Page 64 of A Trial By Blood

She rolled her hips against my thigh. I knew from the hounds that a female became wet when she was aroused, and Rose was highly aroused. The fabric of my trousers, below her splayed thighs, was damp from her need, and her scent was heavy—I breathed deeply—and so intoxicating. Her plea cracked me down the middle. “You don’t want that, Rose. It’s just the feeding.”

I’d never experienced desire while I fed, not until I’d been delivered a thermos of Rose’s blood—but then I wanted her all the time, feeding or not, didn’t change that.

Rose sucked deeply one final time, then dragged her tongue over the puncture marks, knowing instinctively that’s what she needed to do, then she lifted her head and looked down at me.

“It’s not just the feeding.” She pressed her forehead to mine, the black bleeding from her eyes until they were blue once more. “It’s not.”

She might think that now, but this was all new to her. My hands lifted on their own, and I gripped her hips, not sure if I wanted to hold her back or pull her down on me harder. “You said you started feeling desire once you were well.”

Some of my blood smeared her lower lip, and she licked it up. I fought back my shiver of need. “Yes.”

Ever since she’d told me that, it’d been making me insane, wondering who had caused that feeling inside her. It could be one of the hounds. Relic was frequently at the Thornheart residence. One of the wolves? They’d all been there for her, while I’d been at the compound, lying in my own filth, utterly useless.

“Who?” The word came out a growl, and my fingers dug into her flesh, holding her tighter, desperate and afraid of her answer at the same time.

Her beautiful blue eyes, heavy with lust, searched mine. “Who?”

“Who made you feel that way, Rose? I need you to tell me who caused that need inside you?” She’d said she loved me that night. Did she still feel that way? She’d said she loved me as a female loves a male? But I’d changed, had her love for me changed as well?

“You don’t know?” Her hair fell around us like a silken curtain.

Every muscle in me tensed. If it wasn’t me, if she said someone else, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop myself from tearing them to shreds. “Tell me.” My voice was back to rough and demonic, and there was no controlling it.

One of her hands slid up from my shoulder to the side of my throat, her thumb brushing over my jaw, my chin, my lower lip. “You, Ronan. You’re the only male who makes me feel that way. You are the only male I want.”

Possessive, animal need flared bright inside me, even as I struggled to believe it could be true, that this beautiful female could want a male like me. I pulled her closer, afraid she’d take the words back and leave me. “Why?” I needed to know.

A small smile curled her perfect, crimson lips. “Because you never treated me like there was something wrong with me. Because you protected me, cared for me, and never pitied me. You read to me and tried to feed me, and you were always there. Every day, you were there.” She brushed her thumb over my lips again, and the ache in my groin grew to more than I could bear. “You’re also extremely handsome, and the freaking hottest male I have ever laid eyes on. I want to be close to you all the time, and even when we’re together, it’s not close enough.”

Every word she said dug deeper and deeper, until the monster in me roared to the surface, wanting to keep her and never let her go. “Are you saying you’re mine, Rose?”

“Yes, Ronan,” she said, dipping her mouth closer to mine. “I’m most definitely yours.”

My stomach clenched. Her words filled me with pleasure, but I didn’t know how to be the male she needed. The male she thought I was. “I’m not sure I can give you what you need.”

“You’re exactly what I need,” she said and rolled her hips against me, so hot and damp and perfect.

Shame burned my face. She deserved the truth. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Neither do I, but maybe we can learn together?” She bit down on her lower lip and waited for my reply.

I held her gorgeous eyes. I wanted to be her male. I wanted to be everything she needed, and I hated that I didn’t know how. But I could never give her up or walk away, so I nodded.

Without a word, she rolled to her side, and I went with her. Then she took my hand from her hip and brought it to her mouth, kissing my knuckles. “Do you want to touch me?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

I wanted to touch her everywhere, explore every inch of her body. My stare dropped to her throat, and she swallowed audibly as I pressed my hand there, my fingers brushing the vines marking her flesh. Her skin was smooth, warm, delicate. I glanced up as I moved down, her sweater catching on my roughened palm and the tips of my fingers. Rose watched me, her breathing fast. I looked back down to the gentle swell of her breasts. I could see the points of her nipples through the soft fabric.

Yes, I wanted to know how she felt there. I covered her and lightly squeezed. She moaned softly, and I liked the sound so much, I did it again. She squirmed, gasping when I did it a third time, then ran my fingers over her nipples. They were firm and I squeezed them gently between my thumb and finger.

Rose cried out, undulating in a way that was utterly mesmerizing.

“Where else d-do you want to touch me, Ronan?”

My gaze lowered to the place between her thighs. I wanted to explore there, badly. I looked back up at her. “Rose?”