Page 28 of Bleeding Love

“Humans need sustenance to replenish their blood,” he said when he was almost done with unwrapping me. “Your magic might fix the wound itself, but it won’t restore the blood you lost. You need nourishment.”

The bandage slipped to the floor between us, and his fingers brushed against my throat. The skin where the other vampire bit me felt tender, but not too painful. I couldn’t see much without a mirror, but my magic hadn’t warned me about any danger, so it was safe to assume it had healed well enough.

The edges of his eyes turned red while he stared at my neck, and as if realizing that, he drew his hand back. I grabbed his wrist right before he stepped back.

“I wasn’t talking about the food,” I said, holding his gaze. “Why did you kill him to keep me a secret?”

His lips pursed slightly and I would have missed it if I hadn’t watched him so intently. He tried to pull his hand free, but there was no strength in it, almost like he didn’t want to risk hurting me. Digging my nails into his wrist, I refused to let go. I gave him a look full of challenge and the red in his eyes turned to black.

“I do not know,” he replied in the end, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear. I waited for him to say more, but he just stared back. I was just about to tell him that wasn’t an answer when he moved. It wasn’t slow and gentle this time; he broke out of my grip with laughable ease before his long, cold fingers wrapped around my throat.

I froze. His grip wasn’t threatening, but my instincts warned me not to move.

“I do not know,” he repeated, the words sharper and full of frustration. “I do not know why in one moment, I was watching him go and in the next, his heart was in my hand.” He leaned closer, his face now a breath away from mine. “I do not know why I killed all the servants and set the house on fire, so even their remains couldn’t be used to tell anything about you.” He took a step forward, and I instinctively retreated until my back pressed against the wall by the fireplace. My magic danced on the tip of my fingers, eager to keep the monster away, but I held its reins. Not yet. He wasn’t going to hurt me yet.

A muscle feathered in Roman’s face as if keeping his expression empty was becoming too difficult. His eyes lowered to my mouth before shooting back to meet my gaze. He brushed his thumb over the column of my throat, pausing under my chin before pushing it up.

“So tell me, witch,” he said in a voice that sounded both desperate and angry. “Why did I do all of those things?”

His closeness was unnerving me and I was afraid that my racing heart might shatter the calm he so desperately clung to. “Magic can’t influence vampires, Roman.”

His eye twitched again, the red returning. I swallowed the lump in my throat, only for him to sigh quietly and murmur, “I know.”He sounded tired, disappointed even. Almost like he hadhopedI had tricked him. Withdrawing his hand, he stepped back and turned to leave.

“Stay,” I said without thinking, and his step faltered.

“You don’t want me in the same room with you when I’m like this,” he said, resuming his walk toward the door. I raised my hand, sending my magic after him. The door rattled, locking itself right before Roman’s hand touched the handle. He froze again, his back stiffening as a low sound of frustration tore from his throat.

“I am not done talking,” I said. Roman bared his teeth, fangs flashing in an unspoken warning. I huffed a breath, trying not to think about the way it felt to have those buried in my neck. “You know, it’s bad manners to bare your teeth at people. You should fix that if you want to be considered part of polite society.”

Roman blinked as if he couldn’t understand what I was saying and I gave him a mocking smile. He moved so fast that I had no time to even grab my magic, let alone protect myself. I gritted my teeth, expecting to be slammed into the wall before those fangs tore my throat, but instead, I landed on the bed with Roman’s body pinning me down. His fangs grazed the side of my neck where the bite of the other vampire had barely healed, but even when he pressed harder, he didn’t break the skin.

Roman made a low, guttural sound that could have been both from anger or satisfaction, while my heart tried to break through my ribcage. My magic slithered around the two of us, ready to throw Roman off and give me space to make a proper spell when his lips brushed against my ear.

“Kill me, Celeste, right now,” he whispered, nudging his face against the side of mine. “Kill me or we both might die tonight.”

Chapter 13

Roman

Thud.Thud.Thud.

Her heart was beating so fast that it was making me dizzy. Yet there was no fear, not even as I dragged my teeth along her neck. She shuddered, but then grew still again. I waited for her answer, but she said nothing as she relaxed beneath me.

I pursed my lips together so the fangs would stay in my mouth, then pulled back to look at her. Celeste’s eyes found mine immediately, that calming green hue now shining like the forest itself had given life to her. She was beautiful, but more than that, she was pure and tainted, she was light and darkness, she was sweet heaven and vicious hell.

The oldest witch in the world. The soulless monster even vampires whispered about. The abomination that went against all laws of nature, even by supernatural standards. With blood like that, I should have known. I should have figured it out.

I had never been interested in witches beyond their blood. I never cared what happened in the world if it didn’t affect me or my Master. But now…

“You give up?” I asked, searching her face for any hint of what she might do next. Usually so expressive and easy to read, she looked like a different person now. Her eyes were half-closed as if she was too tired to keep them open, the dark circles around them growing fainter while her magic healed her body. Her cheeks didn’t flare as they usually did when she was angry. She didn’t grit her teeth like when she tried to keep her mouth shut.

I didn’t even realize I was paying such close attention until the change became so obvious. Still, it was her. The same scent. The same warm skin. The same defiance in her eyes.

“I will never give up,” she said and despite her stoic expression, her voice trembled slightly.

I could feel her magic dancing around us, ready to strike while its touch left a tingling sensation over my skin. It wasn’t unpleasant or painful, but it wasn’t exactly enjoyable either.

Before I could think of what to say, the air around my legs and hips hardened, immobilizing me just long enough for Celeste to tangle her feet with mine and disrupt my balance. A threatening snarl tore from my lips at the unexpected attack, my hand grabbing for her throat as she straddled my waist.

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