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My hand flattened against my chest. I didn’t think the ache could get worse, but it did. “You must be relieved. You’re free of me now.”
He rumbled in frustration and shifted to sit in front of me. I was settled on a mattress on the floor, old sheets crumpled around my legs. Dason kneeled on it, towering above me.
He cupped my face and lifted it until I was staring into his stormy eyes.
“Yes, I’m relieved, but not in the way you think. I’m relieved you’re fucking alive, Lorn. You died right before my eyes.” He gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the emotion he held back. My heart swelled at the feelings that leaked into his gaze as well. Dason had always been so guarded, but his walls were down as he stared back at me. “I held your dead, limp body in my arms.”
“I…” What did I say to that? I’m sorry? It was lame, even to my ears.
“Don’t you fucking apologize. It’s my fault. I never should have let the bloodletting, or the pack party, for that matter, happen.”
Dason looked tortured, gray eyes haunted, full lips pulling down at the edges. His normally golden complexion was sallow and grime coated his skin in places. The crisp charcoal T-shirt he wore was out of place, too pristine for the rest of his appearance, and I gathered that he’d conjured it recently to clothe himself.
“If I recall,” I argued, “I pushed you into the pack party which started this whole mess.”
Dason’s laugh was hollow. A simple hiccup of breath. “I knew you were stubborn from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Stubborn enough not to die and leave you all behind,” I added with a rueful smile that lasted a mere moment.
This time, when Dason laughed, it had more life behind it. “Thank fuck for that.”
“What happened to me, Dase?” I begged quietly. “You said I…” The word wouldn’t leave my tongue.
“Died?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. The thought of my heart stopping, of being dead, unbreathing, made me physically ill. “How am I alive right now? What happened?”
My stomach rolled, but I soon realized it was with that same agonizing hunger I’d woken with. It felt like it was eating itself, so empty it was practically concave.
“Mara had you taken by vampires. They…” He trailed off, glancing away as if he couldn’t bear to look at me.
“I don’t understand.” I could barely think past the pangs of overwhelming hunger. My mouth hurt, but I barely felt the pain over my body's demand for food.
“She wanted to try and break the mate bond, Lorn. The dagger she stabbed you with was spelled. It disintegrated our bonds to you, but it was only the first step.” Regret covered Dason’s face. “Mara had you taken by vampires in an attempt to have you turned into one. They drained you Lorn. I watched them suck you dry. Feed you their blood.”
My heart stopped in my chest, but it was only then that I noticed it was beating unthinkably slow.
“W-what?” I couldn’t… that didn’t mean I was…
Holy shitballs.
I peered down at my hands, noticing the pallor of my normally tanned skin tone. My usual gold color was muted, as if the life had drained out of it.
When the next hunger pains hit, I wrapped my arms around my abdomen and doubled over.
“Oh my God,” I groaned.
Dason moved closer to hold me, his strong arms pulling me to this chest. “You need to eat, Lorn.”
“Please,” I pleaded. “Make it stop.” Being ripped in half had to be less painful.
Dason didn’t move away as his magick flared to glow gray. He grunted behind me and his magick sputtered, but soon he held a small plate of juicy steak.
“Conjured food isn’t as filling as real food, but it should help take the edge off.” Dason offered the meal to me.
Like an animal, I lunged for it, holding it with my bare hands and biting into it. The meat was still pink, the flavor ripe on my tongue. Swallowing my first bite, my stomach recoiled.
I flew away from Dason, bending over to retch in the corner. Body shaking, I swiped at my mouth with the back of my hand. Embarrassment didn’t even cover it. My legs barely held me up, and I gave in to the weakness that took me to the ground. I slid down the wall to sit on the cold hardwood.
