Chapter 21 Twenty One
DANIKA
I suck in a sharp breath as he leans in to kiss me, sliding his large hand up my thigh. His scent wraps around me, and I close my eyes, melting into him. A gasp slips from me as he hooks two of his fingers into the waistband of my lacy red panties. Breathless, I lift my hips, letting him slide it off.
His pupils darken when our gazes connect, my teeth lightly sinking into my bottom lip as he takes hold of my thighs and suddenly pulls me down.
I can't believe this is really happening. I'm so nervous I can barely breathe.
Once his face is inches from my pussy, his nostrils flare, his eyes slipping closed as an expression of ecstasy falls over his gorgeous features.
"Enjoy the ride, dove," he utters, his eyes flicking open. And without warning, his mouth is on my clit. A moan rips out of me, my head falling back against the couch as a jarring pleasure washes over me.
He circles my sensitive nub with his tongue, then he sucks on it.
"F-fuck," I gasp out, my brain glitching.
My thighs shake as he performs his magic on my pussy, his tongue delving into my pulsating core. I'm hot all over, crying out in ecstasy.
Everything dissolves until all I can feel is his talented mouth stroking the fire in my core.
My orgasm hits me so hard, the air is sucked out of my lungs. But he firmly holds my thighs apart, teasing me until another orgasm shatters me.
"Please, I can't..." I gasp, my hips bucking.
But he pins me there, feasting on me like I'm his last meal.
"Kaziel!" I scream, shaking uncontrollably until I collapse against the couch, spent.
Only then does he pull away, that evil smirk tugging at his lips.
"Look at you, such a wreck," he drawls, licking his lips. Heat floods my face, and he chuckles.
"Thanks to you," I croak, and he grins.
"You're welcome."
I can't help but blush as he cleans me up and fixes my clothes. He does this every time, and I can't get over how gently he does it.
"So, date night tomorrow?" I ask, trying to catch my breath. He affirms it, moving to sit beside me, pulling me close.
I love how he's so clingy.
"Kaziel?" I say, turning over to bury my face against his chest.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think your pack members will like me? What if they can't stand the fact that I'm human?" I ask, and he stiffens.
"You don't have to worry about that," he tells me, and I let out a sigh.
How can I not worry?
I hate that I always have to compare myself to Eve. But since she's a werewolf who is also the key to breaking the pack's curse, wouldn't they like her more?
"How about on Saturday? I can introduce you to them," Kaziel says, and I wince.
"Sure. As long as you don't stand me up on our date tomorrow," I reply, and he strokes my hair.
"Of course."
My phone vibrates right then. I pick it up to see a text from Cora.
'Can I hang out with you tonight? My sister and her boyfriend are fighting again.'
I can't help but smile. She's slowly growing on me.
"Got plans with a friend?" Kaziel asks, and I hum in response.
"Stay longer, please?" He whispers. Did I forget to mention that I love it when he begs?
Does that make me a pervert? No, right?
...
Cora's already waving like a maniac when I spot her outside the diner. She's bouncing on her toes, her hair glowing under the streetlights.
"Finally!" she squeals, running up to hug me. "I thought you ghosted me."
I laugh. "It's been only a few hours"
"Very boring few hours," she huffs, looping her arm through mine. "You have no idea what I've been through. My sister's drama is killing my brain cells."
I grin as she drags me towards the neon-lit diner. It smells like fries and something greasy.
We slide into a booth near the window. The city outside hums softly, a thousand headlights flashing past.
Cora talks like she's been waiting her whole life for someone to listen. "My ex used to wait outside my house. For hours. Sometimes he'd call me thirty times a night. I thought it was love."
My stomach twists. “Love?”
That definitely sounds a lot like Kaziel.
She shrugs, but her smile falters. "Yeah, I figured out he was just obsessed after he broke my phone and my nose because I didn't answer fast enough."
My chest tightens. "You got out, though. That's what matters."
"Barely." She laughs it off, but it sounds shaky. "Anyway, enough about me. What about you? Any dangerous men in your life?"
I almost choke on my soda. If only she knew.
We keep talking until I notice the way the light outside flickers. Then, the faint reflection of someone standing across the street. Watching.
Red eyes.
Oh no.
I bite my lower lip, tense. "Cora...I think there's someone watching us."
Of course, she turns immediately. "Where?"
"Real smooth," I mutter.
She giggles, but the sound dies when she sees the figure too. "Okay, that's creepy."
I slide my phone out under the table and text Kaziel.
DANI: At the diner with Cora. I think we're being followed.
My heart starts racing as I type again.
DANI: Sending location.
I look up at my friend, already picking up my bag after I’d shared my location with Kaziel. “We need to leave. Now."
Cora grabs her purse. "You're scaring me."
She has no idea that I’m the one who’s more terrified. I might be the target after all.
Maybe going out isn’t a good idea after all. Maybe, waiting in here—
I freeze when I notice several men in black watching us from different tables.
On second thought, leaving sounds better.
We step outside, pretending that everything's normal, but the moment we head down the corner, footsteps echo behind us. Then we hear a couple more.
"Danika..." Cora's voice trembles.
"Run."
We sprint down the street, but they're faster. They’re masked, and there are too many of them. My lungs burn, fear holding me captive. One of them cuts us off, and I freeze, grabbing Cora's arm.
Then, out of nowhere, something crashes into the man. Hard. He hits the ground with a grunt.
Eve.
She moves quickly, her eyes glowing a bright blue. She’s so strong, it’s unfair.
Cora's screaming. I can't move. I can't even breathe. All I can do is watch as Eve tears through them like she was born for it.
The question remains…how did she get poisoned if she’s this capable?
One masked figure grabs her from behind, but she twists and slams him into the pavement. Another attacker charges at her, and she flips him over.
I clutch Cora's arm tighter. My knees feel weak.
I hate this.
I hate being the helpless one.
Eve glances over her shoulder once, her expression unreadable, before turning back to finish the fight.
Meanwhile, I’m frozen to the spot, terrified.
Wishing I was something more than human.
For a second, I think it's over. Eve's still fighting, but there are too many of them slipping out of the alley with glowing red eyes.
"Cora, stay behind me!" I yell, even though I can barely stand myself.
One of the masked men lunges at me. I stumble back, my heel catching the edge of the curb. Pain shoots up my ankle, and before I can scream, he grabs me by the arm and yanks me forward.
"Let go!" I hit his chest with both fists, but he's stronger—inhumanly strong.
Panic floods my veins. I twist, kick, claw at his arm. Nothing works.
From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Eve dropping another attacker, blood splattering across her sleeve, but she's too far away.
I'm dragged backwards towards the alley, the man's breath hot against my neck.
Suddenly, there’s a blur of motion. It’s Cora.
She slams into him like a thunderbolt. He lets out a choked grunt and goes down hard. I stare, wide-eyed, as she straightens up. Her chest heaves, her eyes glowing a deep, unnatural red.
"Cora..." My voice cracks. "What—what are you?"
Her lips pull back in a snarl that's not human. "Run, Dani!" she hisses.
Then she launches herself at another masked figure, moving faster than my eyes can follow. There's a bone-crunching sound followed by a scream.
My brain can't catch up.
Cora. My sweet, bubbly friend.
A vampire.
Sure, I’d suspected she wasn’t human. But this is still shocking.
One of the masked men recovers and swings a blade at her, but she catches it midair, snaps it like it's plastic, and sinks her teeth into his shoulder. He howls.
I stumble back, shaking, my heart in my throat. Eve glances my way, her eyes wide with shock as she spots Cora.
Trembling, I push up to my feet.
Another masked man grabs me from behind, and I scream. He drags me towards the alley again, his arm crushing my chest.
"Let her go!" Cora's voice rips through the air, guttural and furious.
She grabs his throat and throws him across the pavement like he weighs nothing.
I stumble backwards, my chest heaving.
And suddenly, I hear the sound of clapping, along with the sound of heavy boots.
“Look at that, how adorable,” a deep voice drawls, and I look up to see a pair of golden eyes glimmering in the shadows.