Page 10 of Samuel
“This is the only way to save you,” I whispered, my breath warm against his skin.
And then I bit down.
The taste of his blood flooded my senses, rich and intoxicating.
My dragon roared with satisfaction, surging to the surface as I sealed the bite with my mark.
His body jolted in my arms, his eyes flying open, wide and startled.
For a brief moment, those vivid blue eyes locked onto mine, full of confusion and pain, but also… trust.
When I pulled away, my lips still stained with his blood, he stared at me for a long moment.
His mouth moved, barely a whisper escaping.
“Thank you,” he murmured, before his eyes fluttered closed again.
I held my breath, listening intently. His heart, which had been so weak, now beat steadily.
His breathing was evening out, becoming stronger with every passing second.
Relief washed over me, and I sagged back onto the couch, cradling him carefully.
He wasn’t out of the woods yet, but he was alive. And then it hit me. That tattoo.
The dagger wrapped in thorns. The Latin inscription. I’d seen it before. A mark used by hunters of the Guild.
A group of deadly, relentless killers tasked with hunting down shifters, vampires, and any other creature that deemed a threat to humanity.
A cold chill swept down my spine.
I’d just given my mate mark to a hunter.
CHAPTER THREE
BLAKE
I woke up groggy,my mind swimming in a fog. The first thing I registered was the room, not the pain I expected to feel.
I remembered agony, the sensation of claws tearing into my flesh, and yet... here I was, in a rustic cabin.
Pushing myself up slowly, I blinked at the sunlight streaming in through a window framed by towering trees.
My entire body should have felt like it was on fire, but instead, there was just a dull ache.
I swung my left leg over the bed, half expecting to collapse when I tried to stand.
My sprained ankle had been shredded, and yet, I could move it.
The oversized shirt I wore smelled faintly of ash and coffee—oddly comforting—and for a moment, I found myself inhaling the scent.
What the hell am I doing? I pushed the thought aside and focused on my body.
The bites, the slashes—they were healing. I didn’t know how or why, but I was… recovering? No, that wasn’t right.
I stumbled to my feet, the room spinning briefly before I steadied myself.
My eyes locked on a mirror hanging on the far wall, and with hesitant steps, I approached.
