Page 66 of Blood Submission

Laney pulled his head into her lap, her tears falling to mix with the blood on his face. She searched around desperately for something to stop the bleeding, then finally yanked her shirt off. Ignoring the cold, she wadded it up into a ball and pressed the wet material to the wound.

His mouth moved, but nothing came out, and he bared his fangs in frustration as his black eyes focused on her face. She tried to put her wrist to his mouth, but he pressed his lips together and turned his faceaway.

Her face burned at his rejection. “You have to take it,” she told him. “I don’t know what else todo.”

As his body started to spasm, he grabbed her hand and stuck something in it. It was the knife she had stolen from the room in his underground. With his hand over hers, he brought it to his ravaged throat just above her shirt and pressed.

“No,” she cried, sobbing harder. “Dante, no! No. I won’t do it!” She fought his hold until the knife clattered to the pavement beside his head. His eyes burned into hers, but she shook her head so hard she could feel her brains rattling around. “No,” she told him, softer this time. “You need to live, Dante. I need you to live. To stay withme.”

Footsteps pounded on the pavement around them. Acting on instinct, Laney grabbed the knife from where she’d dropped it and jumped to her feet. Adrenaline flooded her system, making her scalp tingle as she crouched over her male to face this new threat. She felt Dante’s hand grasping at her leg, and she reached over without looking and pressed down on the makeshift compress again.

“Holy shit, would you look at her,” a blond guy said. He looked like he’d just stepped off a movieset.

“Don’t let Emma hear you say that, mate,” a guy with a British accent teased.

The blond rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. And don’t you dare go starting shit with her, Aid. She wouldn’t believe you anyway.”

Laney brandished the knife at them, her upper lip lifting in a snarl. “Stay away from us,” she shouted.

A woman with black hair pulled back in a high ponytail lifted her hands in front of her. Her green eyes flipped back and forth from Laney to Dante. She took a cautious step forward. “It’s all right,” she said softly. “We’re friends. We’re Dante’s friends.”

Laney looked from her to the four guys. Her attention was naturally drawn to one in particular, a man with dark hair and a stoic face that stood a few feet apart from the others. He had a set to his shoulders and an overall bearing about him that told her he was the one in charge. She directed her question to him. “Who areyou?”

He stepped forward, showing her his hands. “I am Luukas. I am the Master Vampire of this territory. These are my Hunters.” He waved one hand toward the others. “Dante is my Hunter as well. You are Laney?”

She looked at each of them in turn, and saw nothing but worry and concern as they returned her stare. None of them made a move to disarm her. “You’re friends?” Her teeth were beginning to chatter, whether from the cold or from everything that just happened, she couldn’tsay.

“Yes,” Luukassaid.

Laney believed him. She lowered the knife. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know what to do. He won’t take my blood—” Her words were cut off by a sob. She was babbling, but she couldn’t stop the flow of words once they’d started. “I was attacked by these…things. Corpses. They used me as bait.” She looked down at Dante. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know what todo.”

The woman approached her. “Laney, I’m Shea. I’m Dante’s friend.” She smiled, and all Laney could think was how stunningly pretty she was. “I’m going to help you. Okay?”

Laney sniffed. “Okay.”

Shea squatted down next to her and Dante. “Get off him now so we can helphim.”

With a start, Laney realized she was still crouching over him protectively. Leaning her weight to one side, she fell onto her ass, dragging her leg across his hips. She kept the pressure on his throat.

“Can I see your wrist?” Shea asked.

Lifting her free arm, Laney gave it to her without thought.

“Trust me, okay?” Shea asked. Then she brought Laney’s wrist to her mouth.

Dante’s body bucked next to her, and Laney looked down to see his cold, black eyes burning holes into Shea, but she just smiled. “It’s for your own good, you stubborn ass.” White fangs flashed in the light of the streetlamps just before Laney felt the female’s fangs pierce her skin. The ground shook beneath her as Dante bared his fangs and let out a gurgling roar of rage. His good hand tightened on Laney’s thigh, but in spite of his obvious fury, he made no move to get the other vampire off her wrist.

Shea released her fangs. “Put it in front of him now,” she told Laney, licking the blood from herlips.

Laney did, letting the open wound hover just above his mouth. Dante closed his eyes, clamping his mouth shut again. But she saw his nostrils flare at the scent of her blood. “Please, Dante,” she begged. “I can’t stand to see you suffering likethis.”

Something in her tone must have gotten through to him. His eyes opened. They were full of pain, but they were lightened with warmth as they travelled over her face. Yet, he still wouldn’t open his mouth, even though she could feel his broken body trembling with the effort it was taking him not to drink fromher.

She looked to Shea for help. “Why won’t he drink?”

Shea shook her head. “I don’t know. He’s not one to open up to people, youknow?”

Laney looked around at the rest of them, but no one seemed to have an answer. “Would you give us some privacy please?”

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