Page 59 of A Touch Of Death

"But you're bleeding. And not just a little, but a lot." And he's right, there's a steady stream of blood dripping from the wounds, down my body, and onto the white sheets beneath me.

"Okay, sure, it looks bad. But I'm not in pain," I promise, shaking my head and shrugging. A stupid move when more blood drips from the cuts.

Nix's eyes shut tight before he rubs his hands roughly over his face, shaking his head at the same time. He drops his hands enough for me to see his tortured eyes pointed at the cuts on my chest, and from underneath his palms, he mumbles, "I'm so sorry, Novia. I didn't even realise I'd cut you so deep."

"Phoenix, look at me," I demand softly. I wait for his eyes to reach mine before smiling and telling him, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm not hurting. They're just really warm when I touch them is all. Please don't look so guilty. I'm fine, I promise."

He must sense my sincerity because he slowly nods and drops his hands, breathing out a slow huff of air. When he seems calm enough, I ask, "Is it safe enough to ask why I have your claw marks embedded in my skin?"

Nix winces slightly, and a sheepish look washes over his face. He looks away from me, his eyes spanning the room before he sighs in defeat and faces me again. "My animals were marking what is ours. It cements the mating bond, only the cuts aren't supposed to be that deep. It's supposed to be a nick, a small drop of blood, and that's it. I guess my animals are assholes and super fucking territorial. They should have healed by now, though."

My mouth opens with an audible pop. Nix bites his lower lip and squints with another sheepish look, and I can't help the laugh that leaves me. His animal did more than mark me. There will be no mistaking that I'm his, that's for sure. "Your animals are savages. But they're lucky I have no intention of getting rid of you, claw marks or not. And they probably haven't healed because I'm completely drained right now. You scared the last of my energy out of me when you snuck into the room and took ten years off my life."

The sheepish looks washes away only to be replaced with a look of sheer joy as he ignores my jab about scaring me to death. My heart fills with warmth at that look, and I shake my head at him with a smile. I drop a kiss on his lips before lifting myself off his body and the bed before turning towards the bathroom.

Walking towards the bathroom, still completely naked, I prod the wounds again. Once again, the pain isn't present. All I feel is an intense warmth any place my finger touches. I walk into the bathroom and stand directly in front of the mirror. I'm still testing the limits of my cuts, checking if there's a spot that hurts at all, so I'm not paying attention to the mirror when I stand in front of it.

It's when I hear a shout, something that sounds like a scuffle, and a yelp that I look up into the mirror. I shriek and clasp a hand over my mouth when I see Zayn standing directly behind me. His eyes are completely blacked out, and two canines are digging into his bottom lip. He's watching my hand carefully, and when I pull it away, I realise why. It's covered in blood from where I've been messing with the wound, and a smudge of blood now stains my lip, cheek, and chin.

There's a thud outside of the bathroom, but Zayn doesn't take his eyes off me. How did he even get here? How did he know where we were?

"Novia? Are you okay?" Nix yells.

I clear my throat and call back, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Zayn steps closer, and if it wasn't for the pitch black eyes staring at me, I wouldn't have moved at all. As it is, I find myself stepping back into the counter the mirror sits above. Quiet so as not to startle the vampire, I ask, "Zayn? What's going on here? Are you okay?"

His black eyes meet mine, and a shiver wracks my spine. It's not necessarily out of fear, but more from the amount of intensity he pours into one gaze. I know deep in my heart that Zayn wouldn't hurt me, just as Nix wouldn't. All four of them wouldn't harm a hair on my head, so I move away from the basin and step closer to the vampire.

Zayn's nostrils flare when I move towards him, and, in a flash, he's chest to chest with me. I didn't even see him move, and it makes me realise just how fast he can be. His hand lifts towards my face, and I stand perfectly still. His thumb brushes my bottom lip gently, and when he pulls away, there's a smudge of blood on the pad. He draws it to his lip, and with insanely slow movements, places his thumb into his mouth and sucks. It really shouldn't be something sexy, but my body has different definitions. My skin flushes, my pulse quickens, and an ache forms at my already sore opening.

The vampire pulls his thumb away, and his lips draw back in what looks like a snarl, but isn't quite. The movement brings out his sharp canines further, his white teeth gleaming in the harsh lights of the bathroom. I've never seen any other side to the usually shy vampire, but I can't say I'm not enjoying this version. It's strange, but there's something inside me that's calling to this darker side to him, the way his eyes watch me with such profound intensity that it has my heart tripping over itself.

Another thud sounds louder out of the bathroom before a body fills the doorway. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

It's Spencer, breathing heavily but watching me carefully. Ezra is wide-eyed just behind him, and a second later, Nix appears with a bruised eye and a split lip.

"What the hell happened?" I go to step towards him, but the noise Zayn makes sounds almost feral, and I stop in my tracks. My eyes widen, and the other three guys grow tense, each one stiffening at the noise Zayn makes.

I turn my body to face Zayn. His pitch black eyes watch every movement, resembling Nix while his animals were in control. There's something more unleashed about Zayn right now, however.

I step closer to Zayn, and when he doesn't make any noises that would freeze me in place, I lift my hand to cup his sharp jaw. It's the same hand that's still coated in my blood, and my stupid brain is slow to realise it before it's too late.

Zayn's nostrils flare, and his hand darts up to capture my wrist tightly. It's only tight enough to prevent me from moving away, but I flinch at the sudden movement. The three men at the door step forward, looking like they're seconds away from yanking the vampire away. They stop in their tracks when Zayn snarls and releases another feral growl, the rims of his eyes growing darker as dark blue veins begin to expand from his eye sockets.

"We can't come any closer. He'll tear us apart if we go anywhere near Novia right now," Spencer comments, putting a hand on Nix's chest to push him away as he steps back. All three of them move away from the bathroom and stand near the bed instead. It's enough that the veins around Zayn's eyes fade, but he still keeps a hold on my arm.

I look at the guys once more and then back to Zayn. I take a step towards him until we're chest to chest again. It hasn't escaped my memory that I'm still completely naked, but it seems to be the least of everyone's problems. Embarrassment can wait until there isn’t a vampire on the edge standing so close to me. Whispering so I don't trigger the vampire, I tell the others, "It's fine. He won't hurt me."

Zayn's arm then comes to wrap around me, his dark eyes roaming my chest where my cuts still steadily drip blood. The slow stream of blood captures his attention, and he watches a drop glide down my skin with fierce concentration. His arm tightens around me, and I know there's no chance I'm being removed from the vampire with the iron grip.

Keeping my voice low, I talk directly to Zayn, "You won't hurt me, right?"

Slowly, his head shakes side to side even while his eyes stay on my chest. He inhales deeply, his eyes shuttering when the scent of my blood reaches his nose. Quiet, almost too quiet that I almost miss it, I hear Zayn's voice in my head. It's strained and faint, slightly slurred, but it's distinct enough for me to make out what he's saying.

Novia, I'm sorry. I smelled your blood from miles away, and it's sent my instincts into a frenzy. All I can think about... is claiming you. I'm trying to fight it, but it seems like I'm fighting a losing battle. I don’t want to hurt you. I'm sorry.

As if to prove his point, his hold grows tighter, more possessive, while a deep rumble vibrates in his chest. His voice fades from my mind, but I understand exactly what he's saying. His vampire instincts are ruling him just as Nix's animals had.

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