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The two bloodcrazed vampires remained locked together for so long that I began to fear for them both. I again wondered whether one vampire could drain another dry — but they were both drinking from each other, taking and giving at once. I had to hope for the best.
“Should we…” Hudson looked helplessly toward the Wildes coven, who had all gathered around their magic circles.
I wasn’t sure how to feel, seeing our coven-mates’ violent aggression turn so quickly into sexual aggression, and I clearly wasn’t the only one. None of us seemed to have a clue what to do next.
Before anyone could reply, Mel pulled back, staring into Nico’s face. I could see the whites of her eyes, and I breathed a sigh of relief. From the calm way Nico now held her, I believed his frenzy had passed as well.
I strode around beside them, prepared to intervene for Mel’s safety if I was mistaken. Nico’s eyes had also regained their color — and they were locked on hers.
Then the two of them were kissing so passionately, I once again felt chagrined on their behalf. They stood at the top of the wall, on display for the Wildes coven and the demon hunter reinforcements who were no doubt already converging on the area, given that demons had overrun us mere minutes ago.
But beneath my chagrin was a dark, twisting emotion that buried roots in my solar plexus and choked the breath from me. Nico had never kissed me like that — like I was his sole focus, his reason for living, the one he cared about above all else, even his own safety.
Mel gasped, breaking the kiss, and I realized what a shock this must be to her. I still remembered the moment I’d come out of my frenzy with my fangs buried in a man’s throat — a man who’d died at my feet, bloodless. The surge of power I’d gained from draining him completely dry of magic had left me feeling like I could take on the world. When I saw the horror on everyone’s faces and realized what I’d done… I’d come crashing back to earth.
Mel felt the same way now, and I longed to rip her from Nico’s arms and swear to her everything would be okay. Even though I knew it wouldn’t. Mel had just turned into the one thing she’d spent most of her life hating. She’d already spent years hating herself for killing her lover, Ty. I didn’t want her to keep hating herself for becoming a monster like the rest of us.
Knowing better than to overwhelm the new vampire, I wrestled against the need to go to her. Nico set Mel down on her feet near to the parapet.
“The devil’s gone already,” Rye murmured to me, coming to stand beside me as we all faced toward the black wall of rippling smoke and shadow, the entrance to the infernal realm.
“Did you see whether he went back inside?” I asked.
“He fled as soon as we arrived.” Lan’s voice dripped with condescension.
“Yes, back into the infernal realm,” Nim clarified for me.
“Not so fast,” my brother said to Nico, stepping in front of him to prevent him from trying to descend the rungs to the infernal realm side of the containment wall.
Nico let out a low growl that had me checking his eyes again to make sure he was in full control. I wouldn’t let Hudson kill Nico during his frenzy if I could help it — but I wouldn’t stand by while Nico vamped out on my brother, either.
For years, I’d wanted a coven of my own, but I’d never expected to be part of one where I might mediate life or death situations inside of the coven. I’d always imagined my coven-mates and I would fight against demons, not each other. My stomach sank even as Hudson grabbed Mel and crushed her into a hug.
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around them both. With my nose beside her ear, I breathed deep of her scent, reassuring myself she really was okay, even if it didn’t seem that way to her just yet.
“We’re all glad you’re alive,” I whispered the same words Hudson had told me after abandoning his life in Charlotte to help me after I was turned. I wanted to pass that comfort on to Mel if I could. Feeling a little tension drain from her body between me and my brother gave me hope we could help her through this difficult transition.
Next, Mel was confronted with the fact she’d attacked her own friends, the Wildes coven. She apologized, but they waved her off as if there was nothing to forgive.
I glanced past Mel to Nico, and his eyes caught mine for a split second before sliding away. No doubt he was remembering his own frenzy and the way he’d tried his damnedest to attack me and Hudson.
What had drawn Mel to Nico? Why had the two of them come together so easily? Why had she nearly ignored Hudson and I — also her coven-mates and lovers — who she’d seen first?
I hoped that all three of us vampires could help Mel accept the new reality of being a vampire, but I had to wonder what effect vampire blood had on a new turned vampire like Mel. Normally, new vampires came out of the frenzy after their first taste of blood — if left unchecked, they would drain their victim dry before regaining awareness. But Mel’s first taste of blood had been from another vampire, who’d been simultaneously drinking her blood.
Hudson and I shared a look, and the thoughtful expression on his face made me think he’d realized the same thing. Unlike me and Nico, Mel had drained no one dry during her initial frenzy. When Hudson had been newly turned and frenzied, I’d distracted him until he received a blood bag to bring him out of it. Mel’s situation was so different from any of our past experiences.
And as for Nico’s frenzy? I’d never heard of a vampire losing control like that. Normally, vampires would only go into another frenzy if they were blood-starved. But Nico had frenzied because of rage or fear instead. And it wasn’t the first time, as he’d frenzied inside the infernal realm as well. I couldn’t pretend to understand what was going on with him, either.
I desperately hoped we could help both of them work through their issues as a coven… but they were both stubborn as hell and used to handling things on their own. And I wasn’t sure any of us would have the answers, anyway.
With my thoughts spinning, I followed the group toward the steps and off the top of the wall. When we reached the foot of the stairs, Nico stopped in his tracks, staring at the van he’d nearly destroyed from the inside.
I glanced over at him, worried about how he might beat himself up over this. He’d already been terrified of losing control — and now his worst fear had happened.
When Nico and I had first been together, his worst fear had been falling in love with someone and losing them, like his brother had lost his coven. That fear had driven Nico to run from me, using his bodyguarding career as an excuse to remain a solo witch. I only hoped he wouldn’t choose to run again this time.
My heart wouldn’t survive him leaving twice.
