Page 76 of Bite of Sin

“Now, you’re going to turn the other way and count in your head. Do not stop until you reach five hundred. Do it now.”

Zan released him, and Warner immediately turned around, facing away from us. His body relaxed as he silently counted. I didn’t have the capacity to understand what Zan was doing when he focused back on me and dropped to his knees beside me. His eyes cut to the floor that I was sure was covered with my blood. He reached over me, gently pressing his hand over mine that was still covering my stab wound.

“Fuck, Kali,” he gritted out. “I shouldn’t have left you here.”

“Why?” I choked out, the word barely coherent. “Now you don’t have to worry about me knowing your secrets.”

His eyes darted to mine, indecision swirling in them. Until he lifted his other arm, bringing his wrist to his mouth. His fangs appeared before he bit his own wrist. Fear tore through me, hitting me even through the numbness. I jerked, but his other hand stayed on my stomach as he tore open the skin on the inside of his wrist.

I pressed my lips together, but he shoved his wrist toward me, using his other hand to grip my chin, holding my face still as he pressed his open wound against my lips. The copper taste of his blood coated my tongue, and he tilted my head back, refusing to let me move as more of his blood hit my throat. Terror sliced through my heart, remembering watching the man die from ingesting vampire blood. Their blood was toxic to us. It was a torturous way to die, and I waited for the pain to start. Did Zan really hate me that much?

“I’m going back on my word. Something I never do,” he murmured, making sure his blood was still dripping into my mouth. “I told you that I won’t give you any more of our secrets. But here I am.”

I tried not to swallow, but it was useless. Once his blood hit my throat, it was a losing battle. Tears streamed down my face, and he finally moved his arm away. I glared at him, opening my mouth, but nothing came out when someone in tactical gear suddenly appeared behind Zan.

Zan noticed immediately and he stiffened, his muscles tensing as he looked ready to jump to his feet. But before he could, the masked man pressed a gun to the back of Zan’s head.

“Wooden bullets,” the man said in warning. “I wouldn’t move.”

Zan stayed completely still, his lips twisting in a murderous scowl. The bullet wouldn’t kill him, but one shot to the head, and he’d be knocked unconscious until the wood worked its way out of his brain. Footsteps alerted me that others were coming, and I lay there, just waiting for Zan’s blood to hit my system. Why try to move when I was going to die anyway?

“Kali,” a voice gasped before someone fell beside me.

Shock coursed through me when I looked at Jill. Tim was standing behind her, and I glanced around, seeing more members of our group. I whipped my head back around to stare at the man who was holding the gun on Zan.

“Hey, Kali,” the guy said softly. This time I recognized his voice, knowing who was under the mask. He was one of our guys, though he’d infiltrated PARA. Collin. The same one who helped me get out of Project Hope.

“Warner.” Tim snapped his fingers. “Warner. What the hell is wrong with him?”

Zan was still on his knees, his eyes heated with rage as he looked at every human before focusing back on me. I wondered if he’d be able to move fast enough to get away before Collin got a shot on him. Since the muzzle of the gun was firmly pressed against his head, the chance was slim, which was probably why he hadn’t moved.

“Kill him,” Jill ordered, loathing in her voice as she glanced at Zan.

My heart thudded, and I shook my head. “Kane.”

“What?” Jill asked.

“He’s a Kane. Amaros’s son,” I whispered hoarsely.

Jill exchanged a glance with Tim before muttering something to another Clover member. If I thought Zan was enraged a second ago, it was nothing compared to now. His glare was scathing as I shifted slightly. They wouldn’t kill him. As a Kane, he had secrets they wanted.

I sucked in a sharp breath when a wave of pain suddenly crippled my body. The numbness trickled away, and I could suddenly feel every one of my injuries again. I let out a cry, pressing my hands to my stomach. My head thundered hard enough that I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Jesus, that’s a lot of blood,” Jill muttered. I felt a soft touch on my arm. “Where are you hit?”

“We need to get out of here,” Tim said in a rushed voice. “Before any more vampires or soldiers find us.”

I forced my eyes open, meeting Jill’s worried gaze. “Get Warner out. He can walk. There’s a key for the cage…in the drawer behind the bar.”

Jill relayed the order to someone else, and I heard hurried footsteps as I trembled, the agony still squeezing every part of my body. Jill ran her hands over me, searching for my wounds before tugging me up until I was sitting. The move stole my breath, and I winced, my ribs screaming in pain.

“Fuck,” I hissed. “Just leave me here. Get out while you can.”

“Whatever hurts, you can handle it,” Jill said sharply. “You have no open injuries. We’ll check for internal ones once we get out of here.”

My lips parted at her words, and I brought my hands to my stomach, realizing my blood wasn’t seeping out anymore. I clawed at my shirt, lifting it up and swiping at the drying blood on my skin. I stared in absolute shock, seeing a small, jagged cut that looked barely skin deep. Another jolt of pain had me flinching, but I realized it wasn’t as bad as the last one. I snapped my head up, meeting Zan’s eyes. He didn’t give me anything, glaring back with his lips pressed in a line.

Was his blood…healing me?

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