Chapter Thirty-Four
Hunter
I feel the bed shift, and my eyes pop open. I’m surprised I even slept. I’d spent most of the night trying to wear myself out so I could sleep. It was killing me to be stuck in this small room, and my wolf was knocking against the restraints I kept him behind. It was bad enough we were stuck here; I felt like the most worthless male on the planet, unable to help my mate in any way. But add to that, she wasn’t doing well. I look over and watch as she climbs out of bed. When she stumbles, I sit up in bed, alarmed. But she walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind her. I make the bed, needing something to do with myself while I wait for her to come out of the bathroom. I hear a thud and frown. Worry has me walking over to the bathroom door and knocking. “Sherese?” There’s no response, and my worry increases. I knock again, louder this time. “Sherese?” When there’s still no answer, I’m done waiting. “Sherese, I’m coming in.” I open the door, and there’s a squeak and a flurry of movement.
“What are you doing? Get out!”
I frown at her. She has a towel wrapped around her, but she’s bent over like she’s in pain. “Sherese.”
“Don’t. Don't come any closer,” her words are gasps.
I walk over to her. I don't care that she’s in a towel. She could have been naked for all I care. Right now, in this moment, nothing mattered except for seeing what’s wrong. I grasp her arms and frown when she shakes in my arms. “Sherese?” Dread forms in my gut.
“Please, get out.” Her words are weak, and real fear flows through me.
“What is it?” I demand, keeping my hold on her arms, gently.
“Get away from me,” she says in a sob.
Shock rolls through me, and I instantly release her arms and put space between us, even though my wolf rams against my chest at the motion. “I will never hurt you,” I tell her in a voice that’s full of my wolf.
“No, but I might hurt you.” She lifts her eyes to mine, and I suck in a breath. Her eyes are so dark and so full of pain, it feels as if I’ve been gutted. I can hardly breathe. “Please,” she whispers in a broken whisper. “Please get out. I can’t...I can’t...”
I was over this. “No.” I stalk forward and wrap my arms around her, lifting her, towel and all, into my arms. She shrieks, but it’s weak, much weaker than it should be. I frown at her light weight in my arms, and an anger so fierce wells up in me, I almost shift on the spot. My fangs are out, and there’s hair on my arms. I want to tear this place apart and burn it to the ground, but I make myself focus on my mate. She needs me right now, and that’s all that matters. I sit on the bed and hold her carefully against my chest. And then, without a thought, I tear into my wrist with my fangs. A sob rips from her lungs that’s so full of pain, it nearly tears my heart out. She’d been through so much, and now, this is the one thing that might just break her. “Sherese,” I say, holding her close and speaking right into her ear.
“I can’t,” she cries against me, her voice so broken. “I vowed.”
“I know, Honey, and you’ve done so good. But now, you have to. I need you to take my blood.” She doesn't move, and panic flows through me; I really need her to drink blood.Now.
“I said...I ne-never...would,” her voice is weak, and her desperation leaks through.
“And I would never force you to, but it’s time. You’ve done good, but keep your focus on what’s important. What’s more important? That you stick to your vow of not drinking blood, or that we keep Emma and Daniel safe?” I’m hoping my words will get through to her.
“I don’t want to,” she tries again, and I can feel her resolve crumbling.
“I know.” I kiss the side of her head. “I know, but do it for me. Do it for Emma.”
This time, when I offer my wrist to her, she groans, and I try to keep a rein on my anger. She’s starving, and I had no idea. “Come on, Honey. Take what I’m offering.”
“Don’t let me take too much; stop me.” She latches on tentatively at first, but then a deep guttural sound comes from her throat, and she sucks harder. Shock courses through my system at the intimacy of this moment, and she’s not even drinking from my neck. I push those thoughts away and focus on making sure she’s okay. I have no idea when enough is enough, but I know she’s trusting me to stop her, to pull her back from the edge. I try to pull my wrist back, but she grasps it harder.
“Okay. I think it might be enough.” She doesn’t listen, and I pull more forcefully this time. “Okay.” She jerks back and shakes her head. She keeps her head down for a moment. When she lifts her gaze to mine, I breathe a sigh of relief. Her eyes aren’t as dark now, and she looks so much better. But now, she looks mortified.
“I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
She shakes her head again, as if she’s trying to clear it. “It’s not. I could have taken too much; I could have—”
I stop her before she can spiral. “But you didn’t. You stopped.”
She blows out a shaky breath. “I didn’t want to.” She takes another breath; this one’s a little steadier. “No wonder vampires want fresh blood.”
I watch her carefully. “Maybe I just have superior blood.”
She looks up at me. “No, that’s not it.” She delivers it without cracking a smile, and I feel my own smile grow.
“Of course not.”
