He sighed, cradled me against his chest, and brought his wrist to his mouth. I wanted to tell him I’d be fine as soon as I got home and used the amulet, but it was useless. After he scored his skin and his blood started to flow, he placed the twin punctures to my lips.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be. You’ll drink willingly or I’ll force my blood down your throat.”
It had been weeks since I’d taken vampire blood; I didn’t need it when I wore the amulet. The powerful token was enough to heal my wounds and keep me out of harm’s way. Now I didn’t have any other option but to take what Paine offered.
His blood splashed against my tongue, slightly citrusy and sweet. I swallowed until the cuts in my hands started to tingle, signaling his blood was hard at work mending my wounds. He didn’t fuss when I pulled away, which was an added bonus. Paine and I had developed a friendship—perhaps something more—which was amplified by the bond we shared. Since we’d taken each other’s blood, I was able to perceive his anger and worry.
“We’re fine.” I swiped at the remaining blood on my lips. “Goose took a beating, but he’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, you both look fine to me.” His onyx eyes saw far more than I wanted them to, so I quickly looked away. Yes, he was a friend. But the things that had transpired between us complicated matters.
“The entity was tied to the building, so a normal binding circle didn’t work.” I accepted the hand he offered. Once he helped me to my feet, he placed his hands on my hips. “I had to use holy sand.”
When I stumbled, Paine snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. His face was so close I could feel his cool breath against my nose. We stood together, so temptingly aware of each other. I’d tried to maintain a relationship that didn’t go beyond friendship, and Paine tried to do the same. He knew I was still in love with his best friend—Disco, my former lover, the vampire I was marked by and beholden to, and the man I wanted to forgive despite my inability to do so. However, Paine also knew that he and I had done something together that couldn’t be taken back. Something he couldn’t recall. His future self was nothing like his present one, even if both versions wanted me in the same way.
As if it was preordained, the very vampire I had managed to avoid for weeks stepped into the house and caught Paine and me in a very compromising position. It was the first time I’d seen Disco since he’d invaded my mind without consent, broken my heart and trust in the process, and placed an enormous wall between us. I would have released Paine if the bond with Disco didn’t swamp me, surrounding me in waves of love, fury, and jealousy. It was something I wasn’t accustomed to. Disco usually kept the mark between us closed.
“Get away from her,” Disco growled and strode into the room. He was clothed in his usual black ensemble, making his honey blonde hair all the brighter, his aquamarine eyes more prominent in the dim lighting of the room.
Paine didn’t budge. “She was hurt. I’m waiting for my blood to heal her.”
Disco advanced, using long, catlike strides. It wasn’t fair. A part of me wanted to run into his arms, hold him close, and never let go. Self preservation and terrifying memories made me want to kick him in the nuts and get as far away as possible. When he was within range, he forced Paine aside and reached for me. I couldn’t help my instinctive reaction. I jerked from his touch and took several steps back.
“You have nothing to fear from me. You know that.” I felt Disco’s guilt and realized he’d opened the mark between us so I could sense if he lied. He wanted me to know everything he was feeling, so I was aware his emotions were genuine.