Chapter 3

Ryan

She was here in flesh and blood. The last living Eserai.

When my elders told me about an Eserai at first, I was sure they had gone mad. It was impossible. My seer confirmed that the Eserais had been wiped out by my father’s reckless drinking from them, and his abuse.

But the moment I saw her, I knew. Fuck, she was gorgeous. I knew it was part of the curse, a way to make cursed creatures like us defile them and send us back to square one. It would be torture drinking from her perfect skin. I almost couldn’t tear my eyes away from her pulsing neck. The urge to feed was so strong, even now, the next morning.

I’d been pacing up and down my chambers since last night, trying to devise a plan so I could feed and not fuck this up in the process. I’ve depended on the rituals for years. They’ve helped calm my beast, Chaos, but they also cause me a great amount of pain and strip the sorcerers of too much power.

This is the only choice.

Chaos was pacing with me. His claws scraped the back of my mind. My beast didn’t just want her blood, he wanted her light, even if it was going to end in regret for the both of us. I stopped in front of the floor to ceiling window, running a hand through my hair.

Soft knocking on my door interrupted my thoughts. The door pushed open and her expensive perfume filled the room. Mira.

“Ryan?” She whispered, her steps advancing towards me. Her hand falls on my shoulder, and I finally face her. Her eyes are puffy, but the tears are gone.

“I’m sorry for lashing out there. I know it upset you, but I was only trying to let her know not to disrespect you. You’re the Alpha!”

I sighed, gently setting her hand down from my shoulder. “And when have I ever needed you to defend my authority, Mira?” 

She bit her lip for a second. “Never.”

“Good. I don’t need it now either.”

I face away from her, staring outside my window again.

“She’s really beautiful. It’d be hard for you to only take blood from her.” She accused. I clenched my teeth. I could not deal with this woman’s insecurity, not right now. 

We were thrown into this marriage because of a pact, but Mira never failed to try to treat this like something real. I’d never looked at another woman since her. I wasn't one to fancy dipping my dick in different pussies. 

I was a loyal man. In my pack. In my marriage. But of course, that was never enough for Mira. She would make a scene with any woman that dared to look at me.

“That’s her nature. I know better than to break the rules.” At least, I hope that I do. “You’ll never put your hands on her again.  If you do something drastic, I would not be able to protect you from what I become without her.”

Her breath hitched, and she asked, “Is she that important? She’s just a girl, you can continue with the rituals if she...”

I move closer to get the point across perfectly well. “She’s a miracle, Mira. She’s here to save you all from my beast. She is very important.”

Without another look at her, I walk towards my desk and grab the key to room 4, where she was. All this talk made me even more needy to see her again. 

Thirst scratched my throat. Only one thing could soothe it.

“Where are you going?” Mira inquired, panic in her tone.

“To her. I need a drink.” I didn’t bother to hide.

I practically ran down the silent, marble hallways to her. I slid the key into the hall, the click sounding like a gunshot in the quiet hall. When the door swung open, her scent hit me in the face. The sweet, heady aroma of pure Eserai blood. It drowned any other scent in the room. It was like oxygen, like addiction.

Fuck.

She was still asleep, tangled in the covers. Her lashes framed her delicious face, and her plump lips were slightly parted. Her hair was the longest I’d seen. The silkiest and her body, divine. She was still in that gown from yesterday. She’d probably fallen asleep in it.

I found myself wondering if she’d liked her room. It was nothing too fancy, but it was big and spacious. The bed frame was gold, and the floors too. There was a balcony right outside her room where she could get a good view of the gardens. Not enough furniture, but I could put… fuck.

I made my way to the bed and lowered myself on the edge. Unable to resist, I took her chin in my hand and tilted her head to the side to get a clearer view of that neck.

Her eyes shot open at once, her seriously pigmented, deep blue eyes staring up at me.

She blinked. Once, then twice.

A flicker of recognition crossed her features. “You.” She mouthed.

I reluctantly took my hand away from her face. “Yes. Me.”

“W-what are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to feed. What else?” I spat, matter-of-factly.

“Here to kill me, you mean.” She tried to sound brave, like she’s been doing since yesterday, but her voice is breaking.

I smirked. “How can I kill you when I need you this much?”

We fell into silence then. She searched my eyes like she was trying to find something, but I knew she’d see nothing. I was not readable, but she was. There was a fire in her eyes, but there was also fear. 

Chaos was excited, he wanted to feast on that fear, ruin every inch of her like she was afraid of. But if he did that, he’d kill her. 

“So what are you waiting for?” Her voice broke into my thoughts. She pulled the duvet further up her body and whispered, “Feed from me, so you can get out of here.”

My hand immediately shot to her throat. She gasped for air, her doe eyes wide and frantic.

Leaning closer, I whispered against her face, “You don’t use that tone with me, little lamb. I’ve only been nice to you, and I’m not usually a nice man.”

I had gotten her really scared now. I could feel and smell her fear. But then a different smell wafted through my nostrils, and I dropped my hand from her throat like she’d burned me.

Arousal.

My little lamb liked my hand around her throat, to the point that she’d gotten wet for me. Confusion and lust swam in her eyes, and I quickly got off the bed, moving far from her.

When I turned to look at her again, she was still looking at me. Her fingers grazed her neck. I’d left marks, I realized. Shit. I didn’t need to know that she was easy to bruise, too.

“I’m not ready for you to feed from me.” She finally said.

“What?” My head snapped back in her direction. Who the fuck told this girl she had a say here?

“What did you say?”

“If you try to force me, I’d just have to hold you to me until you drink me dry. Or you’ll come back to me dead in this room.” She threatened. I threw my head back and laughed. But I was not amused, not in the slightest. I took quick steps towards her and grabbed a hold of her neck again. This time, I pressed hard, so much that her eyes teared up for me.

“You’re mine. Mine! And that means you’ll do what I say, you’ll give me your blood, it’s been fully paid for. I don’t care about your tantrums.”

“Then… watch… me… die…” she managed to get out. I loosened my hand around her throat and rubbed her pulse, only seeing red when it sang under my thumb.

“You will not kill yourself.” I called her bullshit. 

She scoffed. “Not everyone has a life worth living, Alpha Ryan.” No one had ever called my name with such mockery. “I will end my life the minute those rotten teeth near my skin, and you know what happens then. You’ll lose me, and your chance at fresh, Eserai blood supply. Is one taste really worth it?”

I froze for a second, then lowered my face to hers. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, but maintained her glare at me. That smell again. It was stronger now, sweeter. 

My cock strained in my pants, Chaos wanted to barge out of my skin. How can she drive me insane like this?

“What do you want, little lamb? I’ve given enough for you already.” I bit out.

“Not nearly enough.” She whispered. Her eyes dipped to my lips, and her tongue ran over hers.

I pulled away from her, moving backward.

“So what else?” My tone was harsher, more strained. Her gaze finally dropped to the tent in my pants, and I saw her visibly shudder. But then she looked up with a wicked glint in her eyes and a pout on her delectable lips.

“I don’t know… I’m just not ready to be punctured by teeth and suckled like a blood bag. Let me get ready.”

“It’s almost painless.” I urged. “I’ll soothe the pain as quick as I inflict it.”

She still shook her head no.

“I call the shots here, lamb. Like I said, I’m trying to be nice. But I can still tie you up and take what I want from you.” 

She smiled softly. “Oh, but I heard it’s easier with our submission.”

I ground my teeth together. She knew too much. Chaos was killing me. His voice was taking over my head. He wanted out. He knew I was being too soft on her.

Reprieve, reprieve, fucking reprieve. I knew I had to get out of here so I wouldn’t do anything stupid and lose her before I got to even have her.

“Make up your mind quickly.” I grounded out. “These excuses will not stop me next time.”

I stormed out of the room after that, slamming into walls on my way out.