Tempting Raven (Curse of the Vampire Queen #1)(52)

My mom casts an edgy glance at Rhyland then looks back at me. "Since we need some extra protection spells. It's going to take a lot of magic to make sure you're protected while in the Land of Moonlight."

I crook a brow at Rhyland. "Maybe you can ask your little witch friend who helps you cast all of those spells."

He scratches his neck. "Yeah, maybe." He lowers his hand to his side and straightens his stance. "Come on; let's get you fed while your mom makes some calls."

He doesn't give me a chance to protest, snagging ahold of my hand as he strides out of the room.

"Why do we need to leave the room for you to feed me?" I ask as he guides me down the hallway toward my chambers. Or, well, I'm fairly positive that's where we're going.

I really need to take a tour.

He glances at me curiously from the corner of his eye. "Do you want to do it in front of everyone?"

Since my fangs twitch simply thinking about the taste of his blood  …  "Probably not."

He grins as if I just handed over the key to my heart. "Well then, you have your answer."

"I guess I do." Wanting to regain the upper hand, I pick up my pace and hurry down the hallway, being the one to lead him.

He chuckles, letting me take the lead.

Thankfully, I find my chambers without too many wrong turns.

"My stuff is here," I say as we enter the room I slept in last night. The curtains are open, and outside the window, the night sky is dusted with glimmers of silvers, pale purples, and sun-kissed golds.

"Your mom must have had some of the guards bring it inside." Rhyland walks around my room, taking everything in.

As he passes by my silver jewelry box, he stops and fiddles with the latch. "What's in here?"

"Just some old jewelry. Honestly, I haven't looked in it for ages." But my fingers long to open it up now to see if the choker is inside.

Wait until he leaves.

I set Aeribella down on the bed and move in front of Rhyland, drawing his attention off the jewelry box. "So, are you going to feed me?"

His eyes darken. "You seem eager?"

I shrug. "Just eager to get these burns tamed down."

His eyebrow cocks. "Is that the only reason?"

"Yep." Liar.

Sucking his lip ring between his teeth, he rolls up his sleeve with his gaze glued to mine, his fangs materializing from his lips. Then he lowers his mouth to his forearm to split the flesh open. His scent instantaneously floods the air. Before I can even process what I'm doing, I lean in, seal my lips to the open wound, and suck in a mouthful of his warm, intoxicating blood.

"Raven  … " he groans, threading his fingers through my hair and urging me closer.

I suck in another shallow breath and somehow manage to keep my fangs tucked in so I'm not directly drinking from his vein. I worry how much longer my self-control will last, how much longer I'll be able to not give in to my queen title, to him. To his blood.

He tastes so good  …

My eyes slip shut as he begins to steer us somewhere.

A suck of blood later, my legs bump against the side of my bed. With a gentle nudge, I fall back onto the mattress, and his arm breaks free from my greedy lip grip.

I open my mouth to beg for more, but he's already climbing onto the bed with me and lining his body over mine. Then he lowers his arm to my mouth and closes his eyes as I seal my lips to his cool skin. My legs wrap around his waist and he presses down against me, groaning.

"God, you're killing me, Raven," he moans hoarsely in my ear.

I grind my hips against his in response while I drink and drink and drink, drinking myself into a magical frenzy, my head spinning  …  Or maybe it's the room. I start to lose control, my fangs snapping out-



       
         
       
        

He jerks back, panting, his eyelids fluttering open. "Easy," he whispers.

I bob my head up and down, exhaustedly content, feeling more than blood high.

Trailing his finger along my cheekbone, he places the softest kiss to my lips. "Sleep," he whispers.

"I don't want to  … " Sleepiness encompasses me and drags me under, pulling me away from reality.

I capture a little piece before I pass out entirely. A little truth. A little revelation.

He put another sleep spell on me  …





17





"What're you doing?" Rhyland asks as he steps into my chambers.

He's wearing a button-down shirt, dark pants, and boots with buckles on them. And I'm lounging in bed, wearing a silky midnight blue dress with a notebook opened in front of me, a feather pen in my hand.