Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
But Severin was watching everything…the way her lips stretched around Ravik…the way her hand looked so small wrapped around his thick shaft. The way her cheeks hollowed slightly when she sucked. His pale blue eyes followed every movement and his gaze felt almost like a touch—cool and hot at the same time, clinical and starving all at once.
It made Cassie want to do even more.
The realization shocked her so much she almost pulled back.
What was she thinking? This wasn’t a performance. She wasn’t putting on a show. She was helping Ravik. Healing Ravik. Doing what needed to be done in order to get the ointment where it had to go and maybe, somehow, bring him further out of the virus-fog.
And yet…
And yet there was some secret part of her that liked knowing Severin was watching…liked seeing his cool, scientific control slip. Liked the way his elegant hand gripped the edge of the lab table so hard his knuckles went white. And especially liked the way his voice had gone hoarse when he told her to keep going.
Maybe it was because Mitch had hardly ever looked at her except to complain about something.
Or maybe it was because Sskarth had looked at her like an exotic possession until he’d gotten bored—then like a “defective mammal” once her hot flashes started.
Maybe it was just because Cassie had spent so many years feeling invisible, unwanted, or too much—too curvy, too warm, too wet, too emotional, too old—and now two enormous Kindred warriors were looking at her like she was the answer to every hunger they had.
Whatever the reason, her inner exhibitionist had clearly chosen the worst possible time to wake up…or maybe the best time.
“Mate sucks so good,” Ravik groaned as she swirled her tongue carefully over the broad head of his shaft, paying special attention to the burned spot.
The minty ointment tingled against her lips and tongue, but underneath it she could taste him—warm, salty, masculine, and utterly addictive. His scent was stronger here, smoky and spicy and unmistakably male. It filled her head and made the ache between her thighs grow worse.
“Goddess,” Severin breathed from beside them. “Look at his eyes.”
Cassie pulled back just enough to look up at Ravik.
His golden eyes were clearer now—much clearer. The milky film had receded until it was only a faint haze around the edges of his irises. He was staring down at her with a look of hungry desire that made her heart flutter in her chest.
“Is…is it working, do you think?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless and strange even to her own ears. “Am I healing him? Not just here…” she nodded to the thick cock throbbing in her hands. “But there—in his head?” She nodded at the clearing golden eyes again.
“Yes.” Severin’s voice was hoarse. “Yes, it’s working. His neurological response is stabilizing again.”
“That sounds good.” She licked her lips and Ravik’s cock twitched in her hand. “Right?”
“It is good. Very good.” Severin took one step closer, his gaze fixed on Ravik’s shaft and her mouth with a focus that made Cassie’s cheeks heat. “But I think…Cassandra, I think you need to take him a little deeper.”
She looked up sharply.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes flicked to hers at once.
“Only if you’re comfortable doing so,” he said quickly. “You can stop at any time.”
“Well, thank you for that.” Cassie tried to sound sarcastic, but the words came out shakier than she wanted. “But why exactly do I need to take him deeper? For science?”
A faint flush touched Severin’s cheekbones.
“For science, yes.” His voice was strained, but he held her gaze. “Also for healing. Look at him—his pupils are responsive again, his speech centers are reactivating, and the film over his eyes is nearly gone. Your scent brought him partway back, but your mouth seems to be doing something stronger. It might be the saliva contact, or the emotional association, or the pleasure response. Most likely all three.”
“The pleasure response?” Cassie repeated.
Severin nodded, clearly grateful to have something scientific to cling to.
“The Hunger Virus suppresses higher cognition by over-stimulating predatory appetite and blocking mate-recognition pathways. But Kindred bonding biology is extremely powerful. Pleasure—especially pleasure given by a female Ravik recognizes as his mate—may be flooding his system with counter-signals. Endorphins, oxytocin analogues, bonding hormones, Beast Kindred mating pheromones.” His eyes dropped briefly to Ravik’s shaft and then returned to Cassie’s face. “The stronger his pleasure response, the more likely it is to push the virus back.”
Cassie stared at him.
“So you’re telling me that giving him a better blowjob might fight the zombie virus?”
Ravik made a low, hungry sound.
“Cassie’s mouth feels good on my cock,” he rumbled. “Good mouth heals Ravik.”
Cassie’s face went hot. Oh God, she couldn’t believe she was doing this…and yet, she didn’t want to stop.
Severin closed his eyes for a second, as though praying for patience or self-control or possibly both.