Page 63 of Mated Exile

Though I can tell she doesn't want to, Delilah stretches out her hand and squeezes the dropper over the wound. I hiss as the venom hits my skin and sinks into my blood. Then I stare at it, waiting for the high of oblivion to follow, craving it even as I feel shame at my own weakness.

Staring up into Delilah's eyes, I gather strength, and tell myself that even if it does get me high, I won't go out chasing more.

"Well?" She blinks her bright green eyes at me. "Is it doing anyth—"

I groan, interrupting her as I curl around on my middle, pain striking me in my stomach. Dropping down to one knee, I shudder as a convulsion wracks me, nothing like the venom was before. There's no darkness of oblivion or soft, cottony high, just a painful fist of nausea in my middle and shivers of discomfort across my skin.

If anything I feelmoreaware, the world around me sharpening brightly into focus.

"Kieran!" Delilah drops to her knees beside me, hand curling around my shoulder, her face full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," I admit, even as the nausea leaves me a moment later. "I think it's passing."

Her hand on my shoulder helps, something about her presence anchoring me and calming the pit within. Squeezing my hand, I watch the skin knit itself together, and swallow as the discomfort leaves me.

No high. And definitely no craving for more. If anything, that single drop of venom did its job, because I can't imagine seeking out another high like that. Even the thought of the vampire venom makes my stomach turn and fills me with disgust, a completely opposite feeling from before.

Looking up at Delilah, I grin, and watch her mirror my expression. "It worked. It really worked!"

"Oh, Kieran." Throwing her arms around me, she hugs me tight. I draw her close against my chest, dropping my chin to her shoulder, heart racing at the smell of her and the nearness of her warmth. "I'm so, so glad. I hope this helps you."

"You always help me," I murmur, splaying my hands on her back. "I want to show you that I can be better."

Delilah draws back from me and opens her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted.

"It's time to patrol." It's Roarke, standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed somewhere past our heads. "We should get moving."

I nod sharply, get up, and reach my hand down towards Delilah. She shoots me a concerned glance, looking over at Roarke then back at me, but there's no way to explain.

She thinks he's upset because he saw the two of us together.

If she really knew what's upset him, I'm not sure what she'd think.

All I know is that it's time to clear the air between us, and show my closest friend, my dearest brother, that we can both get past this thing together.

First, time to kick some vampire ass.

* * *

Over an hour has passed in patrol, and we're about to give up entirely, when I spot a familiar well-lit parking lot near the outskirts of town. Silently, I motion for Roarke and Delilah to follow me towards it, my senses thrumming at the edge.

I feel different since Delilah did the spell on me. There's still an emptiness inside me, and my wolf paces restlessly, but the cravings are gone. When I try to think of things to fill up the black pit in my chest, I find myself thinking of running through the woods, hunting down vamps, or pulling a certain woman close to me. It doesn't even cross my mind to seek out the venom.

In a single instant, the spell sank beneath my skin and changed everything.

Now I'm certain I can take on the next challenge—and my senses, well-honed after years spent around vampire scum, have sharpened in to feel their presence.

"There's one here," I murmur, pitching my voice low as we widen our path out towards the woods. "I think they may have found someone."

Roarke scans the darkness with narrowed eyes and frowns. "I don't sense anything. Are you sure?"

Inhaling, I catch the sharp, iron-tinged scent of blood. "I'm certain."

A moment later I hear a small whimper, and react without thinking. My wolf surges to my skin and pushes out of me. Transforming, I fall to the ground on four paws and rush towards a spot in the darkness, my hearing and smell telling me where to go before my eyes spot them.

Two figures are pinned up against a tree: one vampire, and the human woman he's holding against his chest as he sinks his fangs into her neck. She spasms, back arching, eyes wide and glassy. He's too out of it with pleasure from the feed to hear me as I sneak up behind them.

Without announcing my presence, I streak across the ground and leap at them. The woman falls out of the vamp's grip, and I grab his arm, tossing him away from her. A moment later I shift back to my human form, reach into my jacket, and pull out a sharpened wooden stake.

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