“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” I cock an eyebrow and put a hand on my hip. “Someone could have seen you!”
“I know stealth.”
“Yeah, maybe years ago, but now we have night vision and infrared cameras…it’s risky.” I step closer. “And I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Saying it out loud makes me realize how deep of a fear it is. So many bad things can happen if they’re seen.
They’re not human. It wouldn’t go over well. Hasan can rip vampires apart with his bare hands, but how will he stand up to a military-grade machine gun? Or worse.
“Nothing happened to me,” he says gruffly, and strides over. “But I can’t say the same about you.”
I let go of the front I’m holding up and the exhaustion hits again. Using magic took everything out of me. “I’ve been better. Good news is, I found the vampires.” I motion to the door. “They’re down there. I thought they would come out after me, but…” My vision starts to fade and the world spins. Hasan’s strong arms wrap around me, and he cradles me to his chest.
“If they come after you, I will kill them.”
“I know.” I look up, eyes fluttering. I’m close to passing out and I cling to Hasan, fighting to stay conscious. “I’m hoping they do come out.”
“I need to get you home.”
“Home…the estate.”
He spreads his wings. “Hold on.”
“Wait,” I protest. “No, no way.” I won’t say I’m scared of heights, but I will say I’m not their biggest fan. “Someone could see us. Get a five-second-long clip of video on their phone and it’ll go viral overnight. Then everyone will know you’re awake, and correct me if I’m wrong, but something tells me there are people—or things—out there who won’t be happy about it.”
Hasan stops, turning his head down to me. I’m still in his arms, feeling a bit like a child but needing his protection right now.
“How do you travel?”
“In a car. Just, uh, give me a minute to get my head on straight and I’ll drive us. Unless…” I look at the door.
“Ace,” Hasan says sternly. “You can hardly walk. You cannot fight vampires now. And, trust me, they’re long gone.”
“Yeah, I bet you’re right and they ran away with their tails tucked between their legs.”
“Vampires don’t have tails.”
“It’s a figure of speech.” I let my eyes close and my head fall against Hasan’s chest. God, he’s so muscular. And warm. It feels so damn good to be nestled in his arms right now.
“Rest,” he instructs, and moves deeper into the alley, finding a turned-over crate to sit on. He keeps me in his lap, holding me with one arm and using the other to run his hand through my hair. “You’re bleeding again.”
“It’s the same wound busted open. I’ll be fine.”
“It doesn’t look fine.”
“It doesn’t now, but it will. It’s fine, really.”
“If you say so.” He rakes his large fingers through my hair again, then sweeps them over my arm. “And you’re bleeding here.”
“Fucking vampire cut me with his nails. And then licked my blood.”
Hasan’s body tenses. “They drank your blood?”
“Not so much drank as tasted. Why?” My heart races and I feel like someone just dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. “Am I going to turn into a vampire now?”
“No, but once they get a taste for your blood, they’ll stop at nothing to track you down and kill you.”
“Good, they’ll come to me. And I’ll be ready this time.”
