Lust

LAKE

Blood drips down my chin and chest. The blue dress I’ve been wearing is now dark violet. Jake inflames my appetite.

“Firefly…” Derrick is now in his human form. Blissful is no longer near. It seems that she’s escaped from my mate, who is more concerned for me.

Jake’s body is too heavy as it falls limp, so I throw it to the floor. My delicious mate scoops me in his arms. His scent envelops me with protection.

“What is this?” Derrick asks Coal. Coal peers over at me. His eyes are straight and grim.

Coal says, “I don’t know why, but her physical form is no longer human.”

My throat burns as I listen to Derrick’s heart beating.

~Ba-dum. Ba-dum.~

~

It’s like a melody to my ears, and I feel myself lifting to his neck. I’m so thirsty, I just can’t help but—

“Lake, sweetheart.” Derrick soothes my back. “What’s wrong?”

I snap back into my senses. Derrick looks into my eyes, and I see my reflection in those dark black pupils of his. My hair is a rat’s nest, and my eyes are wide and ringed with red.

“What’s happened to me?” I ask.

“I’m not sure, Lake,” Coal says in a low voice. Lucy looks at me with worry in her eyes.

“I’m so thirsty… I don’t know what—” I choke on my words as my body convulses with heat. Everything inside me feels dry and weak. It’s like my lungs are about to collapse from not having air.

“Lake…” Derrick rubs my back and starts to walk away from the bloody scene we’ve made. Coal and Lucy lead us into the forest.

“Place her into the stream,” Coal orders.

“It’s thirty degrees out here, and you expect me to put my mate in that negative whatever degree of water?!”

“Derrick, trust him,” Lucy orders. My mate sighs heavily and puts my weak body into the stream. I wince as the water flows over my shoulders and along my legs. It doesn’t feel cold at all, though.

The water fills my injuries and quickly turns to ice. I didn’t realize how many cuts and gashes were across my body. I wonder, ~When did that happen?~

“This is not the best thing that could have happened,” Coal sighs.

Derrick swiftly pulls me from the stream and feels my skin. His fingertips are a lot warmer than I remember. Has it really been so long that I can’t remember his touch?

“She’s ice-cold…” Derrick rubs my cheek and begins to tear up. I smile at him and wipe the tears away.

“What’s wrong?” I ask softly. My mate nestles into the crook of my neck. I feel his pulse all over my body as he hugs me tightly. My eyes widen and my lips quiver.

“Derrick, your mate needs you now more than ever,” Lucy says. “She’ll die if you reject her.”

Derrick growls furiously in my ear. “I don’t care if she turns into a bat! She’s my mate! I’ll never abandon her!”

Derrick’s hair feathers over my face. I smile because I missed it. I run my fingertips through the ends of his hair.

“Derrick, this isn’t—”

“Leave!” my mate orders. “Marking is a private affair, and I will not have it tainted by one of the people responsible for this!”

Silence rings for a moment before the sound of Coal’s and Lucy’s footsteps begins and disappears into the night.

“Derrick?” I ask. “Why did you order your sister away? What did she do?”

Lynne is nowhere in my mind right now. Her presence isn’t readable. I think she’s in her safe space.

“Firefly, I’m going to make this better.” Derrick removes his shirt and exposes his beautiful chest. I run my fingers over it and linger on the place where my mark used to be.

“Derrick…,” I murmur. My mate shakes briefly as I put my lips to the spot where I would mark him. I can’t help but feel a need for his blood.

“It’s okay, Firefly.” My mate smiles. “Drink as much as you need.”

As soon as he says those words, my teeth sink deeply into his chest. Derrick moans loudly as I drink my fill.

My body begins to feel like a sauna as Derrick marks my chest once again. The mixture of his blood and mine is enough to send me into a frenzy.

I immediately rip the dress from my body and kick my panties away. Derrick does the same with his pants and underwear.

“This time, I’m going to savor you.” Derrick brings me into a deep kiss. Our tongues dance and our hands caress each other.

I moan into Derrick’s lips as he slowly slips in. He slides his hand into mine just above our heads. My mate lingers over me with a hunger hidden behind his black eyes.

His raven hair tickles my nose as Derrick effortlessly brings my body over his. I gasp as he goes deeper into me. My cold skin needs his warmth. It’s just a need that I cling harshly to.

“I love you,” I breathe out before running my hands firmly over my mate’s muscular form.

“I love you so much…”

Derrick’s eyes light up with glee as I bring him to sit up. His large hands pull my body completely into his. My nipples grind against his broad chest.

“I love you too, Firefly,” Derrick whispers into my ear. His breath goes against my neck. “So much.”

Just as we climax, my throat begins to burn. Thirst overtakes me, and I try to restrain myself.

“Drink from me if you need to.” Derrick rubs my cheek, and his smile is gentle. “I’m your mate. Take as much as you need.”

I swallow, then bring Derrick into a deep kiss and trail kisses down his neck to his shoulder. He moans loudly as my teeth go through his flesh, and the sweet, succulent blood floods my mouth.

“Lake…,” Derrick moans loudly.

His words lace my need for him. I suckle deeper as my mate lengthens his strokes in and out of me. I move my hips in order to make it more pleasant for both of us.

“Derrick!” I scream and bend my head back. The full moon looms over us, almost out of jealousy. I smirk.

“Come here…” Derrick stands and pins me to a tree in a swift but light motion. His tongue goes up and down my neck as I wrap myself around him.

I lick unmercifully over his shoulder where I just drank my fill. The taste of his sweet and succulent blood. I can feel the oxygen from him help open my veins and lungs.

Lynne is finally here. She and Drax share in the pleasure of our mating. Our animalistic instincts break through the barriers. Derrick roughly bends me over and slams back into me.

The sound of us and the arousal in the air are enough to send me into madness. I can’t get enough of this man. My mate moans loudly before bending over me and playing me.

“St—” I take in a deep, swift breath. Pleasure quivers throughout my body. I grip Derrick’s hair as he brings me to my knees.

“Firefly…,” he whimpers. I smirk slightly at the throbbing sensation of him inside me. He’s holding back. He wants this to go on for as long as it can.

“Derrick…,” I plead. “We have all our lives together. Please, finish with me.”

With those words, Derrick takes my hand and pushes my body over. My cheek is the same temperature as the snow as my mate pulls my hand backward.

“Mmmph…” I swallow words as Derrick begins to pound instead of taking his time.

Derrick releases me and moves my hair to the side. His lips attack the right side of my shoulder and cling until a hickey forms just as he finishes.

I collapse on the snow below me. Derrick falls beside me. Our breathing is ragged and uneven. I smile at my mate.

I can feel our connection begin to form. The fireworks are finally back. That shared formation of our emotions finally crystallizes between us.

“Firefly…” Derrick brings me into his embrace. I willingly accept it and breathe his scent in deeply.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”