Page 60 of Blood Bought

“No. I don’t agree,” I said simply. “I think most humans would do exactly what I’m about to. It doesn’t mean any of us are happy about it.”

“Okay, then.” He tucked the Tether away. “I’ll make sure I get a message to Alaris that you denied both his offer to turn you and the Tether, just so he knows what he’s dealing with when you go in. It’ll give him a chance to burn off some of the anger he won’t be able to stuff down before you go in to see him. He’s not the Alaris you know right now, Addy.”

Nothing about that shocked me, not with as hungry as he must’ve been. “Thank you. Is there anything else I need to know?”

He opened his mouth like he was about to add something, then shook his head with a soft frown. “No, Addy. Nothing else, but you should probably take a few minutes to write a letter to Asa and Kendall before we go, just in case.”

I thought about what I’d say if I did, deciding it wasn’t a good idea. “They wouldn’t understand what happened here or why I was willingly letting this happen. And it doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m not planning on dying. Just open a vein, Your Majesty. Let’s get this over with.”

~

An hour later, I wasslightly nauseous as I walked into the dungeon and saw Alaris.

He looked like a caged animal, the red in his eyes wild as his fangs permanently peeked through his dry lips. He even sounded different when he spoke. “I can hear your heartbeat,” he growled, voice raspy and weak. “It’s faster than normal.”

The way he mimicked the sound to me sent a chill up my spine — Kellian hadn’t been exaggerating. There wasn’t a trace of the Alaris I knew, good or bad. This was something entirely new.

“If it’s faster than normal, it’s because I’m about to get eaten by someone that isn’t you,” I reminded him, almost coldly. “I’m sure it’ll slow down soon enough.”

He moved closer to the bars with slow deliberate steps. “I wish it was me.” I watched the way he stared at my neck, surely watching my vein as it rose and fell in anticipation. “Should be me sinking my teeth into that beautiful neck. Your blood belongs to me, human. I can smell it, it’s mine.”

He shook the bars so violently I feared they’d break, but I didn’t budge. I considered it practice for ignoring the things that Ciro would say and do, because nothing he could come up with would be as bad as this. “Thought I wasn’t your bloodwhore?” I asked. “Or was that just something you told me to get in my pants?”

I didn’t miss the look of confusion he donned before he looked at me, truly looked at me and not the places he wanted to sink his teeth into. “What?”

He shook his head, giving me hope that my Alaris was somewhere close to the surface. “You said I was more than that,” I pressed, then realized this whole thing would be easier for him if the good parts of him stayed hidden until it was over. “He’s almost here. I can feel him.”

Those blood red eyes were still fixed on me as if I was foggy, but I knew he felt Ciro’s presence getting stronger. He was getting antsier by the second. “I need blood. Come here.”

I stood straighter. “I can’t. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t survive you both. It’s almost over, Ris. That’s all I’ve got for you.”

He snarled, but it wasn’t at me, it was past me — and when he met my gaze again, my Alaris was back. “Adalind. You look strong.”

“Stronger than you,” I whispered without any bite. I wished with all of me that he’d stayed away, stayed gone so he wouldn’t remember whatever was about to happen. “Did you decide where you’re taking me after?“

“Yes.” He let his head fall against the bars. “To a cabin in a really small town. Less people, but your modern technology will be there and we’ll have food and no other vampires. But I need you to survive this, Sweets. I know I’m not much to look at right now, but can you stay focused on me? The real me?”

I nodded quickly as the door opened behind me. I didn’t turn to look at him — I didn’t want to see the hunger in Ciro’s eyes or the satisfaction there, either. “Yes, Alaris. I can.”

“No, she can’t. Not while she’s coming on my fingers and giving me every drop of her blood. Me, not you, Alaris. Then you get to watch me fuck her unconscious body. We’ll see how strong your girl is then.”

For all of Kellian, Renzo, and Alaris’ warnings, none of them thought to tell me that Ciro would be touching me, too. That knowledge — knowing I had to live it and Alaris had to watch it — made it almost impossible not to cry as Ciro yanked my head to the side by my hair and dragged his tongue up my neck.

“Sour already,” he growled. “But not quite sour enough. Maybe we should have a little fun first.”

I clamped my jaw shut and focused all of my attention on Ris, trying in vain to brace myself.

This was going to hurt like hell.

---