Page 27 of Fated In Blood

“You are fucked up from so much blood. Here, let me.” Pain flashed through my head then was gone, but I managed to open my eyes enough to see Blake press my bleeding wrist to the girl’s mouth, my blood staining her lips bright red.

Pride swelled within me, pride that I was doing this,Iwas saving her,Iwas giving her life.

“Now you need to sleep.” Blake’s voice came from far away as something warm settled over us both. “I’ll watch the door and keep everyone out. A few hours and we’ll know if she’ll survive.”

She’d survive.

Even if I had to go into the Pale and drag her back to this world, she would fucking survive.

This girl was going to serve a very important purpose, and I’d be goddamned if Death would cheat me of my warrior. I cradled her against me until her head rested in the crook of my arm.Fuck, I wished I knew her name.Then my eyes slipped closed, her silken hair spilling over my arm like a heavy drape of fabric.

Better. That was much, much better.

16

EVANGELINE

Iopened my eyes, unsure where I was, only that the dark was impenetrable and everything smelled…intense.

Cloves and candlewax and dust and musty leather.

My face was smashed against something hard and warm, also the source of the intensely spicy smell and deliciously tempting, like freshly baked cinnamon rolls and strong black coffee mixed together, and I was filled with a desperate sense of longing.

But I also felt trapped in quicksand, smothered beneath a heavy, un-shiftable weight.

Every part of me was hypersensitive.

My skin was on fire like I’d been sunburned. My carved-out insides ached like I hadn’t eaten for days. My thirst was so intense my mouth felt filled with cotton, and something sharp raked across my tongue every time I wet my dried, cracked lips.

I scanned the darkness, murky shapes finally solidifying into objects, even with no obvious source of light. Books on a wall. An enormous desk. Realization nudged at my memories, but I couldn’t quite recall where I’d seen this room before, only anunsettling sense of déjà vu that got stronger when I pushed up, digging in my elbows for leverage.

Someone groaned.

That was a man.The one I was laying on top of.

I scrambled off and landed on the carpet, every bone wrenching like they were broken, my abraded skin burning like someone had poured rubbing alcohol over me. I panted, trying to get my bearings. I shouldn’t be able to see with no light, especially not the enormous hulking form on the other side of the room rising like a wraith in the shadows.

“Stay away from me.” I scooted backward and hit something unmoving, then an enormous hand squeezed my shoulder, holding me in place. I did the first thing I could think of.

I bit down. Hard.

The strong taste of copper coated my mouth and…rich flavor exploding across my taste buds, and like a phantom echo, a shiver of sexual need went through me.What the fuck was this?

God, every single part of me wanted to bite down harder, to sink my teeth in and…drink. I let go and crawled in the opposite direction.

“Fucking hell, her fangs are sharp.” More cursing, then the rough rasp of a match and a flare of light. I shielded my eyes, practically blinded by the white glare of phosphorus that scalded my nose with equal intensity.

“Don’t be afraid.” That deep voice belonged to the guy I’d bitten, and I ran my tongue—carefully, this time—around the inside of my mouth, disorientation turning to undeniable hunger. My gums throbbed, that insatiable craving becoming so relentless I wrapped my arms around my middle and squeezed.

“You’re safe. We won’t hurt you. We only kept the room dark to give you time to adjust, since light is hard on newly turned vampire eyes.” The man kept his voice even, with a forced sort ofenthusiasm meant to both encourage me and soothe my nerves, which, of course, made me panic.

I peeked through my fingers at the blindingly bright candelabra illuminating two faces I recognized with a horrified vagueness that sharpened by the second, dread clawing up my throat until I could barely breathe.

The big one looming in the shadows…was going to turn me into avampire.

The one with the bite mark on his hand…was the king.

Oh fuck, that was me. I’d bitten him.

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