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I swallowed passed the nausea. “No. Not yet. Aetas isn’t well. How is Marko?”
“Sleeping. I’m driving.”
“Where are you going?”
Hunter paused. “North. We held up in an abandoned house until sunset. It’s bad out here, Tessa. The humans, they’re doing searches of every place they can, trying to weed us out. It’s a fucking war zone up here. Army, National Guard, fucking every military force you can imagine is patrolling the streets. Our kind is in big trouble. I’m not sure we’re going to find many of us left.”
My heart thumped hard and Marko stirred above, brushing back my hair. “Shhh,” he breathed out.
“I will come to you soon. Hunter, don’t tell Marko, but Aetas is losing his mind. He … hurt me. Bad. While I was unconscious … he …” I couldn’t go any further, I wasn’t sure if I could even say it in my thoughts.
“He what?” A growl roared through and I took a deep breath. How could I have forgotten Hunter’s overprotective nature? I was talking to him as a friend, but he was so much more to me again. “Tell me, Tessa. What the fuck did he do to you?”
“He … ate a piece of my skin.”
“He fucking what?!”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I rushed out.
“I hate this. You’re coming back to us the moment we get settled somewhere. Fuck you staying there. No. Hell no. If you don’t come within the first few minutes that we stop, I’m coming to you. And it’s not going to be pretty, Tessa.”
I opened my lids, staring in a daze. Did I have a choice? Hunter would come. I knew he would. And staying was risky. But if I left, Aetas would surely come looking, himself, and he’d bring the enforcers with him. Did we stand a chance running from not only our kind, but the humans, too? I just didn’t know the best course of action to take.
“Let me see if I can make Aetas better. I’m trying to get him to feed from someone besides me. He doesn’t want to, but I might have luck. If that’s the case, he might become more stable.”
“And if he doesn’t? If he kills you or hurts you enough to incapacitate me? Marko is too weak to help anyone right now. He is the answer to this, Tessa. He’s the only one that stands a chance to save us. Don’t put everyone at risk trying to fix this yourself. Trying to help Aetas is like trying to tame a rabid dog. You just can’t do it.”
I cringed. “You’re probably right. Just keep trying to get as far away as you can. I’ll come to you when I’m able. Feed Marko as much as you can. If you find a vampire more powerful, make him feed my mate, too.” I closed my eyes, letting myself experience the butterflies that came along with my feelings toward Hunter. I’d done so well at pushing them away, but I didn’t have to anymore. “I miss you.”
My heart exploded in rhythm and it wasn’t from me, it was from him. “And I miss you. I … love you. I’ve always loved you, even when I hurt you.”
“I know. I love you, too. Take care of Marko. I have to go. I’ll see you soon.”
I cut off my thoughts, not allowing Hunter to come back through. The longing to be with him and Marko was almost too much. I shifted and Aetas’ eyes—Marko’s eyes—flew open. The intensity had me momentarily frozen. Did he know I was talking to Hunter? Could he hear? I wasn’t wearing my crown, but I was hoping his blood within me was enough to keep him out of my head.
“Let’s take a bath. I want to hold you some more, but I need you clean. The blood is too much. I can’t think with the smell.”
“Of course.” I tried to lift, but didn’t get a chance to make it far before he jerked me into his body and eased us to the end of the bed. When he stood and made his way into the bathroom, I tried to calm the nervousness. It wasn’t the bath that I feared, but him. I wanted to escape his presence. The energy he was throwing off was only getting worse. Darker. I’d felt this before. This evil, and it had been in my own Marko.
“Can you stand?”
My feet hit the ground, but he held on, letting me test my strength. I gave a quick nod as I gripped to the countertop. He cautiously let go of me and made a dash to the large marble tub. He had the water on and was back at my side within seconds.
Up and down, his stare traveled over my face. From my eyes to my lips, he went back and forth for what seemed like ever.
“What are you thinking?” Fuck, I was afraid to ask, but I had to know.
Slowly, I was led to the tub. He bent down, testing the temperature before he glanced back at me and turned the water off.
“The strongest here besides myself is Lucille. I will take her blood. For you,” he said between clenched teeth. “Not because I want to.”
“Thank you.” The whisper was forced. I was too afraid to say anything else.
Marko walked up the four steps that led to the massive tub and I held his hand, following. When my toes dipped into the water it was ice cold. I gasped, jerking my foot back, but he was ready for my reaction. Arms locked around my waist and he was suddenly spinning me. Water engulfed me as he stood at the edge, holding me down. At the frigid temperature, I couldn’t breathe. It stole my oxygen, rushing into my open mouth and nose from the shock.
“What did you tell him?” He yelled. “What did you tell Hunter? I know you were talking to him. I felt your change. You were afraid, but then you were happy. You love him more than me, don’t you?”
Coughing wracked my body as I clawed at his hold. Half of my head was out of the water while the other half was submerged. His words were distant, but all too clear.
