His grin was predatory as he lowered his face to a few inches from mine, his heat now surrounding me even if he had no weight on me, his feet still on the floor and upper weight on his arms. “Ah,” he chuckled, the sound cruel, “you’re forgetting something,” a slow drawl, “sweetheart.”
My gaze narrowed further. “And what is that,” I flashed my teeth, “baby?”
He rumbled quietly with forbidding humor, the sound oddly…comforting and nice. “It’s what you’ve already stated. We’re no longer those idiots from a year ago. Both of us have learned many manipulative skills and evasive tactics.” He bent his head, brushing his bristly, warm cheek against my own soft cheek to place his lips against my ear, and I felt his shadow of a beard. “Even if feelings become involved — and you’re correct, they might eventually — who better to hide an affair than the cruel, jaded, and merciless?”
My nostrils flared, and I scented he was already turned on. “Not that I don’t agree with your thought process, but I still believe it unwise for us to be involved sexually.” This was about self-preservation, an absolute must. “Why risk it?”
His chuckle was still soft, even with his lips still at my ear. “One question: do you want to spend our very long existence together thinking about your spouse, your husband, me, f**king other women?”
I know I froze under him. Something inside me — not my wolf and not my Vampire, just a primal part of my soul, possibly pride or greed — revoked at the thought that what was mine, and he was mine even if chosen by the young and inexperienced me, being touched by another woman, or him touching someone else. And the feeling was strong…so strong that my wolf woke and growled quietly. It was the sound of death stalking back and forth, waiting to pounce on anyone who so much as glanced at the ass**le King. Miraculously, I loathed him, but I wanted him all for my own because…he was my husband, and he would be forever. A Mystical’s life was extremely long.
His Vampire responded in kind, his growl just as soft and deadly as mine, and it wasn’t a threat. It was more of an understanding of predators, a basic harmonized necessity to guard what was our own. Pushing back his Vampire, he lifted so he could meet my gaze, and he specified, “You hadn’t thought about this yet.” It was a statement.
I answered anyway, pushing my wolf back. “No, although I did think it odd you wanted to know if I had slept with anyone during the past year.” My lips pinched. “I get it now.” My head swung to Isa and stayed there, my gaze on her quietly babbling tiny form. “But still, I don’t know if it’s worth the risk. She deserves to know you. Abstinence may be our only option.”
King Zeller stared down at me, eyebrows raised. “You’re serious?”
I shrugged, turning my head back to face him. “Yes.” I paused. “Well, we would probably have to get together once every five years or so, since it could actually make me ill not to have intercourse.” Shifters, I swear we got the rotten end of the deal compared to other Mysticals.
He blinked slowly. “That’s…not really going to work for me.” He was starting to appear a little wide-eyed. “Other than this past year, I normally have an…overabundance…of sexual energy.”
It was my turn to stare as I put the puzzle pieces together, remembering his earlier comment about orgies. “I married a man-whore?”
His eyebrows snapped together, a bit of anger flashing in his green eyes. “I’m sure you weren’t complaining when we were together before we were caught.”
I blinked. “That’s a hell of a lot of confidence there, bucko.” I patted his shoulder. “And I doubt you were complaining, either.” I rubbed at my temples, staring past his head to the sparkles on my ceiling, and asked seriously, “Will you be in physical pain if you abstain?” Not that I wouldn’t mind him being that way, but he would probably be a bit of an annoyance the grouchier he became.
He hesitated, then he stated plainly, “Not like a Shifter can become, their need driving for physical contact, but a Vampire…” He paused. “I’m not sure why you don’t know this.” His head teetered back and forth, periodically cutting off my view of the sparkles. “You see, a Vampire is all about the capture and seduction. If I waited as long as what you’re stating, I would,” he paused, then he stated steadily, “well before that time, I would literally hunt down the object of my needs and seduce her with unrelenting mercy until I had her, and it could possibly end fatally for the female.” He stared into my wide gaze. “You.”
My jaw was hanging open. I knew it was. And I didn’t really care.
“Don’t give me that look.” He stared pointedly. “You know damn well — what you didn’t mention a minute ago — that if Shifter doesn’t become ill from abstinence, it’s because they’ve gone all primal during their sexual hiatus, and those matings normally end in death.” A thoughtful pause. “Statistically, Vampires kill less in those periods than Shifters.”
I choked. “If they go primal. There’s always the flip of the coin of becoming ill.” I closed my eyes, sighing heavily. “Well…fuck.” There weren’t any other options, unless we had sex with other partners…and yeah, I could already feel my mind going to that nice, velvet haze of red fury at that thought, which still astounded me.
“Yes,” King Zeller drawled slowly, “that’s the point. We f**k. Exclusively.”
Another heavy sigh as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m not ready for that yet.” I stared up at him tiredly, exhaustion creeping in. “Can I speak honestly with you?”
He stared at me intently. “I think that would be best.”
So I did. “I’ve been dead inside for what feels like forever, but since I met you a week ago, I’ve been overloaded with emotions and it’s freaking me out a bit.” I shook my head, closing my eyes again, and they stayed closed. “If we had sex right now, I’m not sure I could handle it. I need some time to cope with everything I’m feeling.”
He hummed softly, and I felt his heat intensify before his forehead touched mine gently, his breath spanning my lips and cheeks as he spoke quietly, “The feeling’s mutual, so I won’t push right now.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, and I found myself lifting to his warmth and had to stop myself, yawning long and hard. “God, you’re so hot. You’re like a furnace.” I allowed myself to lift my hands to his wrists and grip them as I burrowed my fingers under his robe and sleeves, trapping them between his clothing and skin. “And you have better sheets than me.” I felt King Zeller begin to vibrate over me, and I blinked my eyes open into green, seeing him silently chuckling. “Random, I know, but I’m dead tired,” my wolf growled softly at him, “so deal with it.”