Page 33 of Blood Lust
Everything was growing hazy, and I saw Shane and throw off some green force that slammed me in the chest. Just as it hit me, I watched the huge black wolf that was once Zane lunge at Jon. The wolf growled and then took Jon’s throat in its terrifyingly large fangs.
Jon was starting to shift, but all that changed was the fact that he grew silver fur before Zane’s wolf took him out. Feeling my body thaw with the magic ball Shane hit me with, I screamed in horror as I watched Zane finish Jon off mid-shift.
“Now, Shane, do it now!” Cole screeched, as I heard glass shattering behind me. I went to look for Marsha, but everything was chaos with wolfs, dead zombie things, and dark clouds now covering bright green grass.
Shane conjured up a silver mist between his palms, glanced over at me, and shot it directly toward me. Zane’s wolf was midflight and had just touched me when I went out after the slam of silver magic.
The magic felt like it was kicking and saving my ass all at once. It hurt like hell, but I was hoping it was over when my eyes reopened and I found myself in some random lodge in the middle of nowhere.
The wolf’s face was up to my own while it stood on four feet. He let out a small yelp, and Cole’s familiar voice sent relief washing over me so suddenly and so fast that I collapsed into my vampire's arms.
“It’s okay, baby,” Cole said, rubbing my forehead. “It’s just Zane and me. We’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
Chapter Eighteen
The wolf stood panting and sniffing the air around me while Cole’s arms ran over mine, my neck, and along my body, thoroughly examining it. A gurgling growl erupted from the wolf’s chest, which probably should’ve scared the shit out of me, but I reached out toward its snout instead.
The wolf stepped back, lowered its head, and whimpered through its sad, dark eyes.
“What the hell is wrong?” Cole asked the wolf.
I glanced back to see red inflammation on one side of Cole’s neck, and then I took his hands into mine. His palms were swollen and red, then I felt a burning sensation reach around the back of my neck, and my throat seized up in response.
“You both have been wounded by the Shifted,” Zane snarled as he shifted into human form again. “Shit!” he said, turning me to face him. “Elle, your neck. They fucking marked your neck. If we don’t act fast, you both are going to join them.”
“Join what, who?” I looked back at Cole, “How do we fix this?”
“You have to trust me,” Zane said, bringing my eyes back to his naked and glorious body. “You have to feed.” He reached for my cheek. “We don’t have Shane here to help with this, so I need you to run on instincts after you fill yourself with my blood.”
“Instinct on what?” I managed, rubbing my throat.
“Deep down, you’re still a Life Blood. You have the blood to cure Cole, even from the Shifted…dead shifters.”
I exhaled in confusion. Cole reached back for my hands with his icy cold ones. He went to speak but collapsed onto a plaid futon behind him.
“Come here,” Zane commanded. “You can still save him.”
I fell into Zane’s embrace, feeling starved for oxygen. I could barely hold my eyes open when I felt Zane cradle me, force my lips to the vein in his neck, and sit down. My legs swung over his lap, and I stopped fighting for air so I could think past this. I looked over and saw Cole’s appearance changing drastically. Blue veins were appearing like tree roots all over his exposed body.
“Now, Elle! Focus past the fear of no oxygen,” Zane ordered, gripping the back of my neck, pressing my lips into him.
I felt my fangs slip down, and I opened my mouth. Zane’s firm palm covered the back of my head, and my fangs went into his neck and found the vein I needed.
Icy fluid filled my starved body and streamed into me, jump-starting my lungs first and giving me the strength I needed to start the recovery from the wounds that were inflicted on me.
Zane sighed as soon as I filled my lungs with oxygen and life started returning to my body again. I reached up and gripped the other side of Zane’s neck, pulling him tighter into my bite.
Zane groaned, and his free hand rubbed along my outer leg, massaging it and encouraging me to take all the blood I needed from him. I knew the wolf was getting turned on—vampires had that effect on their victims—and I was starting to feel the same way. One glance at my vampire who lay there blacked out and lifeless kept me focused on him outside of wanting to test the waters with Zane. It was full on mental focus now, because not only was Zane getting worked up with this whole thing, I was too. Damn bond calling us both while my vampire was about to join the dead.
“Holy fuck,” Zane kept repeating. “I can’t focus.”
No shit, neither can I. Shut the hell up, or we’re both in trouble.
I released Zane’s neck as soon as the icy rejuvenation filled my entire body and perked me back up. I stood from the naked wolf shifter who had a hard-on that was so enticing that only a fool would’ve walked away from it.
Zane stood and grabbed a throw blanket to wrap around his waist. “Can you concentrate on finding the life-blood inside you?” he asked, gently taking my hand in his. “You can do this. I can sense your mental strength, Elle.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, “What the hell do I focus on?” I asked, squeezing my eyes shut, willing this power to take hold.
