13. DEVRIM

Obsidian had me pinned to the ground with an elbow digging painfully into my ribs. If he put any more pressure on it, he would definitely break a rib. I’d only ever broken a bone once and although it healed fast, it was not something I wanted to experience ever again.

I knew better than to try and get out of the hold he had me in, even though my instincts were urging me to fight and get away. Obsidian was a predator, and I was his prey.

“Obsidian,” Ezra urged calmly. “Let him up. You’re scaring, Vanya.”

A whimper fell from my lips when he put more pressure on my ribs. I was silently waiting to hear the snap of bone. He eased some of his weight off me after a few minutes, but he didn’t let me go.

“Take her and leave,” Obsidian ordered. “Now!”

Ezra’s footsteps were loud in the silence that followed. Obsidian stayed still until a door upstairs slammed closed and Vanya’s screaming insults were cut off. But then he moved faster than I was prepared for. One second, I was on my stomach with my arm twisted painfully behind my back; the next, I was on my back with Obsidian straddling me and a hand once again wrapped around my throat.

My eyes widened when I spotted the knife he held in his hand.

“I cooked for her,” he snarled, “because you asked me to.”

“I—”

He pressed the cold tip of the knife against my cheek, instantly silencing me. I swallowed and tried to find my words again.

“I fucking slaved for hours over that food because you told me that she would like it.”

“I said she liked home-cooked meals,” I told him. “I don’t know—”

“Pussy,” he snarled.

The tip of the knife dug deeper into my skin as he moved it lower, over my jaw and toward the skin of my neck that was visible above his hand. A shiver raced down my spine, but it had nothing to do with fear. My heart was beating erratically, but it missed a beat when he leaned down until only inches separated our faces.

My eyes dropped to his lips. Does Obsidian know how to kiss?

His low growl made my eyes snap up to his.

“You wanted her here. Then you can cook for her.”

“You want her too,” I rasped. “You know—”

“I don’t want her here. I told you; all humans are the same. They fucking make you trust them and then they stab you in the back.”

I flinched when I saw the deep hatred he had for humans flashing through his eyes. Maybe having Vanya near Obsidian was a mistake. Maybe I had only imagined the emotions I had seen whenever I caught him staring at her.

“You fucking keep your human away from me and away from my stuff.”

With one last squeeze of my throat and a vicious snarl, Obsidian got up and walked away. I winced when the door slammed shut behind him so hard that the windows shook.

I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep but shaky breath. My body trembled and the feeling of the blade and his hand wrapped around my throat still lingered. I tried to make sense of what had just happened, but failed. Obsidian had a lot of mood swings and we were used to it which was why we mostly ignored it, but I didn’t like it when he insulted Vanya.

Footsteps on the stairs had me struggling to my feet and turning just as Ezra entered the kitchen.

“Do you need medical treatment?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Just a scratch.”

My frown deepened when his eyes trailed down my body and he continued to stare. I followed his gaze and bit back a curse.

“It’s the adrenaline,” I told him as I spun around. “Go make sure Vanya—”

“She’s allergic to fish.”

“Have her make a list of the—”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ezra interrupted. “You’re shaking.”

“Fine.”

Without looking at him, I walked down the dark hallway and entered my office. The moment the door closed behind me, I reached down to unfasten my pants.

A sigh fell from my lips when my erect shaft was no longer constricted by my pants.

“It’s just the adrenaline,” I muttered to myself with a nod.

***

A sound had my body jerking upright in the chair. There was a thud followed by a low whimper. I was on my feet in an instant and hurrying out of the room.

My eyes locked on Vanya’s squirming body on the floor.

“Vanya?” I hurried towards her. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?”

I realized with a shock that she was crying when she looked up at me.

“C-cramp,” she whimpered.

“Cramp?” I frowned at her.

What the hell did she mean by that? My eyes darted over her, searching for injuries, but there were none.

“Move.” Ezra pushed me aside and knelt next to Vanya. “Where?” he questioned.

Vanya sucked in a sharp breath and pointed to her right leg. “C-calfe.”

I watched with wide eyes as he moved down to her legs. He gripped her ankle and placed her foot on his thigh, making her body jerk and another whimper fall from her lips.

“Relax,” he ordered softly, hands trailing up her leg while his fingers gently dug into her skin.

After a few minutes, Vanya’s body slumped against the floor. She blew out a breath and reached up with a shaky hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Ezra continued to rub her leg until Vanya sat up and pulled away.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Are you feeling better now?” he questioned. “I can—”

“No. I’m fine,” she hastily assured him.

I stepped forward to help her up. It was only when she stood a few feet away from me that I realized how little she wore. A purr rose from my chest, but I quickly swallowed it down. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass any of us, but that didn’t stop my eyes from trailing over her body.

She wore a small shirt with thin straps that clung to her body, and shorts that exposed her long, toned legs. My eyes darted up again and lingered on her chest. Vanya’s nipples were hard and poking through the thin material of her shirt. Do her breasts look similar to our women? They looked the same, but Vanya was softer and a lot curvier.

“What were you doing up?” Ezra asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I watched as colour spread up her neck and into her cheeks.

She wrapped her arms around her small waist and shifted from foot to foot. “I’m hungry.”

I muttered a curse. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

The first thing I should’ve done when Ezra told me that she couldn’t eat fish was to make her something else to eat.

Walking over to the fridge, I pulled it open and stared at the things inside. It was loaded with food, thanks to her father, but that didn’t mean that I knew how to cook. Most of the members knew how, including Obsidian, but that was only because he enjoyed some of the things humans liked to eat.

“You don’t have to do that,” Vanya said from my side. “I’ll make something.”

I hesitated, but stepped aside. Maybe it was a good idea to have her make something for herself. I could watch and learn.

Vanya leaned down and searched through the fridge. With her bent over, I had the perfect view of her backside. Her pants had ridden up a bit, making me aware of the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

This time, I couldn’t stop the purr from escaping.

Vanya gasped and spun around. Her wide eyes locked with mine. Clearing my throat, I turned and walked around the island to take a seat. Ezra took one next to me and gave me a wink when I looked at him.

“Would you like some sandwiches, too?”

“I wouldn’t say no,” Ezra said, smiling at her.

“Neither would I,” I muttered, once again distracted by her chest.

A grunt fell from my lips when Ezra elbowed me. Turning my head, I glared at him. He nodded towards Vanya, making me frown. He was obviously trying to tell me something, but I had no clue what.

“Idiot,” he muttered under his breath.

I growled at him. “Don’t start with me, boy.”

“Or what?” he taunted. “Are you going to teach me a lesson and get a boner, too?”

“Please, don’t fight,” Vanya begged.

I turned my head to find her hovering right in front of us, looking ready to jump between us if we started fighting.  

“We’re not going to fight,” I told her. “Ezra is just being… stupid.”

“You look like you’re about to kill each other,” she commented softly.

Ezra leaned forward on his elbows and smirked at her. “Dev’s just pissed because he got turned on when Ob—”

I tackled him. Grunts fell from our lips when we hit the ground. Ezra instantly tried to get the upper hand, but he was too slow. I straddle him and locked his arms by his sides with my knees. He growled as he struggled to free himself.

“Devrim,” Vanya begged. “Please.”

Leaning down until my lips were right next to his ear, I whispered, “I can be just as dangerous as Obsidian when I’m pissed. You tell anybody about what you saw, I might just teach you a lesson you will never forget, kitty-cat.”