Primal Kill (The Order of Vampires #5)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

J uniper gasped and jackknifed upward, her arms bunching into a defensive stance as she prepared to defend her life.

“You’re safe! You’re safe!”

Breath sawed in and out of her lungs as she scanned the bedroom. Dane stared wide-eyed, his hands held out in a calming gesture.

She was in bed, in her room, at Ruth’s. Flecks of mud and debris still speckled her hands and arms. As memories rushed back, her panic spiked. “Where’s Adriel?”

Regret flashed in his eyes.

“Dane, where is she?”

“She’s in her room—wait.”

She threw off the covers. When she tried to stand, her balance betrayed her. He caught her by the arm, saving her from falling to her face.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.” That was a lie.

Her legs were barely stable, and her insides felt like they’d survived an exorcism. She gritted her teeth as she tried to find her bearings, gripping the bed and swatting Dane’s hands away.

“Damn it, Juniper, let me help you.” He caught her by the waist.

Resigned, she steadied herself on his shoulders and caught her breath.

“There you go,” he said, voice low and eyes creased with concern. “Now, take it slow.” His hands slid from her ribs to her arms, giving her space to move.

Sunlight filtered through the pea-green curtains. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days.”

“T-two days?” How could that be? What happened in the woods? How did she get back to the house? And if she’d been resting for two full days, why did she still feel this shitty? “I have to check on Adriel.”

“June, no.”

“Why won’t you let me see her?”

“She was adamant.”

“I don’t care. She almost died, Dane!”

“So did you!” His sharp response startled her and she stilled.

Dane paced to the window, his hands forking through his hair. Strands fell from the leather tie and hung around his face. Exhaustion showed around his eyes .

Seeing how stressed he was, she softly assured him, “I’m okay, Dane.”

He shook his head and rubbed his face. “Can you just…stay in bed until you’re a little stronger?”

Her body clearly needed rest and time to recover, but she couldn’t stay there. “I need to see her, Dane, with my own eyes.” The last time Juniper saw her… “He hurt her.”

“He hurt all of us.”

Dane didn’t know about Adriel’s stupid plan. He didn’t understand how close they came to losing her last night. Cerberus had her pinned down, his claws embedded in her flesh. If Adriel had a way to end her life in that moment, she would have.

Juniper’s head lowered. A mixture of relief and fear churned in her belly. “She almost died,” she whispered, her voice constricted by heavy emotions she didn’t want to name.

“But she didn’t, June. They can’t. Her body’s healed, and she just wants to be left alone now.”

That told her everything she needed to know. Cerberus had done more than claw at her.

“Just give her time. She’ll come around.”

She shook her head. “How could this happen to her? We were unprepared.”

“No good comes out of blame like that.”

She wasn’t fishing for forgiveness. She was taking accountability. This was her fault. She should have been more aware of their surroundings. “I should have protected her better. ”

“Hey.” He sat next to her on the bed and rubbed a hand down her back. “She’ll be okay. She’s alive. We all are. That’s all that matters.

His words brought little comfort. Some things are worse than death. Rather than debate him on things he didn’t understand, she nodded and dropped her gaze to the floor. They sat in silence for a heavy moment.

When she glanced at him again, she frowned. “Your arm’s better.”

He quickly covered where a large gash had been, and his expression turned guilty. “Yeah. She insisted.”

Juniper gaped at him. “She was injured, Dane! You had no right to take her blood?—”

“You took it too.”

“What? Why would you let her do that?”

“Let her? She’s a five-hundred-year-old immortal, June. No one lets her do anything. She does what she chooses.”

“She shouldn’t have done that.”

“Well, you needed something. She made sure you swallowed a few drops while you were sleeping. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Juniper stood and a wave of dizziness had her clutching the bedpost. “I need to talk to her.”

“I don’t think?—”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks right now. This is what I need to do.”

Navigating the steps carefully, she sluggishly took them downstairs. When she reached Adriel’s room, the door was closed. She knocked softly. “Ade? It’s me. Can I come in?”

The latch clicked as she turned the knob. Adriel lay on her side, her body turned toward the wall so Juniper couldn’t see her face.

“Hey.”

A soft sniff was her only reply.

She crossed the distance, unsure if her presence would be welcome. “Dane warned me to stay away, but I needed to see you.”

Dried mud and blood still caked the crevices of Adriel’s ankles and feet. Had she just been lying here for days in this filth?

“Baby?” When she rested a feather-light hand on her shoulder, her body trembled. “It’s okay to cry.” Climbing behind her, she gently curved her body close to hers and pulled her into her arms. “I’ll cry with you.”

A low whimper met her ears as Adriel’s shoulders shook.

Juniper’s heart broke. “It’s okay,” she whispered, stroking a gentle hand over her hair. Her tears made it hard to form words. “Whatever you’re feeling right now is okay.”

She knew too well the emptiness that followed an assault. That numbing void that turned a person inside out. There was no logical way through that sort of mind fuck. One could only suffer with it and hope living might become bearable again—despite the flashbacks, anger, and misplaced shame.

Her fingers gently untangled the knots in her hair. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of her shoulder.

A jagged breath tore out of her. “I… can’t do this. I can’t go back to that.”

“You won’t. He caught us off guard this time. Next time, we’ll be ready.”

“There won’t be a next time.”

The undertones of her vow sent a shiver down Juniper’s spine. She sat up and forced Adriel to look at her, but when she saw her battered face, she had to cover her own sob. Adriel had seen to their healing but not seen to her own.

That fucker was going to pay.

Shoving aside her hate, she drew in a galvanizing breath and focused on helping Adriel. “You listen to me, Ade. What happened up there does not change anything. You are not going back. No one is going to hurt you anymore. Do you understand?” She tried to speak firmly, but her voice trembled. “I mean it, Adriel. I will protect you, even if it means protecting you from yourself.”

She turned to face her. A tear slid through the blood and grime on her cheek. “I’m so scared, Juniper.”

She pulled her into a fierce hug. “I know. You would be crazy not to be. But, between the three of us, we can beat him. That’s where I need you to put your faith right now. Okay?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded tightly .

Juniper sighed and loosened her hold, but Adriel’s hand still clutched her shirt. She liked the idea of comforting her, being the strong one, the protector. Adriel might be half a millennium old and immortal, but there was something utterly innocent about her. And no one was going to fuck with that.

She kissed her nose and combed the hair away from her shimmering eyes. “What do you say we get you cleaned up?”

When Adriel nodded and scooted forward. Juniper slowly stood and held out a hand to gently help her from the bed. In the face of Adriel’s fear, her own pain somehow disappeared. “I’ll take care of you.”

“Thank you.”

Small cuts marked her skin. She wasn’t healing because she’d given her blood away. “After your bath, we’ll see about getting you fed.”

Adriel sat on the toilet while Juniper filled the tub. She kept her eyes on her task, but as she gathered a washcloth and towel from the closet, she noted how Adriel’s shoulders hunched inward and how haunted she appeared as she stared blankly at the floor.

When she stripped away her nightgown, she winced at the purple marks covering her torso. “Jesus.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Juniper glanced into her tired eyes, knowing that was a bald-faced lie. “You don’t have to be proud or strong around me, Ade. I was there. ”

With gentle motions, she pulled away her clothing, knowing the worst injuries were never the outward ones anyway. She used a warm, soapy washcloth to sponge away most of the dirt before helping her into the tub.

“It will feel good to soak for a while.”

Adriel’s breath caught as she lowered into the water and breathed out a quiet thank you. The water sloshed and stilled, only the occasional drip from the spigot disrupting the overwhelming silence.

“While you’re in there, I can call Danny?—”

“No.”

Juniper tried to understand her rejection. Was this it? Was she just going to starve herself? There was no way that was happening. Without feeding, her injuries would take forever to heal.

Juniper kneeled on a towel, deciding to face one obstacle at a time. “Let’s start with your hair.”

She filled a cup to rinse the grime from her copper waves. As she poured clean water over Adriel’s head and down her shoulders, she lathered her fingers with shampoo.

“Just try to relax.”

Juniper took great care to gently massage her scalp and wash behind her ears. This should have improved the situation, but the longer she gently washed her hair, the more Adriel wept.

Just as Juniper was about to ask if she wanted her to stop, Adriel stilled her hand and looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you. ”

“What?”

“On the farm. I could have helped you. There would have been consequences, but I should have helped you anyway.”

The blood rushed from Juniper’s face. If she was going to stay strong, she couldn’t entertain those memories of weakness right now. She wanted to be the rock, the one Adriel could lean on in her time of need.

“It’s over. I’m free. And soon, you will be too.” She couldn’t go back there, mentally or otherwise. “Lean forward.” But Adriel’s apology struck a nerve that needed to sing. “Thank you for admitting that.”

Adriel sat up, each vertebra of her spine slightly protruding beneath a spattering of bruises. Juniper washed her back. To an outsider, no one would ever assume this docile beauty was immortal. Her body might be battered at the moment, but once she fed, she’d heal, and then her beauty would be flawless again.

She dragged the washcloth over her shoulders and between her breasts. Soft peach flesh darkened with raspberry tips. As she carefully washed her delicate curves, her gaze followed the long length of her legs.

“You have adorable toes,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

She flushed, and her smile was worth everything.

“I want to bite them.” Juniper teased, playfully snapping her jaw .

Adriel squeaked, pulling her foot underwater. When she looked up at Juniper, the laughter stopped. She felt it. They both did. It was there, heavy and impossible to ignore. Juniper closed her hand over hers and gently squeezed. Silently promising to take care of her once more.

As if hearing her unspoken vow, Adriel dropped her gaze.

“You need to feed, Ade.” She couldn’t bear to watch her wither away in pain. If she nourished her body and felt better, her optimism would return. She’d realize they still have a fighting chance. “Maybe I should clarify. I’m offering.”

At that, Adriel looked up. “You’re still weak?—”

“I’m strong enough. Besides, the thought of you taking someone else’s vein right now makes me want to break something.” She wasn’t taking no for an answer. Standing, she bent to pull the plug and refreshed the bath with warm water. “Soak a while longer. I’ll find fresh sheets, and then I’ll be back.”

She needed a moment to clear her head. Adriel was confused and in pain. Getting her right was number one. But Juniper knew what feeding did. They would be close. It would be intimate. Her body would catch fire. She needed to keep a lock on her own personal desires. What Adriel needed right now was blood and a friend.

After making the bed, she returned to the bathroom. Adriel was wrapped in a towel, and facing the mirror.

“I would have helped you. ”

“I managed.” She handed Juniper a folded towel and a fresh washcloth. “You’re so worried about me that you forget to care for yourself.”

When their hands touched, Adriel slowly dragged her fingers over Juniper’s. She self-consciously glanced down at her dirty feet. “I should shower.”

“I’ll wait for you.” Her stare hid promise and intent, enough to disarm Juniper’s confidence. “Come to the bedroom when you're finished.”

Her hand lifted to Juniper’s face but paused to examine the feather hanging from her hair. Her lashes lowered, and she smiled.

“What you just did for me…” Adriel’s dark emerald eyes lifted. “No one has ever shown me such kindness.”

“The world’s fucked up, Ade, not you.”

Her smile turned sad and then thoughtful. “I don’t know if this is the way you are with other females?—”

“It’s not.”

She stilled, her smile once again stretching into something genuine. “Good. Because immortals can be quite territorial when they find something they want to claim.”

Juniper’s stomach tightened, and she nodded. “I feel that too.”

“Do you?” Adriel asked, thumb tracing over her racing pulse as she studied her response. “Do you feel the traitorous way my blood pumps whenever I’m near you? Can you hear how fast my heart is beating right now? Because I can hear yours.”

She could only hear her own unsteady breath. They couldn’t do this in her filthy state. She was jittery as hell and needed to collect herself. “I need to rinse off first.”

Adriel reached past her, and Juniper’s breath hitched, her body momentarily pinned to the door as she reached for the knob. “Dirty wouldn’t bother me.” The door clicked open and she paused, her nose turning toward her neck and she whispered, “I have a confession.”

Juniper’s shoulders pressed into the wood, and her eyes closed, her soft spoken words a balm to her soul. Adriel could literally read a recipe at and it would be hot. The air was still warm with steam and Adriel smelled of soap and mint and something sultry that seemed to naturally cling to her skin. “W-what?”

“I’ve fantasized about…tasting you.”

It was too much. Juniper caught her by the neck and spun them around so Adriel’s back hit the door. Her mouth smashed to hers, hard and hungry, and Adriel growled.

Nipping and kissing, Juniper demanded entry, knocking her knee between her thighs and pressing her stomach flat to hers as she dragged a hand possessively to her chest.

Greedily, she kissed her in a way she had never kissed her before, showing just how much she wanted her. How much she needed to show her everything she’d been ignoring these past few days.

Desire blazed through her. She couldn’t get close enough. She needed to slow down. But her touch was ravenous. Juniper gripped the damp towel and stilled at the sight of blood flecked across her knuckles and she stilled.

“Sorry.” Her gaze turned away. Adriel deserved better.

“You don’t have to apologize, or stop.”

But she did. “Let me at least wash up.”

She nodded then laughed softly. “You’re the one caging me in.”

“Oh. Right.” Juniper stepped back and looked away. Her emotions were all over the place. “I was so afraid I’d lost you.”

“Look at me, Juniper,” Adriel gripped her nightgown, fisting the fabric as she stared at her with raw promise in her eyes. “You have me.”

Her mouth was irresistible, and Juniper was kissing her again. “I want all of you,” she whispered, drunk on desire and thirsty for more. “Every part.”

“Do you sense opposition from me?”

Her eyes closed as she once again stayed her hand and tried to slow her racing heart. “I want you so much, I can hardly breathe.”

“Juniper, love, you have me.” She yanked the towel free, exposing her bare flesh.

“Fuck.” She raked a hand through her knotted hair. “You’re so beautiful.”

Adriel bashfully mirrored the gesture, and drops of water sprinkled her fingers. Her fiery hair spiked in haphazard clumps, making her look all the more adorable and sweet. “When you say that, I believe you mean it.”

Juniper yanked her body close and squeezed her ass. “I wouldn’t lie to you.” She dragged her lips over her throat and licked the drops of water that fell from her hair. “I want to taste and know every sweet inch of you.” She pressed her nose to her pulse and bit playfully at her shoulder.

Adriel gasped, her hands tugging at Juniper’s clothes in frustration. “I want that too.”

Juniper untangled Adriel’s hands from her nightgown and pushed them to her sides. She was so clean and fresh, she didn’t want to spoil her. “Let me just…” Leaning forward, she kissed the ruched tip of her nipple, and Adriel’s head fell back on a moan.

Whimpering, she forked her fingers through Juniper’s tangled hair. Juniper swirled her tongue lower, gripping her by the ribs and sucking her nipple into her mouth, never breaking eye contact.

Adriel’s lips parted, and her knees softened. Delicate ivory skin trailed under her fingertips as she teased her fingers lower. Adriel gasped when she traced the seam of her dewy folds, warm and smooth, hot and inviting, but also delicate like a kiss. She nudged the tip of her finger inside, and Adriel’s scent intensified then perfumed the air.

“Juniper…”

She heard the uncertainty in her voice and stilled. Her finger withdrew, but she kept her hand over her heat, cupping her softly as she turned away to find some scrap of composure. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not that. I just think we would be more comfortable in a bed.”

Juniper smiled. “Definitely.”

More than anything, she wanted Adriel to be comfortable. She kissed her one last time, briefly, and physically forced herself to step away.

“Go. Go now, before I attack you again. I mean it.” The door clicked, and she was gone. Juniper shook her head at Adriel’s inhuman speed. “And that’s at her weakest.”

She took the fastest shower of her life. Barely drying her body before going to Adriel’s’ bedroom.

Dark promises silently passed within their stare and the air charged with dizzying energy the moment she opened the door. “Do you still want?—”

“Very much.” She pulled back the covers and then flushed. “If you still do.”

“I do.” Her smile was nervous, which somehow made her even more tempting. Adriel might be the older one, but Juniper was definitely the more experienced of the two.

Adriel looked up at her nervously. “Do we?—"

Juniper toppled her to the bed and kissed her deeply before she could ask any more questions. Her towel fell away. Flesh to flesh, their hands freely explored .

She greedily cupped her luscious curves as her mouth trailed hungry kisses to her chest, plumping her breasts and teasing her until her nipples were wet and hard. Adriel moaned and arched, granting her full access to her beautiful body.

She was a drug. Her surrender a rush. Her scent an addiction. Her soft little moans a spell in and of themselves. She couldn’t choose just one place to explore. She wanted to lick and taste all of her, so much so that her gums started to hurt.

She sat up and gasped when a strange sensation stung her mouth.

“What is it?”

Covering her lips, she dragged a finger over her incisors. “I think…” She gasped again. “Is that a fucking fang? Did I just get my fangs?”

Adriel laughed and sat up, her hand lovingly caressing her jaw. “Let me see.” She smiled the moment Juniper flashed her teeth. “Congratulations.”

She supposed this would make things easier, but it was a little awkward to have it happen in the middle of a make-out session. She pressed her thumb to the tip, shocked by how sharp they were. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” She leaned back, stretching out like an offering. “Use them.”

Her eyes flared as Adriel’s lush thighs called to her. Unable to resist, she rolled to her belly, and pushed her knees apart. She first kissed her hip, then trailed her touch lower until she found the sweet pearl hidden between her folds.

Adriel stiffened.

“It’s okay.” Juniper lowered her mouth, and placed a staying hand on her belly. “You’ll like it. Just relax.”

She dragged her fangs over soft inner flesh of her thigh, teasing her mouth upward. Adriel’s head fell back with a whimper and her hands fisted nervously in the covers. Juniper recalled the first time a guy did this to her, he’d been all over the place, rushed, and sort of sloppy. Adriel’s first time was going to be nothing like hers.

She pressed her thighs wider and placed a gentle kiss on her swollen flesh. Adriel whimpered and bashfully covered her face.

Juniper teased a finger inside of her. “Tell me if it’s not what you want.”

Hands still over her face, she murmured, “I don’t know enough to know what I want.”

“Then you’ll have to tell me if it feels good. Or not.”

“Every time you touch me it feels amazing.”

She smiled and pressed another kiss on her clit. “Good. Then we’re heading in the right direction.” She sucked her little jewel between her lips, stroking slowly inside.

Soft moans keened from above as Adriel gently stretched and arched against her stroking touch. Curling her fingers, she delivered a rush of pleasure that had her breath quickening. She tasted of rain and mist.

Their moans grew louder, Adriel’s peppering the air as Juniper’s muffled against her slick heat. Arousal gathered at her fingers and she pressed deep, replacing her mouth with the heel of her palm to apply more pressure.

She climbed up her body and captured a nipple between her lips, sucking the tip hard enough to make her cry out. Adriel arched and dug her nails into Juniper’s back as slick honey bathed her fingers.

“That’s it, baby. I’ve got you.” She pushed deeper, pumping her fingers slowly, not giving her time to come down before another wave of pleasure built.

“What’s happening to me?”

“Nothing you need to fear. Trust me.”

Her head tipped back as her channel clenched, gripping her fingers as they teased deeper.

“You can let go. I won’t let you fall.”

Her legs trembled as tiny spasms chased the aftershocks rushing through her muscles. Juniper lowered her mouth again, closing her lips around her sensitized flesh as she kissed her slowly. Adriel jerked and gasped at the mercy of her touch, drunk on pleasure.

The bed creaked with every shuddered moan. Juniper captured her tight fist, loosening her grip so she could lace her fingers with her. She held her like that, delivering open-mouthed kisses and stroking her through another release.

The way she gasped in gentle surprise and gripped her hand. The sensations of her body pulsing against her tongue. Every experience leading up to this moment paled in comparison. This was right. Perfect. Not simply because she was a female but because she was Adriel. Pure, selfless, and kind.

“What are you doing to me?” she rasped, her free hand resting over her pounding heart. Her breasts wore the rosy markings of Juniper’s greedy kisses.

“Did you like it?”

She laughed. “What’s not to like?” She abruptly sat up. “Show me how to do it.”

She pulled her down to lay on top of her. “It’s just like a kiss.”

“It’s better than a kiss.”

Juniper tucked her short hair behind her ears and pulled her closer, dragging her mouth over Adriel’s. “First, you tease until everything’s nice and soft.” Her lips dragged slowly back and forth as their breath mingled. “Then you get it wet.” She licked slowly into her mouth. “You can use your fingers, but not too much too fast.” She bit her lower lip and gently pulled, releasing it with a soft snap. “And when its time, you’ll find that sweet little clit.” Her hand pressed between her legs, and she gasped. “You can kiss softly or suck hard. It all feels good. You can even rub gently like this… ”

Adriel’s head fell back on a sigh. “It was supposed to be my turn.”

Juniper caught her hand and shoved it between her legs. “Take whatever you want. I’m yours.”

Adriel rolled her to her back and took the lead. Juniper gave her plenty of space to explore. Her kisses were tentative at first, but then they grew deeper and more intentional.

Their bodies aligned perfectly. Warmth and softness. Tender curiosity. It all added up to one of the most erotic experiences of her life. Carnal and new. Adventurous yet safe.

It was then Juniper realized why she could be so open with her. They would never intentionally hurt the other. That realization undid her more than any touch and she gasped, her chest tight with emotion as delicate kisses trailed over her.

Lighter than a butterfly wing, Adriel dragged her mouth against her sensitized skin. A low purr hummed from her throat and when she looked up at Juniper with elongated irises that seemed to glow under the shadows of her lashes, twin fangs poked past her lips, and she caught her chin.

Juniper traced her thumb along the razor-sharp edge of her teeth, no longer finding the sight frightening. On the contrary, she was stunning. “I’m ready,” she whispered, with a curious smile.

“Are you sure? ”

“Very. I want this.”

Adriel pushed her fingers into her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat. The sharp pivot from gentle to possessive excited her in ways she couldn’t explain.

“Don’t forget to breathe.”

Juniper gasped the moment her bite punctured the skin. There was no pain, only sharp pressure that expanded much like a puddle blooms. She drank deeply, with the precise purpose of feeding her natural hunger and that initial prick faded away to make room for something dark and heady

The more aggressive she drank, the harder Juniper wanted it. “Yes…”

Heat pooled low in Juniper’s belly, and her breath quickened. She cradled the back of Adriel’s head, holding her close as her body arched and stretched wildly beneath her. The purring grew louder like the slow rumble of thunder until Juniper’s moans crested into desperate cries.

She needed more. Legs entangled, she rubbed her body against Adriel’s, seeking friction wherever she could find it. Tremors zipped through her, as she clutched her shoulders and bucked her hips.

“Harder,” she gasped. “You won’t hurt me.”

Adriel moaned, rocking her body over Juniper’s as she fed. Her hands closed around her wrists, and she ground over her at a more aggressive angle, pinning her hands to the bed. But Juniper needed to touch her.

Pulling a hand free, she dragged it between them, adding pressure to her throbbing clit as she aligned her sex with Adriel’s. Their bodies scissored and rubbed, driving the heat to an unbearable inferno she could hardly contain.

“I’m so close.” She strummed her harder, wedging her fingers anywhere they would fit and grinding her body with seeking need. “I want you to finish with me.”

Adriel cried out against her throat, gasping as Juniper thrust her fingers inside her heat.

“That’s it, baby. Keep sucking my vein. Let me finish you while you take what you need.”

Adriel moaned hungrily and rolled her hips, pulling hard at her vein as she moaned faster. The bed rocked and squeaked, but they were beyond caring about the noise as the sensations built and grew until every cell in her being burned with unparalleled pleasure. There was nowhere left for it to go. The more Adriel drank the closer Juniper came.

Then…bliss.

There was nothing delicate about that ecstasy-drenched moment. Neither of them were searching for whispers of refined femininity. They were lost in their baser instincts, primal and entitled to their own pleasure in a way she was certain neither of them had ever been before .

It was freeing to take what they wanted in such a raw, animalistic way. No shame. No guilt. No fear. Only pleasure.

It was easily the hottest experience of Juniper’s entire life.