Page 24 of Knight’s Absolution

“Are you asking if I fucked you?”

She nodded.

His jaw got even tighter. “While you were nothing but skin and bones, out of your mind with hunger, in pain, and scared as hell?”

She bit her lip and tried not to flinch at the disgust on Gunner’s face.

“You are repulsive. So ugly, like this. Does it hurt, my little dhampir?”

Sir's words echoed through her mind. She’d never cared about her looks, or what anyone thought of them. But for some reason, she didn’t want Gunner to be repulsed by her. “No, of course not. I’m sorry. You and your brothers rescued me. You let me…” She motioned to his body, to the bite marks all over him. “Feed from you. That must have been awful for you. But I’m grateful.” She shifted, sitting up.

Her head spun a little, but she felt strong, amazing actually. Gunner’s blood didn’t make her feel sick or confused. Her head didn’t hurt, it was clear and…she stared down at her hand. Holy hell. Her skin looked like cream silk. Her gaze shot back to Gunner’s. His blood had done this? “I need to leave now,” she said, because right then she seriously wanted the opposite, and that was so incredibly dangerous.

And she didn’t…feel like herself. Drinking Sir’s blood had made her feel like a twisted junkie. Gunner’s made her feel healthy, alert. So goddamn good.

“You’re safe now,” he said in a deep, soothing voice.

“If I stay here, this place, wherever this is, will be compromised. He’ll come for me. He’ll tear down the walls to get to me.” And when you find out the terrible things I’ve done for him, you’ll either kill me or throw me out, anyway.

Gunner’s nostrils flared, eyes going hard. “You are safe here. He can’t get past our wards, I promise you that.”

She shook her head, trying to pull away again. “You don’t know…you don’t know what the hell he’s capable of, you don’t know…”

“What’s your name, love?”

She blinked at him, the dramatic change of subject and tone of his voice as surprising as hearing that endearment again. It was enough to pull her from the edge. “Luna.”

His chest expanded, and his eyes softened. “Yeah? I like that.”

Warmth filled her belly. She had no idea what that meant, and she refused to acknowledge the way his now soft eyes made her belly swirl. “Anyway, thank you, for…this. But I need to go. I need to find Spencer…”

“Spencer?”

“He was at the house when you came. He’s my friend.” That’s what Spencer called them, anyway. The concept was confusing to her.

“Older male? Demi?”

“Yes.”

Gunner sat up so he was leaning against the headboard and curled his fingers around her wrist, his thumb swiping over the inside. Goose bumps lifted all over her. How could that feel so good? It was such a small, insignificant touch.

How was it that she could feel this?

She assessed herself, her body, her mind. Something was most definitely different. She’d been too afraid to believe it, but there was no denying it now. More of her human emotions were waking up, and it wasn’t just that. Her body, it wasn’t…numb. Not anymore.

“He was there when we arrived. He was gone by the time my brothers moved out,” Gunner said and gave her wrist another of those gentle swipes of his thumb.

His touch was…distracting.

“He could still be there.” She needed to find him.

“My brothers searched the place from top to bottom, then burned it to the ground. He wasn’t there.” Another swipe. More goose bumps. “It’s only been a few days. He’s probably lying low. I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon.”

Luna stared at the huge male. “Days?”

“You’ve been feeding and sleeping, recovering for three days.” His gaze slid over her. “You’re looking…” His nostrils flared. “So much better now, love. How’s your leg?”

A shiver slid through her when he called her love this time. “You fixed it?”