City of the Fallen by Diana Bocco

his arms, legs entangled and heat oozing from his body and into hers.
     
    Her lids were heavy, satisfaction making her body feel lavish and lingering.
     
    “Is it always like this with humans? For you?”
     
    His body tensed and the beating of his heart against her ear got just a little louder, more insistent.
     
    “It’s never been like this, Belle,” he whispered, tightening his arms around her. “It’s never been so… intense, so dark.”
     
    Her heart fluttered. Darkness . So he felt it too. All-encompassing, so powerful it scared her. And still, too exquisite to ignore. Too beckoning.
     
    She helplessly searched for something to say back, drawing a blank. Because she was finding it impossible not to agree with him.
     
    When he pulled her closer, melting her into his body, she was glad to be distracted.
     
    “What do you think of the compound?” he whispered and the sound resonated against her ear, sending shivers through her body.
     
    She guessed what he was really asking was, Is it so bad here? And the truth was that it wasn’t. She could somewhat understand the attraction of living in the compound. Food, safety, protection. And at least for her, pleasure. But in the end, she was still a prisoner. Nothing but slaves, her brother used to say. They were kept alive because they served a purpose.
     
    “It’s a nice prison, I guess,” she answered.
     
    Marcus’ eyes darkened just a notch. She expected him to say something but instead he slid his hand towards her naked chest, making her gasp.
     
    He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. It was the first time she’d seen a full smile on his face and she liked it. It was a wicked smile, the kind that said, I’ve got this power and I know it . It was also a glimpse into his vulnerable side, his human side. The side that made it easier to forget what he really was.
     
    “I’ve never had an uncharmed human respond this way to my touch before. Something tells me you like it.”
     
    She did.
     
    “Maybe I’m faking it,” she taunted him.
     
    Marcus’ hand slid higher, until it was resting on her left breast, almost touching her nipple but not quite. The breath caught in her throat and her heart sped up, heat searing through her before she even realized what was happening.
     
    Damn her body.
     
    “I don’t think so.” He lowered his head to whisper the words against her lips.
     
    She hated that he was right about this. She hated even more that he was nothing like she had expected the king to be. He was smart, passionate and a hell of a lot sexier than a vampire should be.
     
    And her mind and heart were in a raging battle.
     
    Kill him.
     
    Love him.
     
    Enslaver.
     
    Lover.
     
    Her biggest fear was that the longer she spent in his arms, the easier it would be for her heart to win the battle. And that wasn’t something she could allow. That would be the ultimate betrayal—of her brother, of the people she had left behind. It would be betraying herself, even though part of her felt she was already doing that.
     
    Marcus’ lips closed over hers, awakening her body again, fueling the betrayal that flowed through her veins. He gripped her tightly, ravishing sounds escaping from her throat or his or both in a confusion of pleasure and need. As she closed her eyes and pushed against him, nails digging into his back, all she could think about was how exquisite he felt.
     
    And, God help her, just how much she wanted to keep feeling him.
     
    ~*~
     
    Belle felt pulsing and soft in his arms. It was the life pulse that only humans could provide—and that he suddenly couldn’t get enough of. He swore internally. Every second he spent with Belle only served to increase his cravings. Not only for her blood, but also for her energy and how she made him feel.
     
    “Belle, do you remember what I asked you about yesterday?”
     
    Her body tensed up and he instinctively tightened his arms around her.
     
    “The wild