Page 65 of The Way You Bite
Her eyes went wide. “If you survive, you’ll have to take the bite back or something. Lick it away or whatever. It’s best for everyone.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” He flinched when a wave of pain hit his stomach and he swallowed hard against nausea.
“Oh God. I’m sorry for the selfish breakdown. This is a lot to take in. You’re hurting and… Crap, I’m so sorry.” She cleared her throat, and her tone changed. “You getting better has to be our top priority right now. You can’t die.”
“This is the doctor talking. You go to her when you’re upset. It’s cute.” He touched her face. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’ve never seen a wolf survive this much silver in the blood, but if I die, I’ll regret losing what has happened between us and not seeing it through to the end.”
“Me, too, I think.”
“We all die at some point. Perhaps this is my time.”
She gazed at him for a few seconds. What he wouldn’t give to know what was going on in her head. Her forehead furrowed. She lay her palm against the exposed skin above his eyebrows. “You’re burning up. It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”
He shrugged. Physical pain he could handle, but the fear of her walking out that door and leaving him without her for whatever few minutes of his life remained equated to something he was pretty sure he couldn’t come to grips with. He needed her. Pride be damned. He was going to beg. If that didn’t work, he would force her to stay. “Stay with me…to the end.”
“I won’t leave.” She bit her lip.“But I don’t want to watch you die like this.”
He thought to her,“We could always go upstairs. I’m not dead yet.”
She bit her lip against a smile and shook her head. “I’d like to give the blood-drinking idea a try.”
“I want to be there to help you through the change, but if I do survive this, let me be clear about it. I can’t stop you from shifting. It’s inevitable. I don’t want you to attempt this blood drain because you think I can.”
“I have trouble wrapping my head around a reality where I can change into something with fur. I don’t want to do it alone…without you.”
“You’ll let Eric help you.”
“I don’t want his blood or to have him see me…turn into something else.” She swiped away more tears before wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. “Don’t leave me. Not yet.”
“I’m not sure we have much of a choice.” He hugged her tight. “All right. We’ll try this. Stop if you feel ill.”
…
As the others reentered the room, Roman stood above her. “I won’t do this. You’ll die, Vee. His blood is so ancient that you’ll probably die before you make even a dent in his total blood volume.”
“I can take more of his blood than you think.”
Roman shook his head. “Not happening.”
She stood and whispered into Roman’s ear, “I’m half wolf. A demisang. Lexan is here to deal with this…dilemma.”
“You’re kidding?”
“No.”
“Maybe that’s why you preferred to care for animals?”
Maybe that was why she felt more at home in a veterinary clinic than at a human hospital. True. She connected with pets, more so with dogs than cats or other small furry creatures.
“Maybe it will work.” Roman glanced around. “I need two to donate. Ryder, you’re probably as close a match as we’ve got for His Majesty. You in?”
“Of course.”
“Who else?” Roman looked at the others.
“I’ve given him blood before,” Eric said, “Use mine.”
Roman pointed at a young wolf. “Run to the truck and get my emergency bag.”
