God, he was loathsome. To want to take that dirty thing and force it into her? He might as well shove a toilet brush in her mouth.
"You tremble..." she said. "Are you cold?"
She shifted even closer to him, and he felt her breast, soft and warm, on the back of his forearm. The it twitched wildly, popping against his pants.
Shit. He had a feeling that punch action meant he was dangerously aroused.
Yeah, ya think? Hell, the bastard was throbbing, and the balls under the thing ached, and he was having visions of rutting on her like a bull. Except a female's fear was the only thing that got it hard, and she wasn't scared. So what was he responding to?
"Zsadist?" she said softly.
"What?"
The four words she spoke next turned his chest into a cinder block and made his blood freeze up solid. But at least all that other crap went away.
When Phury's door opened without any warning, his hands froze on the T-shirt he was pulling over his head.
Zsadist stood between the jambs, naked to the waist, black eyes burning.
Phury cursed softly. "I'm glad you came. About last night... I owe you an apology."
"I don't want to hear it. Come with me."
"Z, I was wrong to - "
"Come. With. Me."
Phury yanked the shirt hem down and checked his watch. "I have to teach class in a half hour."
"This won't take long."
"Ah... well, okay."
As he followed Z down the hall, he figured they could get through the apology on the road.
"Look, Zsadist, I'm really sorry about last night." His twin's silence was not a surprise. "I jumped to the wrong conclusion. About you and Bella." Z walked even faster. "I should have known you wouldn't hurt her. I would offer you a rythe."
Zsadist stopped and glared over his shoulder. "What the hell for?"
"I offended you. Last night."
"No, you didn't."
Phury could only shake his head. "Zsadist - "
"I am sick. I am disgusting. I can't be trusted. Just because you've got half a brain and have figured that out doesn't mean you need to stroke my ass with this apology bullshit."
Phury's mouth dropped. "Jesus... Z. You're not - "
"Oh, for fuck's sake, will you get the lead out?"
Z marched down to his room and opened his door.
Bella sat up on the bed, gathering the lapels of the silk robe close to her neck. She seemed totally confused. And too beautiful for words.
Phury looked back and forth between her and Z. Then he focused on his twin. "What is this?"
Z's black eyes stuck to the floor. "Go to her."
"Excuse me?"
"She needs to feed."
Bella made a choked noise, like she'd swallowed a gasp. "No, wait, Zsadist, I want... you."
"You can't have me."
"But I want - "
"Tough. I'm out of here."
Phury felt himself get shoved into the room and then the door slammed shut. In the silence that followed, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to scream with triumph or... just plain scream.
He took a deep breath and glanced at the bed. Bella was curled up on herself, her knees to her chest.
Good God, he'd never let a female drink from him before. As a celibate, he hadn't wanted to risk it. With his sexual urges and his warrior blood, he'd always been afraid that if he let a female take his vein, he'd become overwhelmed and try to get inside her. And if it was Bella, he'd find it even harder to stay in neutral.
But she needed to drink. Besides, what good was a vow if it was easy to uphold? This could be his crucible, his chance to prove his discipline under the most extreme circumstances.
He cleared his throat. "I would offer myself to you."
As Bella's eyes lifted to his, his skin got too small for his skeleton. Which was what rejection did to a male. Just shriveled you right up.
He looked away and thought of Zsadist, who he could sense was right outside the room. "He may not be able to do this. You are aware of his... background, aren't you?"
"Is it too cruel of me to ask?" Her voice was full of strain, deepened by her conflict. "Is it?"
Probably, he thought.
"It would be better if you used someone else." God, why can't you take me? Why can't you need me instead? "I don't think it would be appropriate to ask Wrath or Rhage, as they are mated. Maybe I could get V - "
"No... I need Zsadist." Her hand shook as she brought it to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."