Page 115 of Blood So Brutal

That was what we were, wasn’t it? Two blood-soaked vampyres, desperate and clinging onto every last shred of hope.

Wolf pulled away slightly, both of us breathing heavily, trying to process what just happened. My hands remained on his chest. I held him like I never wanted him to leave, like I couldn't comprehend life without him.

It was true, I realized. I didn’t want to live life without Wolf.

And that was fucking terrifying.

“We should get going,” I said. “It’ll take time to catch up with the others and the rebels will be worried.”

He nodded, eyes flickering down to my lips once more before he finally stepped back. “You’re right. We don’t want to be here when Luseyar comes searching for us.”

Together, we started down the thin path, clothes soaked in blood and lips swollen.

Our kingdom awaited us.

Chapter 44

Wolf

An entire day passed and we still hadn’t caught up with the others. I wasn’t worried. I saw signs of them every so often, and Jessiah was making his path known to us with assembled rocks or branches pointed in his direction.

It was something we did as children, leaving markers that only we could identify, like our own secret language away from Asmodeus.

I couldn’t think of him right now, couldn’t think of what I fucking did to him. The weight of the situation would come crashing down at any fucking moment, and it would be so damn heavy.

Asmodeus was dead because of me. I killed my own damn father, and the worst part? I didn’t even feel bad about it.

Would Jessiah hate me? He seemed to be on board with my plan in the moment, but what was he thinking now? We sent him away with Rummy and practically forced him to run. When he found out what happened…

I shook my head. Jessiah would understand. He had to understand.

Huntyr’s walking slowed. We would never catch up with them at this rate, but I was as worn as she was. My wound washealing because of her blood, but I still felt the pain with every step.

Hells, the memory of her blood sent another wave of heat through my veins. Cherries and fucking perfection. Goddess above, I’d planned on never again tasting anything so divine in my entire life, but when I tasted that hot liquid from her body again, I was practically pulled from the shadows of death.

“Stop that,” Huntyr said from behind me.

I immediately pushed up my mental shields so she couldn’t feel what my thoughts were doing to my body.

“Trust me, Huntress, I’m trying.” Okay, I was sort of trying.Think of literally anything else. Think of Jessiah. Of Asmodeus. Of how fucking angry Luseyar is going to be when he hunts us down to kill us.

Maybe Huntyr would share her blood with me again once more before I died. Death would not be so bad with her blood on my lips.

“Wolf,” she warned.

“Sorry!”

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

I laughed quietly. We spent the last couple of months practically ignoring what the bond meant for us, but things were more intense after the wedding ceremony. We were bonded now in more ways than one, and it was getting harder and harder to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself.

“Is it so bad that I enjoy the taste of your delicious blood?”

I felt her own emotions then, hot and sweet at my words.

Instead of answering, she put her head down and grunted. “Just keep walking.”

So I did. The two of us walked and walked. We would be a fucking sight to anyone passing us by. Huntyr’s dress from the wedding ceremony ripped above her knees and split down herback. The tunic of mine she wore hung off her, now caked with my dry blood and covered in dirt.

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