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Then Brody is back, pulling me to my feet. He throws my arm around his shoulder. “What are you doing, running around naked? Is Maddy okay?”
My lips work enough to produce “Maddy fine.” I lean on him all the way into the cabin. He continues half carrying me to the fireplace, where Riyah is lying stretched out on the woven rugs with two blankets piled on her.
Brody throws a blanket on me. Then he goes to my bedroom and returns, dragging all the blankets from the bed.
After every blanket is on Riyah, he motions for me to lie down too. “I’m gonna get you something that’ll help more.”
Stiffly, I lie down next to Riyah. I am warming up enough that I can feel the blankets against my bare skin.
“Drink this.” Brody hands me a cup. I sip and feel the burn of the whisky sliding down my throat. My insides start to hum to life.
He props up Riyah, tilting her head back to give her a sip. A few drops of the whisky disappear before she erupts into a cough.
Thank God she isn’t dead.Please don’t die. Please don’t die.
“Have a bit more,” Brody coaches, tipping the cup up. But Riyah’s hand shoots out, slapping it away. The liquid sprays across the air before some of it falls, hissing, into the fireplace.
“Give me blood,” she croaks.
My cousin’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline before he throws a worried look at me.
“She doesn’t want to tap your jugular.” I raise my hand and point. “It’s in the fridge,” I say.
Synthetic human blood is available for vampires to purchase. Especially for physician vampires, it is their dietary staple. The synthetic stuff is half as potent as true human blood.
“Bring two!” I call.
He returns with two packets. Opening one, he seems partly fascinated and partly shy. “Should I warm it up? Put in a cup?” When I don’t think his eyes can get any wider, Riyah finally speaks up.
“Pour.” Riyah opens her mouth like a bird.
Brody looks like he wants to faint so I throw my hand out for the bags.
“I’ll do it.” I’ve warmed up enough to move now. I gather Riyah in my lap, tipping the packet at one corner. Her dark eyes meet mine as I support her head against my shoulder.
Brody rearranges the blankets around me. “I need to get back to Maddy. We’ll talk later, Jax.”
I nod. “Thanks, man.”
Within seconds, the front door closes.
Returning my focus to Riyah, I relish the opportunity to be close to her. Making her face death wasn’t what I had in mind this evening.
“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” I tip the rest of the packet into her mouth as she drains it. Watching her delicate throat work as she swallows combined with the feel of her in my arms has my cock stirring.
Her red tongue licks her lower lip, savoring the taste. Since she is still cold in my arms, I open the other blood packet and do the same.
She drinks steadily. I can feel her wet outer layers against my skin. Her fall in the snow has dropped her body temperature. As she drinks, I listen to the crackle and hiss of the fireplace. Small bits of cinder fly up the chimney.
“Better,” she says at last. A hint of pink brushes her cheeks.
I pull off her gloves, and her hands are ice cold.
“You’re never going to warm up like this. You’ve gotta get out of the wet clothes.”
She looks at my naked body and the first hint of her sass shows up in the form of a rueful smirk. “Forget it, wolfman.”
I’m already tugging at her clothes. “My shifter body is much more efficient at generating heat than your soaking wet clothes.”
