“Ezra,” I wheezed as he lifted the sheet to his knees with his free hand to climb onto the bed. “No killing.”
“Fuck that,” he muttered, eyes never leaving Elder Merrick and Elder Jacobs, even as his lips twitched, and he echoed my earlier comment, “What would you do?”
I blinked, a small smile lifting my lips. “Nothing different.” And it was the truth.
“Damn straight,” he rumbled, crawling behind me to place his back against the headboard. He used his free arm to pull me between his legs, settling my own back against his chest, my head resting on his shoulder. His arm circled my waist, holding me close as he rested his shooting arm over my shoulder, gun aimed directly on the two mute Elders and one silent physician.
Next to us on a pillow, Clyde was resting much the same, lying around Bonnie’s slight, quiet form and watching the proceedings, but his claws were out like he was waiting for an attack.
Again, my lips lifted, and I breathed, “Bonnie and Clyde.” My eyelids fluttered.
Ezra’s deep chuckle reverberated at my ear and against my back as his chest vibrated.
Antonio rolled his head around on his shoulders, only to go into another coughing fit, but brushed away any help. In fact, he pushed Elder Venclaire’s shoulder, shoving him in our direction. He rasped, “She doesn’t have much time left. Go do it.”
Elder Venclaire blurred, instantly at our side.
Ezra didn’t flinch and the gun didn’t falter at the action, nor did he move when Elder Venclaire sat on the bed. Instead, he asked evenly, “What do you need to do?”
“She’ll need to drink from me since we can’t give her my blood intravenously. Her body would reject it because it’s pure Vampire.” Blue eyes, just like mine, met my own. “You’ll need to quit masking so my power can find your own.” Softly, his fingers brushed a hair off my cheek. “It’s truly remarkable that you’re even doing it now.”
“Practice,” I whispered. My heart literally faltered as I felt everyone’s eyes on us, and Ezra gave me a shake. My eyes slammed open, though I hadn’t even realized they had closed.
“Hurry,” Ezra grumbled.
My dad placed his hand gently over my Core and whispered, “Relax.” And I immediately felt calm. “Open for me. Quit masking.”
Glancing at the others, who now wore varying expressions, my breath hitched, but I did as told. I quit masking. Years of training and survival instincts screamed at me, calling me a fool, as I laid myself bare to the power surging in the room, everyone already testing for the truth. I saw all but Antonio’s and Richard’s eyes widen, some more than others, their astonishment evident.
“Good,” Elder Venclaire murmured, and I felt his power rise, his eyes beginning to glow. “Now, the hardest part.” His eyes met mine. “Don’t send me anything to dull my senses while you drink.” He placed his free arm’s wrist at my mouth. “I need to be coherent for this next part.”
I blinked. I was starving, but I couldn’t move. I didn’t even think my fangs could extend. Inhaling a lungful of air, I whispered, “Can’t.”
Ezra and my biological dad both stilled.
Ezra cursed harshly, a round of inventive words, definitely not made for polite company, zinging throughout the room. “She’s worse than we thought.” Lifting his hand from around my waist, he tilted my head back, arching my neck before returning it to my waist, and then he gruffly ordered Elder Venclaire, “Bite yourself.”
I couldn’t see anything but Ezra’s face the way he had me tilted. His eyes were more than likely still trained on Elder Jacobs, Elder Merrick, and Bindi, but they did dart down to mine, and he rumbled, “When this is all said and done, I’ve decided I’m going to kick your ass.”
A breathy chuckle wheezed out of me, and I felt my heart stop. Completely stop. It squeezed painfully, only to thump again sluggishly. I coughed, even as Ezra’s own heart took off wildly, his eyes landing on mine and staying there. And then my father’s wrist was at my mouth.
Rich and spicy blood poured past my lips and over my teeth, sliding down my tongue to my throat. I whimpered quietly as the heady taste of powerful Vampire filled my senses. I got in only one good swig before he healed. A bitty growl erupted in my throat. Pure Vampire.
Ezra’s head was tilted, more than likely listening to my still faltering heart, but one eyebrow rose, his eyes darting to mine. “He wouldn’t heal if you let the girls out to play.”
And before my dad pulled his wrist back to bite himself it again, my fangs did descend, my body’s natural instinct coming to life, and I bit into my biological dad’s wrist.
He grunted softly. “There she goes.” I took a large pull from him, but instinct was a double-headed bitch because I instantly began sending him serenity. He jerked, shaking his wrist at my mouth, barking, “No!”