chapter 5

Valen jinxed me. He said I was going into heat and I am. Here I was, thinking I’m coming down with the flu. If only it was that. The last thing I want is to go into heat. It irks me. I wake up to his fingers trailing up and down my spine. Valen seems to be enjoying himself, like he’s been waiting for it to get so bad that it would wake me. The flare of instant heat rolls over me from head to toe as I roll over and find him smiling at me seductively. He traces his fingertips around my areola, making me look down to find I had stripped in my sleep. I groan when I lift my head to see my clothes have been dumped on the floor. By me? Or by Valen? Either way, Valen just lies here expectantly, like he was simply biding his time until I woke. “Well, would you look at that? I was right,” he purrs. His hand grips my arm and he drags me on top of him. I try to growl, yet I’m surprised to hear a moan escape my lips instead. His skin makes mine tingle and cool as I lie on his chest. His fingers move lazily up my sides and I bury my face in his neck. My tongue rolls over his mark. Coherent thoughts become harder to maintain as his scent consumes me, his gentle touch electrifying. He lies there, teasing the heat that starts to overwhelm me, threatening to set me on fire. Valen chuckles as I nip and lick his skin. I want to devour the man, climb inside him. I can’t get enough of him, can’t get close enough as my lips nip and lick my way down his body before wrapping around his cock. Valen laughs. I stare at him, trailing my tongue up the side of his hard length, enjoying the taste of him on my tongue. His eyes flicker black and he smirks mischievously. “Looks like I don't have to worry about the IOU,” he chuckles, confusing me for a second until I take him in my mouth. His cock hits the back of my throat as I take him deeper before it registers. I peek up at him to find him smirking as he places his hands behind his head. I raise an eyebrow at him and feel my own eyes flicker before dragging my teeth up his length. Valen hisses and his hand moves to my hair like he’s worried I may bite it off. Instead, my tongue teases the rim as I wrap my lips around the head, swirling the tip of my tongue around it. He relaxes and sighs. My lips suction around the tip before leaving his aroused flesh with an audible pop. “Okay, okay, I won't tease,” Valen growls. I growl back at him and he puts his hands up in surrender. My eyes narrow at him, yet my lips return to his cock. He groans as I take his entire length, loving the saltiness of his flesh on my tongue. His fingers tangle in my hair before he fists it, pushing me down on his cock. In response, my hands grip his thighs and my nails dig into his flesh as he brutally thrusts into my mouth, making my eyes water as his cock hits the back of my throat. The heat craves this rough side of him, relishes the way he forces more of himself in my mouth. The heat soars and my arousal coats the insides of my thighs before he yanks me off him by my hair, pulling me up his body. His lips are demanding and they crash against mine hungrily as he dominates my mouth. Valen groans, his other hand gripping my hip tightly; so tight I know it will leave bruises as my skin pinches between his fingers. His hold on my hair grows tighter as my heat sucks him in, unleashing the beast that lives within him. My hips roll against him. His hand gripping my hip moves to my ass, his fingers digging into the flesh there. A whimper escapes my lips, turning to a moan as he squeezes my ass before sitting up with me on his lap and turning. His movements are too quick to react to as he slams me on my back. Desire writhes through every cell as I stare up at his lust-filled, demonic eyes. His canines jut out between his parted lips. Valen’s hands move down my legs, then back up my thighs to my hips before he grabs me again, flipping me over onto my stomach and pulling my ass up into the air. Sparks rush over my flesh and my pussy clenches in anticipation as he sinks his cock into my depths with one hard thrust. The heat flares to life with a renewed vigor, craving his touch and what it has to offer. His pelvis slaps against my ass, and my walls clench around him like a vice. My legs tremble with need and desire as he drags his cock out slowly, his fingers digging into my ass as he watches himself slipping out of my wet confines before slamming back in. A moan escapes me as the top half of my body flattens against the bed, my fingers clenching the sheets as he drives himself into me. His hard length scrapes along my inner walls, building friction. My blood ignites like fire in my veins and sparks rush everywhere with each harsh thrust, making me cry out in pleasure. My insides clench around his large, thick length, my legs shaking and threatening to give out under me, sweat glistening on my skin. My entire body heats as I climb higher into this incredible feeling, my entire body tensing for the exhilarating rush. Valen’s hold tightens, his grip almost punishing, yet I relish the pain and pleasure, the line between them blurring as I writhe beneath him, pushing back against him, forcing him in deeper and harder. Slapping flesh and my cries fill the room beneath Valen’s hard breathing. He leans over me, squeezing my breast before yanking me up to him, his hot chest pressing against my back. His grip is painful as he squeezes my breast while he uses his other hand to sweep my hair to one side. The points of his teeth puncture my flesh, breaking the skin as he sinks them in deeply, sending me blissfully over the edge. The fall into pleasure is violent and tumultuous, and my body convulses in his arms, yet his pace never relents. He drives himself into me and impales me on his cock as his canines slip from my skin and his tongue rolls over my heated flesh, making my toes curl as I ride out the waves of my climax. My pussy tries to keep its grip on him when he pulls out of me. I gulp when I’m shoved on my back. The intense, animalistic look on his face no doubt mirrors mine as he growls, shoving my thighs apart before sheathing himself inside me. The night slips by without any way to measure time, my heat not abating until I sink my teeth into his flesh. Valen groans, his cock twitching deep inside me as my walls grip and squeeze him until his hot semen coats my insides. I pull my teeth from his neck, breathing harshly as he drops on top of me. Both of us are sore and exhausted beyond anything I’ve felt before. Exhaustion smashes into me once again as my temperature drops, and Valen pulls out of me, rolling onto his back beside me, his breathing heavy. My eyes flutter shut and I welcome sleep. ......................... My brain tries to process the incessant noise that’s invading the darkness of my sleep. My eyes feel like sandpaper as I try to force them open. Light filters into the room through closed drapes and I can just make out the sounds of cartoons coming from the living room. My phone starts ringing again, the ringtone loud as it vibrates on the bedside table. Valen groans beside me, slapping the table, trying to shut the noise off. My body feels heavy as I drag my body over his to reach for my phone. It stops ringing the moment I grab it and I roll back to my side of the bed. With sleepy eyes, I squint at the screen to see thirteen missed calls from Macey and seven from Zoe, and a ton of calls from the hospital. I’m about to unlock my phone to call them back when it vibrates in my hand. Sitting up, I realize instantly that something has to be wrong for there to be so many missed calls. The fog lifts and fear seeps into me as I watch it ringing in my hand. Macey's face pops up on the screen and the ringtone blares loudly. My hands shake as I swipe my thumb over the screen and answer it. “Everly!” Macey gasps before she sighs heavily; her breathing is shaky as I listen to her on the other end. “What is it?” I ask and Macey makes a choking noise. My entire body trembles when she doesn’t answer straight away. “Macey?” I ask, my voice shaking with fear. “You need to get here,” she says, the words sounding so broken. The emotion in her voice as she stammers and cries into the phone has me scrambling to my feet. I jump to the floor and grab whatever my hands land on first. “What happened?” I ask, frantically dragging a shirt over my head and placing the phone back to my ear. Macey cries, the sound crushing my soul and twisting my stomach as dread fills me. “It's Ben,” she sobs, and my heart stutters and threatens to stop beating at her words. A cold, sinking feeling settles over me. Valen sits up, looking for danger, and tears burn my eyes as I stare at him, shell shocked. No! Not Ben! My heart and soul screams for the boy, for Emily. It would kill her if something happened to him. Valen gets to his feet, looking alarmed. “Everly?” he asks. “I have to go. I need to get to the hospital,” I tell him as the cold feeling washes over me again, making me numb and turning my veins to ice. I feel like I’m moving on autopilot as I throw clothes on without seeing them. Valen chases me around the apartment as I grab my handbag and keys, only stopping when I notice Valarian sitting at the coffee table watching cartoons and eating a bowl of cereal. He looks over at me—Ben is his friend, not much older than my son. “Mom?” Valarian says as I stare at him unblinkingly; a parent’s worst fear. My voice is robotic. “Everything is fine. Eat your breakfast,” I tell him. “I’ll head over as soon as Dad gets here,” Valen tells me, gripping my arms. He shakes me a little and I blink rapidly, turning to look at him. “I have to get to him,” I gasp before turning on my heel and running toward the door.