Page 118 of Wanted

Andrei practically leaps across the bed. His big hands grab me by the shoulders and lift me up to face him. “What shared world?”

I’m normally never weak, but what Alena and I are going through must be affecting me because I can barely budge his hands.

“Where we dream,” I grunt. “We can be with each other there.”

“And he’s inside of it with her?” Andrei asks.

“Yes! Didn’t I just fucking say that?!” I snap and try again to push him away from me.

Eyes lighting up, Andrei begins to smile. “Whoever this prophet is, he’s inside her.”

“Is there a fucking echo in this room?” I turn to look at Asher. “Because it feels like all I’m fucking doing is repeating myself!”

Letting go of me before Asher can respond, Andrei grabs hold of Chloe’s hand. “I need to get to my room.”

One second Andrei is holding on to Chloe’s hand and the next they’re both simply gone.

His face full of concern, Asher asks, “How bad is it inside her?”

I wince, my entire body throbbing with the echoes of her agony. “It’s hell. She’s being tortured by whatever that fucker is.”

Making my limbs obey my will, regardless of how much it hurts, I gently sit down beside Alena.

Feelings of guilt flood through me as I remember the pain she used as a barrier. A barrier to keep the outside world away.

That barrier is gone, though, and all the pain she’s kept locked up is tearing through her like a maelstrom of misery.

Wanting to wipe away some of the ugliness I accidentally spilled on her, I look for my blood on her porcelain skin.

“Asher…” I say.

My eyes keep searching her arm but I can’t find it.

“Yeah?” he says, as if he’s distracted. “They’ll be back soon. I can feel Chloe rushing Andrei.”

“Ash!” I snap at him. “Where’s my blood?”

“What?” Asher’s attention focuses back on me. “What blood?”

“My blood, you fuck. Where did my blood go?” I point to exactly where my bloody spit hit Alena’s arm.

Looking at what I’m pointing at, Asher moves closer. “I don’t see anything. Maybe you were imagining it? You’re under a lot of stress.”

“No.” I motion to the spot on her arm. “It was right fucking there.”

“I don’t know…” Asher says quietly. “Do it again.”

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that my blood hit her arm. I saw it happen. Vampires don’t simply forget or imagine things.

Lifting my hand to my mouth, I bite down on it. I’m so fucking full of blood that losing a little right now won’t affect me.

Moving my hand to her bare arm, I let the blood trickle onto her skin.

“Well fuck,” I grumble as the blood slowly dribbles off her arm and onto the sheet.

Asher starts to say, “Maybe—”

But falls silent at what happens before our very eyes.

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