Page 126 of The Mech Who Loved Me
Kincaid thrust upward. "G'away...."
"There he is.Get some more blood into him!"Malloryn yelled. It was all so very distant, as though there was a bubble around Kincaid, keeping their voices at bay."Or he'll startconvulsing."
A hot coppery scent washed past his nose, and his mouthwatered.
More. I want....The urge to strike and take what he wanted wasblinding.
"Drink,"someone urged, and then there was a woman's wrist against his lips, and the sweet scent of Ava's perfume. Her wrist. Her blood welling in his mouth, hot and salty, and both disgusting and yet insanely seductive, for somereason.
"Drink and live,"someone else murmured."The more of the virus we can get into him, the better his chances ofsurviving."
Byrnes?
Then sound rushed in with a snap that made hisearspop.
Kincaid came to, cradled in Ava's lap, his mouth wrapped around her wrist as he swallowed her blood. He wanted it. Wanted more. Maybe it was his body hungering for heat after the chill of his near death, or maybe it was the predator awakening inside him. He didn't know, but his chest hurt like a bastard, and he'd never been so aware of all the aches and pains inhisbody.
"That's it," Ava whispered, strokinghishair.
Malloryn loomed over her shoulder, helping to holdKincaidup.
He caught a glimpse of Ava, her blonde curls frizzing around her worried face like a halo. And it was everything, in that moment, to see her; his reason to live. The light in his dark world. He tried to capture her wrist, but his fingers barely worked. Somehow she sensed it, and he felt her takehishand.
"I love you," Ava whispered. "And I'll be waiting for you whenyouwake."
* * *
Kincaid groaned. "Too much...light."
His eyes ached. He pressed his palm into them, but something held his otherhandback.
"You've lost your mech hand," Ava said gently, and he realized she was pinning his left arm to the bed so he couldn't use it. "We've bound it up, but you might hurt yourself with thestump."
His mouth watered again, every scent that spoke of Ava dominating his senses. She felt warm.Sowarm.
The light dimmed as she turned the gas lamp down as low as itcouldgo.
"How do you feel?" Ava murmured, and her pale face swamintoview.
Insanely hungry. How the hell had she managed to abstain from drinking blood forsolong?
Ava saw it in his face and tipped the flask of blood to his lips. It wasn't disgusting anymore, and maybe that was what frightened him the most. Had he become what he despised? Or was this... new territory to be explored, a new life to begin, just a sidestep of the man he'dtrulybeen.
"I'm sorry," Ava whispered, and something pricked his arm. "Malloryn insisted I sedate you, or I wasn't allowed to be in here with youalone."
"Won't hurt you...." He was feeling sleepyagain.
"You're newly made. You don't understand the full extent of the changes to your body." Ava hesitated. "You wouldn't mean to do it, but the craving... it's quite powerful when you're freshly made, and you were injured so badly your craving virus levels spiked immediately. You're already sitting at 12 percent, which is rather high after onlythreedays."
Threedays?
The spike of anxiety faded as warmth flooded through him. Somehow he captured her hand, sinking into the soft pillows. He blinkedsleepily.
"Promise you'll stay?" hewhispered.
Ava rested her elbows on the bed, giving him a tremulous smile as she kissed his hand. "Not even Malloryn could drag me out. I'll be here when you wake again. Ipromise."
* * *
