Angel’s hand clamped around my wrist. “Not a chance, pretty boy. Only one biting you is me.”
Wade sighed. “It’s really sad being the only grown-up here.” Then he pulled a knife from his belt and dragged it across his palm. Blood welled, dark and thick. He carefully cupped his hand to let the blood pool and coaxed the vampire’s mouth open with his other hand.
“Wade,” I said, unsure what to say. Would it create some sort of bond between them? Was it my place to say either way?
“I’m fine, Jude.” He focused on Victor, the man’s head resting on his thigh, using his fingers to massage Victor’s throat to swallow. It was messy, blood everywhere, and Wade was already healing the cut. That shifter magic was intense, but Victor swallowed a few times.
“C’mon, Count Fuckula. Don’t make this weird. Pooh Bear here is trying to be nice,” I said as I felt for his pulse again. Still slow as molasses. Maybe the goo had done something else to him? “Drink, damn you.” A long heartbeat passed. Then Victor twisted in Wade’s embrace to catch his wrist and sink in his teeth.
Wade hissed but didn’t pull away.
“Fuck, what is with you all and not asking first,” I growled.
“Don’t try to pry him off,” Angel warned. “It will do more damage.”
Victor fed, half-feral, a low growl vibrating from his chest as he clung to Wade’s wrist. His eyes popped open, the smoky bourbon-brown of them gone completely black.
“Yikes,” I said, staring at his unfocused gaze and realizing how terrifying vampires could be.
“It’s instinct,” Wade said, sounding pained. “He must have been bleeding for a while.”
“Okay, but we can get him a blood bag or something, right?” I prodded, poking carefully at Victor, worried about Wade. “Hey, buddy. Time to let go of the bear now. He needs blood, too.”
Victor snarled without letting go.
Wade gritted his teeth. So much for vampire bites feeling good like the stories. “Come on, Victor. You’ve had enough.”
The damn vampire clung to him like a leech.
“Fuck, I hate to pry him off,” Angel said.
I pressed my hand to Victor’s shoulder. “Let him go!” For a heartbeat, I thought the words were nothing but a request, except power poured from my core and out through my hand. The rush of it swirled around us like a chill wind, and Victor jerked awake. His eyes changed back to smoky brown, his mouth falling slack from Wade’s wrist. Blood smeared his mouth and chin, his eyes wide and horrified as if awakening from a nightmare.
Angel swooped in and pressed his balled-up shirt to Wade’s wound. I had to tear my eyes from my suddenly shirtless mate to meet Victor’s startled gaze.
Not grateful, or confused. Fearful.
“Uh,” I said as the wind died away, my magic seeping out of the room. “What was that?” Had I just controlled the vampire?
He glanced at Wade, then back to me, and snapped himself off the floor. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“You needed blood,” I protested on Wade’s behalf.
“Not him,” Victor growled. “You.”
I held my hands up in surrender; I hadn’t meant to do anything other than coax him to let go of Wade. “You were hurting Wade.”
“I’m fine,” Wade said. The bleeding had stopped, though he looked a little woozy.
Angel stepped between Victor and me. “V...”
Victor glared at him.
“You were draining Wade. You know Jude is still learning his limits. He didn’t mean anything other than protecting Wade.”
Victor blinked, the anger dimming as he studied Wade and the bloody mess they both were.
“I’m okay,” Wade said again. “I’ll need food and a little rest, but okay. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, V.”
