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At first, I tried to follow our bond, but Sunday was still lost to her nightmares. Instead, I had to rely on my other senses. Her scent was oddly absent, but I knew if she’d been hurt there was no way that fucking wolf wouldn’t be by her side. Thankfully, his scent was strong here, and it was no trouble following his trail into the church and then lower, deep into the forgotten depths. Prior to my grandfather taking control, monks had resided here. I imagined them using the small rooms as dormitories or for storage. Either way, they were well hidden. Finding Kingston, and thereby Sunday, was simply a matter of locating the correct door.
Light at the end of the long dark hallway had hope humming through my veins, and Sunday’s scent finally filtered to me. It was changed, weaker somehow, tinged with the bitterness of brimstone. Oh, bloody hell, she’d been attacked by a demon. I was all too familiar with that stench.
I picked up my pace, running full tilt toward her. Murmured voices from the room told me both Alek and Kingston were there, and then the Irish lilt of Father Gallagher joined in. All of them? It must’ve been dire if they’d all banded together.
Heart in my throat, I pressed my palm against the cracked door, pushing it slowly open.
Three snarling alpha males stared back at me, but I only had eyes for the woman on the bed. Why hadn’t they helped her yet? She was clearly suffering. I could feel the pain rolling from her.
“Move aside. If you’re not going to fucking heal her, get out of my way.” My voice was dark and brimming with violence as I stalked toward the priest who hadn’t done the only thing necessary to fix this mess.
The three of them parted, opening my path to her. My stomach churned at the sight of her wound, my own forearm giving a sympathetic throb as the memory of her pain raced through me. Swollen, jagged gashes went black around the edges as death crept from the inside out. These would be fatal to any creature. The flesh surrounding the wound was red, hot enough I could feel the warmth radiating off her without touching her skin. I reached for Sunday, but the priest grabbed my arm before I could make contact.
“Her blood is tainted, Thorne. Don’t touch the wound,” Father Gallagher warned. “It was a pestilence demon. I can’t heal her.”
That sent ice down my back. A pestilence demon? A tendril of forgiveness for the priest’s inaction unfurled in my gut. His blood would do little to help her. But mine? As a born vampire, mine was stronger than that of a human who’d been turned.
“She needs me.”
He nodded, but before he fully moved away I was shoving him back, kneeling at her side and tearing at my wrist with my fangs.
“I’m here, dove. You’ll be good as new as soon as you drink from me.” I pressed my bleeding wrist to her lips, cradling the back of her head with my other hand and supporting her.
Sunday whimpered, but when the first drop of my blood fell past her lips, she moaned and latched on.
“That’s it, my love. Good girl.” My words were nonsensical, falling out without conscious thought. The smell of wet dog hit my nose, making my lip curl. “Not the time, pup.”
“Trust me, we’re going to have words about where the fuck you’ve been once she’s in the clear. For now, just know that if you turn her, I will end you.”
“I’m not going to turn her. And I’ve been away to keep her and everyone else safe. Believe me, it’s a choice I wish I hadn’t had to make.”
“You seem to do that a lot. Abandon her.” The censure in Alek’s voice cut through me.
My free hand balled into a tight fist. “I didn’t abandon her. She knows exactly where I was and why I left. I had the strength to leave her because I love her. Unlike others in this room...” I shot a glare at the priest who couldn’t seem to stay away from her.
He met my angry stare without flinching. “Not all of us have the luxury of that choice.”
“Stop fighting. It’s going to give you wrinkles.” Sunday’s voice pulled us away from our argument. I hadn’t even noticed she’d released my wrist from her hold.
“Are you all right?” I let my gaze trail over her arm where the festering wound had been. All that remained were faint pink lines, no trace of the poisoned gashes.
The tip of her tongue darted out, licking off the smears of blood dotting her lips. “Perfect, now that you’re here.”
Her voice was breathy and just this side of... was that arousal?
She sat up and reached for me, pulling me down on top of her with surprising strength, but all thought vanished from my head as her lips found mine. I hadn’t kissed her in far too long. Fucking hell, I’d missed her.
“I love you,” I murmured against her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t.” She arched into me, clearly not caring that anyone else was around. “I need you. I need you so badly it hurts, Noah.”
“Fuck,” Kingston said, the sound of a belt being unfastened ringing out in the small room. “Looks like we’re in for a wild night, boys.”
I tore my mouth from hers even though it pained me to do it. Sunday let out a wanton moan, trying to pull my face back to hers.
She was in need of me. My mate ached for me. I could smell it.
“What are you on about?”
