Page 106 of Bonded Through Bite

No matter what Rafael and Santiago claim, draining her blood won’t kill me. I refuse to let it. I might get a hell of a migraine, though. Gritting my teeth, I glare at her. Patricia doesn’t respond.

“Samantha!” Thea’s roar shakes me out of my musing. Jim pushes to my side at her raised tone and growls. Zack is not far behind. “For fuck’s sake! Did you have to hoard these fleabags too? I thought… well, that’s irrelevant now. Shoo!” She waves her hand at Jim and Zack. They ignore her. “Time is running out, Sammie. You need to heal her. Now.”

“The bond breaking will not kill me,” I mutter.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about any bond! You need to save her—wait, what? You are bonded with Patricia? How? When? Why? What the hell, Sammie?” Thea blurts out and then stops. “Never mind. All of that is irrelevant. You can’t let Patricia die. Trust me on that, please?”

Well, shit.

When my badass witchy best friend says it’s important, I guess I have to listen. I don’t want to, but I’ve trusted her with everything until now. Why should I stop, just because I’m a vampire? She doesn’t seem to mind the change… or the blood all over and around me.

For a moment, my brain short-circuits when I try to process how the hell I can save Patricia, but the answer is too obvious. Blood. She needs my blood to counteract my venom.

And that will bind us even tighter if what I gleaned from Rafael is correct. At least I’m the top bitch of the two of us. When I tell her to jump, she’ll ask how high. And if she ever tries to hurt my man again, I’ll kill her. No matter what Thea or anyone else says.

“I don’t have to like it, though, and you owe me ice cream,” I huff, trying to lift my arm. It refuses to move. “A little help then,” I snap, more like whimper, and Thea immediately moves my arm. I gnaw at my wrist enough to break skin and spit out the blood flooding my mouth. She tugs my hand and places my wrist over Patricia’s mouth.

Rafael is by my side in an instant with his bleeding wrist. “Drink,” he snaps and this time I instinctively obey. The moment his blood hits my system, I want to moan. It soothes the rawness in my throat and eases the roiling in my stomach. I slump against him but hold out my hand to Patricia.

She’s not drinking. Some of my blood drips into her open mouth, but it has no effect. I don’t know what else to do but gulp down Rafael’s blood. The thirst for him burns in my veins, like I’m starved. The pain releases some of its hold on me and my wrist heals over. Patricia is still not even blinking.

“You need to save her,” Thea frets and starts to move my wrist. I refuse to let go of Rafael and he’s growling at her too. I only notice Santiago when he gently takes hold of my hand and moves it to his mouth. His bite is gentle but deep. Blood pours out as he places my bleeding wrist over Patricia’s torn throat.

“My blood is older—” he begins to say, but Thea cuts him off.

“No! It has to be Sammie who saves her. That’s the only thing I can see clearly in this goddamn mess.”

I shiver and Rafael wraps his other arm tighter against me. Cold, it’s so damn cold. Santiago moves closer to Rafael and offers him his throat. Rafael bites savagely into him and soon I taste the hint of citrus in the blood. The power punch from it sends my head spinning and I’m lost to it all.

Chapter Forty-Four

Santiago

Pleasure tingles from my neck where Rafael’s fangs penetrate my skin. He’s drinking messily, with a tinge of desperation. At least my blood is not poisoned anymore. It’s not as strong as it should be, but I can help. I have to help.

There’s nothing cool or collected in the way Rafael drinks from me, no distance, no walls between our minds. I feel his pleasure and worry and need mixing with mine and I’m too raw to try to keep the distance myself. He might hate me for it later, but I just can’t. Not right now.

I need him. Need to feel him, his strength and bond.

Samantha’s wrist heals over again and I lift her wrist to my mouth to bite again. If I can’t resist licking some of her blood in the midst of it, who can blame me. She certainly doesn’t notice, and neither does Rafael.

I move Samantha’s wrist back over Patricia’s throat and watch as the blood spills over her skin. She’s pale as death and I can’t say I’m sorry about that. There’s a mess of emotions swirling where her bond was, but I’m not sad it’s gone. I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long. To be free of her.

Rafael sucks harder and my thoughts focus on him. I don’t know why he’s going along with this madness to heal Patricia, but it got Samantha drinking, so I’m not going to argue. Her bond feels steadier now. Our combined blood is helping her.

A soft gasp has me looking over at the woman kneeling next to Samantha. They know each other. Samantha’s eyes lit up when she saw her, and Rafael knew her too. Otherwise, he would have torn her head off when she charged to Samantha’s side.

I move my gaze to whatever the woman is staring at with her creepy purple eyes and stifle a gasp of my own. Black venom is slowly fading from Patricia’s throat where Samantha’s blood covers it. She’s not moving, though, not healing, and vicious glee spikes through me.

I still hope she dies, for good this time.

Chapter Forty-Five

Samantha

More blood. That’s the only thought swirling in my mind. Rafael’s blood is laced with Santiago’s, but it’s not enough. It’s missing something. Hunger gnaws in my stomach now that it’s not trying to tear itself apart and expel everything.

The delicious smell of grass and rain drifts closer and I struggle to turn my head toward Zack. Every movement takes too much effort and a whimper escapes my throat when my neck muscles cramp.