Chapter 272. Burn Out I

Chapter 272: 272. Burn Out I

Maisie’s Lycan

"Maisie," Quinlan started as he walked us past the threshold. When I blinked at him, he flushed red. "Right, Not-Maisie. About what you said back there--"

"You should wait for the girl to wake up," I cut in dryly. "I am not equipped to handle emotional conversations. She’s the one you need to apologize to. Not me."

Though, I wasn’t sure she’d be sane enough for that conversation when she woke.

His eyes lowered with guilt, before flicking back as he scowled at me. "Well? Give her back."

"Why? You don’t like me?" Our nostrils flared. "I’m not Maisie enough for you?"

He glanced down at me, clearly unsure if he had upset me. He had. I was fully prepared to bare my teeth at him, but then I got entirely distracted by his face. The strong yet delicate line of his jaw. The perfect, biteable angles of his cheekbones and neck.

"Fascinating," I murmured, tilting my head. "You’re really pretty, you know that? If I didn’t like you so much, I’d peel your face off and wear it as my own."

He stared at me like I was completely insane. I might need to work on my compliments, I thought, as he said, "Give me back my mate."

"No," I said, flashing a genuine smile that felt just a fraction too wide for the girl’s mouth. "I like being here."

I couldn’t remember the last time I hadn’t been trapped in a body. Might have been eons ago since I last had a body of my own. It was so long ago, I could barely remember what it felt like to be run my fingers over my own skin.

Being in complete control felt like a vacation.

Her waking life was so painfully serious and borish, the thought of wrecking absolute havoc before she returned filled me with a vicious, tail-wagging glee.

I should mark her territory properly. Take them all on every available surface and drag her deepest, nastiest desires right out into the daylight. Whatever few hours I had, I would ruin her pious, little bubble and leave her to bear the consequences of them.

But I must have spoken so soon, because being in human flesh meant feeling. And the next pang of hunger hit so terribly, I hissed sharply.

Quinlan’s arm tightened around us. "Fuck," he swore, his movements jerky and frantic as he hurried over to the couch, setting us down. "She’s burning up!"

It was called a burnout for a reason. The hollow in our chest suddenly collapsed in on itself, igniting a spark that erupted into a raging, agonizing inferno. I groaned. It felt like we had swallowed a mouthful of white-hot coals.

Our spine violently arched, snapping off the upholstery as the first convulsion hit.

"Hold her down!" Jericho barked.

Heavy knees hit the floor beside my head. His large hands were on us instantly, tearing at the shredded, blood-caked fabric of our clothes to let the unnatural heat radiating off our skin escape.

Fabric ripped and popped. I sighed as the cool air hit our bare flesh, but it did nothing the stop the fire.

I moaned and decided I despised having a body after all.

"Get the physician!" Soren’s voice boomed over our thrashing body. A terrified squeak followed. Some maid scrambled wildly down the hall.

Hands were everywhere. Quinlan pinning our kicking legs, Jericho gripping our tearing shoulders, Soren’s cool fingers pressing desperately against the erratic, hammering pulse at our throat.

Their fear was intoxicating, wrapping around me in waves, and I wanted them writhing around our half naked body, but the pain was blinding enough to force the girl out of her slumber, and though I tried to keep her from feeling it--she’d had enough pain to last a lifetime--she surged up anyway.

And though her awareness wasn’t enough to banish me completely, I decided I’d do her one more favour, one she could totally blame me for later. Hopefully, it’d set things right again.

"I don’t..." I choked out. Our jaw clamped tight as another violent tremor wracked our frame, making my teeth grind together.

"Hold on, Adams, just hold on," Soren pleaded, his face hovering right above ours.

"Don’t need... a healer," I gasped, our eyes locking onto Soren’s exposed throat. The pulse there was beating a frantic, beautiful rhythm. Thirst flooded my mouth "I need..."

Our arm shot out. The paralysis shattered for exactly one second, just long enough for our claws to dig deep into the back of Soren’s neck.

With a violent surge of strength, I yanked him down.

He didn’t even have time to shout before I buried our face into the crook of his neck, unhinged my jaw, and sank my fangs straight into his racing pulse.

Maisie

I felt faint. And hungry.

So hungry.

There was a hot, dark taste in my mouth. And I wanted more of it. I was heat. I was need. I was pain. And it was the only cure for me.

My fingers crushed bone and I paused at that, trying to pull away, to understand what I was doing, where I was, but my head was foggy and my body refused to cooperate.

I was starving. I was also horrified to discover my fangs buried so deep in skin, it hurt. But I couldn’t stop... drinking.

Blood hit my bloodstream like a drug, leaving me light headed and high. I felt the strength return to my body slowly, but it wasn’t enough. More, my Lycan purred, mad with want.

Broad hands circled my hips and I vaguely registered being turned into a more comfortable position. I climbed, a red haze filing my vision as I delved my fingers into smooth, silky hair, yanked his head to the side and sucked hard.

I gasped against his neck as his hips instinctively jerked up, grinding flush against mine.

Soren sucked in a sharp breath. The heavy, rigid length of him pressed right against my center through his clothes, making the heat in my blood settle heavy between my thighs.

The more I drew, the hotter I became, and the more he grunted. "Love," Soren said, his voice strangely low. His nails dug into my hipbones. "You’re... hurting me."