When he was certain they were far enoughaway from the ambulance, and he didn’t smell any Savages pursuingthem, Aiden risked stopping. Slipping into an unlit side streetbetween two warehouses, he leaned back to gaze down at Maggie. Hebrushed aside the loose strands of hair clinging to her face. Softas silk, her hair shone red in the glow of the distant streetlamps.
She’s mine.
He almost laughed out loud with theknowledge. He’d been so certain he’d never find his mate, that hewould die or turn Savage before he encountered her, but now he heldher in his arms. And she was amazing.
Not only was she beautiful, but she had thespirit of a hellion, one that more than matched his own. She couldpack a punch, didn’t back down, and her blood was pure ambrosia.She may be as lovely as the porcelain dolls his sisters hadcollected, but she was far from delicate; his still aching nutswere proof of that.
She was his, and he had no idea what to doto get her to stay with him. Right now, all that mattered waskeeping her safe. Glancing over his shoulder, he studied theshifting shadows, but he didn’t detect the stench of garbage.
His gaze returned to Maggie as herfluttering eyelids caused her lashes to tickle his bare chest. He’dstopped the Savage before it could take much blood from her.However, he’d heard it was excruciating for someone to have theirblood taken from them against their will, and judging by therigidness of Maggie’s body when he’d discovered the Savage feedingon her, she’d been in a lot of pain.
She hadn’t responded to him like that whenhe’d taken her blood. No, she’d melted against him as if sheenjoyed it as much as him. To her, there had been a differencebetween him and the Savage. He didn’t know what that meant, but hehoped it indicated she might develop an attachment to him in thefuture.
Studying her, he noted the paler shade ofher skin and the fine blue veins running through her closedeyelids. Her heart still beat steadily. The bleeding from his markshad stopped, but the Savage had torn her shoulder open, and bloodcontinued to trickle from the wound.
The Savages were still out there, mostlikely hunting him. Her blood would be an irresistible beacon tothem, and he needed her stronger. Shifting his hold on her, helifted his wrist to his mouth and bit into it. She might be mad athim for this, but it was necessary, and after watching her tonight,he knew this woman did what it took to survive.
He rested his wrist against her parted lipsand allowed his blood to flow into her. He wouldn’t give her much,and she hadn’t lost enough blood for this to start the change inher. His blood would only close her wounds while strengtheningher.
Maggie sighed when the delicious liquid hither tongue. She’d never drunk anything like it, yet she felt as ifshe’d spent her whole life searching for it. The taste and thesensation of it sliding down her throat made her feel as if she’dsuddenly found the answer to a question she hadn’t known she’d beenasking. The warm, clove-spiced liquid pooled in the back of herthroat before she swallowed it.
As if she’d taken five shots of espresso,energy infused her body. Her muscles, which had been rigid andsore, relaxed. Her tongue flickered out and tasted something warm,solid, and salty. When she recognized it as flesh, she couldn’tsuppress a mewl of need as instinctively she realized who shetasted. Like in the ambulance, her body reacted to his withdesire.
Feeling stronger, her fingers curled aroundhis thickly muscled wrist as she consumed more of what he offeredher. Wait…
Something wasn’t right. Her eyes flew openwhen she realized she wasn’t drinking from a cup but straight fromhis wrist. She was consuming hisblood.
Holy shit!
As if his flesh scorched her lips, she threwhis wrist aside and bolted upright. Aiden caught her before shecould fling herself out of his arms.
“It’s okay,” he soothed as he set her on herfeet. Disappointment filled him when she gazed distrustfully at himwhile backing away.
“You were giving me your blood!” sheaccused.
“It was necessary to stop yourbleeding.”
The calmness of his reply set her teeth onedge. “Bandage the wound then!”
He smiled at her. “That’s your area ofexpertise.”
“And yours is blood?”
“One of them.”
Maggie glanced around as she tried to figureout where they were and which was the best way for her to bolt.
“I’m not going to let you go,” he said.
Her head snapped back around to him asindignation filled her. “You’re kidnapping me?”
“No. I’m keeping you safe. The Savages havesmelled your blood, one of them has tasted you, and they’ll wantyou as much as me now. They’re out there hunting for us right now.I won’t let you go while they remain free and alive.”
“I didn’t do anything to them!” Maggieprotested.
“They don’t care about that.”
She took a calming breath before she startedscreaming over the injustice of it all or kicked him in the nutsagain. She’d simply done her job, and now she was being hunted bysome weird-ass vampires, and this crazy-ass vamp was telling her hewasn’t going to let her go.
