Page 11 of Just One Bite
“You’re not going to like this.” I lift her chin, and she doesn’t flinch when I move my lips to her neck to lick the bite mark clean. I tune strictly into my inner wolf, holding my breath. Thinking about her blood and how good it tastes is the last thing I need to do while trying to heal her.
She groans again and shrinks away from me, but her fingers stay wrapped around my forearm.
“I know it’s gross. But it’s a Were thing. It closes your wound. Someone just took a lot of blood from you, but you’ll be okay.” Needing to warm her, I draw her to me, and a faint whimper leaps from her throat, as her fingers curl into my forearm. “I’ll get you some Quik-Recover.”
The fact she’s been attacked is proof she isn't a donor. Donor Program rules are strict, and there are laws on harming anyone in the program. I’m not in the program because hybrid blood is the least sought after. But as an over six-foot male, I don’t need to worry about people jumping out of the bushes to bite me.
I grab my bag from the utility lockers, and in less than a minute, I’m next to her again. I shake the little carton in front of her face before I punch the straw through. She takes it with one hand and reaches for me with the other. Happy to be her support, I scoot in closer so she doesn’t need to work so hard to stay upright. Quik-Recover is an emergency aid for when someone sucks the life out of you. She’ll likely still need a transfusion though.
“It’s safe. It will help.” I move the straw to her lips. As she drinks, the color springs into her cheeks and all that anxious energy making my skin itch dissipates.
“Why am I so cold?” she asks.
“Have you never gotten bitten before? Never donated?”
She shakes her head.That explains a lot.
“It’s normal. Here.” I put my arm around her.
The chill of the night doesn’t help. I bring her hands closer to my stomach so she can warm them, and her fingers trail along my abs and work up my chest. Though her skin is cold, everywhere she touches me burns. It’s oddly exhilarating.Head in the game, Parker.
“Still feel dizzy?”
She nods and leans into me, so I let her rest on me.
“It takes a few minutes to work.”
She struggles to keep her head up, so I hold onto her face, rubbing her cheek with my thumb. There’s something so natural about having her in my arms. The world around us fades away as I tend to her. I don’t think about any of the stares or the fact that orientation has started—I just enjoy her presence.
“It will be okay. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The words pour from me without warning. They’re true, sure, but do I really need to tell this random girl thatout loud? I need to get a grip. She might be finding this creepy while not being able to move as she’s cradled by some guy in the grass.
I’m about to loosen my grip on her, but she lets out a lengthy breath and leans into me with one arm wrapping around my torso. Her heartbeat, once rapid, is slowing. It’s the only cue I needed to stay holding her close. She lays her head against my chest, and I lick the sweetness of her blood lingering on my lips. I can’t help but think of the asshole who sank their teeth into her, and the thought sends my brain to places that involve me starting fights. Bad idea.
“We’ll sit here for a few minutes, and then we’ll go to the nurses' station.”
“And your name is …?”
“Parker Owens. Sorry, I got a little carried away back there.”
“I’m Olivia Osborne.” Her voice is soft, but her eyebrows are drawn together like she’s studying me. The more she recovers, the more her hold loosens.Olivia.
“I have to find my sisters.”
“They made it out of the maze. I’m sure—Ow!”
Something hard whacks me in the head from behind, and the edges of my vision blur.
“Stay away from my sister!”
With the large branch inches from my face, I snatch it out of the air.
“Ow?” I say, still confused on how I let some little blonde human clock me so hard in the head.
“Eva. He’s fine.” Olivia finally pulls away from me as the Quik-Recover works its magic. It has actual magical properties. I briefly remember the lesson I had on it in my early years of school, something about temporarily accelerating the production of blood cells.
“Please don’t press charges.” Evangeline’s eyes widen.
