Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Samantha
The tea spills on the floor as my body wholly rejects the liquid. It’s a different feeling than my reaction to blood but equally bad. My mouth feels like it’s on fire. Thank fuck I didn’t have time to swallow. My insides feel like they are being shredded to ribbons as is.
Immediately after I lose control, the thing tightens its hold on me and floods my senses. My attack on Patricia was wholly my idea—at least I think it was—but the moment the thing realized I was in danger, it took over.
If it hadn’t, I’d be dead. There’s no way I can match Patricia’s skill, but the thing clearly knows how to fight. I really need to find a better name to call it, the thing is getting tiresome.
:You could call me Mate.
Fuck no! I’m no one’s mate, least of all that monster’s. I wring my hands together and try to keep my breathing under control. The thing—monster loosens its grip and I can breathe again. A hint of remorse flitters through my mind, then one by one, my muscles start to relax too.
:Didn’t realize…
Rafe and San are talking quietly, but I can’t focus enough to follow.
The relief that’s coursing through my body is immense and, in its wake, comes a flood of feelings.
The bond with Zack is the first to slam into place, quickly followed by Santiago.
The bonds latch into my soul and all of it makes me disoriented.
I keep waiting for Rafael’s bond, but it doesn’t come. Neither does the—for fuck’s sake, I’m just going to call the thing Jim. Jims are idiots everywhere, right?
:I’d still prefer Mate, a sullen voice grumbles.
“Get the fuck out of my head!” I scream.
Everyone’s attention is glued to me after that little eruption. I feel their focus.
“I want all of you out of my head,” I mutter and struggle to get to my feet. Santiago just clutches me closer to his chest.
“Little fangs, what’s wrong?” he asks.
“What’s wrong? You are asking me what’s wrong?
Seriously?” I promptly burst into tears.
I’m exhausted beyond belief. “What isn’t wrong?
I’m hungry, everything hurts, I want a nap and chocolate cake.
And I have Jim in my head, and Zack’s bond, and yours too!
Oh, and I can’t feel Rafael. Why is that, huh? What could possibly be wrong there?”
I take a breath and continue my rant. “Your bitch of a maker is running loose, Alyssa and her baby are dead, Zack is hurt, you are hurt, Rafael is drained”—I inhale deeply—“and why the hell do I smell potpourri in the house?” My voice breaks at the last shriek and I become aware that I’m pounding Santiago’s chest with my fists.
They are all silent after my outburst, even Jim. It’s Zack, who, after a moment, clears his throat and takes a stab at dealing with my emotions.
“I’ll be fine, dove, don’t worry. The witch gave me some medicine, the leg’s already feeling better. If she’s who I think she is, then you smell potpourri in the house because she was inside. She’s outside with my grandfather now.”
Okay, so that explains the smell and I’m happy that Zack is feeling better, but the raging jealousy pokes up its ugly head. “Why was she in the house?” I snarl at Rafael.
“Because she came to help,” he replies and moves to smooth my hair out. “I have no desire to drink from her ever again, Samantha,” he continues and stares into my eyes.
“You sure?” My lower lip trembles.
“Yes, I’m sure.” He drops a kiss to my brow.
“I’m going to get us some blood,” Santiago says and transfers me to Rafael’s arms when I don’t protest. I curl into him when he moves to sit on the couch next to Zack, who immediately lifts my legs onto his lap.
“I can’t help you with chocolate cake, but I’ll feed you as soon as San is back with the blood,” Rafael promises.
“You taste like chocolate cake,” I mumble when the anger drains with my energy.
Rafael chuckles at that.
“Now, who’s Jim?” Zack asks.
“The thing. I decided I’ll call him Jim. The thing is cumbersome and annoying and—I’m not calling you mate,” I snarl when he tries to butt in. “Goddamn pig-headed bastard,” I grouse.
“You—you are talking with it?”
“Well, he’s in my bloody head, ain’t he?” I thought I was slow, but the men seem to have taken leave of their senses too. Rafael goes completely silent and Zack is growling again. When Santiago strolls back with several blood bags in hand, I point at him.
“I need at least one of you to stay house-trained and coherent. These two are lost causes, so the burden falls to you.”
“Uh-oh. What’s going on?” he asks and tears into a bag. The smell of blood seems to snap Rafael out of it a bit and Santiago hands him the bag before attacking another.
“I named the thing Jim and these two act all surprised that I talk to someone who literally is in my head.”
Santiago chokes on the blood, coughs for a bit, opens his mouth, closes it, looks at Rafael and Zack, and then opens his mouth again.
“Okaaay…” He takes a closer look at me. “You don’t look so out of it now.”
“I’m not. At least I don’t think so. I don’t think he realized how much he was hurting me. He let up when he realized I was in pain because of him.”
:I’d never purposely hurt my mate.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Santiago lifts a brow at that.
“Jim. I wasn’t talking to Jim. I was talking to you.” I point at Santiago to make myself clear.
“Hmm… So you feel more in control now?”
“Sort of, not that it couldn’t become a problem again.”
“But he’s in your head constantly and can hear what you say?”
“I think so,” I say.
:I can always hear my mate, comes the smug voice.
“Yep, he definitely can hear what I say,” I huff. “And for the last time, I’m not your mate!”
“I can see how someone would get a reputation as a crazy person,” Santiago mutters and I snarl at him. Rafael has finished the blood bag and Santiago hands him another one. He’s sipping his bag a bit slower, but soon moves to the next one too.
I poke Zack with my toes and his growling face turns to me. “Snap out of it,” I say and poke him again. For a moment, I’m sure he’s going to change, but then he really seems to come to his senses.
“Sorry, dove.” He looks sheepish. “It’s just the thing—”
“Jim.”
“He’s not really—”
“I don’t care, it’s Jim now.”
“Fine, okay, fine.” Zack lifts his hands to placate me and I realize I’m snarling and showing fang. “Jim. It’s just that our bond is new and my wolf doesn’t like Jim encroaching on his territory.”
“Oh boy.” Santiago sighs.
“His territory?”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that, darling,” Santiago says, sticking out his neck for Zack.
“Oh really? Then how did he mean it then?” I snap at him, irritated beyond belief. Somewhere at the back of my mind, there’s a little voice that tries to claim that I’m overreacting, but I ignore it. I’m no one’s fucking territory. What’s next? Pissing circles around me to stake a claim?
“The same way I do when I say I want to yank him out of you and burn the traces.”
I flinch at the rage in Santiago’s tone and that makes Jim surge forward. The snarl and challenge that erupts from my throat is not my own, but instead of fully messing up my senses and mind, he manages to keep us a bit separated.
“Back… off,” I manage to pant and I do mean both of them.
Santiago is snarling right back at me… Jim. Hell, this is all too much. My instincts take over and I twist in Rafael’s lap enough to sink my fangs into him.