Page 61 of To Crave Truly

A fist connected with my jaw and my head snapped sideways. The guard I’d dodged a second ago was back. I blocked his punch to my gut but missed the right hook that followed.

Fuck, that hurt.

Damn Mordecai for leaving me in such a useless state. Come on, Jasper. Focus.

I tuned out the sounds around me and focussed on the guy in front of me. Dark eyes and small horns protruding from his head meant he was a demon. Right, I could just about move faster than him in my current state.

I blocked his next hits, one after the other. Then I jabbed my fist in his throat. He stumbled backwards, gasping for air. I shot forward, slamming my hand into his chest and knocking him to the floor. Then I grabbed his head and slammed it into the floor, the crunch of bones echoing in the space. I jumped to my feet, ready to face the next one only to find the Sin Reaper casually stood there watching me surrounded by the unconscious bodies of the rest of the guards.

“Remind me never to piss you off,” I muttered.

She huffed a laugh and started heading further up the tunnel that I hoped headed to the surface. I was so exhausted, and that fight had taken a lot of energy that I didn’t have.

“Lori!” Mordecai shouted from somewhere behind us.

“Shit. Run!” I yelled and picked up the pace. I ran as fast as I could, climbing higher and higher until we reached a door and I prayed to whoever was listening that it opened to the outside.

The demon pushed the door open, and I could have wept with joy when the bright light of the sun poured through the opening. The Sin Reaper crossed the threshold but as soon as my foot went to cross it, I had a moment’s hesitation.

I can’t leave Mordecai. I need to stay. To protect him.

I knew it was only because he’d forced me to drink his blood, but that didn’t lessen the sudden panic that gripped my throat at the thought of leaving him behind.

“Jasper. Come on. Move.”

“I can’t,” I confessed.

She reached back and grabbed my hand, pulling me forwards and closing the door behind me. My heart lurched. No, no, no. I needed to go back.

I pulled against the demon’s grip, but she held tightly. “We need to get home.”

“You go. Perhaps I can be of use here,” I said, even though in my head I knew it was stupid.

“Jasper,” she growled warningly. “I need to go to allow Lori to call Torsten. Are you going to stay?”

I didn’t want to but dammit I knew it was wrong. I hated Mordecai for this. “Yes.”

The demon’s eyes rolled back, and I was suddenly looking at Lori again.

“Hurry,” I gasped. “I don’t know how long I can stay.” I wanted to run. I could feel my body vibrating with the need of finding Mordecai. I knew that the further away from him that I got, the easier it would be to be apart from him. If I’d drunk from a normal vampire, I’m sure I wouldn’t be feeling this desperate, but Mordecai’s blood was powerful, ancient, and its potency had me going doolally for the guy.

Lori shouted for Torsten and within seconds the Shadow Fiend appeared. He wrapped us both in his arms and I felt my body disintegrate as the world around us founded into blackness. And just in time too.

Mordecai burst through the door, his eyes blazing, and mouth pulled into a vicious snarl. “You’ll never be able to run from me, Lori! You’re mine.”

Of fucking course the guy had to have the last words. Then I fell into unconsciousness as my exhaustion finally caught up with me.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lori

Torsten materialised in the med bay and carried Jasper to one of the beds. Levi came rushing in, his red curls pointing in every which way as usual.

“What happened, Lori? As much detail as you can, please,” Levi rushed out as he hooked Jasper up to monitors. The one that monitored his heart let out a rhythmic beep, but it was slow. Too slow.

“I don’t know everything, but I know he’s been drained numerous times,” I said, clutching his hand in mine. He was so pale and there were black circles around his eyes. He just looked so fragile, and fear gripped my throat with an icy hand as I looked at his frail form. Torsten came to stand behind me and pressed a kiss to my temple. I was grateful for the comfort; I knew I’d be collapsed on the floor in a heap if he wasn’t there to support me.

“Right,” said Levi sharply as he prepped Jasper’s arm for a needle. “I’ll get him a blood transfusion.”

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