Page 84 of Bitten & Burned
“Pain killers?”
“No.”
“Something blunt, to hit me in the head?”
I snorted. “Yeah. Maybe.”
Dmitri scoffed. “You’d miss. You always miss.”
“Yeah. Well. I deserve to.”
“Don’t do that.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? That’s what Vael thinks. Maybe he’s the only one of you thinking straight.”
“Vael is an angry, pent-up, sad person. He’s not thinking. That’s his problem. Besides… It’s you she’s asking for.”
That hurt.
“Don’t tell me that…” I mumbled, groaning.
I picked at a scab on my hand. Blood welled up again. The bond throbbed faintly with it, like it wanted to drag me back to her, whether I was ready or not.
Dmitri didn’t push. Just sat there with me in the quiet for a beat. Then, “Vael isn’t wrong that it was dangerous,” he said. “But he’s wrong to act like you’re the only one who could’ve made that mistake. We all could’ve. Given the bond—given her.”
My voice came out hoarse. “But it wasn’t you. It wasn’t him. It was me.”
“You think I’m glad it was you?” Dmitri’s voice sharpened. “You think Anton’s glad? You think any of us are? That we’re sitting around congratulating ourselves because it wasn’t us who almost drained her dry?”
That hit.
He rubbed his jaw, his tone softening again. “I’m furious. But not at you. Not even at Vael, though he’s next on the list.”
“Then who?”
He turned his head slightly. Met my eyes. “All of us. At the way we’ve been treating the bond… her… like something to hold at arm’s length.”
“I lost control.”
“You lost yourself. That’s not the same.”
Silence.
“I should’ve stopped.”
“She asked you to bite. You’re bonded. You felt her want it. And you didn’t want to hurt her—don’t pretend you did when you’re sitting here falling apart over it.”
I swallowed hard. Tried to speak. Failed. Tried again.
“She wants to see me?”
“She does.”
“I can’t,” I said again, barely audible.
“You can. You’re just scared.”
“…Yeah.”
