Page 47 of Crimson Bond

Abbi threw out her palm. “Stay back. Stay away from him. All of you.”

She turned back to Shane, crying harder now. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this.”

Standing close behind her, I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “He won’t even feel your bite. And when he wakes, he’ll have you to guide him.”

The last thing I wanted was Abbi’s human sweetie becoming an immortal who’d be attached to her eternally by an unbreakable bond. But I also couldn’t bear to see her suffering like this. At this point, she really didn’thavea choice.

“No. I’m not going to bite him. I’m going to let him die,” she said. “I won’t force him to become part of this world.”

Shock nearly staggered me. Shewasn’tgoing to turn him?

I hadn’t thought there could be anything worse than having him hanging around for the rest of our eternal lives, but this was it. Considering how guilty Abbi felt over Josiah, I had no doubt she’d punish herself for Shane’s death forever.

Stroking his hands and face, Abbi said her goodbyes. “I’ll never forget you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. And I promise... I will mourn you... always.”

That’s it.

Without waiting for another of Shane’s slow heartbeats to pass, I stepped forward and grabbed his bare arm, sinking my teeth deeply into the flesh. I didn’t drink, though. Thirst had nothing to do with my motivations.

Abbi gasped, frozen in shock. “Why did you do that?”

“Don’t you know?”

She shook her head. “He’s going to turn now. He’s going to be a vampire.”

“That’s right. He won’t die. I told you—I’d do anything to protect you, including saving you from the guilt. That is, as long as he’s not too far gone.”

We both looked to Imogen. She lifted a milky white shoulder and let it fall.

“We shall see if he still had sufficient blood left to make the transition.” Curling her lip at Abbi, she added, “If he does wake, perhaps he can be your mate.”

She looked highly amused at the prospect, flicking a knowing glance at me then Abbi, daring either of us to object.

Abbi turned to me with wide eyes. “Isthatwhy you did it? So he wouldn’t be bound to me? You turned him out of... of jealousy? What will you do when he wakes? Recruit him to join the Bloodbound sohecan’t take a mate either?”

“No,” I shouted. “Maybe. I don’t know. When he wakes—ifhe wakes—you can decide what to do with him. Take him as your mate if that’s what you want. If you tell me that’s what you want, I’ll use The Pull on him and command him to love you for eternity.”

She covered her face with both hands. “I don’t know what I want. I can’t believe you did this.”

25

Test Subject Number One

Abbi

I’d promised Shane safety and freedom—thatwas what I had wanted for him. If he woke a vampire, those things would be impossible.

Looking at him lying there so pale and lifeless, I doubted he’d wake up at all.

I shouldn’t have left him here.But if I hadn’t agreed to go on Imogen’s mission, I would have lost both himandReece.

Maybe I still had. Reece hadbittenhim—knowing Shane would turn. I clutched my stomach, still in disbelief. His unexpected move to take the decision out of my hands had shocked me to my core.

My only hope was that Larkin’s experimental formula would work—if Shane did wake up. And if she hadn’t been thrown out of the Bastion already.

But no, there she was, coming this way with Kannon. Of course Imogen’s loyal soldier would decide to bring the newcomer—and her special cargo—to his queen.

Imogen hadn’t noticed them yet. She had come to stand by my side—far too close for my comfort. Like mine, her gaze was on Shane.

---