coursed through me. I squeezed my thighs together since Ms. Puss pulsed and ached like I had woken her from a seventy-year nap.

“Things might get a little heated,” Julian murmured against my skin, fangs descending.

Oh shit! I forgot about those fucking saber cat fangs!“Hey, um, maybe we don’t have to…”

His lips pulled back and before I could pull away, he’d sunk his much smaller fangs into my vein.

And one of those embarrassing noises came out of me again.

This time it was a snorting, gasping moan. Honestly, I’m not even sure how I made the sound, but I didn’t think about it long.

Not when Julian’s fangs were in me, depositing venom as he lapped and sucked at me like I was his favorite lollipop.

My free hand grappled with the back of the sofa, trying to steady myself as I shoved my wrist harder into his mouth. A feral groan ripped from Julian and fire seared through my body, compelling me to do exactly as I’d wanted days ago, and climb him like a tree.

I straddled him as he continued sucking on my wrist, touching any skin I could reach. A cheek, then neck. When that wasn’t enough, I ripped open his shirt and laid my flat palm across his carved chest.

My hips ground against Julian’s impressive hard-on, and pretty soon, my hand on his chest wasn’t enough. I ripped my own shirt off and pressed my torso to his.

It still wasn’t enough.

Nothing could dull the aching need burning within me.

Julian roared as he pulled away from my wrist, reversing our positions and pinning me to the couch. He stared down at me, body hovering over mine, eyes swimming with liquid desire.

My body arched, trying to close the distance between us. But before I could get my hands around him and pull him closer, Julian blurred lower and tore off my pants.

He glanced up at me, mouth inches away from my lady parts, hazel devoured by blackness. He’d gone full dark.

And I didn’t care.

He quirked an eyebrow at me, asking.

I bucked my hips to him in answer, and I swear he shuddered with relief.

Julian yanked off my panties, and another groan rumbled in his chest as his fingers found my wetness. “All of this, for me,” he rumbled, setting my body ablaze once more.

He traced a long, thick finger up my slick folds and back down, once, twice, three times before plunging deep within me.

I bucked and moaned and grabbed at the sofa, and nearly came right then.

One finger.

One stroke.

Jesus Christ, what the actual fuck. Maybe there are some upsides to this mate thing, yeah?

“God, you are so fucking sexy,” Julian rumbled as his lips met my clit. He sucked it into his mouth and for a moment I stiffened, fearful of those lethal fangs. But one long, flat stroke of his tongue and I was out of my mind with pleasure.

Fangs?

What fangs?

I clawed at the sofa, pressing my body further into his mouth, riding his face from below him. My eyes rolled, jaw going slack as I approached that fan-fucking-tastic finish line. I was just about to cross it when Julian pulled away, smirking at me as my gaze flew to his. “Why the fuck would you stop?”

“To make it last longer.” He pumped his finger within me and I shuddered, body thrumming with pleasure. “And because you keep calling me a dick in your head.”

It was my turn to smirk. I knew it. He was a soft dom.

“And just what are you smiling about?” He pulled his finger out, resting it at my opening. And as much as I pushed against him, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get him to put it back. “Tell me, Eden.”

“I knew you’d be a little kinky is all.” Now, please stop teasing me and get back to work!

A dark grin lit his features. “Oh, Eden, you have no idea what you’re in for,” he said, and plunged back into me. His mouth crashed against me at the same time and in moments, I’d regained all the momentum I’d lost.

He raked his free hand down my sides, cupping my ass to bring me closer as he devoured me.

My head went all spinny. Stars danced behind my eyes as he worked me inside and out. My body tightened around him and Julian rumbled a groan into my flesh.

And that was it.

His fucking voice sent me over the edge.

I flailed under him, body completely out of my control. I probably made some more embarrassing noises, too, but I was too lost in it to notice, thank the fucking Lord.

When I finally came back to earth—and the sofa, since I’d been supporting myself with just my toes and the crown of my head—Julian’s gaze had cleared back to its lovely hazel shade.

He pulled me close, off the sofa and into his lap and pressed his forehead to mind. We stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away.

I was close enough to see that his eyes weren’t just hazel. They were multicolored, green outlining grayish-blue with a golden middle. “I didn’t know your eyes were so many colors,” I said thickly.

Julian smiled and pulled me against his chest once more, taking a deep breath of me as he nuzzled my neck.

I settled against him, totally sated and completely in awe of how wonderful being close to him felt. “It’s my turn to return the favor.” I scooted back and went to work on his belt.

Julian’s large, warm hands stopped me.

“We can’t.”

I looked at him like he’d grown a dick in the center of his forehead. “Why the fuck not?”

He chuckled under his breath. “There’s a process, Eden. I don’t want to skip steps and move too quickly. I won’t risk the bond not taking. It’s too important.”

Not taking? That was an option? “I thought the mate bond was a done deal. What’s not to take?”

“Ah, right. I forget you had an absentee maker.”

“Actually, Odette wasn’t absent by choice. She was beheaded by your friend Titus.” My words came out exactly as bitter as his comment made me.

Julian stilled beneath me, each of his muscles locking tight for a moment. When he met my eyes, I flinched, recoiling from the tides of darkness churning in his gaze. Hatred and pure murderous rage crashed into each other like waves as his eyes went full dark. Fangs erupted from his mouth, and I blurred out of his lap and across the study faster than a bachelorette party orders tequila shots.

“Your maker was Odette Laurent?” How he could talk around those saber teeth, I’d never know.

My voice wouldn’t work. I couldn’t say, yeah, so quit bringing it up, jackass. I could only stare at his beautifully scary face and nod.

He looked every bit a vampire king like that. Shirtless, tousled hair, and four-inch fangs curving over his bottom lip.

In fact, I was kinda turned on.

Scared, yeah, but also ready for round two.