Blood From Stone, chapter 22

Chapter 22

04.30.2022-07.25.2022

“Jax! Wait up!” Liliana jogged to catch up to the third Winterbourne brother, who turned at the sound of her voice.

She paused in her tracks, boots crunching in the snow as she came to a halt. Jaxon quirked a brow at her, a warm cloud of his breath rising above him in the frigid January air. In that moment, she realized that she’d never seen him outside in the daylight before. With the sunshine glinting off his skin, the reflection amplified by the sparkling snow, he managed to look stunningly beautiful and out of place all at the same time.

His sable, close cropped hair was shot through with russet streaks in this light that she’d never noticed before. His eyes were the perfect blend of fiery orange and umber, like a glass of cognac. He cut a slender figure compared to Leon and Aubrey, but his muscle tone was undeniably visible through his skintight black jeans.

He opened his mouth to say something, then saw the way she was staring unabashedly at him. His smirk curved his full lower lip in a manner most delicious. Realizing she’d frozen on the spot, she shook off her stupor and closed the gap between them, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in the warmth of his chest.

Her sudden embrace caught him by surprise, and he stumbled back a step before righting them both with a laugh that was infectious. “See something you like, Lily?”

Liliana’s cheeks burned scarlet, but she could pretend it was the cold air that made the color bloom on her face. She looked up slightly at him, silently observing as she did her best not to drown in his eyes. “You might not sparkle in the sunlight, but god damn are you fucking beautiful in it, Jaxon.”

He cupped her face in his hands, smoothing the pads of his thumbs across the heat in her cheeks. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Liliana.” His voice was husky and silken, as if he were holding back what was truly on his mind. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“But you’re gonna freeze out here, Lily. I was just heading into the garage to work on my bike. Did you need something?”

She covered his hands with her own. “Mind if I tag along? I already went down and talked with Daniel about the way things have… changed.” She cast her gaze down and to the side, gnawing lightly at the corner of her lower lip. Her voice came out reedy, anxious. Borderline fearful. “…I’d rather not be in the house right now, ya know?”

“Ah. Understandable. Can’t say I blame you, honestly. Come on, then. Let’s get you inside.” He rested a hand on the small of her back, leading her forward into the garage. The door shut behind them and a rush of warm air sent a prickling sensation across her skin.

Jax clicked on the overhead lights, rows upon rows of them coming on in succession inside the cavernous, echoing building. The hum of the fluorescent lights was somehow comforting to Liliana, despite the sound being something that triggered migraines in her while she was in high school.

He watched her silently as her posture relaxed, a long steady exhalation passing through her lips. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Lily. I don’t normally let anyone out here with me. Aside from Draven, that is. He can be a punk, but he knows how to be quiet.”

Liliana rubbed her hands up and down her arms, turning slowly and taking in the vastness of the space around her. “Aside from the greenhouse, I don’t think I’ve been anywhere this quiet since I moved out here with you all.”

Jax nodded, unzipping his leather jacket and heading over to one of the many motorcycles covered with something akin to a blanket. He lifted the covering with a reverence that made Liliana feel like she was trespassing in a sacred space. She knew next to nothing about motorcycles, but it was some sort of a cruiser, with gorgeous sparkly silver flecks shot throughout the paint on the tank.

She took a casual step closer to better see what he was doing as he began checking fluid levels, squeezing levers, and a menagerie of things she didn’t quite understand. She watched his jaw clench, tendons in his neck standing out briefly before he purposely tilted his head aside. Joints popped as the tension released, but Liliana narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

Noting how standoffish his demeanor was, she didn’t make a sound, and didn’t move for several moments as she tried to figure out what the problem was. Finally, he set down the tools he was using, wiping his hands clean with a rag he must have had in his jacket pocket.

Alarm bells started ringing in her head, but she stood rooted to the spot as Jaxon stretched to his full height. Her panic intensified as she realized that she wasn’t just standing her ground, she was immobilized. Jax’s Vigor had somehow activated without him even touching her. He moved closer to her with maddening slowness, and she could do nothing but blink and audibly swallow as he stepped into her space, leaving her staring at his chest as he spoke.

“Oh, Lily…” His voice was gruff, low, and covered her skin in goosebumps. “You’re such a silly girl, thinking that you’d be safe with any of us, right now. You always forget, don’t you?” He cupped her face in his hands, rough fingertips hot against her skin as he tilted her head so she could meet his gaze. The pads of his thumbs ticked back and forth across her cheeks.

“’Forget what, Jax?’ I’ll tell you, honey. Don’t worry.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and her pulse sped in her veins. “You always forget what we are. We’ve gotten so good at playing nice for you. At being gentle, and careful, and moving human-slow for you… We are monsters, Liliana. Not just humans with a thirst for blood.”

“S-s-so what are you g-going to..?”

She stumbled forward as the force that held her still was suddenly released, throwing her hands up to catch herself against the solid muscles of his chest. She gripped a fistful of his shirt and blinked, and they had somehow crossed the vast expanse of the garage quicker than her body could register the location change. It made her stomach churn, and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose to stop the room from spinning.

Her feet weren’t touching the floor anymore. She was suspended purely from the force of Jax’s hips pinning her to the wall, and his hands wrapped around her wrists like cuffs. His breath was warm on her neck as a little chuckle escaped him, the gust of air sending a shiver down her spine. “Go on, Lily. Try to move. You’re a tough girl, right? Got guns for days. You should be able to throw my hands off, no problem.”

She knew she couldn’t, but that didn’t stop her from trying. With all the force she could summon from her chest and arms, Liliana tried to her damnedest to break free from Jaxon’s grip. She was surprised when she actually managed to bring her arms away from the wall, until a wicked smirk twisted his lips and he slammed her hands back where he wanted them.

He inhaled deeply, nuzzling his face against the crook of her neck. “That’s what I want from you, Liliana… Everyone else can bitch about the way fear makes your blood taste. Those pussies have the palates of a five-year-old that only likes dinosaur nuggies and French fries. Fucking plebes. I’ve been wanting a heavier dose of cortisol and adrenaline from you since I got that first sip.”

His fingers spasmed around her wrists, as if he was having difficulty controlling himself. “Do you understand, Lily? I swear I won’t actually hurt you, but I want you scared. I want you trembling. I want your blood racing through your veins like you just hit the bottom of the first drop on a roller coaster.”

He kissed her suddenly, his fervor crushing her lips against her teeth. She had no choice but to open for him, his stubble scraping her skin as he kissed her like he was going to draw her soul out with his lips and tongue.

When they parted, they were both panting heavily, Jax even more so than Liliana was. She had a sneaking suspicion about Jaxon, just from his reactions. It was her turn to give him a knowing grin. “Here you are, with all your talk about being the big bad wolf come to eat up Little Red, and yet… Who really holds the power here, Jaxon?” He stared into her eyes from inches away, and she fought not to flinch from the intensity in his gaze. “Sure, you want me scared so I fit your flavor profile. That, I understand. But if you’re so fucking scary, why haven’t you just made an hors d’oeuvre out of me already?”

She was met with silence and his predatory gaze that still made her heart race. “Because I’m the one who holds the leash here, aren’t I? You won’t gnaw on me unless I give you the go-ahead, no matter how much the idea of a proper fresh taste of me on your tongue makes you salivate.” He looked away for a second and she was met with more silence. “Beg for it.” Her words were terse, low, clipped. An obvious command.

The muscles in his neck stood out as he clenched his jaw. His entire body was stock still, otherwise. Several beats passed before he licked his lips, his words coming out as a nearly inaudible whisper. “Liliana… Please.”

“Please what, Jaxon?”

He let out a small, dry, humorless chuckle. “Look at you, flipping that switch at just the right moment. You’re full of surprises, Lily.” His lips were at her throat again, teasing her with slow kisses that nearly had her resolve crumbling. Hot breath on her ear sent chills down her spine. His whispered words accelerated her already frantic pulse with the intensity of a shot of epinephrin. “I want to feel your flesh, your blood, burst on my tongue like ripe fruit. Your scent is so appetizing right now that I couldn’t get it out of my mind, even if I tried.”

His grip on her wrists clamped down like a vice. “Please let me feel your heartbeat pouring out of your veins and into my mouth, Lily.”

Liliana turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, still a touch nervous that the venom would paralyze her. “Nothing vital,” she said softly.

“Now you’re just taking all the fun out of it…” he murmured, kissing along her collarbone.

“Keep it up and I’ll fucking headbutt you, jerk. Just do it, already!”

“As you wish.”

She felt them move, and her stomach twisted a bit, but with her eyes closed the speed didn’t make her want to toss her cookies this time. Liliana felt something flat and solid pressed against her back, and she was now laying horizontal. Jax unzipped her jacket the rest of the way, sliding surprisingly warm hands slowly up her sides as his torso rested heavily atop hers.

With no other warning, Jaxon sank his fangs into the meat of her shoulder, almost in the same spot Aubrey had bitten her. There was a slight stinging sensation at first, then a pleasant tingling warmth that settled in her body. She felt weightless, relaxed, at peace.

She didn’t know how long he drank from her wounds, but when he hastily dragged his tongue across them and the itchy healing feeling snapped her back to reality, she could hear him saying something under his breath.

“What?” she mumbled. Her brain, body, and speech were all slow, like she was waking from a deep slumber.

“I’m sorry, Lily.” Eyebrows knitted together in confusion, she opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “I wasn’t going to do this, but you’re too damned delicious for me not to.”

She heard the screech of metal crunching beside her head and turned to see that the solid slab of steel she laid on now had a perfect imprint of his fingers buried in the surface, mere inches from her skull. He could have punched through her head like a piece of wet paper, with that sort of power. And this was their power without being fully fed on her blood? Lily wasn’t sleepy anymore. She was certain her life was going to be cut short. Right here, right now. She gripped his shoulders through his leather jacket, and vainly tried to shove him off her.

Jaxon shivered but didn’t budge. His words came out strained, stuttering, breathy. “I told you I wouldn’t actually hurt you, remember?” Liliana didn’t let go of him, but she did stop struggling. “Fuck,” he muttered to himself.

“If you’re not going to hurt me, why are you apologizing?”

She felt his smirk against her skin. “Because I wasn’t planning on sending you back to the house soaked down to your socks, but… If that’s how you taste with just a little spike of fear… I’ve gotta do this, Lily. For science.”

Before she’d fully spoken his name, he bit her again. The pleasant warmth from before amplified, curling and growing in the pit of her stomach. She let out a disbelieving gasp as he lifted himself above her, holding his weight on his forearms. He wasn’t touching her, but the tension continued to grow inside of her. His lips were somehow clean, and the heat in his eyes scorched her clear down to her soul. “Want to see a neat trick, Liliana?”

She was trembling beneath him, every nerve ending in her body seeming to spark at once, the sensations of mounting ecstasy so overwhelming that it was borderline painful. It was like having an orgasm ruined, over and over again. The descent into pleasure was just out of reach, but so close she could taste it on her tongue.

He sighed softly. “That expression on your face is so cute, Lily... Needy, longing. So close, but not quite there yet. I’d love to drag it out more, but I’ll stop teasing, before it wears off.” Jax buried his face in the hollow of her shoulder, gentle but insistent lips and tongue against her throat somehow throwing her over the edge so violently that if he hadn’t been pinning her body down, she probably would have convulsed clear off the desk.

Jaxon held her as she came, murmuring soft affirmations against her skin, in her ear. He brushed locks of hair back away from her forehead, an unreadable smile on his features before he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She returned it in kind.

They laid in comfortable silence for a few moments, Liliana taking the opportunity to relearn how to breathe. Finally, she tried to speak, her voice coming out as a hoarse croak. She sighed and licked her lips, clearing her throat before trying again.

“How did you manage to do that after you bit me, and not while it was happening? Are you the cum-wizard or something, Jax?”

He stared at her, unable to find words and just bursting into laughter. “The things that come out of your mouth sometimes, Lily. Good lord.” He shook his head, and she closed her eyes, exhaling heavily.

Jaxon moved off her, sitting on the desk and leaning his back against the wall. He pulled her up to sit between his legs, spooned against his chest and cradled in his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his hands settling on hers and lacing their fingers together.

“Remember how we told you that blood was for power, food was for energy?”

“Mhmm,” she replied sleepily.

“Your blood is... Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, Liliana. And getting it right from the tap, instead of cold, sludgy, and nowhere near the source...” He shivered. “I can see how someone could get carried away.”

She thumped the back of her head against his chest. “But you won’t. And no, that’s not a challenge.”

“Perish the thought, Lily. But to my point... The more of your blood we get, the stronger we become. And apparently that can also mean random boosts to our base powers.”

“So nomming on me is helping you progress through your talent tree.”

Jax smirked. “That’s one way of putting it. As to how I did what I did... while my venom is fresh in your bloodstream, it lets me exert a bit of control over certain happy chemicals in your body.”

Liliana shifted a bit in his arms, closing her eyes again and yawning. “Calling you a cum-wizard is just easier. You and Leon are more alike than you might think, you know.” She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle another yawn. “You don’t mind if I take a little nap, do you?”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Rest for a few, Lily. You’re safe.”

He watched her drift off, feeling sated and anxious in fits and starts. Liliana was practically a vending machine for vampiric power, and she had no idea. Aubrey hadn’t mentioned that it felt like this.

He found himself doubting his last words to her, if others discovered how very different she was from any other bloddukke he’d ever sank fangs into.