Though could you die from sexual need?Shewas afraid she might find out if this kept up.
The questions hung between them.
Ravik growled softly, but this time it sounded less like desire and more like worry.
“Sev helps,” he said.“Sevalways helps.Hehelped me—he can helpCassie.”
Severin looked at him for a moment, and something moved through his eyes—pain, gratitude, fear.Thenhe looked back atCassie.
“I will find a way to help you, sweetheart,” he said softly.“Iswear by theGoddessIwill.”
“You sound very sure,” of yourself, she said.Shewas trying to for a light tone but her voice came out sounding desperate instead.
“I am not sure.”Hisvoice was quiet.“ButIamdetermined.”
Cassie laughed weakly.
“Well, that’s something,Iguess.”
He spread his hands.
“It is allIcan offer right now.”
It was more thanSskarthhad ever offered.
The thought came out of nowhere andCassiefelt it in her bones.Sskarthwould have looked at her glowing bite wound with revulsion and called it instability.Mitchwould have accused her of being dramatic.ButSeverinlooked at her like a problem he would break himself trying to solve, andRaviklooked at her like a mate he would tear the universe apart to protect.
And still, under all the fear and tenderness, her body kept pulsing.
Need…Need…Need.
Cassie shut her eyes for a second.Itwas like a neon sign flashing in her brain and lighting up her whole body with desire.
She couldn’t keep pretending everything was okay—not when her arm was glowing…not whenSeverin’sexpression had gone grave, andRavikwas watching her with worried golden eyes and breathing like it hurt him not to come closer and hold her.
Cassie had to admit it—she was tired of being brave all by herself.
“All right,” she said, opening her eyes again.Hervoice trembled, but she forced herself to keep going.“Ineed help.Idon’t know what kind of help exactly.Idon’t know ifIneed medicine or another cold shower or to be locked in a room until my body stops acting like it belongs in one of my spiciest why-choose romance novels.Butsomething is wrong with me andIcan’t ignore it anymore.”
Severin took one careful step toward her.
“Then we will help you,” he said.
Ravik nodded, his eyes fixed on her face.
“Cassie says what she needs,” he rumbled.“Welisten.”
Her throat tightened.Theirwords shouldn’t make her want to cry…or maybe they should have.Maybeafter years of men not listening, of being dismissed and used and tossed away when she became inconvenient, the idea of two enormousKindredwarriors waiting for her to tell them what she needed was enough to crack something open inside her.
The bite wound pulsed again, warm and bright beneath her skin andCassiedrew in a shaky breath.
“Then take me to the lab,” she said.“AndSeverin?”
“Yes?”
She lifted her chin, trying to sound braver than she felt.
“If you need samples, take them.Ifthis is the virus,Iwant to know what it’s doing to me.”
