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We didn’t have a connection—not a good one, at least. With a stable connection and a strong relationship, my bite would bring her pleasure.

My bite shouldn’t bring her anything but pain.

She frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“You don’t want me. I don’t want you. We don’t trust each other. That’s not something we can hide from the bite, even if we’re mates. It’ll hurt.”

“Then just make it quick.” She angled her head, offering her neck to me.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’d rather you get a taste now and have it calm things down between us than have to fight you and your mood swings every single day.”

“I’m not having mood swings,” I mumbled, brushing her neck with my nose, breathing in her intoxicating scent.

“Just do it,” she whispered, her breath quickening.

I dragged my tongue along her neck, shuddering as the faint traces of her blood teased me. “Don’t forget to stab me,” I muttered before sinking my fangs into her skin.

The moment her flavor hit my tongue, my knees buckled, and I had to use the edge of the bed to catch myself.

Her gasp, which turned into a moan of pleasure, left me even more disoriented as her body accepted my bite.

I hadn’t hurt her. The one time I hadn’t wanted to hurt her, I didn’t.

She wanted it.

She trusted me.

Fuck.

The warm liquid coating my tongue did nothing to quell my need. I’d never tasted blood so delicious in my life. No one else’s blood would ever compare to hers. No one else would ever compare.

Fuck.

When did we end up on the bed? How did I end up between her legs? Why was I dry-humping her like a teenager?

I moaned against her skin when she rocked against me, digging her nails into my back through my shirt.

“Rae?”

Zeke’s questioning voice from the hall hit me like a bucket of ice water over my head.

I forced myself off Raelynn and backed up several paces before catching sight of Zeke stepping into the doorway.

“Is everything okay?” He looked from me to Raelynn and back again. “Why do you have blood on your face?”

I needed to get away.

I couldn’t explain what had happened between us.

I didn’t want Zeke to judge me for being weak. He needed me to be the strong one. He trusted me to be that for him.

If he thought I was weak, he wouldn’t rely on me. I couldn’t live with that.

Unable to handle the look on his face any longer, I pushed past him and rushed out of the room to take refuge in my bedroom.

He could get her to the palace.