Page 25 of Queen Takes Queen
My fangs ached. I needed to feed. A lot. I’d tapped several of my Blood already, just to be up and moving somewhat normally. How much blood would it take to heal the rest of my injuries? Would I incapacitate them all to heal myself? I didn’t dare risk it. Not with Skye’s attack coming. In that regard, another Blood would bewelcome.
:More than welcome,:Rik added sternly.:You need to feed many times before you travel to meet Zaniyah. You should be at full strength, and right now, you’re barely upright and can’t control yourbleeding.:
I blew out a sigh. I knew he was right. “Did you ever feed from Keisha Skyedirectly?”
“Fuck, no. The males who feed from her throat die quickly. You know the truth of that better than anyone,Rik.”
Rik’s arm tightened around me, his big body sliding toward granite. “Things are different in the Isadorcourt.”
“I should goddamn hope so,” Ezra retortedback.
Growling deep in his chest, Rik squared his shoulders and lowered his head. “You won’t be leaving this nest on a whim and wandering around the countryside causingproblems.”
“Who saysso?”
“Me.” Boulders crashed and tumbled in his voice with that singleword.
They stared at each other. Long moments passed by. The trees murmured with excitement as the first of the ants came up into their main root system. I felt ants popping and snapping in the ground, devoured like movie popcorn by the voracious roots. Tendrils grabbing, curling around tiny bodies. Smashing them. Nutrients to feed the earth. Roots snapping into place, entrapping huge pockets of ants in a corral of their design. The trees gobbled them up as quickly as possible, but thousands upon thousands were still marching relentlessly to thesurface.
I tried calling up my power, even a small fireball, to gauge how long I couldlast.
Agony. My ribcage ached like it’d split open, pain slicing through me. I couldn’t hold back a softcry.
Rik whipped his head to me, already tearing his wrist open to give me blood yet again. That didn’t surprise me, though I tried to tell him not to bother. I’d already fed from him deeply just a few minutes ago, and with an attack imminent, I couldn’t risk him. What did surprise me was the ruckus Ezra made on the outside of mynest.
Roaring, he pounded on the invisible barrier of my blood circle. “Let me in! Daire, you little bastard! Get that furry ass over here and bring me through! She needsme!”
Rik lifted my wrist and gently licked my blood from one of those brutal punctures.:Better? Don’t worry about me, my queen. A few swallows of your blood and I’m good asnew.:
The new man roared louder and I felt his pain. My circle did not like him trying to break through. At all. But he wouldn’tstop.
:Let him in,:Rik told Daire with a mental sigh.:Though I’m holding you responsible forhim.:
:Then I don’t want him in.:Daire grumbled, though he did head toward the circle. Instead of brushing or pressing against the man to bring him through my blood circle, Daire clamped his jaws around Ezra’s beefy forearm and dragged him through and directly to me, refusing to let him go until he stood beforeRik.
Rik didn’t say anything. He held my wrist, tenderly licking my blood from the many wounds the thorns had made, his other arm wrapped around me, his wrist pressed to my mouth. Slumped against him, I watched their interaction, not letting go of Rik’s wrist. Not until he wasready.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Ezra was almost as tall as Rik and nearly twice as wide. But this time, I wasn’t worried for Rik’s safety. I knew one hundred percent who my alpha was. And if Ezra wanted tostay…
He’d knowtoo.
Finally, he said gruffly, “Alpha.” Then he looked at me, his eyes softening. “Queen.” He dragged his gaze away, wincing as if it hurt to do so, and gave a look at Guillaume. “Stud.” But when he looked at Daire, he growled. “Pussy cat. You didn’t have to bite me sohard.”
:Wait until Shara bites you,:Daire said in our bond, even though Ezra couldn’t hear it yet.:Nobody warnhim.:
I let go of Rik’s wrist. “The ants. They’reclose.”
Loud caws and bird sounds had us all jerking our gaze up to the sky. A huge flock of crows and other birds swarmed into the trees, led by my huge raven, Nevarre.:I roused as many birds as I could. They’re grateful for a nighttime feast. Winter’s a leantime.:
“Crow,” Ezra said, slowly turning back to look at me, one brow arched. “Four Blood. Ormore?”
“More.” My lips quirked. “But he prefersraven.”
:Wait until Mehen gets to meet Mr. Surly.:Daire cackled in ourbond.
Rik shifted into his rock troll, his colossal boulder form slowly rolling out of him. Fully shifted, he made my other Blood look like toys a kid would playwith.
Ezra whistled, soft and low, but didn’t say aword.
