Page 96 of Undying
The men are all talking about the best ways of getting Stanton off of me, even going so far as to suggest killing him. It doesn’t take long for me to get dizzy from the blood loss, and I know I don’t have much time before Stanton drains me dry.
I don’t know what happens to me once my blood is gone, and I’m not sure I want to find out. I reach out to touch Stanton, gritting my teeth when his fangs clamp down on my arm even harder.
I gently touch his head, his dark hair smooth under my fingers…or what I can feel, since the tips of my fingers are tingling and going numb at an alarming rate. “Stanton…you have to let me go.”
At the sound of my voice, Stanton instantly goes still. The darkness in his eyes ripples slightly, as if he’s fighting back. It gives me hope. “You don’t want to hurt me, right? I need you to release me before it’s too late.”
At the thought of losing his meal, he immediately takes another pull of my blood, dragging a whimper out of me from deep in my chest. He blinks repeatedly, pulling back, and the insanity clears just slightly.
His fangs retract from my arm, his teeth feeling like they’re scraping along every nerve ending, and I immediately cradle my arm against my chest, trying to not look at the gory mess that has my flesh resembling raw meat.
“Jolie?” He sounds groggy, almost confused, his voice a deep rasp.
Then his face contorts into a grimace. He twists to the side, dry heaving so hard that his back bows under the strain. Black, sludge-like ichor splatters the floor, the putrid stench of rot practically curdling the air.
Tobias and Castle drop to their knees beside me. Tobias is wolfed out, glaring at Stanton like he wants to rip the fangs out of the fucker’s mouth. Castle ignores everyone, his concern only for me as he tucks me into his lap. His scent of snow and ice is soothing against my ragged emotions, and I lean into the comfort of his arms.
He gently tugs at my arm to get a look at the wound, thentsksat the raw mess, his wolf whining in distress at seeing me in pain. He swipes a linen napkin from the table, scattering the silverware to the ground with a discordant clatter, before he wraps the makeshift bandage around my wound.
Bryce and Kenny stand guard to prevent Stanton from getting to me a second time, and I slump in relief, grateful for their protection.
Milo hovers over Stanton, both to help and prevent him from trying to get back to me if he loses control again. A hard glint enters his eyes, grim determination shimmering in them to do whatever is necessary to protect me.
Even kill Stanton.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Stanton rocks back, dropping roughly on his ass, his appearance haggard. He swipes the back of his hand across his mouth, then lifts his head enough to glare at me from under his furrowed brows.
I cringe away from his fierce scowl, then swallow hard. I don’t necessarily feel threatened, but I won’t be forgetting the sensation of his fangs tearing into my flesh anytime soon…or the image of him drinking from someone else.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
STANTON
I’m so lost in my own misery that I lash out without thinking. The men growl at my harsh tone, but it’s only when Jolie flinches like I’m some sort of monster that I come back to my senses.
And she should.
I fed from her like a leech, no different than those who killed her, not even releasing my venom to block the pain or ensuring the wound was sealed when I pulled away.
Even as I watch, a bright red splotch of blood soaks through the haphazard bandage, and it’s not the poison that is threatening to make me sick this time.
Knowing Jolie fears me is crushing.
Vampires often cultivate terror in others to get what they want. It’s a great motivator, but I’m heartbroken that Jolie would think I would harm her in any way.
Although, in truth, I can’t blame her.
I’ve given her ample proof otherwise.
What’s worse, it only took one taste of her blood to realize just how badly I fucked things up.
Against all odds, and centuries of searching, I’ve finally found myreina, my queen.
She’s the one person created specifically for me and guaranteed to keep me from sliding into a life of bloodlust and insanity. And in typical fashion, I royally fucked up. I’ll be lucky if she wants to have anything to do with me after I basically attacked her and took her blood without permission.
My body practically vibrates with her blood. It’s rich and vibrant, so potent that it forced the poison out of my system, and I suspect it might contain healing properties.
Normal human blood tastes weak and watered-down by comparison.
