Page 80 of Rafe

“What the hell is going on in here?” Greyson asked, his eyes wide with shock at the sight of the blood.

“I’m finished. Get her out!”

“Aw geez, ya know your mother isn’t going to like this mess. What the hell?”

Rafe strode across the room into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He reached for the spigot, allowing the cold water to rinse the blood from his hands. Rife with turmoil, his stomach tightened in pain. “What the fuck is happening to me?”

The feeding had been like no other. He’d allowed the sanguine river to flood his throat, yet his thirst remained unsated. As he caught sight of his reddened eyes, streaks of blood staining his chin, his gut churned with determination in battle with the vampire.

He sucked a breath, attempting to regulate his emotions. Confusion swept through him. The donor should have sated his thirst, at least taken the edge off, yet thoughts of Skylar persisted.

The vampire inside him sought to make her his own, to claim her in a bond. Yet if he allowed it, he’d never be wolf. “No fucking way.”

The cool water ran over his hands. He cupped it and splashed it onto his face, rinsing away any traces of the other woman. His vampire wouldn’t have it. It would starve before taking another’s blood.

Rafe reached for the towel. He whipped around at the sound of the door opening. Greyson stood with his hands crossed over his chest.

“I’m sorry.” Rafe dabbed his face clean, checking under his chin, inspecting his body, erasing the evidence of his feral nature.

“I think we need to talk about what’s going on. You scared the shit out of the donor.”

“Sorry about that. I gotta tell you something.” Rafe turned to the vampire, his tone serious. “Last night with Skylar…I wasn’t going to bite her…I really wasn’t.” Rafe wore a somber expression as he confessed. “But I did. I fed from her. Just now, though, with the donor? I didn’t want her. My vampire…I only wanted Skylar…fuck, this isn’t good.”

“Don’t tell me you’re bonding with the human?” Greyson pinned him with a stare.

“I don’t know what’s happening. There’s just something about her. This doesn’t make sense. I’m a wolf.”

“You’re vampire. Or at least part of you is now.”

“I can’t live like this, Greyson. I can’t do this anymore. I know you’ve adjusted. I’m sure a long time ago you were like me. You didn’t get a choice.”

“It was a different time.”

“I had a good life in Wyoming. This vampire. This dark magick. This bastardization of the vampire. It’s killing my wolf. And at the same time.” Rafe shook his head. “Skylar.”

Rafe hesitated to speak the words he’d known for a year, was slowly accepting. “Being vampire isn’t my fate. I know this as sure as I’m standing here. I’m Alpha.”

“It’s about time you admit it. But Rafe. Don’t get your hopes up too high. I’m warning you. This thing with Ilsbeth. I know you trust her. And I get why. She’s a convincing, more like conniving, witch. She’ll make promises. Some she can keep and some she knows full well she’s gonna break. I don’t know why she’s lured you here. But I’ll support you if she can make you whole again.”

“I must be wolf.”

“Be sure about this, because once you’re wolf, and the vampire is gone, so is any shot of a bond with a human.”

“I cannot do this anymore. I can’t live like this. I’ve got to get rid of this vampire.”

“And the human?” Greyson raised a questioning eyebrow at Rafe without saying a word.

“Skylar is an amazing person. But I haven’t even known her that long and⁠—”

“Don’t bullshit me. You’ve fallen for her.”

“Yeah, I have feelings.” Rafe shrugged. “I’m not going to deny what just happened with that donor isn’t an issue. Because it surely fucking is.” He blew out a breath. “Let’s just go. I’ll see about whatever Ilsbeth needs for the spell.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Greyson nodded, his expression still serious. “Get yourself together. I’m headed out.”

“It’s gotta work.” Still shaken from the incident with the donor, Rafe stared at himself in the mirror.

Whatever Ilsbeth asked of him, he’d do it. That was the easy part. Giving up Skylar? That was a different story.