Page 42 of Blood So Brutal

She drank more, and I let her. I let her take and take and take until that pang of hunger was gone, until that beast within crawled back into the deep, dark hole it came from.

I didn’t have to tell her to stop. She pulled away, dropping my forearm. I picked up my thumb to brush the drop of blood from her bottom lip, but quickly let it fall.

Fuck it.

My mouth crashed against hers fiercely, unapologetically. She stiffened at first but quickly wrapped her arms around my neck, pushing the rest of herself against me. I tasted my own blood against her lips and made sure to lick them clean, scraping every last drop from her mouth.

“You’re so fucking perfect, Huntyr,” I mumbled against her mouth. Her chest heaved against me, but she pulled my face down against hers, kissing me just as hungrily as I was kissing her. I didn’t care what this meant. I didn’t care if she forgave me, if this was going to change anything.

I was just happy to be here with my wicked Huntress in my arms.

“Are you two done?” Huntyr yelped in surprise and shoved herself away from me at the sound of Jessiah’s voice. “Because I’d actually like to get some sleep before we’re all killed by vampyres. I’m glad to know I won’t be the one Huntyr feeds from in my sleep, though.”

His words were joking, but I watched as Huntyr lifted a finger to her mouth.

The high of feeding was euphoric, but the crash would wreck you.

That was when the realization of it all set in.

“Oh, goddess above.”

“Don’t,” I pushed, stepping forward. Huntyr stumbled away from me like I was fire. “Don’t you dare start to feel guilty. You solved your hunger. That’sit. You don’t even have to think about it again for days.”

She couldn’t look at me. She pulled herself away from the bond, shutting herself off entirely.

“Huntyr,” I whispered.

Her voice shook as she answered, “I’m fine. I just need some sleep.”

Jessiah busied himself with his bed roll, and Huntyr moved to do the same.

Guilt wrecked through me. Should I have let Huntyr feed from someone else?No,the thought alone nearly made me sick.

She might hate me. She might be marrying me out of force. She might only feed from me because she was near starvation, but she wouldneverfeed from anyone else.

Did that make me possessive? Insane? Unhinged? I didn’t give a fuck. All I cared about was Huntyr standing there withmyblood dripping from her lips.

Chapter 13

Huntyr

There was absolutely no way I was going to sleep after that. My heart pounded so hard in my chest, I knew Wolf could hear it. Jessiah too, though he was fast asleep on his bedroll just feet from me.

Wolf took the first watch, which I was somewhat grateful for, because at least that meant he was on the other side of the clearing and not sleeping beside me.

But that also meant he was over there in the darkness, using his half-angel eyes to watch me. Every single ounce of my body buzzed with a new energy, an awareness of him, a thrill.

I shut my eyes and tried to count backward, tried to force myself to sleep.

Tried to force myself not to listen to Wolf’s breathing from a distance, tried to force myself not to reach out through our bond and see what he was thinking, feeling.

Dammit, Huntyr. You know what he feels. If that kiss was any hint…

I rolled over on the thick blanket and ran a hand down my face as I took a long, cooling breath.

Time passed, though I lost count of the hours. I tried and failed time and time again, but it was no use. My racing heart would not slow. My rapid breath would not calm.

“If you’re going to toss and turn, you might as well keep watch.” Wolf’s voice slid through the air, as smooth as the breeze.

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