“All right—just tell me what you need me to do—let me help.”
“Hold his head in your lap and distract him,”Severinordered.“Gethim to look to the right soIcan get to the left side of his neck—Ineed to inject my essence directly into his jugular.”
“All right.”Shecradled theBeastKindred’shead in her lap and stroked his hair soothingly.“It’sall right, big guy,” she crooned.“Everythingis going to be all right in just a minute.”
Severin was grateful that her scent still seemed to be working onRavikbut he was aware that could change at any minute.Ifthe hugeBeastKindredwent fullInfected, neither of them was going to be safe.
He waited until his best friend was looking off to the side, (Cassiewas pointing and talking to him.“Look!Lookover there!”) and then lay down beside him.Helooked for the pulse of the big blue vein in the side of his best friend’s neck and wished they could have done this another way.Testingthe cure out in the open, exposed and unprotected, was a bad way to do it.Butthere was no choice now.
Severin had never bitten another male before and he was worried that his fangs wouldn’t be sharp enough.Normally, aBloodKindred’sfangs only got sharp enough to bite when he met a woman he was very attracted to and wanted toBondwith.They’dbeen sharp every time he was nearCassandrabut would they be sharp enough to pierce his best friend’s throat?
And for that matter, would the cure in his essence healRavik?Essencewas only meant to cure a mate and though he and his best friend were incredibly close, they had never had any kind of romantic or sexual relationship.
All these questions ran through his head as he scooted closer to theBeastKindredand opened his mouth.Hecould feel the cure throbbing through his body and he sent up a brief prayer,
Please,Goddess—let this work!Letmy fangs pierce his flesh and let the cure work on him!
Then, because there was nothing else he could do, he sank his fangs deep into his friend’s neck.
45
CASSIE
“Look over there—IthoughtIsaw a squirrel!”Cassiesaid, talking in a sing-song voice that seemed to distract the bigBeastKindred.Shewas hoping that no new zombie herds arrived while the three of them were down on the ground.Andshe also hoped that the cure worked.BecauseifRavikwent full-Infectedand came for her andSeverin, she knew for sure there was no way she could outrun him.
Even now his big body was thrumming with tension.Hisgolden eyes had gone fully milk-white and he was starting to bare his teeth and sniff the air.OhGod, if he decided she was food?—
And that was whenSeverinfinally sank his fangs into the other male’s throat.
“Ahhh!”Ravikroared and his huge frame began to shake violently.Hiships bucked up in a back-arching thrust until nothing but his head and his heels were still grounded.
Cassie had never seen anything like it and yetSeverinheld on, his fangs still buried in his friend’s throat.Shetried to help by pushing down onRavik’sbroad shoulders, but it was like pushing against a boulder—he was simply too huge and strong for her to do anything but hold on and hope he didn’t go completely crazy.
She was worried that his roaring would call moreInfectedto them, but she couldn’t leave her guys.Soshe stayed where she was, anxiously watchingRavik’sface.Hiseyes were squeezed closed and his hips continued to pump as his long fingers gripped the ground and tore out handfuls of grass.
At last, just as she was certain theBeastKindredwas going to shake himself apart,Severinwithdrew his fangs and sat up, panting.Hestared down atRavik, his blue eyes dark with concern.
“What’s wrong with him?”Cassieasked asSeverinreached out to touch his friend’s forehead, as though checking for a fever.“Imean, why did he scream and roar and…andthrustlike that?”
“He was having an orgasm—an extremely intense one,I’mafraid,”Severinsaid.Hishigh cheekbones were red andCassieremembered howRavikhad said thatSeverinasking to bite him was like asking to suck his cock.Itoccurred to her that theBloodKindredhad just done something to his friend that would probably have gotten him punched in any other circumstances.
Looking down atRavik—who had quieted now thatSeverinwas no longer pumping him full of essence—she saw a dark stain at the crotch of his trousers.
Remembering how much he came, she wasn’t surprised though she was sure it must be uncomfortable.Butnow wasn’t the time to worry about stained pants.
“When will we know if it worked?”she askedSeverinin a hushed voice.“Imean, when will he?—”
“Sev, you fucker!”Thedeep rumbling voice belonged toRavikand when she looked down, she saw that his eyes were open again and they were blazing gold with fury.Noteven a tiny bit of the white virus film remained.Sittingup, he glared at his friend.
“What thefuckdid you do to me?”he demanded.“Didyou just fucking bite me and inject me likeIwas your fucking mate?”
“Yes,Idid,”Severinsaid, frowning.“ButIhadto.Yousee?—”
But he didn’t get any further beforeRavikpunched him in the jaw.
46
CASSIE
