I heard a muffled groan, like an injured animal, and started running.
When I turned the corner into the open living room, a startled scream died in my throat.
Luka lay draped across the couch, a giant wound bleeding freely at his abdomen. It was so big I could see his intestines. He was shirtless, covered in tattoos and blood, and I didn’t know what to do. This bloodsucker was everything I hated. I’d built my life around killing his kind, but in that moment I went into damage control.
“Why aren’t you healing?” I gasped.
His skin was whiter than white, his eyes void of their normal glossiness. He was circling the drain. Those Shadow Bloods had jacked him up bad, and he must have carried me here, bleeding all over the place.
Idiot.Why would he do that?
“Silver … wound,” he rasped, barely able to get the words out.
Crap.
That delayed healing, but he would be okay if he was able to feed.
“I’ll call one of your feeders.” I looked around for a phone. My purse was gone and I was missing my watch. Royalty had about a dozen feeders at their beck and call, all paid six figures with big, fat, signed NDAs.
He shook his head. “Can’t trust … any … one. All … want me … dead.”
Morgana. I’d forgotten about that. Did he think one of his feeders would turn on him? Give up his location? I didn’t know anything about their relationship, but clearly it was bad. What did this guy do to deserve such hatred from his own aunt?
“I’ll go to the hospital. Steal blood.” I looked around for some car keys or something. For some reason I just couldn’t walk away and leave him to die, not after he carried me here when he could have left me unconscious and allowed the Shadow Bloods to kill me.
I’ve never not killed my mark.
Never.
Until now.
His hand reached out and grasped mine and I was shocked at how cold his fingers were. More than normal vampire cold.
“Dead blood. Need … fresh,” he rasped.
Oh.
Oh. No.
Chills ran up my arms as the realization hit me. I was going to have to let him feed from me if I wanted him to live. Why was I even entertaining this!? This was a douchebag vampire of the royal family! He’d been about to feed on me in that room right before the Shadow Bloods dropped in. So … why didn’t I just let him die?
An ache bloomed in my chest at the thought. He was … different. Not that I’d gotten to know many vampires, but the way he so quickly made the split decision to pull me up into the rafters with him, even after he knew I was a hunter … it changed everything.
His fingers still grasped mine, weakly, but he held on. In his own way he was asking without asking.
Aspen, you are a stupid woman, I told myself as I dropped to my knees.
You hunt these animals, not keep them alive!I raged at myself as I draped my hair across one shoulder, exposing my neck.
You protect humans from being fed on like animals, you do not willingly give your blood.
I leaned forward and pressed my neck to his lips.
You…
Pleasure exploded inside of me as two sharp pricks sliced into my neck.
This was different from when I’d been fed on before. Although that had felt good, it was also scary and predatory, but this was …orgasmic. All of these weird feelings and thoughts flooded my system all at once. Trust, adoration, life, vitality, love, bond, darkness, all of these words and feelings swirled around my head as pleasure pulsed through my body like a wave of heat. Tingly warmth spread between my legs, and I reached up and threaded my fingers through his hair, pushing him harder into my neck. I moaned at the same time he did, and his hand came around my back to trail my spine.
