Page 67 of Live To Tell

“Town outskirts. His people who followed me the last few days told him.”

“On your evening walks?” I ask and swallow down my irritation that he never listened to us. Is Grayson really that stubborn he’d risk attack over safety? “Visits to town?”

“You’re still following too?” He arches a brow.

“No. I see you leave campus.” But I should’ve.

“Uh huh.” Grayson drags a hand through his hair, and I increasingly wish he’d put his shirt back on. This semi-nakedness doesn’t help with my denial that I’m attracted to him. “Just spying then?”

“No, I—”

“Or you think I’m looking for human blood? You do believe I was involved with the hemia ‘private party’ that night,” he says stiffly.

Our gazes lock. “Initially, I had doubts. Now, no.”

“You believed I’d taken part in a blood orgy with a group of drunk humans and hemia?” His tone is dead. “I see what you continue to think of me.”

“I don’t think you do see.” I approach. “Grayson, at first, you neither confirmed nor denied your involvement. Holly claimed you wanted to make me jealous.”

“Holly knows nothing,” mutters Grayson, and rubs a hand across his forehead.

He’s still bleeding. “Where are the bathrooms?” I ask, and he looks at me oddly before gesturing to his left.

Locating paper towels, I wet them beneath the steel faucet and walk back to Grayson. “Here.” He looks at the towels as if I’m offering him a dead animal. “Clean the blood.”

“I’d make a comment about you licking it off me, but I won’t,” he says weakly.

“Yet you just did.” I sit and take his arm, frowning at how deep the gashes are.

At the warehouse, my emerging hemia homed in on his blood because the substance covered the surroundings. I was torn between searching for and helping Grayson, or staying away in case I lost control. Despite already being close to losing ‘Violet’ after becoming feral around Josef, the moment I sense Grayson was injured I wanted to help, not hurt him.

I had control at the warehouse until Grayson refused to stop his starved attack on me, the guy blinded by his primal state and survival instinct. Already riled by the attack on Rowan and mess I’d walked away from, I became lost in a cloud of his blood scent.

The hybrid turned on Grayson in response, and I can’t shake the guilt I behaved like his uncle.

When I read his mind outside the lodge, I saw the past horrific injuries Josef gave Grayson, and the moment I saw him pushing at the sports hall door tonight, the possibility Grayson could be in such a state again punched a hole deep in my chest.

The ache from earlier spread right through to the soul that urges me towards sharing myself with him—my life, body, and blood. The events of that evening at the warehouse didn’t pull us apart. Instead, I took the first step towards yielding to this deep seated attraction and need for each other—I took part of Grayson when I took his blood into me.

Violet the Hybrid would’ve finished him; Violet Blackwood cared. I claim that I’m scared I’ll hurt Grayson again—or worse. But fear I’ll kill him isn’t the problem at all. That night, I halfway created a blood bond and now obsessive thoughts worsen if I’m around him.

Not obsession about his blood. I want Grayson to take my blood.

I don’t stay away because I’m scared I’ll end his life in a frenzy, but because I’ve unique blood. If I share, I might kill Grayson and I’d lose him.

Or worse, sharing my blood with Grayson could create another like me and then I’d definitely lose him. Dorian wouldn’t allow a Petrescu with hybrid blood to walk in this world.

I’ve given my heart to Rowan, and I’m guarding the same from Grayson.

Chapter 24

VIOLET

I place the paper towel on Grayson’s forearm, and he startles as if I’m bathing him in acid. “Bloody hell, Violet. Are you feeling okay?”

“You’re not,” I say quietly. Caring gesture? Partially, but the more contact I have with Grayson, the better I’ll learn to control myself around him.

A voice whispers ‘liar’.

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