Movie night? As she flitted over to Alora and began a very animated conversation, Evan came toward me, drinking an NST.

“You had your mind scanned yet?”

I nodded. “Last night. No sign of demon interference.”

“Good. I was telling Ava earlier that another supplier was found. Like the last one, he was a pile of ashes – ashes containing red residue. A high number of the clients we tracked were in the same state.”

“So it’s looking like there’s a leak.” And as much as I found that important, I couldn’t give Evan my full attention; my gaze kept straying to Ava, and I was sure it was territorial.

“Sadly, yes.” He exhaled heavily. “If that’s true, I’d like to think the person has no idea what they’ve done. But it wouldn’t be the first time that someone at The Hollow proved to be a traitor. The idea of it being someone in the legion…That’s hard to stomach.”

“Who else has access to the information?”

“Sam, Jared, Antonio, Sebastian, Ryder, and our researchers. I trust all of them.”

I wasn’t the trusting kind, so I couldn’t say the same. But I found it hard to believe that any of them would betray The Hollow – particularly Sam, Jared, and Antonio.

Evan took a gulp of his NST. “I thought you might want to know that your Sire sought me out last night. He wants a position in the legion. Did he go to you about it first?”

I briefly glanced at Ava. “Yes. I sent him to Coach and Jared.”

“He consulted them, too. When they blew him off, he came to me. He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”

“What did you say?”

“That there aren’t any positions of any kind available right now.” Another swig of his NST. “Even if there were, I would have turned him away. Sam doesn’t trust him, and I respect her judgment. I know he’s your Sire and that might offend you, but –”

“It doesn’t offend me. When he came here, I saw another side of him.” A side I didn’t like or respect. I glanced at Ava again, frowning when I saw that Ryder had joined her and Alora.

“You don’t have to worry about Ava and Ryder, you know.” Evan sounded amused.

“I know.” I realised right then that I trusted Ava. “Doesn’t mean I like seeing him or any other guy touching her. And I’m not sure you’re in a position to judge me on that.” He could be just as bad with Alora.

“Oh, I know,” he admitted with a smile.

“What the hell is movie night?”

“The girls get together once a month in one of their apartments. They watch a movie, eat crap, and do whatever things girls do. I don’t know what those girl-things are, and I don’t think I want to know.” He shuddered a little, as if feminine things made him uncomfortable. Yeah, I could relate to that. His smile turned crooked and teasing. “I hear your new sofa cushions are nice.”

I arched a brow. “How are all your plants?”

His smirk shrunk. “Bastard.” There was no heat in the word.

“Clearly we’re going to have to end their conversation for them.” I went to Ava, picked her up by her t-shirt, and carried her out of the office.

She kicked her legs. “This is simply unnecessary.”

Ignoring that, I zoomed to our apartment in vampire speed, only releasing her when we arrived in the living area.

She pivoted, glaring at me. “What was all that about?” Her confrontational posture slipped away as she then asked, “And why are you advancing on me like a feral wolf scenting prey?” She backed away, but there was no wariness in her expression as I stalked her.

Once her back met the wall, I placed my hands either side of her head. “You let him touch you.”

Her mouth formed an ‘O’. She patted my chest, and for once there was no patronisation in the act. “It was just my elbow. Nothing exciting or sexual or remotely important.” Apparently, that was supposed to be a reassuring statement.

I brought my face close to hers, barely refraining from growling at her. “Not remotely important? All of you is important – inside and out.” But thanks to the assholes in her past, Ava didn’t see that, so she didn’t see her importance to me. I’d told her several times, but she just wasn’t hearing me. Insecurities still taunted her, and I hated that.

“You took what I said the wrong way.”

“Whether it’s your elbow, your ass, your breasts isn’t the point – every inch of you matters.” And every inch of her was mine. I slammed my mouth on hers, driving my tongue inside. Dominating, devouring, and consuming her with just my lips, tongue, and teeth. She softened under the assault, letting me lead. Pacifying me, I understood. I didn’t want to be soothed. I wanted to fuck.

I unbuttoned and roughly shoved down her jeans. She kicked them off just as she pulled off my t-shirt. I whipped off her own, lifted her high by her waist, and latched on tight to a nipple. The texture and taste of her was a double assault on my senses, making my cock throb and ache. I was so hard it was actually fucking painful.

Moaning, she threaded her hands in my hair, tugging as I suckled and bit hard enough to sting. I switched my attention to her other breast, licking, nipping, and drawing the taut bud deep into my mouth. As the scent of her need swirled around me, a growl rumbled up my chest. “I love how you smell.” I needed to be inside her. Right. Fucking. Now.

Snapping off her panties, I slid a finger through her folds and plunged it inside her, finding her slick and ready. “I want to fuck you deep and fast, baby.” Withdrawing my finger, I tore open my fly and dropped her hard on my cock.

She gasped, curling her legs around my hips. “Salem…”

“So fucking good.” Wanting the last few inches buried inside her, I slowly withdrew and then slammed home. “That’s it.” Cupping her ass, I pounded into her and she took it, arching into each thrust and clawing my back as she urged me on. It was wild and greedy and primal. The sounds she made fed the sexual thirst flaring through me.

I slid my hand between us and parted her folds so that my pelvis hit her clit with every forceful, possessive thrust. A voice in my head said I was being too rough, to slow down. But I couldn’t. Too many feelings were battering at me, demanding an outlet. It wasn’t just jealousy, wasn’t just anger at the insecurities she had. It was the frustration that I couldn’t make her see how important she was to me; every frantic thrust was an attempt to drive it home.