Feral Bond (Blueblood Vampires #5)

Chapter 1

One

CHERYL

ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY

“ S hift back!” Ronan yells as the second nightmare on wings approaches us. “You’ll have better chances using a blade.”

I hate that he’s right. I heed his words and return to my human form. He tosses me one of his swords, and I prepare to face what’s coming for us—a horny, hornet-man aberration and what I presume is his girlfriend. Maybe they’re pissed because we interrupted their hookup.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Karl didn’t shift back.

“Karl, what are you waiting for?” I ask.

“He needs to go after Manu,” Ronan replies after a moment.

I turn to him, ignoring the two approaching monsters for a second. I need to see the expression on his face when I ask, “How do you know?”

He meets my stare, his face solemn and hard. “Because that’s what I’d do if I were in his shoes.”

My stomach bottoms out. His reply feels like a punch to my chest. I try to remain stoic and not show how deep his words cut, but my eyes well up with tears nonetheless.

I look away, biting the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, hoping the sharp pain will distract me from the agony ripping my heart to shreds.

The saddest and most infuriating part of being unable to control my emotions is that the asshole can sense them.

I curse the day I begged him to turn me into a vampire.

Karl’s stance is aggressive, and his murderous gaze is focused on Ronan. He wants to rip his throat out, and I don’t blame him. I’ve had the same desire time and time again over the years. But we’re here for a reason. The sooner we find Manu, the faster we can get out of here.

“Go, Karl. Go save your mate,” I urge him before I square my shoulders and face the approaching threat.

Almost immediately, he takes off. I don’t need to look to feel the weight of his absence.

But the monsters are upon us, and I don’t have time to dwell on it.

The male monster points his arm-length stinger in my direction, and I expect it to operate the same way a hornet’s stinger does—meaning, it should need to pierce my skin to poison me.

My assumption is wrong. A yellowish liquid shoots from it instead.

I jump to the side, and the jet misses me by a hair.

The monster is smart and remains out of my sword’s reach.

Ronan curses, and I glance in his direction. “Did you get hit?”

“No. But those things can attack from a distance, and we can’t.”

Our opponents begin to circle just above us. They aren’t spraying us now, which makes me think they need to recharge their stingers.

“We’re sitting ducks here. We have to attack from above,” I say.

“Agreed. Do you think you can make it to those trees?” He points toward a cluster of them.

Their trunks are like corkscrews spiraling skyward, and some of the branches spread far enough that they could work as a springboard.

“Yes.”

“Run, and I’ll distract them.”

I don’t ask how he plans to accomplish that.

I just nod and take off toward my target.

Ronan lets out a war cry, and a moment later, the buzzing from the giant hornet-like beings turns louder, making the small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I glance over my shoulder and realize whatever type of distraction Ronan attempted didn’t work.

The female hornet creature is chasing me.

I push my legs to the limit and jump high when the first branch is within reach.

The monster zooms right past me, scratching my cheek as she does.

The wound feels superficial, but it stings like a mother.

I push through the burning pain as I balance on the branch and prepare to cut that thing in two.

Down on the ground, Ronan grunts, but I can’t check on him.

The bond between us is as strong as ever, meaning he’s not hurt or dying.

The she-hornet monster is coming back, but because the upper branches are blocking her airspace, she can’t fly too high.

She’s level with me. Perfect. I hold the sword behind my back while flexing my legs.

Come on, bitch. Come meet your end.

She’s not pointing her stinger at me, but her claws are at the ready. That’s how she plans to take me down. The buzzing gets louder, setting my teeth on edge. I grind my jaw, ignoring the urge to shift into my wolf form.

When the monster is three feet away, I swing my sword in a high arc and slice off the beast’s head. I’d yell in victory, but she was flying too fast, and cutting off the head doesn’t stop the forward motion. The stinger slices through my back, and I cry out before dropping from the branch.

“Cheryl!” Ronan yells.

The fall hurts, but not nearly as much as the laceration. It feels like acid was poured over my back. All my other senses fade, and the only thing I know is agony. I try to get back on my feet, but I barely manage to brace my forearms on the ground and lift my head.

“Ronan…,” I croak.

My vision is blurry, and I can’t pinpoint where he and the other hornet monster are.

My eyelids begin to droop despite my attempt to keep them open.

I fall flat on the mossy ground. The world is spinning, making me sick.

I close my eyes then, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

And that’s the last conscious thought I have before everything goes quiet.

RONAN

Cheryl made it to a high branch, and she’s now positioned perfectly to deliver a killing blow.

She won’t miss. Despite her reluctance to train with weapons in the beginning, she’s now a deadly warrior.

Every time I see her on a battlefield, pride and admiration surge in my chest, but in this moment, I can’t appreciate her skills.

I have to do my part and exterminate the other threat.

If I can’t reach the beast with my blade, then I have to improvise.

I aim my sword and wait for the right moment to turn it into a spear.

It’s a risk. If I miss, I’ll have to face the monster with my bare hands and fangs, and I don’t want to get too close to it, much less bite the thing.

God knows what taking a chunk out of that monster will do to me.

For all I know, its flesh is also poisonous.

I’m ready to throw the sword when I hear Cheryl grunt ahead.

My attention splits for a couple of beats.

She’s not hurt, but my hesitation to attack costs me.

The hornet monstrosity sprays its poison in my direction.

I use the sword to deflect the jet, but that doesn’t prevent me from getting splashed.

The liquid burns through my jacket and skin like acid.

I’m fucking angry at my lack of focus, and the pain makes it much worse. I’m preparing to launch the sword again when Cheryl’s cry gets my full attention. She fell from the tree at an odd angle, and she’s bleeding.

“Cheryl!” I make a motion to run to her, but the buzzing of the enemy stops me short.

Letting rage consume me, I throw my sword at it with my full strength and pierce it through the chest. It screeches and begins to fly in a random manner as it tries to pull the sword out. I don’t wait to see what happens. I run to Cheryl.

A loud thud tells me the hornet monster is down, but the only thing I’m concerned about is the love of my life. I can’t lose her—not here, and not like this.

Beyond her, I see the headless body of the other hornet monster. She killed the thing, but not before it got to her. The cut on her back isn’t deep, but it’s long, and the blood oozing from it is already changing color and odor. She’s been poisoned.

“Cheryl, talk to me.” I brush strands of hair off her too-pale face. Her eyes are closed, but she’s breathing.

I look around, trying not to let desperation take control. We’re still in the Aquila Kingdom, but Vivi’s father was adamant that we leave at once. We pissed off the queen, which means I can’t hope to find help in the palace.

I glance at Cheryl again, feeling the bond that links us getting weaker.

No . She’s fading already. I pick her up and glance at the forest that surrounds us.

Then I take a deep breath and expand my awareness as far as it can go.

The palace lies east, but on the way, we’ll come across the city that neighbors the royal property. That’s where I need to go.

“Hold on, my love. I’ll get you help. I won’t lose you. I swear it on my soul.”