Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
bloom
“Stop touching her,” a male voice growled.
“I’m making sure she’s breathing,” Harper snapped.
“She’s fine.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
My best friend was arguing with my soulmate.
That meant I wasn’t dead.
“Both of you, shut the fuck up,” Rhone snarled. “Maverick and Bloom both need to sleep.”
Silence fell.
I drifted off again.
Raging hunger woke me.
I had no idea how long I’d been out.
I started to move, but a low groan escaped me when pain reverberated through every inch of my body.
“She needs blood. Leave.” Maverick’s harsh command was followed by the scent of vanilla growing far more intense.
“I’m not leaving her,” Harper said.
“I’m not asking,” Maverick growled.
Rhone made a sound of annoyance.
Harper protested a moment later, and I forced my eyes open just in time to catch the tail end of Rhone hauling my best friend out through a door of what smelled like—and looked like—it must’ve been Maverick’s bedroom.
“What happened?” My voice was rough. Only part of each word made it out. I tried to lift my head from the pillow it rested on, but failed.
That pillow moved, and I realized it was Maverick’s chest.
I inhaled deeply, sighing in contentment as the best scent in the world both enveloped and filled me.
The door opened again.
“No,” Maverick said flatly.
“You need a chaperone.” There was no room for argument in Rhone’s voice.
The door closed.
“Get. Out.” Maverick’s jaw was clenched. An arm I hadn’t realized was around my waist tightened.
A moment of silence made me think they were communicating mentally.
The muscles around and under me tensed. Hard.
Maverick took a few slow, forced breaths in and out. “Sit in the corner. With your back to us.”
A moment passed as Rhone did exactly that.
Maverick sat up, lifting me with him and holding all of my weight. My muscles weren’t really working.
“What do you remember?” he asked gently.
I closed my eyes.
Wow, my head hurt.
“There was... aconite. Sutton smelled it in my coffee.”
Maverick tensed again. He breathed in and out slowly. I got the feeling he was fighting for control.
“Did your ex save my life?”
“I saved your life.” His answer was immediate, low and unquestioning before he added reluctantly, “But it would’ve been a closer call if Sutton hadn’t been there.” He brushed hair off my face. “You need to bite me.”
Harper needed the blood more.
I doubted she would’ve gone home to thaw a blood bag or two while I was unconscious. Speaking of...
“How long was I out?”
“Fifty-one hours.”
My eyes widened.
So it was Sunday evening. Only two days since our attempted family lunch.
Maverick set me down next to him on the bed, pulling one of my legs over his thigh so he could rest his hand on it. I looked down at myself, realizing I was only wearing one of his t-shirts. It had the name of some old band on it.
The blankets below me were a luxurious, dark shade of gray that almost resembled black, and the sheets were the same color. I dragged my hand over the surface of them, musing silently about the softness.
Maverick held his arm out toward me.
“I shouldn’t bite you,” I murmured. “I’m sure I took too much two days ago.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.”
He slipped a finger beneath my chin and tilted my head back so our eyes met. “I’m the one who missed the wolfsbane in the syrup. I should’ve checked. That’s on me. I don’t care how much blood you need. It’s yours. Take it.”
I shook my head. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I inspected that office for poison every fucking day. I know the scent. I should have checked.”
He lifted his wrist to my lips.
“It’s not your fault, Mav.”
“Then take the blood because I’m not letting any other fucker near enough to feed you.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him.
He lifted one back.
I let out a soft breath. “Mates only bite each other’s throats, right?”
His green eyes darkened. “Right.”
I started trying to climb onto his lap. He picked me up and put me on top of him before I even lifted one leg.
Our gazes met, and held for a long moment before I finally leaned up to his throat.
Maverick shuddered as my lips brushed his pulse point. His head tipped to the side, his hands pulling me harder against him.
His erection was thick, pressed up against my center.
My fangs were descended and throbbing.
My eyes closed as I finally bit him.
Feeding had never been sexual before, but this?
This was pure, undiluted pleasure.
Vanilla exploded on my tongue, chased by the soft spice of cinnamon.
I drank slowly.
The taste was too fucking good not to.
My body heated more with every pull, the warmth in my veins growing hotter by the moment
Maverick’s hand moved over my back.
Gripped my ass.
Ground my core slowly against his cock.
A warning rumble echoed in the corner of the room, and Maverick snarled back.
The Alpha’s humanity seemed to have taken a very hard backseat to his wolf side.
I started to release him, but the growl he gave me was vicious. “Not until you’re full.”
I groaned against his throat, taking more.
My hips arched, and moved his with me, grinding his erection against my clit in a way that had me seeing stars.
We weren’t alone in the room.
I needed to remember that.
But I forgot, as soon as I took another pull of his blood.
There was nothing in the world like Maverick. Nothing.
I was panting when I finally released his throat, a raging ball of need and desire and sweat and slickness. My hands trembled against his shoulders as I slowly licked the small puncture wounds I’d left on his skin, cleaning the blood off them as the flow stopped itself quickly.
He healed so, insanely fast.
Rhone still didn’t leave the room.
I wished he would.
Maverick lowered his nose to my throat and inhaled deeply. The sound of satisfaction that rumbled his chest couldn’t have been anything but the wolf.
“You can go,” Maverick told Rhone.
Whatever Rhone said in response, he said it through their link.
Maverick scowled.
Rhone scowled back.
I wondered vaguely if they were even closer than me and Harper.
There was a loud knock. “If you’re done screwing with an audience, open the fucking door!” Harper yelled from the other side of the wood.
My lips curved upward.
Maybe they weren’t closer than us.
Rhone crossed the room with an irritated expression and let Harper in. She glared at him as she pushed past.
He glared back as she hurried to the bed.
The way Maverick stiffened told me he had a hard time letting her near the mattress. It was probably a territorial thing.
He set me down beside him, so I was on the edge of the mattress. One of his hands remained on my waist, holding me up securely.
Harper flung her arms around me, ignoring the shirtless werewolf at my back as we hugged fiercely. “You scared the fuck out of me,” she said into my hair.
“It was unintentional, but I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted.”
“Damn.” I sighed dramatically.
She was wiping her eyes discreetly as she let go.
“Hey, Mav. Can we have second?” I asked.
“No.”
I looked back at him, a little surprised by the answer.
“He gave you too much blood,” Rhone said flatly.
I grimaced.
Maverick’s grip on my waist tightened. “Give me an hour or two and I’ll shower so you can have some space.”
Harper grabbed the remote and turned our favorite TV show on, climbing onto the mattress right next to me and ignoring the giant at my back.
Maverick grumbled, but he scooted over, pulling me with him as he made room for Harper. The side of my head rested against hers while we watched people compete to make cakes that didn’t look like cakes.
Maverick was asleep in two minutes flat, snoring loudly.
Harper turned the TV up even louder.
Rhone gave it a few minutes before leaving the room with a warning. “Text me when he wakes up. He’s not making rational decisions right now.”
“I will. Thanks.”
He nodded.
“I hate that guy,” Harper whispered.
“Why? He’s not that bad. A little too serious, maybe.”
“I don’t know. He smells weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Like marshmallows. Most people just smell like... people. I don’t know. I’ve just spent too much time with him, and he’s an asshole.” She finger-combed her short, platinum blonde hair out of her eyes. It was greasy, like she hadn’t washed it in a few days.
I looked at Maverick. He was so deeply asleep that his mouth was parted and his body was slack. I poked his cheek, then his throat, and he didn’t so much as flinch.
Lowering my voice to barely above a whisper, I asked, “How’s the bloodlust?”
She bit her lip and shook her head.
Bad, then.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“A little tired, but fine otherwise. How many days are you at without feeding?”
“Four. I haven’t zoned out, though.”
“Would you know if you did?”
“I’m not sure.”
I nodded. She hadn’t realized she was doing it in my office, so it seemed safe to assume she wouldn’t. “Have you checked my messages to see if Velour texted me?”
“He called you yesterday. I called back, after you were stable.”
“What did he say?”
She bit her lip again.
I waited.
“Harper...”
“It’s not for sure,” she whispered. “I think it’s bullshit.”
My eyes widened. “He actually found something?”
“It’s a long shot,” she said. “It’s just a myth, or... an urban legend.”
“Tell me.”
She sighed. “Apparently there’s a rumor that the only way to prevent a turned vampire from devolving is by drinking werewolf blood.”
My body stilled. My mind moved faster. “So I just need to take things back to blood bags with Maverick.” I looked at him. I couldn’t lie to him. I hated it so fucking much, and we were getting closer. But I had to.
“You can’t do that, Bloom. It’s probably not even true.
” Harper took my hand and squeezed lightly.
“You didn’t see him. You were basically dead, but he didn’t give up.
He didn’t walk away. I don’t think he ever even let himself consider that you might not make it.
Whatever this thing is between you guys, you’re not just soulmates or engaged or whatever. He cares about you.”
My throat swelled. “I care about him too, but if I have to choose, I’m going to do whatever will keep you alive.”
She gave me a small smile. “I love you, but I don’t support that decision.”
“I wasn’t asking for permission.”
Maverick’s snore caught, momentarily becoming a snort. We both jumped a little, looking over at him and waiting. My heart pounded hard again.
His snores evened out again immediately.
“God, he is so hot,” Harper whispered.
“I should take offense to your attraction,” I whispered back.
“You don’t. It’s too accurate, and you know I’d never touch him. He’s yours.”
“Maybe he is.” We both stared for a few more seconds before looking at each other.
“What do you think he’d do if you told him what I am?” she asked.
My chest squeezed. “I have no idea.”
And that was the problem.
If Maverick was willing to help me keep her alive, I could have everything. But he had mentioned how deadly turned vampires were before, and how many of them he had killed.
If he wasn’t willing to help her, he’d kill her.
And I would never be able to look him in the eyes again, even if he didn’t kill me for keeping her condition a secret.
“Maybe you should scope it out, before you make up your mind. What if he loves turned vampires?” she asked.
“Then you’d better shoot your shot.”
She snorted. “I think I’d have better luck with Rhone.”
“I can see the stone-faced disinterest you’d get in return in my mind already.”
“Same. I told him I was sick and didn’t have much time left, when he asked what was wrong with me, and he barely even flinched. The man is so freaking cold.”
“What? You told him that?”
She shrugged. “Something’s obviously up with me. Denying it was just going to make them suspicious. I didn’t tell him anything damning.”
I grimaced. “Did he apologize or anything?”
“Nah, he’s a dick. He’s even hotter than Maverick, though.”
“What? No way.”
She lifted her eyebrows, giving me the you are insane look.
“You’re joking, right? Maverick is like, football player hot.
Undeniably hot. Rhone is like... biker meets beast meets metal kind of hot.
The thing you want but can never have kind of hot.
The kind of hot where people think they can change him but end up broken-hearted while simultaneously sexually satisfied, you know? ”
I gave her the you are insane look right back. “You have spent way too much time thinking about this.”
“My best friend kind of got engaged.”
“She sounds like a bitch.”
“Nah, she’s still pretty great.”
“I’ll figure out a way to ask him about turned vampires.”
“You could use Sutton to bring it up somehow.”
“How am I supposed to use her to get information from him?”
“Her current theory is that some vicious rural wolf pack has managed to have someone in the office turned into a vampire, and that they’ve given them a bunch of training as far as how much blood they need so they know when to drain another one of the people running the company.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Damn.”
“You’ve got this.” Harper held out her fist. I bumped it with mine. “But if the werewolves hate turned vampires, you’re not lying for me forever, even if their blood really does save me. I’ll turn myself in to them or the Guild before I devolve fully.”
I hated it, but I agreed.
“Have you talked to my family?” I asked.
She made a face. “Maverick took over communications with them.”
My eyes widened. “Should I ask them how it’s going?”
“I wouldn’t, if I were you.”
Yeah. That was a good call. They’d reach out if they hadn’t heard anything.
“What about your mom? Has she started pestering you about not seeing her since the murders started yet?” I asked.
Her expression darkened. “No. I think she’s trying to give me space to cope or something. I hate lying to her, but the moment she learns what I am, I’ll be dead to her.”
“I’m sorry.
“Me too.” She took my hand and squeezed.
I squeezed back.
And we refocused on the cake.
At least, we did for a while.
Until she zoned out again, making me feel some seriously intense dread. I sent her home for a bag of Maverick’s blood and hoped like hell that Velour was right about it saving her.