Page 18 of These Deadly Dreams

“Sterling, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

His eyes snap to mine and he grabs me to him, holding me against his chest. As I let myself relax, I push away all the thoughts that try to intrude, all the feelings of hurt and betrayal, and just let him hold me. I hate how good it feels, how right. He buries his face in the top of my hair and inhales my scent. His racing heart calms under my cheek, and I know his wolf is finally relenting.

Cade is standing by the door with a smile and a raised brow. I glare at him, silently daring him to say something.

“They got Kai out,” he says. “When you’re ready, he’ll need your blood. No rush though.” He glances to the side where I assume Kai is loaded on a stretcher, and his whole body tenses. “Oh, fuck. Don’t do that!” He yells and pushes away from the ambulance. “Ellis, come here!”

I push away from Sterling, fear once again bubbling inside of me. What now? I jump to the ground, and look around to find Kai on a stretcher with a bag of blood attached to an IV stuck in his arm. Cade reaches Kai and yanks out the IV, blood spraying as he tosses it away.

“What are you doing?” the medic yells. “He needs the blo …”

He trails off as Kai’s body starts to convulse on the stretcher. I rush forward, heart in my throat and eyes wide.

“What’s happening? Cade, do something.”

“They gave him blood. He can only have yours now.” He grabs my wrist and slices it open with a knife he pulls from his pocket.

I place my wrist to Kai’s mouth, a difficult thing to do with his body convulsing, but as soon as my blood touches his tongue, his mouth seals around the cut and his shaking slows. I brush his hair back from his forehead as he drinks my blood, his body slowly relaxing. My heart pounds in my chest, and I’m not sure if it’s mine or his that's racing, or a combination of both.

Kai groans, his grip on my wrist tightening. His face scrunches up and he rolls to his side, drawing his knees to his chest.

“Kai? Are you okay?” I ask, angling myself so he can keep drinking.

He groans again and pushes me away, leaning over the side of the stretcher and heaving. His body jerks violently as he vomits up blood. Cade and I jump back to avoid the splatter as it hits the pavement. Even knowing it’s because he just drank a bunch of my blood, it's disconcerting to see.

He heaves again, vomiting more blood. After he coughs and splutters some more, he finally lays back on the stretcher, gasping for breath. “Fuuuck,” he groans.

I rush forward, ignoring the blood on the ground. His forehead is clammy, and strands of his black hair are plastered to his skin. “Kai?”

“Son of a bitch, it hurts.” He curls into a ball again, squeezing his eyes shut. “Why does it hurt?”

I look at Cade, unsure what to do. He steps around to the other side of the stretcher and rubs Kai’s back.

“They gave you blood. I don’t know how much they managed to give you, but I imagine you’re going to feel like shit for a while.”

He groans again and it breaks my heart. Seeing my strong, vicious vampire in pain is not okay, and I don’t like it at all.

“Ellis?” he asks.

“I’m right here.” I bend down and kiss his temple while running my fingers through his hair.

“Are you okay?” His words are slurred and pain laces each one.

“I’m fine. Do you need more of my blood?”

He shakes his head then grimaces. “Gods, that hurts. No, no more blood. I took too much already.”

“You threw it back up, you need more, Kai.”

“No more.”

He sounds so pitiful I don’t argue with him.

“When we get home you can give him more. Then everyone can pass out and let their bodies heal.” Cade gives me a reassuring smile. “He’ll be fine. Just miserable.”

8. Ellis

I call Allie to drive us home since the Land Rover was totaled. As she pulls up to the scene, Cade and Sterling help Kai from the stretcher and get him situated in the back seat. I climb in with him, and Sterling follows. Wedged between the two of them in Allie’s tiny vehicle isn’t the most comfortable, but it’s nice being so close to them. Kai curls into the smallest ball possible and lays his head on my lap, while Sterling’s shoulder and thigh press against mine.

---