Page 75 of Bonded Through Bite

“I have to be.” There’s a crack in Rafael’s ice and the wolf growls, a deep, throaty rumble.

“Fuck,” he then says and I totally agree. “All right, all right. She said you smelled bad to her, so you are out, Jere. Olivia, would you be willing to let Mr. Moretti feed on you?”

Wait, what? The alpha is asking his wolf to feed Rafael?

“Alpha Zack…” Olivia’s voice wavers, but I’m not sure if it is fear or hate.

“I’m only asking, Olivia. If you say no, I won’t hold it against you. But if Mr. Moretti can feed on the two of us, instead of just me, I hopefully will be back on my feet sooner.”

“Alpha Zack, you can’t give him your blood!” Now the woman sounds truly horrified. Enough that I almost look up. A werewolf alpha feeding a vampire and risking a bond is quite a breach in etiquette.

“I can and I will,” he says calmly.

“Drinking from a glass will mitigate the bond,” Rafael says and I hear him moving. Well, aren’t we throwing all caution to the wind today, sharing things. Samantha jerks under me and I focus on drinking faster. This poison needs to come out, fucking now.

“The vein carries more punch?” Zack asks. He cradles Samantha’s jawline in his big, trembling hand.

“Yes,” Rafael hisses.

“Then you take from the vein,” Zack says.

“I’ll… I’ll help,” Olivia says. A glass clinks against the table.

“Let me,” Jere says, presumably to Olivia, because soon I smell her blood.

“Thanks,” she mumbles.

“Thank you, Olivia. I won’t forget this,” Zack says, with a resonance that carries his approval as alpha. Olivia’s scent changes slightly at that, she smells pleased.

“Please take my blood first, Mr. Moretti, and Alpha Zack’s only if necessary,” Olivia says and I have to adjust my assessment of her. She no doubt can be a bitch, but she’s helping out both Samantha and her alpha. I don’t think Samantha is high on her list of priorities, but I can’t really blame her for that.

Samantha sighs, relaxing in my arms, just as I taste a change in her blood. The poison is almost gone and so is her pain. The flavor on my tongue is sweet seduction and I drink it down, unable to pull back. Only a tiny trickle runs down my throat; she’s nearly dry when Rafael jerks me back.

“Enough,” he hisses, fangs down and eyes black. I move out of the way sluggishly. My muscles are slow to answer and the world twists and turns sickeningly. I only make it to the trash can before throwing up a fountain of blood.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rafael

Watching San drain Samantha is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The sight of her wasting away before my eyes kills me. My mind screams for me to feed her, but the pain in our bond keeps me at bay. Every inhale brings more of the sour taste to my mouth.

And then it’s gone. Between one gulp and the next, her scent changes and I surge forward, tearing Santiago off her. The strain on her face fades, leaving behind emptiness, death.

“Fucking feed her,” the wolf growls. He cradles her head and it lolls to the side like a puppet with its strings cut. I bite into my wrist hard and deep and lift it to her mouth. The wolf already pried her jaw open and the blood trickles straight down. She’s not biting or drinking. I don’t think she’s even conscious anymore, but we need to get the blood inside her.

Reaching over, I massage her throat to get her to swallow. Her skin is so cold, but at least she reacts to my prodding and swallows. Her eyes flutter open and she licks my blood. As soon as my wound closes, I tear it open again.

Every swallow should help her rebound, but she stays just as lethargic. She’s not getting blood fast enough.

“Help her sit up,” I say to the wolf and gouge my neck open. The alpha lifts her up and I pull her mouth to my throat.

“Bite, sweetheart,” I urge her. Still, she only licks slowly, barely swallowing. Urgency hammers at me. I need her to drink. To really drink.

“Come on, dove. You need to drink,” the alpha pleads. He’s pushing her tighter against me and I hug her closer. I can’t lose her, not again.

“Samantha, please,” I murmur. When even her feeble licking fails, what’s left of my patience snaps. “Drink!” I bellow, pushing everything I can into compelling her. She shudders from the force, but her fangs shoot out and latch in. “Keep drinking,” I demand. I’m her maker. She’s not allowed to stop. I won’t let her die on me.

Fury blazes in my gut and filters out in my voice. Even the alpha shudders at the punch it delivers, but he’s not complaining, not when she finally curves her hand around my neck and holds tight.