Bob’s eyes rolled. “Sinclair is not going to hurt me.”
“I know Sinclair wouldn’t, but I don’t know anything about this pride bond thing. Until I do…”
“This is ridiculous,” Stryker snapped as he got up and walked across the room. He met my eyes as he leaned in and licked the drop of blood from my finger. He frowned almost immediately. “I don’t feel anything.”
I held the knife up to him, handle first. “I have to taste your blood, as well.”
“Oh.” Stryker took the knife and pricked his finger before holding his hand out to me.
I glanced at Stone as I leaned in and licked the drop of blood away. I needed to make sure Stone didn’t freak when the bond hit Stryker.
“Holy shit!” Stryker snapped.
I glanced at him and then laughed at the dazed glint in his eyes. “You feel it, don’t you?”
Stryker nodded rapidly. “It’s weird.”
“Kind of like a presence at the back of your skull, a pressure. But it’s comforting rather than off-putting.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s the bond.”
“Now me,” Samson said as he walked forward.
While he took the knife from Stryker and poked his finger, I did the same with one of the other knives. We exchanged blood at the same time. I started to smile when the man’s eyes widened.
“Shit, that is weird.”
I chuckled as I glanced toward Shade and Bob, holding out the knife. “Still want to join the pride?”
Shade stood up, keeping Bob in his arms as he walked across the room. He held his finger out. “Me first.”
“Of course.” I pricked the tip of Shade’s finger, hoping I used the lightest of touches. The man was an assassin after all. He could kill me as easy as breathing. Once blood welded up on the tip, I did the same for my own finger.
I held my finger out, waiting. Shade eyed me for a moment before leaning in and licking the blood away. I did the same for the finger he held out to me.
“Shit,” he whispered as the bond slipped into place.
“Is it okay?” Bob asked.
“It’s…” Shade shook his head. “I can’t explain it.”
“Do me.” Bob held his finger out.
I raised an eyebrow at Shade. I wasn’t about to do anything without his okay.
I wasn’t stupid.
When Shade nodded, I pricked my finger and then held the knife out to him. Again, I wasn’t stupid. He could prick the little human.
Bob laughed when I licked the blood off his finger. He grimaced when he did the same to my finger. A moment later, his eyes rounded. I wasn’t even sure he was blinking.
“Whoa.”
“You okay?” I asked.
“That’s freaky. I can feel each one of you, but it’s more like an impression of you than anything. Kind of like being empathetic toward just you guys.”
