All Chapters of The Apex: Ascend or Be Consumed: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“I’m Eryx. Remember my name because you’ll be screaming it very soon.” My body jolted awake as the words slammed into my subconscious. My head throbbed the moment I sat up. I blinked slowly, trying to piece together the night before after I was certain that I was back in my bed in the Dorm Suite I shared with two others. Grabbing the hand mirror from my nightstand, I tilted it toward my neck and searched for any sign of a bite but there was nothing. I pressed my fingers against the spot where I swore his fangs had sunk in, but I felt no sting. A heavy sigh escaped me. It was just a dream, I told myself. At least, I thought it was until I lifted the blanket and froze. I was completely naked. Between my legs, the skin looked flushed, tender and I could feel a faint, unfamiliar soreness. Images flickered behind my eyes. His red eyes were glowing in the darkness, he carried me inside the castle and dressed me up. I could remember his passionate groans, the overwh

There was nothing soft or tender about the kiss. It burned with rage and desperation like a warning more than affection. When he finally tore away, I yelled at him. “Who the hell do you think you are, kissing me like that? Am I just some whore you all think you can screw whenever it suits you?” My breath hitched as his hand gripped the back of my neck, holding me in place like I was the last thread holding him together. And then we disappeared. A moment later, wind lashed against my face and the scent of pine and stone filled my lungs. My eyes widened when I realized that we were no longer in the room. He had taken me somehow to the edge of a towering cliff. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the sun blazing across the jagged rocks below. My heart thudded violently in my chest as I snapped at him. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” I gasped, wheezing. His eyes burned with the intensity of his wolf, and his hand was clamped firmly around my throat. My legs

Eryx's presence filled the entire forest like smoke. I’d never met anyone as suffocating, inescapable, and magnetic. The vampire girl stumbled back at the sight of him, all her rage crumbling into fear. “You—you’re not supposed to—” “Touch her again,” Eryx cut her off, his voice a low growl, “and I will tear out your heart before you take your next breath.” Her male friends eyes widened in shock like he was a ghost before they bolted without hesitation. They were typically dragging her with them, and I couldn't help but cry out in pain when it was just us. Eryx turned to me, his emotionless gaze lingering on my burnt trousers and charred feet. “Would you take my blood to regenerate? Or should I take you to Corin? He could make all the pain go away with just a flip of his fingers.” I didn’t think I could withstand the agony until we reached Corin, so I nodded weakly. “I’ll take your blood.” A ghost of a smile curved his lips. “Good choice, my little Juno.” He fr

My stomach twisted at the accuracy of his words. Heat and shame crashed in my veins and exploded like bubbles. I shook my head violently. “No—I don’t—I never—”“Yes, you do.” His hand firmly cupped my cheek, forcing my gaze into his burning, ravenous eyes. “I can hear every filthy thought in your mind. You crave it when I call you my little Juno. You remember how tight your cunt gripped my cock, how wet you were, how loudly you were screaming my name, and how passionate it felt when my fangs slightly bite your neck while I fuck you hard.”His words were degrading but it was exactly what filled my mind. The revelation was crushing, terrifying. My chest heaved with shallow breaths.“Get out of my head, please,” I whimpered.Eryx chuckled darkly. “Can’t. You and I share more than blood now. We share hunger. We share thoughts. Every dirty little daydream you try to shove away? I’ll taste it.” His thumb dragged across my trembling lips. “So go on. Think of any filthy fantasies. Think of a

Veylor’s golden gaze flicked to me, then back to Eryx. His deep, commanding voice rumbled with a final tone. “One hundred years. Sealed in your coffin. And when you wake, the Circle will judge you again.” Eryx’s cruel smile returned slowly. His dark-red eyes devoured me before he turned to Lucan, smirking victoriously. “Then one hundred it is. I’ll appear in your dreams, little Juno. Every fucking night.” My breath hitched at his words. My legs weakened at the thought that he could give me a hundred years of his life. A part of me wanted to scream at him for being insane, while another part of me whispered that it meant that I mattered to him. “Don’t—” My voice cracked as I took a step closer to him. “Please, Eryx. Don’t say things like that. You make it sound like I’m worth decades of your life …and I’m not.” His eyes burned into me, sharper than any dagger. “Yes, You are.” I shook my head as I looked from him to all five of them. “Please,” my voice broke slightly. “On