“That’s good, Sebastian,” I told him, trying to hurry forward as he bit back a groan of pain.
“Who is that!” Someone snapped.Fuck.
“I’m sorry,” I said and grabbed Sebastian at the knees, hoisting him over my shoulder. He hissed through his teeth in obvious pain. It made my stomach fold over itself as I worried if I made something worse. With anxiety and adrenaline, I raced out the door and up the stairs, his body draped across me.
I climbed, my legs burning as I panted. I used one hand against the wall as the other gripped Sebastian’s thigh. I heard vampires on the stairs and pulled a gun from my holster. I growled as I pushed harder–one leg lifting before the other, my thighs screaming, my knees aching. Their footsteps grew closer, gaining on me. I shot silver bullets blindly behind me and heard one wail in pain.
The top of the stairs was in view but they were on my heels, their breath on my neck. I didn’t give up. I grabbed the handle of the door and flung it open, falling out into the hall. I looked up at the windows and gave a relieved sigh when I saw it wasn’t night yet.
Sebastian was half under me. I managed to move my spent body off him. He was far too pale as he clenched his jaw. His soft hair fanned around him on the floor. He looked pissed and in pain. Blood was drenched into the collar of his shirt.
“No,” I gasped, my fingers shaking as they hovered over the bite at his neck. My fingers dug into the fabric and I pulled the shirt lower, my eyes widening in shock when I saw older bites partially healed over that had been hidden under his clothes. Sebastian swallowed thickly before letting out a shaky exhale.
I looked behind us and saw an empty stairwell.
“We need to go,” Sebastian said, trying to pull himself up and wincing. “Before… before it’s dark,” he managed to get out. I helped him to his feet and practically dragged him out of the building to outside. He looked up at the sky, his eyes closing, his feet missing steps.
“I don’t think… I’ll see this again,” he said, looking up at the sky.
“You’re going to be okay. We’ll call the Brotherhood.”
“No,” he rasped before a groan of pain fell from his lips. “Our house. Not them.”
“Sebastian… there’s a lot of blood,” I said hesitantly. I didn’t want to panic him but he had to know this was serious.
“It’s fine. It looks worse than it is.” He gave me a lopsided smile and I wanted to kiss the lying shape of his mouth. It wasn’t fine, he and I knew it. He reached up and touched my face, pushing his thumb between my eyebrows to try and smooth out the tension.
“Relax.”
“How?” I growled, pulling him along campus. His legs finally gave out and I lifted him in a bridal hold. He didn’t fight or complain. His head just lolled back as he looked at the sky.
“I need you to handle this…” he trailed off, his eyes closing. I began to shake him awake in a panic.
“Sebastian!”
“I’m tired. Promise me to handle this.”
“Handlewhat? I’m not promising anything,” I growled and he gave a small laugh before passing out.
“Sebastian?” I shook him, trying to get him to wake up but he was limp in my arms. My eyes burned as I began to push myself faster. He was heavy and I was tired. The sky grew darker and darker and then we were home.
I pushed up the stairs and took him to his room, laying him on his bed. Sebastian was just laying there, not waking up, and with blood all over him. After pacing, and running my hands through my hair frantically, I dropped to my knees at the edge of his bed.
“Sebastian!” I yelled, shaking him roughly. His eyes popped open and I sucked in a breath of overwhelming relief.
“What?” He growled.
“What happened?” I asked and he shook his head, his eyes closing again.
“I'm turning, Tate… just kill me,” he sighed. I sat there shocked. No, no, no. Turning into a vampire? Kill him? He wanted me to kill him? I couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t even entertain the idea of killing Sebastian.
“Fuck,” I snapped, peeling his blood-drenched jacket down and looking at the fresh bite at his neck. “Fuck!”
“Shut up,” he grumbled, eyes still closed.
“Maybe I can suck out the venom or something,” I panicked, making no sense. His face twisted.
“I wasn’t bitten by a snake, Tate. I drank his blood…” he trailed off, moaning in pain.
