Page 79 of Blood Bonds

“His death will be on our hands. Nothing he does will touch you ever again.”

But this was when she astounded me because, for the first time, she willinglytouched me.Cupping the side of my cheek as she granted me her wisdom, telling me there was far more to our Fated than I had allowed myself to see before.

“But don’t you see? If you kill him, itwilltouch me because he will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. Because instead of keeping him the villain of my story, you will only end up making him the victim,” she told me, making me lean into her touch, hating that she spoke the truth.

Her pure, kind soulwoulddo just this. Because our darkness hadn’t yet tainted her, and quite honestly after this, I doubted it ever would.

And I couldn’t find it in myself to be disappointed.

Neither could my brother, and he communicated as much with just a look. Something that we had perfected over our many years, being able to tell what the other was thinking without a word spoken. Which was why I nodded, jerking my head toward the warehouse. Tal then left and the second she heard,

“Let him go and dump his ass off at a hospital,” she relaxed against me, her hand slipping from my cheek to grip the lapel on my jacket. Like she was holding on for dear life fearing that she would soon float away. Which was when I knew something else had happened. Her eyes, despite the fresh tears I could see still clinging to her long lashes, were red and slightly swollen. As if she had spent a long time crying before this point.

“What’s wrong, little Love?” I asked, the endearment too close to confessing my true feelings for her. But just asking this and it was enough to have her clutching to me harder than ever before as a fresh wave of tears hit. This time with enough force that she ended up shaking like a leaf in the storm against me.

“What happened?” Tal asked, making me shake my head at him, telling him with my worried expression that I didn’t yet know.

“Speak to us, little Peach,” he tried, cupping the back of her neck, trying to urge her to tell us.

But then she finally looked at us both and said in an utterly heartbroken tone,

“I am so sorry… it was all a lie.”

I frowned, not understanding what she meant but then she opened her mouth again and this time got only one word out.

“Cursed… ohh.” Before she then fell…

Unconscious.

Chapter 29

Bittersweet

Vanessa

Waking up in a different room felt different.

Because, this time, when I opened my eyes, I realized instantly that I wasn’t alone. I knew that the second I felt their hands on me, easing my fears that I had been too late.

Too late for my goodbye.

The one I had planned that didn’t just include my betraying them. That didn’t end with me stealing from them and breaking the curse. But the one where I gave myself a bittersweet ending. A memory in which I could take with me. Like a crumbled picture in a wallet that brought as much comfort as it did pain.

One I knew only they could give me.

“Hey, here she is,” Talon said, his voice a calming presence and soothing balm for my ragged soul.

“Where am I?” I asked as I took in the space and found I was in some kind of bedroom suite. A very masculine bedroom suite at that. The place was dark, and not from the lack of light.

The walls were gray, the floors were laid with dark wood that almost looked black, and the ceiling had arched beams of the same dark wood. As for the furnishings, mirrored black cabinets stood on thin gold feet, with the same long handles to match. Small tables were of the same design along with a sideboard that held a heavy gothic mirror above.

There wasn’t a rug in this room, and nothing screamed welcoming other than the two Vampires. But more specifically, I wasn’t just in the room, I was in fact lying on a sofa. No guessing needed for what the color was. Jeez, what was it with these guys and black?

As I tried to sit up, I realized that my head hadn’t been on a hard pillow like I thought but actually in Victor’s lap. He had been stroking my hair back and that was the feeling that had roused me enough to wake. Talon had a drink in hand and was walking toward us, at the same time I felt Victor help me upright.

“Easy, baby.” His tender tone behind me made me wish I could just melt right back into him.

“You’re home,” Talon stated as he passed me the glass, the amber liquid swirling seductively around a couple of metal ice cubes.

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