Blood Freed (Vampire-Cursed #4)

13. Chapter 13

13

Chapter 13

Soren

T he key in my front door feels strange after days in that witch prison. Even stranger is how easily I was released – Lucien’s influence clearing the path with disturbing efficiency. No armed escort, no tracking spells, just a simple signing of papers and my agreement to appear at the Assembly hearing.

The apartment is just as I left it all those months ago before moving into the facility – just the faint fragrance of lemon hinting at the regular visits from the servants who keep the place clean.

It’s good to be back…

I lean against the door frame, letting the familiar scents of leather and aged wood wash over me. My study beckons – books, artifacts, the comfort of centuries collected within these walls. But exhaustion pulls at me like an undertow. The silver burns still ache, slower to heal than they should be.

The security detail that had dogged me from the moment I left the witch prison is conspicuously absent. Lucien’s way of showing his confidence, no doubt. Aside from the faint pulse of a containment field around the walls, there’s nothing to stop me. He knows I won’t run – not with the threats he holds over both Maxwell and Mia.

Mia…

Her presence brushes against my mind again, gentle but insistent. She’s been trying to reach me all day, each attempt more desperate than the last. The wall I’ve built between us wavers. It would be so easy to let it drop, to feel her warmth flood through our connection.

I drag myself up the stairs, fighting the urge to respond. The silver may have weakened my body, but maintaining this mental barrier drains me more than any physical restraint. Yet I can’t risk letting her in. Can’t risk her learning the truth about Lucien’s threats. She’s safer believing I’m guilty.

Another tentative touch against my mind, this one tinged with hurt and confusion. My chest tightens. The memory of her kiss in that warded room haunts me – the brief taste of hope before reality crashed back.

In the light-tight confines of my bedroom, I sink onto the edge of my bed, still fully dressed. Her presence lingers at the edges of my consciousness, a constant reminder of everything I stand to lose. Everything I must give up to keep her safe.

The ceiling blurs as I stare upward, still fighting to keep the mental walls in place.

Just stay out. Please. I can’t protect you if you keep trying to reach me.

My limbs feel weighted with lead; the simple act of removing my shoes feels impossible. The bed beneath me is almost too soft after days on that cold cell floor.

Another gentle probe from Mia sends cracks splintering through my defenses. I grit my teeth, reinforcing the barrier even as exhaustion pulls at me. The effort makes my head pound.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

The room grows hazy around the edges. Shadows stretch and dance across the walls, making strange shapes as my eyes grow heavy. Still, I feel her there, waiting. Patient. Persistent.

My grip on consciousness begins to slip as the line between waking and dreaming blurs. It gets hard to work out what is real and what is not. Images flash behind my closed eyes – her face through the barrier in that warded room, the way her fingers felt twined with mine, the surge of power when our lips met.

No. Have to keep her safe. Have to…

But exhaustion wins. The walls crumble as sleep claims me, and I feel Mia’s consciousness rush in like a tide…

The red mist materializes before I fully register that I’m dreaming. No – not dreaming. This is more.

I’m on my feet, the room fading around me. The haze coalesces, taking shape, and there she stands. Mia. Mia in a white cotton dress, looking like the answer to all of my prayers.

“Soren!” Her voice is broken as she rushes to me. “Oh, my God!” Her arms slide around my waist as she presses herself against me. “I’ve been going out of my mind with worry.”

For a moment, I just stand there, letting the sensations soak into me. Her warmth, her fragrance, the softness of her skin.

“Mia,” I murmur, lowering my face and inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

God, she feels good.

But this is wrong. “No,” I say firmly, pulling away. She clings to me, resisting when I try to pry her hands loose from behind me.

“Don’t do this, Soren,” she says, her jaw set. “I won’t let you.”

“It’s not up to you, Mia. I told you to leave me.” It rips a hole in my heart as I pull free from her grasp and push her away. But there isn’t pain in her eyes when I do it. Just determination.

“I know what you’re doing, Soren Daire, and I’m telling you now that it’s not going to work. You think you’re doing the right thing, but you’re wrong.”

“I’m not,” I mutter.

“People are working to help you,” Mia says, her eyes blazing with that stubborn fire I know so well. “But you’re making everything harder with this ridiculous confession.”

I step back, keeping my voice cold. “There’s nothing ridiculous about it. I orchestrated the whole thing.”

“Stop lying!” She advances on me, jabbing a finger into my chest. “I was there, remember? I know exactly what happened.”

“You know what I wanted you to see.” I fight to get the lies out. “Everything was calculated, Mia. Every interaction, every moment—”

Her lips crash into mine, cutting off my protests. The crimson mist around us intensifies, thickening until it feels like we’re standing in the heart of a ruby. Her kiss is desperate, demanding, trying to break through my walls. For a moment, I’m lost in it – the softness of her mouth, the heat of her body pressed against mine.

I wrench myself away, stumbling back. The movement makes my head spin. Something’s different. The mist… I blink, trying to focus. Crimson tendrils writhe about her like living smoke, curling around her arms, threading through her hair. They pulse with a strange, hypnotic rhythm.

“What—?” I start to ask, but she’s already moving toward me again.

Her lips find mine once more, and this time, my resistance crumbles. The crimson mist pulses around us, matching the thundering of my heart. Her fingers thread through my hair, pulling me closer, and memories of our last night together flood my mind – the way she arched beneath me, her breathless sighs, the perfect fit of her body against mine.

It’s just a dream, a treacherous voice whispers in my head. What harm can it do?

I groan against her mouth, arms wrapping around her waist. She tastes like magic and starlight, intoxicating as ever. The mist coils around us both now, binding us together as her hands slide under my shirt, tracing the muscles of my back.

“Mia,” I breathe, nipping kisses down her neck. She tilts her head, offering better access, and the scent of her skin makes my head spin. My fangs ache with need.

“Don’t fight this,” she murmurs, pressing closer. “Don’t fight us .”

Her touch leaves trails of fire on my skin. I capture her mouth again, deeper this time, hungrier. She responds with equal passion, and suddenly, we’re moving backward until the bed bumps up against the back of my knees.

The rational part of my brain tries one last time to assert control, but then she hooks a leg around my hip and rocks against me. A growl rumbles in my chest, need heating my skin.

I sink down onto the mattress, my hand sliding up her legs, taking the skirt of her dress up to her hips. The vee of her thighs is directly in front of me. The urge to bury my face there is almost overwhelming. I brush my nose against the lace of her panties, inhaling her musk, and she lets out a throaty moan.

“I want you,” she breathes. I look up at her, our eyes locking. Her hands move to my shoulders, pushing me back as she straddles my hips. I claim her mouth again, thrusting my tongue against hers as I slide my hands up her thighs. She moans into my mouth, a soft, helpless sound. I can feel her excitement spiraling, each soft whine and hitch of breath feeding my own need.

Fuck. What are you doing?

But she’s whispering my name against my lips, and reason flies out the window. I groan as Mia’s fingers work my shirt open, her hot mouth trailing fire down my chest. My head falls back as she shifts against me, working at my pants with trembling hands. When she wraps her fingers around my length, I nearly lose control right there.

Her eyes are dark with lust as she looks up at me, her breath coming in short gasps. “I need you, Soren. Inside me.”

“Fuck,” I groan, barely recognizing the rough rasp my voice has become.

She positions herself over me, our eyes locking as she slowly takes me in. The hot, wet grip of her pussy enveloping me makes me growl, my hands grasping her hips hard enough to bruise.

“Soren,” she gasps as she starts to move, setting a desperate pace. Her nails rake down my chest as she rides me, the crimson mist swirling thick around us. “I want you.” Her eyes open, fierce and determined. “All of you.”

I give her what she wants. I thrust up into her, burying myself deep, and she cries out, her body arching. The mist shimmers around us as her walls clench around me. I can’t stop myself from moving now, from thrusting into her, driving us both closer to the edge. Her fingers dig into my chest, and she meets my thrusts with equal passion.

“God! Yes!” I bite out. We’re both panting now, the air hazy with our mingled scents. Our bodies move together, a frenzied dance that threatens to consume us both. The mist thickens, each pulse of light matching our growing hunger. My cock slides deep into her body, over and over, seeking release.

The pressure builds fast and hot between us. I’m close, so close, when she tilts her head, baring her throat in clear invitation. The sight of her pulse fluttering under pale skin makes my fangs ache. It’s been a long time since I last experienced hunger. I’d almost forgotten the primal need coursing through my veins.

Lifting myself up, I drag my fangs gently over her pulse point, listening to her soft gasps. Her hands move to grasp my shoulders, fingers digging into my skin.

“Please,” she whispers. “Don’t fight this.”

Do it. You’re just dreaming…

Before I can second-guess myself, I sink my fangs into her neck, and her blood floods my mouth – rich and sweet and unmistakably real. This is no dream, though I’ve been trying to convince myself otherwise. The taste of her, the feel of her clenching around me as we both spiral toward release – it’s all too vivid, too present.

No wonder Lucien was so determined to get his hands on her.

She’s intoxicating.

And I’m too far gone to stop now. I drink deeply as we move together, her blood singing through my veins as our pleasure peaks. Every rational thought dissolves under the onslaught of sensation – the silk of her skin, the heat of her body, the mind-numbing scent of her desire.

I drown in her.

It’s only when she slumps against me that I finally release my grip on her throat. I tighten my arms around her, holding her to my chest as I sink back onto the bed.

We’re both breathing hard, our chests heaving as the last ripples begin to fade.

“God,” I husk out, my lips moving over the curve of her neck.

“That was…incredible,” she breathes, nuzzling against me. “Better than the last time.” Her lips move into a smile. I can feel them move against my skin.

She’s right; it was better than the last time. The need. The connection.

But something’s different. The mist…it feels almost alive now, writhing around us with strange purpose. And Mia’s touch – there’s an edge of something foreign in it, something that makes my skin tingle with more than just pleasure.

I try to pull back, to clear my head, but she holds me, refusing to let me retreat. “No,” she murmurs against my lips. “Stay with me.”

The crimson tendrils coil tighter, and suddenly, I realize…

My God!

This is blood magic. She’s using blood magic to strengthen our connection, to keep me from blocking her out again.

“Mia,” I gasp, torn between desire and growing alarm as I pull out of her. “What have you done?”

She meets my gaze without shame, her eyes glowing with an unearthly light. “Whatever it takes.”

Grasping her shoulders with both hands, I lift her, setting her beside me. “This is dangerous, Mia. You have no idea what you’re risking.”

“I know exactly what I’m risking.” Her eyes flash. “And I’d risk more to save you.”

“Save me?” I laugh bitterly, running a hand through my hair as I stand abruptly. “I don’t need saving. I confessed because I’m guilty.”

“Stop lying!” She pushes off the bed, advancing on me. The blood magic swirls in her wake. “I was there, Soren. I know what really happened.”

“You know nothing,” I snap. “Everything was calculated. Every moment between us—”

“Was real,” she cuts me off, reaching for my face. The blood magic intensifies, trying to forge a deeper connection.

“This has to stop,” I growl, fighting against the pull of her power. “The blood magic, these dreams – you’re only making things worse.”

“Then tell me the truth.” Her pulse races beneath my fingers. “Tell me why you’re really doing this.”

“The truth doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It matters to me.” Her voice breaks slightly. “ You matter to me.”

The raw honesty in her words tears at my resolve. I close my eyes, fighting against the urge to pull her close, to tell her everything. But Lucien’s threats echo in my mind – what he’ll do to her, to Maxwell, if I don’t play my part.

Reaching deep inside for the ice within me, I turn away, fastening my trousers. “You need to go.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not letting you do this.”

“I asked you to leave.” I keep my voice cold, distant, even as the blood magic pulses around us, trying to draw me back in. “This changes nothing.”

“Nothing?” Mia’s voice cracks. “We just shared something incredible, and you’re telling me it means nothing?”

I look away, unable to bear the hurt in her eyes. “What we just did proves my point. I used you, just like I’ve been using you all along. Your blood, your body – it’s all just a means to an end.”

“That’s not true.” She reaches for me, but I step back. “I felt what you felt. The connection—”

“The connection is nothing but blood magic and lust.” The words rise like bile. “You’re so desperate to see good in me that you’re blind to what I really am.”

“Stop it.” Her fingers brush my arm, sending sparks of electricity through my skin. The crimson mist swirls thicker, responding to her emotions.

I grab her wrist, my grip firm but not cruel. “I planned your sister’s abduction. I helped drain witches of their blood. I’m exactly what your family thinks I am – a monster.”

“Then why save me?” Her eyes bore into mine, challenging. “Why help me escape?”

“Because you were useful.” The lie burns my throat. “And now you’re not.”

Tears well in her eyes, but there’s something else there, too – a steady resilience that makes my heart ache. “You think pushing me away will protect me? You’re wrong.”

The dream begins to fade around the edges, the blood magic weakening. Mia’s form grows translucent, but her voice remains clear.

“I know what you’re doing, Soren. And I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for nothing.”

The crimson mist dissipates, taking her with it, but I can still feel the echo of her power in my veins, a reminder of what we shared. Of what I’m trying so hard to deny.

I’m just going to have to fight harder to destroy it.