Page 43 of Bitten By Desire

Julian did not respond, which jacked up my heart rate. I waited, though, giving him time to figure out how to tell me whatever it was.

“The time between feedings is growing shorter,” he admitted then raised my fingers to his mouth to lay a gentle kiss on them.

“We’ll find someone,” I said, shoving aside the tears that wrung from my eyes. “I don’t care if you’re wanted, I’ll mind-bend them into helping you.”

“We will find someone when we have everyone back to the island, alive and safe,” Julian promised. “Until then, I can hold on by drinking more blood than usual. I don’t like it, but I will do what I must. And”—he persisted before I could complain—“I will find a doctor if it gets too hard or impacts me too much.”

I nodded, not liking it, but accepting it.

When we got to the house on the hill, the upstairs lights glowed from the window of the master bedroom.

“Looks like she’s up,” Julian said, ringing the bell.

A minute later, Lorraine swung open the door, hugging a white satin robe around herself, makeup still on and perfect, along with her dark hair which spilled loose over her shoulders. She took in Julian and bit her bottom lip, stepping back to let us in.

“I’m glad to see you,” she said, barely glancing at me.

“Have you seen any more fae?” Julian demanded, walking past her into the mansion and peering into the rooms one by one.

She watched with me from the hall. “No. Is everything okay?”

“Other than your husband being murdered recently?” I asked with a fake smile and immediately regretted it when her face paled. “Sorry, it’s been a very hard day.”

“I understand,” she said, patting my arm. “Would you two like to stay the night?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Julian said, already halfway up the stairs. “But I want to check the house if that’s alright with you.”

“Well, I—wait!” she called after him, and I followed as she hurried to a stop at the top landing when Julian threw the bedroom door open. He froze. The distinct sound of someone struggling and muffled mumbling wafted into the hallway.

Lorraine turned on me so fast I hadn’t even lifted a finger by the time she’d shoved me at the top of the steps.

Chapter 14

Fairy Problems

I soared backward, feet flying out from under me, horrified in that one weightless moment. Julian’s strong arms caught me just before my skull hit the unforgiving marble edges of the stairs.

He righted me and zoomed right back to Lorraine, cutting off her retreat to the bedroom with a hand on the door. I didn’t have to see him to know his fangs had extended, dark veins pulsing from his skin and eyes the color of blood. She shrank from him, stumbling to the carpet and crawling away as he stalked forward.

I rushed back up the remaining stairs and to his side where I was able to catch sight of Binx, bound and gagged on the bed, shirtless and bruised like someone had beaten him with a baseball bat on his side.

“Binx,” his name fell from my lips as Julian lifted Lorraine so she dangled over the floor.

“Who are you really?” he demanded.

“Lorraine,” she choked out. “It’s me. I went to save your friend.”

Julian dropped her and she landed on her knees.

“Don’t do anything to hurt any of us,” I commanded her. “No escaping either,” I added as an afterthought before rushing to Binx’s side to remove the gag and start undoing his bindings.

“Oh my gods, are you okay?” I asked, gingerly laying my hands over his injury like a frame around a painting.

“Obviously not,” he said, sweating. “I can’t recover until I make it back to my realm.”

I helped him to a sitting position as he winced. When I set a hand over his rock-hard stomach, I suddenly realized I didn’t feel a damn thing. No attraction, no need to throw myself at him. Not even Julian’s scent. His magic wasn’t working.

“How do we get you back?” I asked, tilting his face toward me. He looked feverish but his skin was clammy.

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