Page 63 of Blood Bought

Blood.

I needed more. I wasn’t done feeding, and surely whoever the fuck that was could see it with their own eyes. Why would anyone interrupt a starved vampire from their meal?

“Alaris, that’s fucking Adalind!” he yelled louder. “You’re killing her!”

Killing sounded like a subjective term to me in that moment. Blood was what gave us life, and sometimes that required sacrifices.

But there was something that had me slowing, something — what had he said again?

“Fuck, I don’t think she’s breathing. Azel, do it! Knock his ass out!”

I felt rough hands on me, pulling me away from that blood, that delicious, sweet blood,myblood.Mine.

But before I could kill whoever took that from me, I was falling onto the concrete floor, and everything went black.

~

Iwoke with a jolt, instantly upright and blinking away a fog I knew to be tied to witch’s magic.Fucking Azel.

Renzo came into focus first, then the cabin around me that I had wanted to bring Adalind to when...Adalind. “Where is she?”

I leapt to my feet, reaching out to her both physically and mentally, but she wasn’t there.

“She’s safe,” Ren said simply. “Between Azel’s magic and Kellian’s blood, she pulled through. She’s with Kell now.”

I thought back to what happened, how Ciro took advantage of her and sucked her dry and then... then everything was fuzzy. “Did I... what happened?” But I didn’t need him to answer, the second those words left my lips, I remembered it all. It wasn’t Ciro who almost killed her. It was me. “Fuck. Fuck! Renzo, I need to see her.”

“Your eyes are still a little too red, Ris. You need to feed more first, from someone other than her.”

I rubbed my chest absentmindedly, feeling the distance between in more ways than distance. “She hates me again.”

“She doesn’t,” he admitted. “She’s scared, but she doesn’t blame you. She tried to come with me here, I just wouldn’t let her.”

I still couldn’t relax, not until I could see her and show her how sorry I was. “I’d never hurt her.”

Only I did.

“That is no longer a true statement, bud. I can’t blame you, I’d have had her throat ripped out long before anyone else thought to come look. I don’t know how you showed any restraint at all, honestly, but I wasn’t sure you were going to pull yourself out of it. If it makes you feel better at all, she doesn’t remember it.”

“I wish I didn’t,” I admitted, plopping back on the bed heavily. “I deserve her to remember.”

Renzo tilted his head. “Why would you wish that on her? She knows what you did, but she was already half unconscious when Ciro left. She said the last thing she remembers clearly is seeing you rip those bars open. She thought she was safe, that you broke out to help her. Then teeth... then nothing.”

“I wish I had, but Ciro gave me a taste. I was lost after that. Go figure she doesn’t ever want to be one of us. I’m a fucking monster just like she said I was.”

“You’re not the only one. She was such a mess that I probably would’ve finished what you started if I hadn’t fed first. But she’s okay, Alaris. And she wants to come here. I just need to make sure you’re not hungry fir—”

Kellian appeared a moment later, hunched over and wincing as Adalind held his ear with fury on her face. “She’s all yours,” he hissed. “Addy, let me go. We’re here.”

She looked up, dropping him instantly and taking a step toward me. There were bright pink scars covering the skin I could see and she looked exhausted, but strong. “Turns out even vampires are scared of having their ears ripped off.”

I stood up and stayed where I was, not wanting to move too suddenly or cause her any more fear. “Guess so. Are you okay?”

One tentative step forward, then another.

“Yes,” she said firmly. “Are you?”

I shook my head no. “Yes,” I lied, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be okay after hurting her. “I’m sorry, Adalind. I thought I’d have more control.”

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