Page 24 of Upon Shattered Bonds

Kaien blinked, the neutral expression he wore tinged by his own fatigue. “You need to feed, and I don’t have to tell you that—”

Nina’s quick silencing gesture stopped Kaien in mid-sentence.

She knew his healer nature would prevail and he’d speak the truth out loud. If a vampire was conscious, drinking from a living source was always preferable to a direct transfusion or bagged donation when it came to aiding recovery. The blood of an older vampire, or a more powerful immortal, would yield infinitely better results than that of a human’s blood.

Nina was the exception. She was the oldest vampire in existence, the originator of the race, and one of the most powerful Raeths of her breed. There were very few immortals alive that could provide her with healing blood.

One was standing in this room. She was certain that if he knew her life was in his hands, Zeke would reject her, like he did all those centuries ago. This time, she wasn’t sure she could survive it.

Beside her, Aidan stiffened, hostility suffusing the air around him. When she looked up, she saw Zeke had stepped towards the bed, his jade eyes fixed on her and filled with concern.

Before aggression could erupt, Nina simply said, “Can we have a moment?”

The command to her brothers went willfully unheeded for several long moments, neither man comfortable with leaving her alone with the other sovereign. A snarl parted Aidan’s lips when he finally yielded and followed Kaien out of the room.

Wordlessly, Zeke strode even closer with a casual grace that belied his predatorial nature. A quiver of trepidation, equal parts eagerness and vulnerability, lodged in her gut.

“Ezekiel—”

“My wrist or my neck?”

The gentle rumble of his deep voice strummed the same chords in her that threatened to fawn at his approach.

Nina felt the tips of her fangs extend. If she allowed this to happen, it would have to be a one-time only occurrence. The intimacy of the act couldn’t be denied, especially considering their unique situation. The erotic ecstasy of her mate’s blood would lead to an unavoidable strengthening of their neglected bond, something Nina had vowed to resist at any cost.

Extenuating circumstances called for extraordinary measures.

“Your wrist is fine.”

The warmth of his body whispered against her senses, the faint scent of sandalwood tickling her nose. She took his extended wrist, palm opened up toward her in invitation. Below the tawny skin, the steady beat of his heart met her ears, and all sense of decorum was lost.

Her fangs sank into his flesh. His blood, exquisite beyond compare, surged into her mouth.

Chapter Ten

A groan stalled in Zeke’s throat. With Nina’s fangs lodged in his flesh and her lips pressed against his skin, the hungry pull at his vein was like nothing he’d experienced before. His blood heated in response, coursing like fire through him.

One glance at her chilled the rising desire that threatened to overwhelm him. If he came on too strong, Nina would certainly refuse any further help. While she remained catastrophically injured, she needed everything he could supply, and he wouldn’t allow his lust to endanger that.

Fighting his desire, he studied her. Given the situation, Zeke was unsurprised to see the faint shadow of red that tinted her irises. Now, with her reservoirs depleted, she edged toward the more feral side of her nature. Yet with every pull at his vein, the crimson diminished.

As his powerful blood flowed between them, the mating bond also grew in intensity. The link pulsed with newfound life at the influx of sensation, the spark of something long denied.

Just as the first wave of dizziness threatened to overtake him, the vampire’s fangs left his flesh. Instead of her customary icy attitude, Nina did something he didn’t expect. The gentle brush of her tongue over the puncture wounds held an intimacy that almost made him sway. The wounds vanished before his eyes.

“Why are you here, Zeke?”

Nina’s closed-off features and bland words only hinted at the question’s underlying motive. Zeke steeled himself against the conversation about to play out and everything that depended on it.

Retreating a step away from the bed in a bid to cede her personal space, he answered, “Our bond severed; I knew you needed help.”

“And what, you rode to my rescue, the valiant paladin and the endangered princess? You expect me to believe you cared about my fate all of a sudden?” A cynical suspicion lit her eyes. “Ah. Of course. My death could endanger you, even with only a ghost bond between us.”

Zeke’s temper spiked. “I’ve never wanted you dead, Nina! Nor would I only save your life to spare my own.”

“Your past actions would suggest you’d rather be without a mate than have me. I’m unconvinced anything has changed.”

“I’ve never said I’d rather be without a mate,” he replied. “Nina, you mean—”

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