The door swung open and Draven turned to Lucinda with a smile. “Good evening.” It was more like one o’clock in the morning and she really should be in bed already.

She smiled back at him but concern worried her eyes. “Master Draven what are you doing out here? Please, come in. This is your room too.”

Yeah, don’t remind me. He nodded once then marched around her. He was careful not to brush against her.

“Did you learn anything?” Draven grabbed a clean pair of clothes from the dresser.

“I lost the scent halfway through the city. I don’t know what happened but the demon was definitely here; it took her.”

Lucinda sat in a chair, her shoulders slumped forward, and her dress puffed out from her legs like a princess gown. Damn if she didn’t wear low-neck gowns; he cursed.

“That is so horrible. I hope you can find her.” Draven probably shouldn’t be surprised, but at the sound of her soft plea, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. He’d heard pleas like that before, words wrapped in sweet malice by an even more beautiful face. God what was with him tonight? She is not Charlotte.

How can you be sure?

She looked up at him with beseeching eyes. “Master Draven I’m afraid we must speak about something.” Draven’s chest eased from the tightness imprisoning it for a moment.

“What is it?” Panic and hope warred inside him.

“You have not fed in many days,” she said softly. “If you do not then you will weaken.” She spoke so quietly even his exceptional hearing registered it as a whisper. Draven lifted his gaze to see her watching the floor, her back straight, soft shoulders back.

Watching her like this with a dim lamp from the corner lighting her in a soft haze, Draven was slammed with lust. His body grew tight with anticipation, his cock hardening like cooling metal. She had no idea what kind of danger she was in around him. Of the thoughts he had about her.

“I understand if you wish to use another and not me.”

Draven jerked as he realized what she said. God dammit. He didn’t know what was worse—that she wanted him to take from her or that he wanted to with a need that bordered on violent. He wouldn’t go back to the past though. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He’d barely gotten through it the first time.

Did she have any idea how hard it was to control himself? How hard he had to concentrate not to take her body and her blood, because he wanted to with a desperation that scared him. Hence why he stayed out late every night, hoping to avoid her as much as possible. He even left her during the day; did she have anything to do? Did she leave the room? He had no idea.

Her shoulders slammed back, straightening her body in a move that must hurt, then she stood and looked at him, one brow arching delicately, her mouth soft, hands folded at her waist.

“I release you as my host.”

Draven did a double take. “What?”

“You heard me, Draven. I release you from this binding.”

“You can’t do that.” God this was just what he wanted but then why were anger, refusal, swiftly boiling in his blood?

“I just did,” she said with a stiff finality that had his mouth dropping. He watched as she moved about the room, grabbing her suitcases and filling them with her gowns and slippers.

“You can’t do that.” His mind was reeling. She couldn’t go; he wanted her so badly. He couldn’t keep her here and risk losing himself—he’d learned that lesson already. What the hell did he do then?

Draven shut off his mind. It didn’t know what the hell it wanted anyways. Then he stalked after her.

Either she didn’t hear him or she refused to turn around because he stood behind her, a scowl on his face as she loaded her gowns into the oversized luggage.

“Lucinda.”

No response. Draven worked his jaw side to side.

“Lucinda, I do not release you as my frimar.”

Draven was not prepared for what happened next. Lucinda let out a fierce, angry growl then spun around on him. Draven took a step back as he registered her anger. He’d never seen her like this. Her chest rose and fell quickly, teeth bared, eyes wide and hot with anger.

She took a step forward and Draven backed up. “You...you,” she said shaking a slender finger at him, “have been nothing but...a nuisance in my bottom from the moment this all started.”

Draven cocked his head to the side and didn’t know whether to laugh or...

“You ask me to be your frimar but then you never let me do my duties. I come here with you then I am left all day long in this miserable guest room with nothing to do. Have you seen the floors?”

Draven looked down at the wood floors and had never felt more stupid than he did in this moment. He had no clue what she was talking about.

“Of course not. I scrubbed them with my bare hands. Every single inch because I was bored!” She was panting hard, her cheeks flushed with a rosy color.

“I’m sorry.”

Maybe it was the wrong thing to say because her eyes narrowed on him and even though she was at least a head shorter than he was, she gave the appearance that she was looking down at him.

“It doesn’t even matter. I don’t even care about that! I know about your past, Draven. I know about your previous frimar. I’m sorry about that, truly sorry. But I am not her in any way, shape, or form.”

Draven didn’t correct her on how wrong she was, because she’d pushed herself against his chest in her lecture. Flattening her chest against him in the most provocative way. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes glittering and sparkling until they looked like the green stem of a rose. Draven did the only thing he knew to. The only thing he wanted to. The one thing he’d been craving for so long, he couldn’t even remember.

He pulled her against him, then slammed his mouth down on hers.

For a moment he was taken aback at how soft and pliable her lips were. She seemed just as stunned as he was, but then she made a soft gasping sound and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Draven never had a chance to kiss her, because she took it over. She pressed her lips against his again and again. Draven’s blood boiled, his cock throbbing with intense arousal. She was soft and light in his arms, and her mouth...untrained. Had she never kissed a man before? She never opened her mouth when she kissed him, only pressed soft, sexy kisses across his lips. Draven almost lost it. Breathing hard, he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands.

“Open your mouth for me. I need to taste you.” Her eyes widened with shock, then darkened with heat. Draven kissed her again then parted her lips with his tongue. She made another soft noise that drove him wild. His tongue met hers, and hers retreated before slowly coming back to meet his.

Draven groaned as she started playing with him, thrusting slowly against him then tracing his teeth and fangs. Release boiled, his cock throbbing. Draven lost all thoughts.

Grabbing her hips, he worked his tongue back and forth in her mouth as he pushed her around. Her back hit the door and another one of those damned soft noises came out. God he loved that sound, soft and needy just for him. They ate at each other, heads cocked, lips and tongue fighting.

Draven bunched the bottom of her gown until he touched bare, soft leg. God she was soft and smooth. He continued his way over her soft, delicate knee to her thigh. Her chest rose faster against his and Draven tore his mouth away to find her neck. The scent of rose petals drifted over him. He licked her pulse as he learned the roundness of her thigh.

“Draven,” she whispered raggedly. It was like lighting a rockets fuse.

Draven pulled back and yanked the front of her dress down. Material ripped and he didn’t care because her breasts spilled free like a beautiful gift for him. He only took a moment to memorize her; she was round and big with pink nipples that ached for him. Draven wanted to ease them so he took one into his mouth.