Don’t try to change me. I am who I am, and I make no excuses.
When Robert woke, he pointed us in the direction of the kitchen as he began reassuring people that they’d been the victims of a prank by the local university frat houses. They looked skeptical, but the human condition meant they clung to any lie which helped them make sense of a supernatural occurrence.
Aunt Sophia followed me and I threw the door open. Sebastian stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and a pleased look on his handsome face. Off to the side lay a cast iron frying pan.
Three wolves were still on the floor, their tongues lolling out of their mouths. “They aren’t dead, before you get on your high horse.”
“How did you tame them?”
He arched a brow. “I didn’t. I hit them over the head with a frying pan and knocked them out until your honey bun arrives and deals with them.”
“Don’t call him that.”
A roar echoed from beneath my feet. A thud shook the floor, then another. I took a step back as Sebastian grabbed the frying pan. The floor exploded and a colossal furious ball of fur leapt into the room. It lunged for Sebastian, knocking him to the floor before he had a chance to even raise his frying pan. Claws as big as my hand tore through his shirt, spraying blood across the room.
My feet were moving before my brain. Aunt Sophia slammed an arm against my middle, preventing me from reaching Sebastian as he collapsed to the floor. The beast’s jaw opened and he tore a chunk from Sebastian’s throat with a thunderous roar of satisfaction. It was going to kill him. No, no, no. I couldn’t lose him. I needed him to survive the crazy show that had become my life. My chest tightened, like my heart was squeezing in distress. My throat constricted, making air difficult to drag in.
“Get a grip, Cora,” I muttered to myself as I shook off the panic and forced myself to behave like the doctor I’m trained to be.
I threw my aunt’s arm away and lurched into the fray. She flung her hand out and a spray of sand arced across the room, casting over the beast that was causing death and destruction. The beast sneezed, then its terrible black eyes rolled into the back of its head and it slumped forward, partially landing on the wolves. Whatever that was, it was not a typical shifter.
I reached Sebastian and dropped to my knees as I whipped my coat off and pushed it against the wound in his neck. Blood spurted between my shaky fingers, and a chill rocked through my body. Massive and sudden blood loss could kill a vampire. I needed to stop it.
“Hold on,” I muttered.
His eyes fluttered open and he gave me a soft smile as his arm raised and he skimmed my cheek with his fingers. “No tears,” he gurgled, choking on the blood bubbling from his mouth.
“He needs your blood, Cora,” Aunt Sophia said from behind me. “If you want him to live.”
Sebastian shook his head. “No.”
“Yes,” I uttered hoarsely.
I yanked my sleeve up and pushed my wrist over his mouth. His eyes flashed with defiance and he glared at me as I pushed my flesh harder against his lips. His eyes fell closed and he drew in a breath, but didn’t expel it.
I stood, grabbed a butcher’s knife from the block and slit my left wrist before moving behind him, lifting his head into my lap and forcing his mouth open so my blood spilled along his tongue. I massaged his throat, encouraging him to swallow. Splashes of hot tears mixed with my life force.
“Drink, damn you,” I demanded. “I can’t do this without you.”
My aunt darted out of the door, leaving us alone. My head fell forward until our foreheads touched. A long sound of sorrow echoed around me as my heart broke for my best friend.
I hammered my fist on his chest as a flash of anger shot through me. “No, you don’t get to leave me.”
My fist thumped his chest once again and my vision danced with black spots. Cool lips suddenly moved against my wrist and he sucked weakly. I jerked my head back and my free hand cupped his pale cheek. “That’s it, keep drinking.”
The bleeding from the torn flesh on his neck began to slow, with each swallow of my blood it looked better. My rapidly beating heart began to slow, and a languid heat overcame me as two sharp points pierced my flesh. His vampire nature was taking over, forcing him to take what he needed to survive.
His eyes snapped open just as the door bounced against the wall and a furious Hudson stalked into the room. “No,” he snarled.
I held my free hand up to stop him. “He was dying.”
“I warned you,” Hudson said, not slowing down as he approached me. He reached for my hand with the clear intention of yanking me away. Indigo heard my call and pushed out to growl at Hudson.
“Stop,” she said. The sound was terrifying and made him pause. His eyes tightened and his jaw ticked. Dave followed into the room with Aunt Sophia. He surveyed the pile of shifters, before settling his gaze on me.
“This isn’t good,” he muttered, taking a slow step toward Hudson.
Indigo’s gaze didn’t falter. “You aremymate,” Hudson roared. “You should not be nourishing another.”
