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The pain was all too real as it ate at my heart. My sweet ma minette. We’d never share the sensation brought on by a bond that deep, ever again. And it was all my fault. Sure, we’d feel love when we fed from each other, but that special tie to another was gone for good.
As I watched Hunter’s arms wrap around her with love, grief sunk my heart. Anger wasn’t present. Not even at myself. My conscious new this was our new reality. That’s why my rage wasn’t present. No … rage couldn’t live where credence thrived. My mind knew this was right, even if my heart was trying to accept.
My finger traced down the length of Tessa’s and she mirrored the action as she stayed faced away from me. Her head was resting on Hunter’s wide shoulder and she was turned into his neck. Deep breaths left him and I could see his digits twitching to tighten on her back. He’d start, only to let them ease.
How far would he go if I wasn’t present? Would he even try? Even as a vampire, he held respect for Tessa. It was so unlike a newborn … unlike our kind.
Movement across the room had my stare leaving Hunter and Tessa to settle on the human. He was watching in horrific fascination. The way his eyes were glued to us didn’t sit well with me. The human was aroused. I could see his hard cock bulging through the gym shorts he wore. It left my instincts flaring. I may have been alright with Hunter, concerning Tessa, but no one else.
“Shit. God.” Hunter broke from Tessa’s neck, breathing heavily while he licked over the wounds to close them.
“But you barely took enough.” Her voice was slightly pouty, and her lids were heavy with lust as she pulled back to look at him. Hunter went to respond when his gaze stopped dead on the human. The college kid was still locked on Tessa. Still, raking his eyes over her back, and down to her ass.
A slight growl broke through the air and Hunter’s fangs stayed lowered while his lip pulled back, threateningly. Slowly, he moved Tessa to the side, standing, and I couldn’t help but follow. We were killers, plain and simple. This human should have feared us. Should have had his head down, or crying through the terror he was faced with. Not fantasizing about what we were doing.
“Are you looking at what doesn’t belong to you? Marko … is he looking at what’s ours? I know he’s not fucking checking out our mate.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, stepping forward. “Someone has a death wish.”
“Not from either of you,” Tessa said, butting in. “He’s my meal, remember? The kill will be mine.”
The tips of my fangs cut into my lip as I watched the human’s eyes widened. There it was. Fright.
“Mmph. Mmmmmph.” His head started shaking as he yelled into the cloth secured into his mouth. The evil smile that broke onto my face couldn’t be stopped.
“Look at my concubine one more time and I’ll burn your eyes out of their socket until there is nothing left. You don’t believe I can, go ahead and take one more look.”
Tears streamed down the boy’s face and his head lowered through the sobs. My anger didn’t last as I turned my attention back to Hunter. He was still staring, still ready to attack.
“You didn’t feed enough.”
My words brought his black eyes to mine. Within seconds they lightened, but not entirely.
“I can’t take anymore of her blood. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Because you want her?”
“Of course I do, but she’s not ready. None of us are. After what she’s been through—” He stopped, glaring once more at the human before focusing on me. “I’m done letting anyone push themselves on her. I’m tired of her making decisions based off of what she feels has to be done, versus what she wants to do. Tessa wants me, I know this. But even if you weren’t in the picture, she wouldn’t be ready. Her mind needs time to heal. I felt her anxieties. She’s a mess.”
“I beg your pardon?” Light green disappeared behind her narrowed lids as she came to a stop a few feet away from the human. Her energy flared defensively and I sighed, knowing her wrath all too well. She didn’t like to be told she was weak, and that’s exactly how she took Hunter’s care for her.
My hand shot up and I shook my head. “He loves you and he wants what is best. You’re about to argue. Don’t. Now is not the time.”
“I am not a mess. Take it back,” she said to him, hurt. “I’m fine.”
“Tessa.” Hunter let out a deep breath. “You’re tired. I feel how mentally exhausted you are. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I want to help you get better.”
“I said I’m fine.” She growled, grabbing the human’s hair and jerking back. “And I am far from tired. There are things to do—vampires to save. We have to plan for a way to take down Aetas. I will rest when he is incapable of hurting any more of our kind.”
Hunter’s lips pressed together. At his silence, Tessa dove forward, embedding herself into the human’s neck. The loud cry buffered in the gag and his tied legs struggled at the rope binding him down. Minutes went by while Tessa fed. As she did, her strength emanated throughout the room. Human blood may have been weak compared to ours, but the length of time that had passed since her last taste empowered her strength.
She broke free, panting as blood raced down her chin. The breaking sound of the bones in his neck cracked through the room and she dropped his head, walking away from his lifeless body.
“Hunter will feed again, and then we will talk of a plan. Tonight we bring as many vampires as we can to our side. Aetas wants a war. It’s time we give him one he will never forget.”
Chapter 31
Aetas
