Page 68 of Taste of Forever
“Found him,” Rhain said over background noise that sounded like a struggle. “He’s covered in blood like they said. Want to come over here and take a whiff?”
“Where are you?”
He named a street that was two blocks over. I ran over there, the chest pain easing up slightly. Hopefully that was a good sign.
Rhain stood under a street lamp with his arms crossed. His stillness and the heavy shadows on his huge, hulking form made him look like a gargoyle. At his feet, Pyke sat on the ground. He was fidgeting and rocking slightly back and forth, muttering to himself.
I was across the street, heading their way when the scent of her blood hit me. Velvety petals, floral and sweet.
Fucking hell. My worst fear was true.
“Where is she?” I demanded, coming to a stop in front of the addict. “What the fuck did you do with her?”
Pyke took his sweet ass time looking up to meet my eyes. He had the yellow gaze and tear tracks of long-term draitrium use. Dried blood coated his mouth, chin, neck, and stained the front of his already-stained shirt. Heather’s blood.
“Huh?”
The pain in my chest spread to my limbs like kindling catching fire. All my restraint focused on not swinging at him. Itwasn’t that I didn’t want to hurt him, I just didn’t trust myself to hold back. He couldn’t tell me where Heather was if I killed him.
“Your last meal,” I said through clenched teeth. “The source of all the blood covering you right now. Where is she?”
He brought a hand to his lips, rubbing off some of the dried blood flaking there, then touched his fingertip to his tongue.
That was when I fucking lost my shit.
I grabbed his shirt and hauled him upwards. He was thin and light, thanks to too many drugs and not enough actual sustenance. Using Rhain’s torso as a wall, I held up the junkie while unleashing all of my fury into his face.
“You had no fucking right to take from her!” I roared. “Her blood is all over you like yesterday’s vomit and you don’t have enough fucking brain cells left to tell me where you left her?”
Pyke struggled in my hold to the best of his ability, which was not much. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he whined, legs kicking in the air. “I was high, I don’t remember the last blood meal I had.”
I released one fist from his shirt and clamped it around his throat. His eyes bugged out in fear, and then the real struggle for his life began.
“Laith,” Rhain said with a note of warning. It was thedon’t-kill-him-or-you’ll-be-in-deep-shit-with-Thornewarning.
Thorne hated the drae junkies probably more than anyone, but killing one without cause was still a serious offense.
“I’m good,” I assured Rhain. “I’m not going to kill him. Yet.” I cocked my head, my only movement except for the flailing vampire at the end of my arm. “But depending on what he tells me about my blood mate, he might enjoy a cold turkey detox for the rest of his pathetic life.”
That got Pyke to stop fighting me, the fear on his reddening face kicking up another notch. If there was one thing addicts feared more than death, it was going without drugs.
“I didn’t know she was your blood mate,” he wheezed. “I was just so hungry. The blood bank blacklisted me so it’s been weeks since I fed.”
“That’s interesting. I don’t recall asking. Can you rub those last few brain cells together and tell me what I actually asked you?”
“I can’t…can’t breathe…”
“Laith,” Rhain said again.
I opened my hand and let the addict fall in a heap of dead weight. He lay on his side, coughing and wheezing while I paced the ground in front of him, eyes up. I’d be too tempted to kick him in the ribs if I looked down at him.
As soon as his breathing started to normalize, I paused to stare down at him. “Better tell me what I want to know or you’re going up in the air again.”
“No. No up in the air.” He pushed himself to sitting, his hands raised in surrender with his head lowered. “I—uh, my memory’s hazy but uh?—“
“Did I fucking ask you for excuses?”
“Sorry! I, um, I’m pretty sure I saw her in the square. The sun was shining on her hair, it was really bright. Like gold. Or honey.”
