ROTTEN LOVE - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I do not pay him attention. I walk straight for my luggage and place it on the bed. "You can leave." I look through my clothes.
In a blink of an eye, he is at my side, shutting the luggage close. I roll my eyes but follow his lead. He places a hand against my shoulder and guides me to the wall. His amber eyes a blood lust red.
I tilt my head to the side.
"I am very upset." He nuzzles his nose against the crook of my neck.
The goosebumps on my arms multiplied. I do not allow him to get in my head. "And I do not care." I attempt to move. His body blocks my retreat.
"I'm not playing, Helena. Why did you agree?" He takes his attention from my neck to look at me. His eyes show his true desire. He wants me. He wants my blood.
"Go feed off someone else."
"We both know that is not what you want. Should I remind you what it is to feed me?" His fangs elongate slightly caressing my skin, a tease.
He does not have to. I remember. The experience left a phantom sensation across my body. A sensation that tickles my skin and puts my stomach in knots when I'm near him.
Maddox and Marisa have many vampy volunteers to feed from. Humans are too vulgar for purebloods.
Typically, all vampires from Vales stay away from my witches. It's part of the treaty unless given consent by the witch or warlock.
When we were kids, Marisa was hungry and like many times, we were alone. I was curious about how it felt so I allowed her to feed from me. What I discovered is that their bite is as delicious to the receiver as it is to the giver. I felt a rush.
It was pure adrenaline. Even more remarkable, she allowed me in. I saw what she wanted me to see. She would put all these imaginary scenes in my head. As a kid, I found it astonishing.
However, I did not know that at the same time, I had allowed her in. With each sip she took from me, she saw my true desires. It was during this first feeding that she discovered my crush on Maddox.
But she was my best friend, a sister. I did not care to share the information with her. After that time, I continued feeding her. It brought us closer. There were no barriers between us.
The feedings stopped on the night Maddox refers to. We were teenagers. He was beyond angry because the other lines had started to press the issue on his breeding with another. They threatened us.
He fed from many vamps, but nothing quenched his thirst. He was on a rampage. Jason came to me for help. He asked me to find a way to contain Maddox while he went to get more volunteers for his feed. He also needed to establish security with the new threat.
So, I went. I found him in his study. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his beautiful pale abdomen was in full display. My heart was erratic, and he felt it. It's as if he saw how fast my pulse was rising.
Like he could see, the blood rushing through my veins. It was something he could not resist. It was the first and only time he crossed the line with me.
He grabbed me by the arms and pinned me against the bookshelves. He did not ask for permission. We both wanted it.
He was so enraged, so savagely thirsty. He did not give it a second thought. His fangs pierced into me.
The feeding session with Maddox was nothing like the ones with Marisa. I felt pure dopamine rush through my veins, a heating sensation.
My whole body was on fire. Maddox sucked and sucked, and I felt more of him. I was not seeing stories or made-up worlds like Marisa would show me, rather I saw the situation we were in and what it could lead to.
He showed me how he would caress my side. How he would lick every inch of me, taste every inch of me. How he would get me on my knees, how I would practically beg him to have him in my mouth, and I truly believed it.
I couldn't tell it was an illusion. When I moaned out his name, it snapped him back. He took his fangs out with a bewildered face. He was either repulsed or confused as to what happened between the two.
Seeing that he was calm, I left his study. We did not say a word to each other for the rest of the night.
Marisa found me next and saw her brother's fang marks on me. She went ballistic.
I had never seen her act that way. I had hurt her without realizing it. I was weak from the prior feed, but I wanted to make her feel good. I allowed her to have her share so that she could see all the love I have for her.
Instead, I got a glimpse into her heart. I understood.
I saw images of me and Marisa as kids running and laughing. I saw her look at me through her eyes. What I felt was love but it was like the love I felt for Maddox.
I never realized her feelings for me. She kept it a tight secret until that moment. She cried that night and all I could do was hug her. I love Marisa but not in that light.
We fell asleep together that day like we often did. The next morning I confronted her and told her I could not reciprocate.
I loved her. I would do anything for her. I apologized for gushing over Maddox all these years and never realizing what it was doing to her.
It did not take long to move past it. I did not act any differently or make her feel weird about it.
There was nothing she should have been ashamed of, and we went on with our lives. Yet, after that night, Marisa never fed from me again, even though she has tried.
Maddox and I never talked about that night. He went on like nothing. I was a blood bank, I remind myself, as I feel him move along my neck. His hand ran up and down my arm.
"Fuck off Maddox. I can't keep doing this. I need something else. Zain is..."
I get interrupted. He backs away like I said something ungodly. "You need Zain?"
"That's not what I was going to say. You interrupted me. Zain says he wants a wife, someone he can trust. I won't be doing him any favors if I live sexy scenes with you in my head."
He smirks, crossing his arms. "You do remember."
"I do. Not that it matters to you. You probably entice all your feeders that way. No wonder you always have a line out the door." I roll my eyes.
"Did you wish to be the only one I fed from?"
"That's not what I said."
"But it's what you thought. I can see it."
I sigh. "You like doing this, don't you? Playing with me, knowing I will always be a choice on the side."
"Is that really what you think of me?" His face was wounded.
"Yes."
He makes a humming noise and starts to walk away. I follow him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving."
"Yes, it's what you do best."
He turns around slowly. His eyebrows scrunch. His eyes assessed me. He strolls to me, getting very near my face. "Helena, I have never played with you. That night I was out of control. I could no longer hold myself back. What you saw is what I wished many times would happen, what was at the point of happening," he says breathlessly.
My heart stops and restarts as he continues. "But then I got to understand you too." My eyes widen. He saw my desires—him.
"Your defenses were down. This thing between us is a mutual thing." He eyes me, then my towel before meeting my gaze again.
I shovel in place and bite my lip.
"I refuse you because I will not have you as a second choice. I must have a child, a pureblood, and marry another. We have no future. I did not want to string you along. This is why we have been playing this cat-and-mouse game all these years. I cannot stay away from you, but refuse to get any closer where I could potentially hurt you."
I swallow the bitterness his confession leaves. I bite my lip harder.
"Can you stop that," he yells.
I flinch and bite too hard. Blood draws. His eyes turn a blood lust again. He inches closer. I can feel his breath so close to my mouth. I peek up at him through my eyelashes and then to his lips.
He seems to swallow this time. I slightly lean forward. "So what now?"
He leans closer. His hands grab the side of my face. He does not move merely keeps me in place.
"I thought I could do it. Now, I don't think I have the strength to let you go. I am selfish. I do not want anyone to have you." He whispers into my lips.
My breath hitches. "Then what are you going to do about it?"
His thumbs caress my cheeks. He looks at my eyes and then back at my lips. I could not resist the urge to lick them clean. He curses, before whispering into me. "I'm damming us both."
His lips were on mine. He presses hard. When I move my head to the side to allow for a deeper kiss, he latches onto my bottom lip and sucks it. He savors it.
Between breaths, he mutters, "just how I imagined," then slides his tongue inside my mouth.
I get on my toes and attach my arms around his neck. I run my fingers through his snow-white hair, pulling and tugging as our lips melt into each other.
He mumbles again. "Delicious. I have pictured this moment ever since that night." He raises me off the floor, quickly slamming us into the bed.
My back met the mattress as quickly as Maddox took off his shirt and inserted himself on top of me. I am not thinking. He is what I wanted and dreamed of.
The realization sunk in. I am going to marry another. I do not want to let this opportunity go to waste.
My strength is nothing to his, but he allows me to flip us over. I look at him from above. His beautifulness is underneath me.
I trail kisses down his stomach, nipping here and there. He chuckles. "I thought I was the bloodsucker."
I do not allow him to finish. I lean down against him and resume kissing. He holds onto my sides strongly. The towel is taunting.
Like reading my mind, he sits up. I straddle him and he makes for the top of my towel. He examines me for a protest, but I don't. I wouldn't.
My nipples harden with the open air and from the intensity with which he is staring at all of me. He palms my breast and I tilt my head back.
How many times have I played this scenario in my head? Hundreds and nothing compares to his actual hands. He kisses my collarbone to my neck.
I moan out, "Is this happening?"
There is a smirk against my neck. His fingers have found their way to my entrance. I jump at his icy touch.
He says ever so tauntingly, "tell me, can you feel this?" He circles my bundle of nerves with his thumb.
I jerk. I lean my head against his forehead breathing crazily, trying to steady myself onto earth.
"Answer, Helena," he orders.
"Yes," I mumble out. Thankful, I am still capable of saying words.
He chuckles. "And this," he slips a finger in teasingly while still circling with his thumb.
Holy gods. Holy Maddox. "Yes," I gasp.
His breath was hot against my chest. "Then I would say this is happening." He puts another finger in.
Holy everything. I moan but he slips his tongue inside my mouth. He leads me down, and now he is hovering over me. His fingers are restless and exploring. I make all types of noises.
He leans closer to my ear. "Shhh. They will catch us, Helena."
He drags out my name. My name never sounded so beautiful. I nod okay.
Suddenly, Maddox tenses slightly. I look at him panting.
He meets my eyes. "My best guess is that we have about five minutes before your fiancé makes his way up here."
The word fiancé stunned me temporarily. That's right because I have one now. I agreed to Zain's proposal. I panic, beginning to pry him off but Maddox's smile grows wicked.
He moves his fingers faster. I move my arm to my lips and bite hard, muffling the sounds dying to come out.
He gets low to my ear. It was less than a whisper. "I calculate four now. He is out of his office. He is about to walk up the stairs." His tone is even.
My eyes widen.
"I won't leave till you are on my fingers."
I bite my wrist painfully hard. I'm about to come undone.
"Spell this room from the scent. Werewolves are keen to smell. Soundproofing should probably be a priority because, Helena, my love, you're about to scream your lungs out."
I do not dare to hesitate. It is hard to concentrate but I manage to say an incantation. I follow his suggestions, soundproofing the room and hidding the smell. With my lack of concentration, I can only pray it was done correctly.
Seeing my relaxed demeanor, Maddox knew it was done and nothing stopped him. He kissed me furiously, and his fingers managed to do only a few strokes before I came. I yelled out his name, but his lips mumbled it out.
My heart nearly stops. It's been a long time since I've found a release. There are not many options in Vales without Marisa or Maddox knowing. I have had a few affairs. Nothing compared to this.
I pant for air, giggling at the bliss I am feeling. Maddox kisses my neck. Before I get to look at him, I feel myself being lifted off the bed into the bathroom.
He turns on the faucet and places me in the shower with him. I try to ask what the hell he is doing but he covers my mouth. Then, I hear a knock on the door. Zain.