“But you said he put you at his neck when you fed from him.” Annika shifts in her chair.
“Yeah,” I answer. “So?”
“So,” she laughs. “Vampires have this whole thing about where we get bitten.”
I furrow my brow. “You do?”
“Wedo,” she corrects me.
Right.We. Because I’m a vampire. Just a really bad one.
“There’s a significance when it’s at the neck. An intimate one.”
Heat storms beneath my skin at the memory of his hands guiding my mouth to his neck.
“It takes a ton of trust,” she continues.
“It’s not like I’m a threat to him. He’s a million-year-old hunter.”
They both laugh at that.
“He hasn’t rejected the possible bond either,” Annika says. “Right?”
I shake my head, hating that hope slips into my heart. “He’d have to say the words, right?” I ask, remembering what she told me about mating bonds before.
“Yeah,” she says. “And you’d feel it.” She tilts her head. “I’m surprised you haven’t felt something one way or another.”
Another sigh rattles out of me. “I wish I could.” I check internally again. “It’s hard for me to sort all of my emotions and sensations,” I admit. “Since the hunters found me, I haven’t really felt likeme. The past few weeks have gotten better, where I feel like I’m coming out of a hazy nightmare, but I can’t be sure what I feel means anything concrete.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “I’ve always felt attached to Saint. He found me. He helped take the nightmares away. Helped me feed when I couldn’t stand the thought. How am I to know that my attachment to him is anything other than a he saved me?”
Annika swirls the wine in her glass. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how hard it is.”
“I would say it isn’t, but then I’d be lying.” I take a sip of my drink. “Especially after feeding from him. I felt so clear. So much like myself it felt like regaining a piece of my soul.” I shake my head. “And then he seeks me out and says it can never happen again.” I mime a knife to the heart, and the girls laugh with me.
“Fuck him then,” Annika says, making me laugh harder. “There are otherwillingvampires to feed from that are just as powerful. It’s not always an intimate thing. Dagon could feed you his hunter blood and maybe you’d feel just as clear-headed.”
I smile at her. “You’re the best.”
“Want me to text him?” She pulls out her phone. “He’ll wend right over. That’s another perk about mates—we’re a team.”
Thirst burns the back of my throat, but the idea of feeding from Dagon, even in a non-intimate way, makes my stomach turn. “No, thank you,” I answer. “I’m fine. For now. If the hunger gets really bad, I’ll let you know.”
Annika sets down her phone. “Probably a good idea,” she says. “Now that I think about it, Saint might kill Dagon for it.”
“Really? But they’re like brothers.” I can’t imagine any of them hurting the other…except for Samuel, of course.
Annika nods. “It’s a mate thing,” she explains. “The idea that you’d feed from anyone else can send them into primitive mode. Even another male accidentally touching you can make them go nuclear.”
“That puts her in a truly unfair position,” Daphne chimes in. “I know I don’t fully understand mating bonds and thirst, but seriously? If he’ll kill anyone for feeding her, who’s to say he won’t do the same thing if she decides to feed from a human?”
My blood runs cold.
“Not that you will or ever would have to,” Daphne hurries to say. She knows my stance on feeding from humans. “But come on. Shehasto feed. If he’s refusing, he has no right to threaten anyone else.”
“You’re not wrong,” Annika agrees.
“Again, we’re not even sure if it’s his mark I’m wearing.” I groan, my head falling into my hands. “This is impossible. Saint is immovable and stubborn.” And comforting and safe and sexy as hell. “He’s infuriating.”
“Maybe you should chase him,” Daphne says.
