Page 115 of The Donor’s Dilemma

Taking a second to breathe, Verity rested her shaking hand on the door. No windows, no sounds coming from within. As if scared of breaking the silence she gently turned the handle, letting the door glide open and clamping her hands over her mouth when she saw him.

He lay on his back, head twisted away as he took wet, rapid breaths. One leg of his suit trousers had been cut off above a bandage around his thigh. Ruby red oozed from the wrapping, soaking the sheets of the bed, but that was nothing compared to his torso. The dressings covering his chest were near black. Blood pooled beneath him, dripping to the floor in thick rivulets.

“Theo?” Verity asked, taking a step closer, removing her jacket, ready to give him whatever he needed from her.

His hyperventilating stopped. With a sharp sniff he turned to her and Verity froze. She was used to seeing him hungry, when the darkness of his eyes swallowed up the icy blue, but it never encroached upon the whites. Not until now. The whisper of white in the corners was the only reason she knew he stared at her.

Cracked lips peeled back from his teeth and he growled. Low and vicious.

A hand grabbed her back, pulling her away as Theo lunged with a feral snarl. Only then did she realise he was restrained. The bed frame shook as he thrashed, fighting his bonds.

“Are you crazy?” snapped Dr Smythe as he pulled her away, shouting to a nurse by the door to bring the “feeding chair”.

“Theo?” she tried again.

“He doesn’t understand,” Dr Smythe said. “All his body can comprehend is the need to feed.”

“What happened?” Verity whimpered. “Why is he...?”

“He needs blood,” Dr Smythe stated, as if she didn’t know. “Why aren’t you his donor?”

He pulled her out of the way as the nurse wheeled in a large bucket like chair, an IV pole and a cooler.

“I am his donor,” Verity said, watching the nurse open the cooler and start unloading bag after bag of blood. She pointed. “He can’t have…”

“That’s for you,” Dr Smythe said, nudging her towards the chair.

Theo choked on a growl, blood spraying from his mouth. They must have stabbed his lungs. A high pitched sob escaped her at the thought. How much pain he must be in.

Silver poisoning, Elliot had said. Understandably, humans weren’t educated on what silver does to vampires, but she knew it was an offence to own it, so it couldn’t be good. She wanted to ask questions, but Dr Smythe didn’t seem inclined to explain so she took the seat.

Once the IV was set up, the nurse pulled a handle and the chair tilted back until she was eye to eye with Theo. She watched him, but he wasn’t looking at her. Theo was staring at the nurse with wild, murderous eyes, as he swabbed her arm, ready for the IV.

“I don’t think he likes you touching me,” she murmured.

“He’s just hungry,” the nurse informed her as he moved around the chair and took the arm nearest Theo. “He won’t be gentle,” he said, holding her hand steady while Dr Smythe grabbed Theo’s head. “Just try not to pull away.”

Everybody held still for a moment. Everybody but Theo who thrashed in the bed, snarling through gritted teeth. Verity didn’t dare breathe, waiting for the others to move.

“Come on,” the nurse groaned and Theo roared at him, mouth wide, fangs bared.

The nurse took his chance, shoving Verity’s wrist into his open mouth at the same moment Dr Smythe pushed Theo forward. He bit her, harder than he ever had before and for the first time there was not one drop of pleasure in it.

She screamed when he hit bone.

“Breathe,” the doctor told her as she fought back waves of agony.

The need to pull her hand back was all-consuming, but she fought it, using every ounce of willpower to hold still. Theo wasn’t even feeding, just holding her as he continued to growl.

“Hey,” the nurse said, dropping to one knee and taking her other hand. “Verity, look at me. You’re doing so well but I need you to breathe.”

It took conscious effort to fill her lungs. The sound of her gasping sob was swallowed by Theo’s relentless snarling, his eyes still fixed on the nurse.

“He doesn’t like…” she said, but her words were cut off when Theo started to pull, turning his head and dragging her wrist with him, forcing her out of the chair, leaning over him.

“Chapel,” Dr Smythe warned, grabbing his head in an attempt to stop him but it only enraged him more. “We need backup!” the doctor yelled. “Get him off her.”

“No,” Verity said. He needed the blood, she wasn’t about to stop.