Page 32 of Bitten

A nurse soon came into his room, carrying a container of blood in her hand. He could scent it immediately. The recent forced feedings had made his desire for the vile stuff grow even worse.

She set it on the tray table before him and smiled. “I hoped perhaps we wouldn’t have to force you tonight?”

Ralnur stared at the cup a few seconds, his mind and soul at war.

Will I ever meet them? IF they’re real, of course.

The thought of dying before he knew the answer didn’t settle well. He reached out and grabbed the cup. Hesitant, he stared down in the dark red liquid, hating this need he now had. Ultimately, he brought the cup to his lips and gagged some of the synthetic blood down.

The nurse smiled at him. “I’m happy to see that. I’ll be back in a few minutes to check that you finished it.”

As the nurse strode out the door, another male slipped past her, entering.

Ralnur lifted his gaze to the stranger and froze, the cup midway to his lips.

The handsome stranger pinned him with a gaze. He was silent, staring at Ralnur with heat in his gaze.

A heat Ralnur felt within.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

Ralnur felt his whole body tremble. “Kane.”

The man nodded slightly, the movement almost imperceptible.

Ralnur swallowed back a mixture of panic, lust, and anger as his chaotic mind tried to figure out which of the hundreds of questions circling his mind should be first. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came forth.

Kane walked closer to the bed, stopping at the foot and gripping the hard plastic edge “I wasn’t sure you’d survive.”

“I shouldn’t have,” Ralnur spat. “You’ve created a monster.”

Kane winced and looked away a moment before turning back. He spoke quietly, likely to prevent the officers outside from hearing him. “I couldn’t let you die. And I know I’m a selfish bastard for that. But I’m an unapologetic selfish bastard, I’m afraid.”

Ralnur stared at him, the want overpowering all of the other emotions. “And you’ve bound me to you forever. Without giving me a choice in the matter.”

Kane frowned. “Bound you to me?”

“You’re my sire,” Ralnur whispered.

Kane eyed him. “I’m afraid I know very little about being a sire. I have no plans to bind you to me at all.”

Ralnur looked over the man, from head to toe. He was big—much larger than Ralnur. He had to be well above six feet with huge, hulking shoulders. Muscles gave him a shifter look—but Ralnur sensed no animal within.

Unless one counted a vampire as a savage beast.

But yet, there was something different about this vampire. Something missing. “Didn’t your own sire teach you?”

“The one who bit me died that night,” Kane said, walking to the side of the bed and looking down from his great height. “I’ve hunted the creatures ever since.”

A vampire who hunted his own? “So why make one?”

“Because you’re mine,” Kane snapped, and Ralnur nearly moaned from the sound of it.

He broke Kane’s heated stare, knowing if he remained captured in it much longer, he’d beg to be taken.

“Yours? How so?”

“You’re my mate.”

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