her.
A pulse of something needful went through her as he caught her gaze in his, so silver, so hot. The expression on his chiseled, handsome face was as dark as ever, as secret, mysterious, and promising as the man himself.
It was the first time she’d gotten a good look at him since they’d left the smoky darkness of the forest. And that meant that it was the first time she’d really laid eyes on him since he’d stepped into that portal after the battle with Cruor and disappeared into the Witherlands.
There was an edge to his gorgeous features that she wasn’t sure she’d noticed before. If she didn’t know him at all or had never met him, he would have simply terrified her. He was handsome, yes. But he looked hard . He looked closed off from the world and unaccountably dangerous.
And right now, as he gazed down at her so quietly, he looked… hungry .
Raven swallowed hard, fighting past the lump of unexpressed emotions that had lodged in her throat. And then quite softly she said, “Better.”
She wasn’t certain whether he was going to sit beside her or not, but suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his presence and stature, Raven decided she needed to be up on her feet. She had taken off the blue cloak Zeta had given her and laid it over her body as a make-shift blanket. She was about to remove it entirely in order to get her legs under her when Drake was suddenly lowering beside her, and his gloved fingers were wrapped around her wrist, staying her action.
The touch sent a jolt through Raven. It was a thrill and a challenge and suddenly, she was imagining him holding her down.
“Don’t,” he told her as he deftly grasped the cloak with his free hand and pulled it back over her body. He was so close, she could feel the heat radiating off of him. She could smell the leather of his armor, as she always could when he was near her. It was intoxicating. “Keep the cloak in contact with your body,” he went on. He locked eyes with her again, and she felt the weight of his words as if they were a command. “It’s protecting you more than you know.”
Raven stared at him for several long beats, and then her gaze slid to her arm where his fingers were wrapped securely around her. He still hadn’t released her wrist. Drake looked down as well. She could see some emotion flicker across his face; a muscle ticked in his jaw and his broad shoulders tensed. But he didn’t let her go.
Instead, he used those fingers to slowly turn her arm over, exposing the long blue veins in her wrist to the light of the fire. Raven watched his gaze intensify. His grip tightened, and the leather made a threatening sound.
“Drake….” She bit her lip, and then, “When was the last time you fed?” she suddenly asked. She wasn’t sure what had given her the courage to ask it. But she knew that look. She’d been there before.
Slowly, Drake turned to regard her. His pupils had expanded to swallow the light and what iris yet remained showing was glowing like the moon on fire. It stole Raven’s breath, and she went very, very still. She felt every ounce the prey now, caught in the sights of the hunter.
“I could feed a thousand times and it wouldn’t quell this hunger,” he told her. His voice was gravelly, as if a beast had a hold of him. A thrum of some sort of dark, forbidden excitement shot through Raven, and her own pupils dilated. The night took on a different cast. Her mouth watered. She remained frozen, trapped in Drake’s grip as he speared her with his gaze. “You’re driving me crazy, princess.”
Raven swallowed. “Sorry,” she said softly. But she wasn’t. Not a bit.
Something flashed in Drake’s eyes, and he shook his head. His grip tightened further, becoming nearly painful. Suddenly, he stood, his body rising in one strong, fluid movement. As he did, he pulled her up with him.
Raven cried out in surprise and loss of balance, but Drake easily yanked her up against his chest, and she fell into
A pulse of something needful went through her as he caught her gaze in his, so silver, so hot. The expression on his chiseled, handsome face was as dark as ever, as secret, mysterious, and promising as the man himself.
It was the first time she’d gotten a good look at him since they’d left the smoky darkness of the forest. And that meant that it was the first time she’d really laid eyes on him since he’d stepped into that portal after the battle with Cruor and disappeared into the Witherlands.
There was an edge to his gorgeous features that she wasn’t sure she’d noticed before. If she didn’t know him at all or had never met him, he would have simply terrified her. He was handsome, yes. But he looked hard . He looked closed off from the world and unaccountably dangerous.
And right now, as he gazed down at her so quietly, he looked… hungry .
Raven swallowed hard, fighting past the lump of unexpressed emotions that had lodged in her throat. And then quite softly she said, “Better.”
She wasn’t certain whether he was going to sit beside her or not, but suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his presence and stature, Raven decided she needed to be up on her feet. She had taken off the blue cloak Zeta had given her and laid it over her body as a make-shift blanket. She was about to remove it entirely in order to get her legs under her when Drake was suddenly lowering beside her, and his gloved fingers were wrapped around her wrist, staying her action.
The touch sent a jolt through Raven. It was a thrill and a challenge and suddenly, she was imagining him holding her down.
“Don’t,” he told her as he deftly grasped the cloak with his free hand and pulled it back over her body. He was so close, she could feel the heat radiating off of him. She could smell the leather of his armor, as she always could when he was near her. It was intoxicating. “Keep the cloak in contact with your body,” he went on. He locked eyes with her again, and she felt the weight of his words as if they were a command. “It’s protecting you more than you know.”
Raven stared at him for several long beats, and then her gaze slid to her arm where his fingers were wrapped securely around her. He still hadn’t released her wrist. Drake looked down as well. She could see some emotion flicker across his face; a muscle ticked in his jaw and his broad shoulders tensed. But he didn’t let her go.
Instead, he used those fingers to slowly turn her arm over, exposing the long blue veins in her wrist to the light of the fire. Raven watched his gaze intensify. His grip tightened, and the leather made a threatening sound.
“Drake….” She bit her lip, and then, “When was the last time you fed?” she suddenly asked. She wasn’t sure what had given her the courage to ask it. But she knew that look. She’d been there before.
Slowly, Drake turned to regard her. His pupils had expanded to swallow the light and what iris yet remained showing was glowing like the moon on fire. It stole Raven’s breath, and she went very, very still. She felt every ounce the prey now, caught in the sights of the hunter.
“I could feed a thousand times and it wouldn’t quell this hunger,” he told her. His voice was gravelly, as if a beast had a hold of him. A thrum of some sort of dark, forbidden excitement shot through Raven, and her own pupils dilated. The night took on a different cast. Her mouth watered. She remained frozen, trapped in Drake’s grip as he speared her with his gaze. “You’re driving me crazy, princess.”
Raven swallowed. “Sorry,” she said softly. But she wasn’t. Not a bit.
Something flashed in Drake’s eyes, and he shook his head. His grip tightened further, becoming nearly painful. Suddenly, he stood, his body rising in one strong, fluid movement. As he did, he pulled her up with him.
Raven cried out in surprise and loss of balance, but Drake easily yanked her up against his chest, and she fell into
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