The warmth of her lips pressed against mine clears something in me. The shroud of darkness parts just enough for me to realize I should loosen my grip on her hair and hold her closer to my body.

I pull back, something hollow and desperate fluttering in my stomach. My muscles threaten to sag with fatigue.

Hungry. I'm so hungry.

"Sin?" she whispers, eyelids fluttering open as she regards me.

Eyes that are soft and golden. Something deep and yearning inside of me lessens at the sight of them.

"Sin," she says again, her hands falling away from my hair and curled readily at her sides. "Can you understand me?"

"I think you're on to something," a baritone rumbles from above. My body stiffens at the sound, darkness seeping back into the recesses of my brain.

My eyes flicker back up to the men that stand above me. Stand above us. Above the female with the sunshine eyes. I was looking for her, wasn't I? Did they take her away from me?

I bare my teeth at them, a snarl ripping from my throat. My sore muscles snap forward but the motion falls short as the metal bindings around my wrist clang noisily.

I'll die before I let them take her from me again.

"Whoa there, buddy," the female murmurs below me. The sound of her voice settles like a soft woolen blanket over the cold bleakness of my mind. She reaches up to run her fingers over the back of my head. "You can settle down. Everything's all good. You're safe here."

My exhausted muscles quiver with the threat lingering so close to us despite the urging sensation to shove my face in her neck and breath her scent into my lungs.

"He's shaking like a threatened animal," she says underneath me. "Do you think you guys can give us some room?"

"This doesn't feel like a good idea, Calli," one of them says, but the retreating sound of his voice tells me he's moving further away. My body relaxes a fraction at the knowledge.

"I think I've gotten through to him, but you guys are setting him off. Please, just give me a chance," she says, her hands stroking through my hair. "He's weak. I can hold my own against him."

One of them sighs deeply. "Something tells me we're making a mistake."

"It's worth a try," the other one murmurs back to him. The dark-haired one, I think. "She can shout if she needs us. He's too weak to break through his chains—we can leave the door cracked."

"Don't die," the smaller male says softly. "I've had too many people go on me. I can't lose you too."

"I'm good," she murmurs. "Really, Theo. I've got this."

I watch them until they retreat to the metallic cavern, away from eyesight. Away from the sunshine-eyed woman. My sunshine-eyed woman.

"Hey," she whispers, her eyes widening as my attention rapidly shifts down to her. "Okay. No more crazed looks. It's just you and me." She cups a warm palm over my cheek.

She's stiff under me although her touch is inviting. She sighs deeply. "I'm probably an idiot for even trying this," she mutters under her breath, then stares pointedly at me. "Don't kill me, please."

I blink, bits of her words finally clicking in my brain. Why would I want to hurt her? The one I've been searching for all this time? But...didn't I just want to wrap my hands around her throat only moments ago? Watch her expression as I snap her bones? Cause her eyes to become glassy with—

Just as the dark clouds swim back in, she leans forward and captures my lips with hers. And I am reminded of the hollowness aching deep within me.

Hungryhungryhungryhungryhungryhungry

My hands latch at the covering around her legs, tearing them from the waist down. They rip easily under my touch, revealing the smooth creaminess of her skin.

She jerks underneath me. "Fuck," she whispers through swollen lips. "You're still strong. And now your brother is going to know I wear thongs. Fantastic."

A small scrap of black covers her cunt and I rip it off with ease, throwing it out of arms reach so she isn't tempted to cover herself from me again.

She winces. "Or not."

I part her legs, shoving my face between them and drinking in the muskiness between her legs. She gasps, jerking under my touch. The skin of her thighs smoothes over the side of my face and I am so astounded by its softness that I know if her cunt wasn't presented in front of me, I would wrap myself around her and simply drown myself in the delicious feeling of her flesh.

The female whimpers from under my touch. The sound is so sweet that it resonates all the way down to my cock. I growl as it throbs with need, reminding myself that I'll get my fill soon enough. With the thought, I lunge forward and cover her cunt with my tongue.

She's so divine in my mouth that for a moment, I feel insatiable. She gasps, rocking her hips against my face as I drink more of her in. I lap her little nub, growling as she tangles her fingers in my hair and pulls sharply at the strands. Pure, unfiltered energy filters through my body—it slowly trickles in the emptiest parts of me, warming the cold emptiness I hadn't even realized had settled so deeply within my chest.

I flick my tongue over her, watching in satisfaction as she twitches helplessly under my touch. Her sweet voice crying for me although I can't quite understand the words anymore.

My finger pushes inside of her, and somehow I know exactly how to touch her—to push in until I feel the smooth patch within the tight fist of her cunt, and to flick my fingertips and suck on the little bundle of nerves until she's writhing beneath me.

And writhing she does. I keep working at her until she pushes me away, her chest heaving as she regards me with wide, alarmed albeit content eyes.

I feel so warm. Content. The darkness doesn't call to me like before, although my cock is still stiff with need.

"If you don't fuck me right now, so fucking help me—"

I climb over her as she babbles beneath me, a suffocating need to claim settling over my bones.

Those two men in the other room are going to take her from me again, aren't they? I'll show them who she belongs to. She's mine. I'll paint her body with my scent so they're reminded no matter how far they take her from me, I'll always find my way back to her side.

I thrust myself into her tightness, a groan tumbling past my lips as I seat myself inside of her. Every part of her is amazing: the way her rosy lips part with the intrusion, the perfume of her arousal, the way she pulses around me. A stream of more warmth fills my limbs, catching me off guard. I shudder as the euphoric sensation filters through my veins.

Without a doubt, I know she is the most perfect thing I have ever called mine.

She's returned to her babbling, rocking her hips underneath mine. I find it oddly adorable, which is strange considering that I forgot such a sensation existed until now.

The female melts into me as I thrust into her again. And then I find myself unable to stop.

Some part deep within me shouts for me to slow down, but I find myself too entranced with the feeling of her surrounding my sheath to listen to the meek voice. The female pants under my rough touch. She gazes at me through heavy-lidded eyes as I take her arms over her head with one hand and clutch her waist with the other, inhibiting the way she wiggles beneath me so I can delve into her even faster.

It doesn't take me long to find my release. I burst inside of her, spilling inside her delicious cunt. She shudders against me, still twitching even as I pull out my cock and collapse beside her.

The female sits up quickly, pushing the hair from my face. She seems surprisingly unfazed by such exertion. "Sin?"

I roll onto my back, staring blankly at her. Does she want something from me?

"Sinclair?" She stares at me with too-wide eyes. "Hello? Can you understand me?"

I frown as I notice the redness on her dainty wrists. I gently brush a finger over it, something unpleasant simmering in my gut. I've been too rough with her. It didn't dawn on me until now that I'm more than capable of hurting her unconsciously.

Or maybe is it that I haven't really thought about how that matters to me until now? Or maybe I have. I don't know.

I groan, my brow knitting as my thoughts scramble themselves. I can tell things aren't as hazy and scattered as before, nor does that darkness bite at the back of consciousness, but all the same I can vaguely tell something isn't right.

"Oh fuck," the female whispers above me. Tears fill her large golden eyes and stream down her cheeks still pink from my touch. "Oh fuck. Oh no, no, no. Please tell me that did something."

Why is she upset? I frown, covering the reddened skin on her arms with my palm. Did I hurt her so severely that now she's shedding tears?

"Sinclair." She gazes at me with such intensity I shift underneath her eyes. "Can you understand me?"

My odd, upset female. It's a strange reaction to a wound but I'll help her soothe the pain nonetheless. It's my fault anyway, isn't it? I need to be careful with such a tiny fragile creature.

I nuzzle her wrist, hoping it grants her some small comfort. Instead, she makes a hollow hiccuping sound and shouts something into the echoing chamber around us.

The door swings open and I tense as the two males run back in, looking frantic in the presence of my exposed female. I snarl, positioning myself in front of her so she's out of eyesight.

"Calli?" one of them murmurs. I don't look at who. All I can focus on is tearing the meat from their bones and forcing them to eat it.

I want to see them try to take her from me. My limbs are lithe and able once again. They will die.

They freeze as my female sobs behind me.

"It didn't work," she whispers.

...

a/n

Hii. It's been a bit and I told you I'd explain myself: long story short, I just got in a new relationship, have been working full time, and hanging out with new friends (I moved to a different city a few months ago...forgot if I told you guys that already?). Anyway, I am a busy bee. For the first time in months, I'm finally making time for myself again.

Sooo yeah anyway sorry for being MIA for a few months. It wasn't on purpose. The bright side? We're almost to the end of Angel Blood and the last chapters are already written. So guess what?? No wondering if the next update is going to take forever. Yayyy. Angel Blood is finally completed.

Sorry if I worried anyone. It was really touching to see everyone's concern. For some reason in my head I really didn't think anyone would care if I disappeared for a hot minute.

I've missed you guys