Page 111 of Bound By Roses

Teagan nods, and Petra blows out a breath. “The arm it is, then.”

“Let Abby hold your arm still. I’m going to shift and then I need you not to move. Your instinct might be to pull away from me, but I’m…” My voice cracks, so I clear it. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Fuck, why is this so much harder than it was for Ty? That wasn’t exactly easy, but this…

“She knows,” Petra says, speaking for her.

Abby takes hold of Teagan’s arm and then offers me a small smile. I stand, turning away from them and slipping out of my clothing. Those gathered around take a few steps back towards the room’s edge, but it’s not in fear of me. I would sense it if they were. I’m toeing on the line between man and beast, and the only unease I detect has everything to do with Teagan. It seems even the sirens trust me not to turn into the monster Ty did.

I let my eyes fall close and pull in a steadying breath before letting the wolf have me. I clench my jaw and brace myself for the cracking and reforming of bones, and when my eyes open again, everything looks different and yet entirely the same.

Teagan’s eyes are wide as she takes in my form, but the fear in her is minimal. More than anything, I was worried that whatever trauma she’d suffered from my attack would be triggered when she saw me like this again. It’s not like she hasn’t seen me in this form, but it’s different when my teeth are moments from piercing her flesh.

“She’s ready,” Petra says beside me, but I’m not focused on her. All of my attention is on those eyes that once saw me as themonster who tore open her throat. The monster who stole her ability to sing and brought about the fever that nearly killed her.

This has to work. For her sake, as much as my own. Biting her has nothing to do with the monster or giving us a leg up in our war against Lunae. This is simply about rectifying a mistake and hoping to do right by the people I’ve hurt.

I inch closer to her, saliva already filling my mouth and slipping out from my open jaws. Her heartbeat quickens and I can almost feel the steady flow of her blood as it passes just beneath her skin.

Please let this work.

The scent of her skin is salty, yet sweet. Like an ocean flower ready to bloom into something that can survive beyond the sea.

Her body goes rigid as my jaws clamp down just beneath the elbow. Hot blood flows over my tongue and I resist the wolf’s urge to swallow. There’s a different taste to it, which I should have been expecting because she’s not exactly human.

I want to release, but I lock my jaw to give her as much of the curse as I can. I can only assume it’s passed through saliva, and with the distance from her heart, she’ll need as much as she can get.

“Stop!” Petra says, but I ignore her. She’s panicking, which is more than understandable, but she doesn’t know what Teagan needs. Not when it comes to this.

Petra’s fist moves for my face, but it’s stopped short. I can’t see him, but Merrick’s scent has grown stronger, so it must be his hand clasped firmly around her wrist.

“Don’t interfere,” Merrick says.

Teagan’s hand balls into a fist, and she begins to squirm. She’ll be like this for days unless…

‘I’m going to bite her again.’

“What?!” Abby gasps aloud.

‘Tell them.’

“He’s going to bite her again.”

“The fuck he is,” Petra growls and moves for me again, but Merrick holds her back.

Abby and I release Teagan’s arm at the same time and she’s already reaching for her other before I can ask her to. She must understand, and if she doesn’t, then at least she trusts me enough not to question this.

I don’t hesitate before sinking my teeth into the fleshy part beneath Teagan’s other elbow and allow the buildup of saliva to flood my mouth and mingle with her blood. Her taste is different now. The siren is still there, but there’s something else. Somethingother.

It’s as if whatever venom passes on this curse that gives me fur is warring with whatever gives her fins. I couldn’t be sure before, but I’m certain now. She can’t have both, and if the magic inside her wins, mine will kill her.

As if to underline that thought, Teagan’s body jerks. Her tail flops erratically and her breathing turns laboured.

Fuck, this isn’t enough. She’s going to die right here.

There’s no time to warn Abby before I launch forward and sink my teeth into the side of Teagan’s throat. Someone’s screaming and if it wasn’t for Teagan’s inability, I would have assumed it was her.

“You’re killing her!” Petra's shriek rings in my ears, and she might very well be right. But if I stop, she’ll die either way. Teagan’s skin is already sheen with sweat and I can feel the fever boiling her blood.

‘Tell me what you need.’Abby’s voice in my mind is a light in the dark.

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