Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
That wasn’t surprising, given that the Thirst was now tormenting him, despite the fact that he’d taken several drinks of water in the shower. But of course, it wasn’t water he was thirsty for—it was blood. The Pitch-Blood Kindred part of him was crying out for nourishment and Thrax couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Should have gone to a donor again before we left, he thought, staring at his long, sharp fangs—the living embodiment of his Thirst. But he hadn’t known how fucking emotionally taxing the mission would be. He had often observed that his Thirst grew worse when life got difficult, and meeting his old Mistress again and being forced to remember his past was about as difficult as it got.
Hell, he would probably still be thirsty even if he’d drunk a gallon of blood before he left—not that he needed nearly that much to survive. He just needed a few swallows…unfortunately, there was no way he was going to get it around here.
He bared his fangs again and glared at his image in the viewer.
“Get over it,” he muttered to himself. “You’re just going to have to stay thirsty until this fucking mission is over.”
With a sigh, he hung up the towel and pushed open the door to the fresher. It was time to face his partner and see what she thought of him now. Despite hearing her say what had happened to him in the past wasn’t his fault, Thrax couldn’t get over the idea that it was.
Because part of him had enjoyed it and he hated himself for that. Not the beatings or the branding or the pain collar or being tied down—all that was fucking horrible. But being trained sexually had been an experience he would never forget.
It had changed him deep inside and he had often thought—when he allowed himself to think about it at all—that if only his Mistress had left out the pain and humiliation and simply trained him with pleasure, he never would have left her. That was how addicted he had become to her—to the sexual pleasure she had given him and sometimes allowed him to give to her. She had used his body and his sexual needs against him—twisted him into a male who wanted to give her whatever she demanded.
Admitting that, even to himself, made Thrax cringe with shame. He couldn’t forget all the times Mistress Stoneheart had made him crawl…all the times she’d forced him to beg before she—
His thoughts cut off abruptly when he stepped out of the fresher and saw Andi sitting on the bed.
His partner had changed clothes too—she had taken off the tight black dress and was wearing a flowing garment that showed her beautiful bare breasts. Just the memory of sucking her tight nipples made him instantly hard—which was a problem considering the black sleeping trousers he was wearing did nothing to disguise his erection.
He dragged his eyes from her rosy peaks and tried to see the other details of her new outfit. The sleep dress she was wearing was a shade of deep blue. The color made her skin look creamy and soft and touchable. Kissable, too, he couldn’t help thinking, before he stopped himself.
As though Andi would want him kissing her, now that she knew what had happened to him—what he had done. She was probably disgusted by him, or worse, she might even pity him. Thrax fucking hated to be pitied.
Only…she didn’t look disgusted or sad when he finally dragged his eyes up to her face. She looked like she was waiting for someone—for him, he supposed. He wondered if she was going to want to talk more about his past and fervently hoped not. He’d had enough of that for tonight. He just wanted to get the fuck away from this fucking place and try to forget everything again.
“Hey,” she said neutrally as Thrax came over.
He grunted in reply and settled beside her on the side of the bed.
“So what’s the plan? Wait until everyone’s gone to bed and go get Kier?” he asked.
“Yes, but first I need to give you something,” Andi said.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Thrax looked at her warily.
“This.”
To his surprise, his partner suddenly swung a leg over his hips, so that she was straddling him. Before he knew it, she had settled firmly in his lap.
“What are you doing?” Thrax looked at her in surprise. Even with her sitting on his lap, he was taller but their faces were nearly level and he could see a look of determination in her big brown eyes.
“I’m giving you what you need but you’re too stubborn to ask for.” She drew her long hair away from the side of her throat, baring her neck for him. Just under the surface of her creamy skin, Thrax could see a faint blue vein pulsing.