When he withdrew his fangs to let the blood rush freely against his tongue, I convulsed and shuddered amidst the sudden pull of power blanketing us. It rose up like a thunderstorm, crashing over us. Even as he stole my life source, our bond was as strong as ever.
The room began to spin, and I had to close my eyes as a wave of nausea threatened me. Every second brought me closer to certain death. I could feel it. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
The audible beat of my heart grew louder in my ears until it was all I could hear.
Though I physically struggled uselessly beneath Arys, our power seemed to dance all around us. I knew Shaz was reacting to it when he reached to touch us both. One hand gripped Arys' forearm, ready to drag him off me. The other stroked a few long blonde tendrils that streamed out on the bed spread behind me.
I wanted to beg Arys to stop, but the words wouldn't form properly. All I could do was gasp for breath amid the pain. Forcing my eyes open, I was saddened to see that Shaz' face reflected my anguish. I saw his lips move but couldn't make sense of what he was saying.
It wasn't long before I was too weak to do more than listen to my heart slow. That's when everything went from slow motion to full speed ahead. Shaz jumped like he'd been electrocuted. He grabbed Arys and threw him in one solid motion. The sound of his body hitting the opposite wall caused a reverberation throughout the house.
My eyes rolled back in my head, and I battled to maintain my focus. Arys came back at Shaz fast, instinct driving him. Shaz was ready though, delivering a body slam that had Arys on the floor blinking up at him in shock.
“Finish this!” Shaz reached to drag him up, and Arys smacked him away. “Finish this now, before it's too late!”
I tried to roll over onto my side, and the exertion caused me to cough raggedly. It was enough to draw their attention to me. I couldn't move, try as I might. Everything was slowing inside me, and I was terrified, not that I would die, but that I would die here with each of them watching.
Arys was at my side in an instant, offering his wrist to me. “Take my blood, Alexa.
You must.” When I simply stared transfixed at the smooth alabaster skin, he grew panicked. “If you come any closer to death, you will rise as a vampire a lot sooner than intended. Or just be another victim.” His voice broke on the last word, and his unusual display of emotion was enough to break through the fog that clouded my brain.
When the bloodlust hit me, it was with full force. I had no physical strength to resist.
I didn't want his wrist though. The stark contrast between Arys' ebony hair and the pale skin of his neck drew my eye. All it took was a look, and he knew. Bending to bare his throat to me, I peeled back my lips to expose my ferocious fangs.
They were made for tearing and shredding, not piercing pretty little punctures like Arys'. I bit him quickly in an attempt to avoid doing serious damage. His blood hit my tongue, and it was like a rebirth. The power soared through me in a rush of electricity and fire.
It was so much more than a taste. His jugular slowly but steadily pumped the hot crimson fluid into my mouth as I licked and sucked at the gash. The return of my strength was immediate. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as close as physically possible. Shaz now stood by the bed watching us. As I fed from Arys, my power reached for my wolf.
His energy was alive and taunting; I itched to taste it again. With a finger, I beckoned him closer, something driving me that I wasn't controlling. Shaz eyed me warily, but he responded by kneeling on the bed near Arys and me.
Arys grunted and attempted to disengage himself from my grasp. It encouraged my hunger, and I resisted, clinging to him when he sat up. The strength with which I held him was unnatural, even for me, but he was still stronger. Gripping each of my wrists, he forced me back against the bed.
I felt the vicious grin that stole over my features, felt its evil to the root of my being.
I loved it. Arys' blood on my lips was warm and delicious as I ran my tongue over it.
Despite being pinned down by him, I had the sneaking suspicion that I could escape him if I really wanted to.
“Alexa?” Arys stared into my eyes, searching for a sign of sanity. He turned my head to examine the bite on my neck.
Shaz swore softly and gravitated closer to me on the bed. “It's already healing.”
“Yes. Thank God. I thought I'd gone too far.” Arys' voice held a tremor.
I rolled my head so that I could look at each of them in turn. Their expressions couldn't have been more different. Arys was hard to read, his careful mask back in place.
He stank of guilt though, and it turned my stomach. A glance at Shaz revealed curiosity and concern. He reached for me, and Arys released one of my arms.
“Shaz?” My voice came out hoarse and scratchy. “I can't…” I longed to warn him, to tell him what I was feeling, but all I saw and felt was the hunger.