Shi coughed, a wet sound that caught our attention. Concerned that they’d be sick, I started to rise—when they started to make an odd wheezing noise.
And stopped breathing.
“Alcohol poisoning,” I said, scrambling the rest of the way to my feet. “I’ll call an ambulance.”
“Wait, love.”
“They’re not breathing!”
“Exactly. There’s no time, but we have another option.” He motioned to the trash can at the edge of the kitchen, infuriatingly calm. “Bring that over here.”
I dashed to the bin and dragged it over, watching as James knelt beside Shiloh and cradled their head in his hands. Of course! CPR, why didn’t I think of that? I stood by, bouncing on the heels of my feet, while James brought their lips together.
And stopped. He wasn’t doing the chest compressions, he was just…
Oh. Right. I’d forgotten the healing properties of vampire saliva.
Slowly—tooslowly for my liking—the color returned to Shi’s face. They inhaled sharply, shuddering, and only then did I realize that I was holding my breath too. It had only been about fifteen seconds max, but it was the longest fifteen seconds of my life.
James peppered kisses across their cheek, their forehead, then returned to their lips, his saliva cleansing their body of the toxin. My heart rate gradually returned to normal, and my own breathing slowed.
The bite clearly hadn’t worked, but I could question it later, after Shi was safe.
I didn’t entirely relax until Shiloh gripped James’s hand. A moment later, they shoved him out of the way to lean over the trash can and expel the contents of their stomach.
I grimaced,smellingthe booze from where I stood. God, I couldn’t even imagine how much they’d had—or what would have happened to them if they hadn’t come to us.
But something else pressed through the worry. Feeling that tug in my chest that meant I was sensing James’s emotions through our bond, I glanced at my vampire. He rubbed Shi’s back, looking down at our friend with soft, tender eyes. With or without the bond, the rigid set of his jaw gave his nerves away.
“Why don’t you get them something to drink?” I suggested, hoping to ease his anxiety with a purpose. “I think there’s some Gatorade in the fridge.”
Shaking himself, James offered me a grateful smile. “Good idea.”
I knelt next to Shiloh, who was still spitting up into the bin next to them. They tried to speak, but I shushed them, peeling sweaty, sticky hair away from their face. “It’s okay,” I promised. “You’re okay.” Though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to soothe them or myself.
James timed his return perfectly. As I settled them onto the sofa, James handed me a damp cloth to clean them up. A second one was placed on the back of their neck, and they managed a few sips of water before falling asleep face down on the couch.
“Are you okay?” I asked James once I was sure Shi was asleep. He’d reclaimed his seat next to their head, this time letting his hand fall to their back.
“I kissed them.”
“They’re not going to remember it that way,” I assured him.
“ButIwill.”
Confused, I retook my position next to his legs, brushing a rogue curl away from Shi’s face. After they’d caught James and me in a… compromising position a while ago—and especially after seeing how much James liked it—I was under the impression that we both felt the same way about Shi. Perhaps because of his feelings, James went to great lengths to guarantee they weren’t uncomfortable with what they saw.
The mark on my neck seemed to heat, and I reached up to rub the sting away.
Oh…
Oh!
Consent. From day one, it had been important to James. Early on, he never made a single move without me practically spelling it out for him, despite my lust-driven protests. One night, Shiloh had stumbled across us in the alley, and James had me stay with Shiloh until he’d been certain they were all right with what they’d seen. James wouldn’t force anything on them—or me—ever.
He was feeling guilty, I realized, for kissing them without their permission.
But this was different. “You saved their life, James,” I said, but judging by the gritting of his teeth, my words did little to relax him. “Would you question it if someone needed mouth-to-mouth? It’s literally the same thing.”
