Page 101 of Royal Bite
The woman’s voice appeared close to her ear as if she were standing beside her. Stormey recognized her voice. The pleading had Stormey’s heart pounding. She took another step back, torn. She glanced behind her, and suddenly the urge to go in that direction filled her.
Her parents were right.
It wasn’t her time.
She glanced at her parents again. Her father wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulder. Tears streamed down their faces, but their smiles remained. She vowed to always remember what they looked like.
“Go, my dear. Hegna is waiting for you,” her mother said.
Her father nodded in agreement.
“I love you,” Stormey whispered. She didn’t know when she would see them again, but she had to let them know that she had always loved them. She had always wondered if her parents would be proud of her, and now, she knew. She looked around again at their surroundings.
“We love you more than you could ever know,” her mother responded. She leaned into her husband, and they waved at her. “We will see you again.”
Stormey lifted her hand to return the wave. An unseen force pulled her backwards, away from them. Her parents grew smaller as more distance was put between them. Wind whipped around her, and streams of light flowed. She rested her hand in front of her eyes, trying to block out the brightness.
A silent scream flew from her lips, and she was yanked even faster. Her body coasted along the winds until she fell, landing on something soft. She lay still for a moment, shocked. She was afraid to open her eyes.
Then suddenly, pain ripped through her.
Stormey writhed around, every inch of her body heating to an almost burning temperature. She couldn’t escape the pain. Her gums appeared to swell and ache; something pierced them. She threw back her head and screamed, unable to take any more.
Hegna sat on the edge of the bed watching over her mate. It had been almost a week since she had brought her home. It had been touch and go with Stormey, but her mate had survived.
Just as Hegna knew she would.
Now they needed for her to awaken from her slumber.
“She will need to feed immediately when she awakens,” Ellanora announced. The healer had been at Stormey’s side constantly since they’d arrived home.
“She can feed from me,” Hegna murmured.
Stormey looked angelic lying in their bed. Her hands were folded on top of the blanket that covered her body. Her hair was plaited into two braids to keep it neat while her body healed. The traumatic and almost fatal wounds had healed perfectly, and there was a faint mark where each one was.
Her mate had been on the brink of death.
Now, she would continue to live by Hegna’s side forever. Hegna only wished her mate wouldn’t regret being changed. She would spend the rest of her days as a vampire.
“We may need more blood than what you have, Your Grace.” Ellanora’s voice held a slight hint of amusement. She came to stand next to Hegna and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Newly turned vampires have ravenous appetites. We will keep some on standby.”
Hegna nodded. For all she cared, Stormey could drain her dry. It would be due punishment for failing to keep her safe.
“No live donors,” Hegna said.
“Of course not. That would be for a later lesson, not when she first awakens,” Ellanora said. She squeezed Hegna’s shoulder before releasing her. “Will it be you who would be helping her with the transition—”
Hegna turned and faced Ellanora. Her cold expression must have been the answer Ellanora was looking for. The healer backed away and bowed her head.
There would be no other vampire to teach her mate how to be one of them. Stormey was her responsibility, and she would see to it that her mate would have a smooth transition from human to vampire.
“I will be claiming my mate the moment she awakens,” Hegna announced. She turned back to Stormey and moved closer to her on the bed. She reached up and brushed her finger along the softness of her mate’s cheek.
“Yes, Your Grace. Please let me know if you need anything.”
“We shall be fine. I will be able to handle my mate,” Hegna said. Her gaze landed on the box resting on the nightstand. They would no longer need the traditional knife that would have been used during the claiming ceremony. Her mate was now vampire and would have her own fangs to bite Hegna.
A shiver rippled through Hegna at the thought of feeling Stormey bite her. A jolt of desire shot straight to her core.
