Free Daughters of Lyra: Heart of a Commander by Felicity Heaton

breathing shaky. A
glance into his eyes revealed they were vivid crimson, intently
fixed on her face. He pushed his hands up and under her vest,
claiming her bare breasts. She bit her lip to stifle the moan that
tried to escape her when his thumbs brushed her pebbled nipples.
Sparks shot out from their hardened points each time this thumbs
tortured them. She pushed her breasts into his hands, eager to feel
more than his hands on her. Her mind raced to imagine how it would
feel to have his mouth on her, his teeth teasing her nipples and
tongue torturing her.

    “ Touch me,” she
begged, arching into his palms, aching inside.

    Van growled and pulled her
vest off. The chill air sent a wave of goose bumps washing over her
skin. Her heart pounded as he pulled her into his arms and picked
her up. She clung to him, peppering kisses across his cheek, his
forehead, his neck, anywhere she could reach. She bit lightly on
his collarbone and he stilled. The air in the room seemed to shift,
turning heavy and hard to breathe. He threw her down on the bed,
towering over her, his eyes red and intense. His fingers stroked
the point on his neck where she had bitten.

    Amerii’s breathing
quickened as she stared into his eyes, seeing his feelings battling
inside him. Biting him might not have been her greatest ever
idea.

    With a low rumbling growl,
he covered her body with his, his hands claiming her wrists and
pinning them to the bed.

    A little more dominant
than she had expected.

    She wriggled to get free
and his grip tightened. His lips parted to reveal sharp teeth. The
shine left his eyes, making her feel as though he was no longer
conscious of what he was doing. He lowered his head towards her and
she gasped when he kissed her. Rough. Passionate. Everything she
had imagined it would be and so much more. His mouth slanted over
hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. She tried to respond but
he was too fierce. Their teeth clashed. Too hungry. She submitted
to him, hoping he would calm down. A flash of pain burst in her lip
and her eyes widened when she tasted blood.

    Blood.

    Van’s kisses grew
hungrier, deeper, stealing her breath and turning her giddy. She
pushed her arms up but he growled and shoved her wrists harder
against the bed. Wrestling her mouth free of his, she turned her
head to the side, breathing hard in an effort to clear her head. It
spun but she wasn’t frightened. She knew in her heart that Van
wouldn’t hurt her. He was just caught up in the moment and the
bloodlust.

    “ Van,” she
whispered to her arm, staring at his right hand where it tightly
gripped her wrist. Her hands were pale. He was holding her too
tight.

    His body pressed against
hers and she moaned internally at the feel of his hard arousal
grinding against her groin.

    “ Van?” she
whispered again, hoping he would hear her wherever he had gone off
to. She didn’t feel as though he was here with her. He had said
that she might be able to get through to him when he was lost in
the bloodlust. She hoped that he was right.

    He dipped his head and
kissed her neck, constantly returning to lick the arch of it above
her collarbone. It tingled and then she felt nothing. Whenever his
tongue brushed it now, it felt as though he hadn’t touched her. It
felt missing, numb.

    Her eyes widened as it hit
her.

    She couldn’t let him do
that when he was like this. She wanted it but she wanted him aware
of what he was doing when it happened.

    Amerii pushed her arms up,
hoping to get his attention. He growled and pressed his body harder
against hers.

    “ Van!” she
snapped and he paused at last.

    He slowly drew back and
blinked at her, the shine back in his red eyes along with a look of
confusion.

    “ Are you with
me?” she said and furrowed her brow, hoping his answer would be
yes.

    He looked at his hands
where they gripped her wrists and snatched them away, moving to
kneel on the bed between her legs.

    “ I...” He
swallowed visibly and stared