Page 29 of Desired for Her Blood
Zuben puts on his pants, leaving his tie and jacket carefully folded, and the four of us sit on the furs around the fire. Once again, I’m overwhelmed with a sense of safety and gratitude. I spent so many years alone—and my entire life before that with only my mother—and didn’t realize how lonely I was.
“Do you know a way out, or not?” Zuben asks, impatiently.
Axe leans back on the furs, his cock still half-erect, and he shrugs. “Like I told Ryker, there’s an underwater tunnel, but it’s very long and narrow. Miles with no where to come up to breathe, and it leads to a dead end.”
“No.” Ryker shifts on the fur, looking uncomfortable. “You said that it leads to a well.”
Using a serrated knife, Axe saws off a chunk of meat and hands it to me. My stomach growls as I chew, and the hot juicy taste of the venison—I think it’s venison—overtakes me.
“I said it leads to whatmightbe a well.” Axe shakes his head and turns slightly toward me, eyes mostly down. “Is the meat okay?”
“Delicious. Thank you.”
“What are we waiting for?” Zuben stands and starts to remove his pants.
“Not all of us can stay under water that long,” Axe says quietly.
I swallow my mouthful of meat, my throat suddenly tight.Not all of usmeans me. “If you guys can get out…”
Axe shakes his head. “I will never leave you.”
Ryker shifts to put his arm around me. His breaths coming more quickly. “I won’t leave you either.”
Still standing, Zuben frowns. “Of course none of us wants to leave Ember behind in this cave. Any plan requires escape for us all, but that does not mean that this avenue should not be explored.”
I nod, but the others remain silent.
Shaking his head, Zuben finishes removing his clothes and then dives into the water, disappearing without a splash. When he doesn’t surface, I stand, but there’s nothing. No trace of him. No bubbles rising, no indication of where he has gone.
I turn back toward Axe. “Will he be okay?”
Axe shrugs, but then adds, “I’m sure he’ll be okay. Vampires can breathe underwater for a very long time, and he can use his night vision in the darkness.”
But I see worry on Axe’s face.
“The robot will be fine,” Ryker says. His face doesn’t look as confident as his words and neither does his posture. He’s still sitting, his knees drawn into his chest and his arms wrapped around them.
Looking up at me, he grins, straightens his legs and leans back on his elbows, like he’s trying too hard to seem comfortable. Then he gestures with his head to the fur beside him. “Sit, little dove. Staring at the water won’t bring the robot back any quicker.”
Tension unfurls inside me. The Ryker I know has returned, and I run my hand down Axe’s arm. “He’s right. Let’s sit.”
Axe stiffens under my touch, or perhaps that’s just my imagination, because he turns to me and smiles softly. But when I sit, Axe remains standing and picks up the skewer of meat. “Want any, Ryker?”
Ryker shakes his head. “Save it for Ember.” Over the blanket, his fingers run lightly down my back.
Axe carves off another piece of meat and hands it to me. I can’t believe I’m still hungry after the huge piece I already had, but it’s so good, and I realize it’s been ages since I’ve had anything in my belly—unless you count vampire blood.
Axe sits on the furs, wincing as his erection hits the fur.
“How long will it take the robot to swim the distance?” Ryker asks.
“Hard to say.” Axe pokes at the fire with a stick. The resulting flames reflect off his rugged face and highlight the scars on his chest.
“I did it in sections, going farther each time.” Axe tosses the stick to the ground. “Shit. It’s been so long since I swam it. Things could have shifted with construction, mining, small earthquakes…” He shakes his head. “The water levels might have changed.”
Worry eats inside me as I look out over the pool, sunlight glistening in a circle on the surface near the left side. “He should have drank my blood before he left.”
“Why?” Axe asks.
