Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Samantha
Howls break through the haze in my mind.
“What?” I choke out, not sure who I’m talking to. Dimly, I register that Santiago is holding my head and Rafael is trying to push his bleeding wrist to my mouth.
I don’t want… can’t drink anything right now. My throat is raw and I keep heaving up Patricia’s blood. Patricia. Where is she? I blink and try to lift my head to see, but there’s no strength left. Another bout of nausea takes over and for a moment, I don’t see, hear, or think anything.
Bone-chilling howls fill the air once I’ve emptied my stomach. Wolves. Lots of them. I think I hear other sounds too, but my mind is too fuzzy to be sure.
:Mate, how are you? Jim butts in and I try to growl at him. :You should feed from the vampire. He continues, ignoring my feeble protests.
I shake my head, trying to clear it. There are too many voices, howls, growls, what-the-fuck-ever filling my head. I can’t make sense of any of it. A massive wolf stands next to me and ignores all of Rafael’s attempts to push it aside. It’s not black like Zack and I blink again.
:Jim?
:Yes, mate?
:Stop that! I’m not your mate.
He growls at that. My thoughts feel a bit clearer, almost like my mind has separated from the hell that is reigning over my body and the chaos battering my senses.
Another howl carries in the air and I flinch. It feels like I can almost hear more than the sound. Like I can… understand. Fuck no. I’m not having any of this. Having five bonds in my head is enough. I don’t need to understand the worry in some random wolf’s howl.
Wait.
Five?
What the hell?
Santiago’s bond is strong and full of concern.
He cradles me against his chest and keeps cajoling me to drink from Rafael.
Rafael holds out his wrist for me and tears it open immediately once it heals over.
There’s a tiny pool of his blood on the ground too.
His bond is more opaque, and the only thing I get from him is the order to drink.
I can’t drink.
Heaving, I turn my head away and see Zack. He’s dragging himself closer to us, constantly whining. He’s hurt. Because of me. Again. My head hurts when I try to think and focus on our bond. His pain mixes with mine and for a moment, I’m lost again.
It’s Jim who brings me out of that loop. Ruthlessly, he nips my leg and the new, sharper pain halts my spiraling mind. He bit me. Bastard. I glare at the wolf, who is now licking the tiny bite mark. At least he shut up about the mate bullshit.
They are my men. Well, not Jim. At least I don’t think so. Shit. Focus, Samantha. This is the moment when you need to get your shit together.
Breathe in. Out. In again. Slowly, my breathing eases and with that, the horrifying clarification hits. I don’t need to see to know where Patricia is. I can feel her.
In. My. Fucking. Head.
Five bonds. I bonded with her somehow.
And I can feel her dying. My venom tears through her body, lying just an arm’s reach away. She’s not moving, nor is she healing. All the pained whimpers from her are in my head. My fangs elongate again and the urge to reach her clouds my mind.
I want her to suffer.