Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Santiago
The blood that oozes from Samantha’s neck has dark speckles and it smells corrupted. Horrified, I stare, not really comprehending what’s happening. Rafael springs into action and lays Samantha on the floor. She’s silent now, eyes blank and mouth slack.
“The wound,” Rafael growls. “She said the thing wounded her. It has poisoned her blood.”
“What?” I ask like an idiot, not following.
“Snap out of it,” he roars. “You need to drain her, as dry as you can.”
Drain her. Everything in me recoils at the thought.
I can’t—I won’t hurt her. Sluggishly, my brain processes the things Rafael doesn’t say.
He can’t do it. His blood needs to stay pure so she can feed after.
And she will, a lot. Most likely she will drain him and he can’t feed from me to replenish after I take that foul blood.
“Someone needs to catch me up.” Zack looks at us.
“She can only tolerate Rafael’s blood,” I snap, no longer caring about the other two wolves. I will hold them down for Rafael to drink from if need be.
“What are you talking about?” Zack kneels on the floor next to her head, ignoring his leg.
“We don’t have time for this,” Rafael says, his voice cold, detached. “Santiago, you need to get a grip and drink.”
I know he’s right. The only way to help her is to clear the blood. I’m old and strong enough to deal with whatever is poisoning her. Probably. She certainly isn’t. Still, the impulse to turn away is hard to combat.
“San, please.”
I lean over and sink my fangs into her throat. Her blood tastes ghastly, really like drinking from a corpse. After gagging, I keep drinking. It takes an effort to pull her blood out; it’s thick sludge and I bite her harder.
If I ever get my hands on that beast, I’m going to tear it to pieces. Drinking from Samantha should have been something perfect, a moment to treasure. Instead, I’m battling to save her, choking on her blood.
Heavens only know if this will bond her to me.
There’s not much of her left in the blood, I can barely taste her.
She’s pale, dark circles under her eyes turning more prominent as I draw from her.
Too young to lose blood like this, her cheekbones sharpen and collarbones poke out.
Hell, Rafael’s blood better restore her.
“Can she survive draining like that?” Zack asks, but I don’t lift my head. If I stop now, I won’t be able to continue. I have to drain her in one go. And then go vomit this blood down the drain. I can already feel the poison worming into my system.
“She has to,” Rafael says, still sounding colder than ice.
“Are you able to feed her enough?” Damn, the wolf is persistent.
“I have to be.” There’s a crack in Rafael’s ice and the wolf growls, a deep, throaty rumble.
“Fuck,” he then says and I totally agree. “All right, all right. She said you smelled bad to her, so you are out, Jere. Olivia, would you be willing to let Mr. Moretti feed on you?”
Wait, what? The alpha is asking his wolf to feed Rafael?
“Alpha Zack…” Olivia’s voice wavers, but I’m not sure if it is fear or hate.
“I’m only asking, Olivia. If you say no, I won’t hold it against you. But if Mr. Moretti can feed on the two of us, instead of just me, I hopefully will be back on my feet sooner.”
“Alpha Zack, you can’t give him your blood!” Now the woman sounds truly horrified. Enough that I almost look up. A werewolf alpha feeding a vampire and risking a bond is quite a breach in etiquette.
“I can and I will,” he says calmly.
“Drinking from a glass will mitigate the bond,” Rafael says and I hear him moving. Well, aren’t we throwing all caution to the wind today, sharing things. Samantha jerks under me and I focus on drinking faster. This poison needs to come out, fucking now.
“The vein carries more punch?” Zack asks. He cradles Samantha’s jawline in his big, trembling hand.
“Yes,” Rafael hisses.
“Then you take from the vein,” Zack says.
“I’ll… I’ll help,” Olivia says. A glass clinks against the table.
“Let me,” Jere says, presumably to Olivia, because soon I smell her blood.
“Thanks,” she mumbles.
“Thank you, Olivia. I won’t forget this,” Zack says, with a resonance that carries his approval as alpha. Olivia’s scent changes slightly at that, she smells pleased.
“Please take my blood first, Mr. Moretti, and Alpha Zack’s only if necessary,” Olivia says and I have to adjust my assessment of her.
She no doubt can be a bitch, but she’s helping out both Samantha and her alpha.
I don’t think Samantha is high on her list of priorities, but I can’t really blame her for that.
Samantha sighs, relaxing in my arms, just as I taste a change in her blood. The poison is almost gone and so is her pain. The flavor on my tongue is sweet seduction and I drink it down, unable to pull back. Only a tiny trickle runs down my throat; she’s nearly dry when Rafael jerks me back.
“Enough,” he hisses, fangs down and eyes black. I move out of the way sluggishly. My muscles are slow to answer and the world twists and turns sickeningly. I only make it to the trash can before throwing up a fountain of blood.