Page 10 of Deadly Cravings

Oh shit.

“It was a reflex,” I said frantically, hugging my Prada to my chest. I shouldn’t have done that to her. The precious baby didn’t deserve the last moments of our lives to be spent like this. “Just bury her with me after you kill me,” I babbled. “Don’t give her to another vampire. As my dying wish, please?—”

“I won’t let him hurt you,” Tobias said, stiff. The promise flowed over my skin. I didn’t believe it for a second. “Allow him to heal you.” I didn’t say anything. What could I do? Say no?

Asher pressed his long finger under my chin and tipped it up, exposing my neck. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. There was nothing else I could do other than scream. If I couldn’t take one vampire, I was practically a newborn fawn to three of them. His wet tongue lashed against my neck . . . once . . . twice. A shiver coasted down to my core and my purse slipped from my grip.

“That’s enough,” Tobias ordered.

“There, there, all better.” Asher’s grin flashed fangs. “It was just a nick.”

Understatement of the century.

“How do you know about our kind?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, the knot in my throat was too thick. My teeth clicked together, and I took a moment to breathe but my response wasn’t fast enough for Jax. He was shoving past Tobias and in front of me in a flash.

“Tell me.” He hissed and fisted the back of my hair, yanking my head back with a harsh movement.

I cried out, tears welling. He stared down at me with a deadly look in his eyes.

“Be careful with her,” Tobias snapped and pressed his fingertips into Jax’s shoulder.

“Looks like Tobias finally wants a pet,” Asher said in a too gleeful voice. No. I didn’t want to be a pet. My hands shook and I returned my gaze to the English vampire.

“Compulsion doesn’t work on her.” Jax didn’t react, his gaze focused on me as his hold tightened.

Tobias squeezed Jax’s wrist, and all I could feel from the action was the tug. Jax narrowed his eyes at him, but Tobias stared back without twitching a muscle.

Jax finally released me, the angry twin hissing as he stepped away with a glower.

“I apologize for him.” Tobias crouched in front of me, pressing a hand into the cushion. I focused on the indent in the couch where his hand pressed with neat oval nails, trimmed to precision. A feathering touch brushed my forehead. “Who did this to you?”

My eyes flicked to Jax without a second thought, but I quickly brought them back to my trembling hands. I hadn’t meant to look at him.

Tobias straightened in front of me; the back of his torn, bloody knit sweater allowed me a peek at his skin.

I craned my neck and found him glaring, eyes narrowed. Itmustbe a requirement to be taller than six three and built like Greek Gods. I couldn’t lie to myself, as frightened as I was, their beauty was glaringly obvious.

“When are you going to tell us what happened?” Asher flopped on the couch next to me. The hem of his white button-down rising, his toned abs on full display, and droplets of my blood staining his shirt. His skin was pale and looked silky to the touch.

“You can touch.” My gaze snapped to him at his low words. His hand splayed on his stomach, and he lifted his shirt inch by inch, raising it to expose more of the leanly-packed muscle.

Jax’s open hand smacked him across the forehead.

“Fuck you, Jaxon,” Asher hissed.

“We don’t have time for your shit,” Jax snapped at his twin.

Tobias motioned for my attention, taking it away from the bickering vampires and held out a hand. I stared at it, then up into his patient eyes. He’d treated me with care, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think I actually had a say, so I placed my fingers in his. They gently constricted around mine. Vampires weren’t supposed to be this gentle.

Asher clicked his tongue. The surprised sound dragging my attention to him. He straightened from his slouch, staring at Tobias. “Did you just smile?”

Tobias’s lips flattened and he met my gaze.

“I can’t get a read on her.”

“Impossible!” I startled at Jax’s shout. Tobias’s eyes shut briefly, and he released me as he turned, angling himself in front of me. Jax must overreact often. The short temper, the quick assumptions... anger issues was written all over this man, er, vampire. “If you would have remained at full strength and fed as you’re supposed to, you never would have landed us in this situation with a mutant human.”

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