Callie’s eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into the curve of Lucien’s neck as his body warmed her and his thick muscles ensconced her in safety. When the vein in his neck throbbed, something inside her stirred, but the sudden tidal wave of memories bombarding her buried it.
Jerking back, her hand flew to her chest, and she released a strangled cry as her fingers fell on the hole there. There was aholein herchest!
She ignored the pain as her fingers prodded at the frayed flesh and animalistic sounds filled the air. It took her far too long to realize those sounds were coming fromher,but she couldn’t pull herself out of the memory of her death.
She could still hear the crunch of her bones as steel pierced her body before the sword buried itself in her heart. Once again, she saw the sick smile twisting Yannis’s mouth as he relished her anguish.
Lucien clasped her hand. “It’s over now. You’re safe, and you’re alive.”
“How?” she croaked. “How am I still alive?”
“Simone got to you,” Lucien said as he ran his thumb over her trembling bottom lip. “She was able to get some blood into you before the Savages stopped her. And then, I managed to get more blood into you. Between the two of us, you received enough blood to ensure you didn’t die.”
Callie’s eyes flew up to his as he pulled her hand away from the hole in herchest.
“He stabbed me through the heart,” she whispered.
Red flickered through his eyes. “I know.”
“I felt myself dying.”
His hand squeezed hers as he used his other hand to grip her nape. “But you’re alive and still here, with me.”
“Am I… am I a vampire?”
“The transformation isn’t complete yet. You have to feed, but once you do, you’ll finish becoming a vampire, you’ll feel better, and you’ll heal faster.”
Her gaze returned to her chest, and she shuddered. “So close… I was so close. I felt it all slipping away. It was all being torn away from me and… and….”
“And?” he prodded when she stopped speaking.
“And I was so scared.” She met his gaze again. “I didn’t want to lose you, but I was so glad I found you and got to experiencereallove before I died.”
“And you’ll get to experience that love every day for eternity.”
She gave him a wan smile as she rested her fingers on the solid wall of his chest.
“Don’t think about it,” he murmured as he kissed her forehead. “It’s the past; it’s over, and you’re safe, but you need to feed to complete the transformation.”
Callie’s eyes dipped to his neck again. This time, when she saw the rhythm of his pulse, she understood the strange sensation fluttering in her stomach; she was hungry… forblood.
She should be repulsed, but a strange tingling started in her canines, and saliva flooded her mouth. A part of her recoiled from her intense reaction to drinking his blood, but another part was desperate to ease the hunger building inside her.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I fed extra to prepare for this, and we have to complete the bond.”
“It’s time,” she murmured as she nestled closer.
“It’s time,” he agreed and closed his eyes when her breasts flattened against his chest.
He stopped breathing when her lips peeled back, and his dick hardened when her fangs grazed his skin. Then she sank those fangs into him, and pure, unadulterated joy shot through him.
He cuddled her close as a sensation of rightness stole through him. This was it.Thiswas why he’d spent his entire life fighting.Thismoment of happiness was why he’d waged such a relentless battle against the ever-increasing evil in the world and the increasing dark instincts inside himself.
And he would spend the rest of his life fighting for her, and this world, because no matter how awful things were, he believed there was still more love than hate out there. His overwhelming love for her hammered that point home.
As she fed on him, she hooked her leg over his thigh and drew him closer while her hands gripped the muscle etching his back. She remained sore from Yannis’s attack, but Lucien’s blood helped ease the ache in her muscles.
Yearning burned through her as his blood eased her hunger, but it didn’t sate her desire. Thankfully, he sensed what else she needed, and rolling her over, he slipped his cock into her.
