Page 7 of Eternally Yours

Before I had a chance to realize what happened, a breeze flew past my hair and two people stood over me, wide-eyed and panting.

The world stopped spinning as my gaze settled on the man whose bright green eyes stared back down on me. It was him. The man from the alley. He was alive. And inexplicably, no longer injured.

He dropped to his knees beside me, his movements too quick to be natural. He leaned forward, gaze roaming my face, studying me with the same intense look I was casting him. Being this close to him made my heart pound for a reason I couldn’t decipher. He was handsome—no, beyond that. He was… otherworldly. Breathtakingly beautiful.

He sported a shock of dark hair a bit on the longer side, heavy-lidded eyes, smooth skin, a sharp jawline, and full lips. And when those lips pulled up into a smile, showing off a set of perfect white teeth, I gasped too loud for my liking.

“How do you feel?” he asked in that sensual accent that seemed to make me forget I’d been kidnapped by this man. My head swam as I tried to make sense of the strange sensations warring inside me, coupled with the fierce, bizarre, and ill-timed attraction I had for this stranger.

I couldn’t find my voice to answer him. My mouth opened, but the words choked in my throat.

“I’m Nicholas,” he said, touching his chest. “And this is Catherine.” When he pointed to the other woman in the room—an equally stunning brunette in tight clothes—I realized I’d forgotten we weren’t alone.

“Where am I?” I asked, my words sounding more clipped than I intended.

He must’ve noted the apprehension behind my eyes and took a few steps back, giving me personal space. “You’re safe here, Loren,” he said, offering me a hand so I could stand. “We’re not going to harm you.”

Ignoring his hand, I stood and asked, “How do you know my name?”

“It was on the work badge attached to your clothes,” the woman replied, her tone less friendly than her partner’s.

I looked around the room, trying to find evidence of my scrubs.

“They were badly ripped and bloody from the attack,” she continued as if reading my thoughts. “I stripped you naked and disposed of them. Now that the beasts have your scent, we can’t have them track you to Nic’s place.”

My brow pinched. “I… don’t understand.”

“Loren,” the man said, his deep voice anchoring me in place. “I can explain everything, but right now I need to know how you feel.”

My stomach answered that question. Rooting my gaze to his, I said, “Aside from incredibly confused? Hungry.”

He glanced at Catherine, and silent words seemed to pass between them. Something was off. I didn’t like that these people were having silent, secret conversations about me. I was in an unfamiliar apartment with two strangers, practically naked, and with no way to contact anyone for help. Anxiety wrapped around my lungs and I choked on my next breath. No one knew where I was. I had no idea how much time had passed since the incident outside the coffee shop.

Had it been hours? Days?

The hospital—my coworkers—they were probably wondering where the hell I was. What if I lost my job because of this? And my father. God, he must’ve been worried sick. I needed to get back home.

I scrambled to my feet, but the sudden motion made my head whirl, and pain throbbed behind my eyes once again. About to pass out, I teetered, but a strong hand clutched my upper arm as my legs gave way.

Before I had a chance to protest, this man had me in his strong arms as he carried me back to the bed. His musky, masculine scent enveloped me in a warmth that made me crave him in ways I’d never craved a man.

Something was definitely wrong with me. I’d been kidnapped and now I was swooning over my abductor? These people must’ve given me a strong sedative to make my mind so loopy.

“She needs blood, Nic,” Catherine said.

“I have bags in the fridge.”

“No, Nic,” she said as he placed me on the mattress. “She needs to feed from you to complete the transformation or she will die.”

Their words floated in my head like a bad dream. I wanted to get up. To find a way out of there. But my body felt like a stone weight.

“Loren, listen to me.” Nicholas’s words brought me back from the darkness. “What I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but you have to—”

“There’s no time for explanations,” Catherine said. “Nic, give me your wrist.”

Without warning, the scent of blood hit my nose—metallic and sweet—making my stomach clench with indescribable hunger. Before I could register what was happening, I seized his arm and brought his wrist to my mouth. Warmth spilled over my tongue and slid down my throat, immediately easing the pain in my gut. I moaned out loud, the hunger only increasing as I sucked and licked the wound under my tongue.

As I took my fill, a different fire began to stoke. Arousal pooled at my core and all I could think about was ripping off my robe and offering my body to this stranger. As if all my senses were heightened and focused entirely on him. His scent. His breath. His touch. And oh, God, I could sense his desire, too. All through the blood flowing into my mouth.

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