Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (positive books to read .txt) 📕

I reached back in and pulled one out for her, reaching across the small dining table to hand it to her. “Acceptance.”

Raven took a long pull of her drink, eyeing me with a smirk the entire time. “Isn’t that what everyone is looking for?”

I shrugged and drained the rest of my beer. “Not sure about everyone else, but I damn sure didn’t think I’d ever find it.”

“I accept you, knight,” the Aspect said with a smirk.

“Oh, shut up,” I growled.

Raven furrowed her brows, blinking rapidly. “What’d I say?”

I grabbed another beer. “Wasn’t talking to you.”

She threw up her hands and crossed a leg over the other on the couch. “Then who?”

I blew out a breath and set the beer on the stone table. You want to answer that?

“With pleasure.”

The Aspect slithered into my head, bringing a blizzard to my thoughts. My head jerked to the side as I worked my jaw around. “He was talking to me,” the Aspect said, its dark, sibilant voice a harsh echo of my own.

Raven gasped, dropping her half-empty beer. It shattered on the floor as her hand went to her mouth. “What the fuck?” she whispered.

My head snapped round to stare at Raven. “He certainly has issues with you. Doesn’t exactly trust you. Though he has little room to judge, he traded away a part of himself for power too. To save his queen, he made a deal with me.”

“What are you?” Raven asked, standing up.

We moved across the room in a flash to stand over her. “Thirsty.”

I shook my head, forcing the Aspect out. “That’s enough, Aspect. Back off.”

It left me, and I sagged down to the couch, running a hand through my hair, pulling the hair tie out and letting my hair cascade around me, blocking me from having to look at Raven. After a moment, I realized I didn’t have to stay here. I got up and made for the stairs.

Raven stepped to me and pushed me against the wall. “Oh, no. You don’t get to walk away after dumping that on me. I want you to explain, right now.”

I glared at her. “Who are you to command me?”

“Your partner,” she said jabbing her finger into my chest, her crimson eyes slightly glazed. “Now what did it mean, it’s thirsty?”

She kept prodding me with her finger, and my rage broke free. I pushed off the wall and threw her against it, my hand closing around her pale throat. “It wants you. The monster in my head wants to eat you, wants me to gorge on your blood while I take you.”

I must’ve sounded like a lunatic. Raven’s eyes went wide for a second before she blinked, long and slow. “Then why don’t you?” she asked, her voice no more than a whisper as she wrapped a hand around my wrist.

“Because I’m in control, not it. It’s my head, and I will not let it make choices for me.”

Her radiant eyes stared into mine for what must have been only a second but seemed like an eternity. Then she blinked and time reasserted itself. “So it wants my blood and my body?”

“Mostly the blood,” I said, nodding.

I realized my hand was still around her neck, and I eased my grip, but Raven’s hand grew tense around my own and stopped me from withdrawing it. She squeezed my hand hard, curling my fingers tight around her flesh once again.

“What are yo─“

“I was given very specific instructions. Magnus told me to do as you said, to be at your disposal. He meant for the job, and I understood. But Aliria took me aside and told me to seduce you if I could.”

Raven sighed. “I didn’t want to, but I had no choice but to agree. Though it seemed you had no interest in me, which I was thankful for. You hate me, I understand. As I told you earlier, I hate myself too, but if we’re going to work together, we need to trust each other. If your monster wants my blood—” She rose her free hand up, a sharp, black talon elongating from her fingernail. She sliced a groove in her neck in a flash, and a thick drip of blood welled up before spilling down her collar, “—then it can have it.”

Her hand stopped me from pulling away as she smiled and twisted her neck, baring the blood to me as it slithered over our fingertips.

Rust and iron filled the air, and I sniffed, drawing the scent in. The scent of blood filled my nostrils and coated the back of my throat. And the Aspect followed it. It flowed from my chest, bringing the frigid tide in its wake. It crept to my head, and I could do nothing to stop it.

“Finally! I was right. Her blood smells delightful.” It spoke aloud, curling my lips into a gruesome smile.

My teeth ached and shifted in my mouth. The sharp canines dug at my lips, and the Aspect opened my mouth wide. Raven relaxed as she looked into my eyes and brought her neck closer to me.

I couldn’t stop the overwhelming ache of hunger boiling in my stomach, nor the irresistible urge to sink my teeth into her flesh. I bent low, no longer sure who was in control and graced the tips of my teeth across Raven’s skin.

She shuddered at my touch, her hands going from her neck to my waist as she pulled me closer. I sank my teeth into her flesh, and she moaned softly, her warm voice tickling my ear as she cried out. Ruby-red life burst like a dam and poured down my throat in a rush. Her blood was indeed sweet. It filled me with a warmth, and I greedily drank it in.

The Aspect made its approval known and