Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(93)

We’re harder to kill than you thought.

“Help me!” Cody shouted to someone. Bastion? But then Riley’s form appeared as the vamp crouched down next to Marna. He reached for her.

“Touch her,” Tanner managed, voice barely human, “and die.”

“A soul must be taken,” Bastion said quietly.

Riley jerked and his gaze flew up. Had he heard Bastion? With Marna’s blood in him, he just might have—

Cody’s hands grabbed Tanner. “You’re killing yourself! Let her go!”

Never.

She just needed a little more energy.

“You’re shaking, dammit! Blood is coming out of your eyes!”

Was that what the moisture was? He’d thought it was tears.

“You’re dying!”

Yeah, well, without her, he might as well be dead. What was he supposed to do? Go back to the life he’d had before her? Not when she’d shown him what he could be.

What he would be.

Cody tried to pull him away. Tanner didn’t budge. He wouldn’t move. Not until her eyes opened again. Not until he saw that she was going to be okay.

“You’re all I’ve got, man! The only family who ever meant shit to me!” Cody was still jerking on his arms.

“And she’s . . .” Tanner swallowed. Why was talking so hard? “She’s . . . what matters to me.”

Marna’s eyes opened. Her eyes weren’t filled with pain. They were so bright and blue that it almost hurt to look into them. Her gaze found his. Widened. Her lips curled in a smile. “Tanner.”

The light vanished from beneath his fingertips. His heart raced in his chest. Far, far too fast, that drumming beat seemed to shake his whole body.

But then fear flashed over her delicate features. No, she should never be afraid of him. He’d never hurt her. He’d protect her, take care of her and—

“Tanner?” She sat up.

He slipped back and fell onto the floor.

Then her hands were on him, touching him lightly, but he couldn’t seem to feel her touch. Why couldn’t he feel her? Her skin was silken and soft, and he wanted to feel it one more time.

But he couldn’t seem to feel anything.

Bastion looked down on him. “You traded yourself for her.” He sounded . . . surprised?

Tanner couldn’t speak, but, hell yes, he’d made the trade. He’d known the risks. Gladly accepted them. His death, her life?

Fucking fair.

Then Marna slapped him. “You aren’t doing this to me!” Good thing he couldn’t feel anything, or that hit might have hurt.

She caught his face between her hands. “You aren’t dying for me.”

“Yes.” Cody’s voice. Sad. Hopeless. “He is.”

Bastion reached down for him.

Marna stiffened. “Bastion, you’d better yank that hand back, or you will lose it.”

“So someone else does see him,” Riley whispered and eased back a few feet. “Thought I was goin’ crazy.”

“Vampire . . .” Marna’s voice held a lethal edge. “Don’t even think of leaving.”

Why was the vampire there? Tanner tried to push up but found his arms wouldn’t move. No, he couldn’t move.

Marna leaned over him again. “You save me, I save you.” She bent and pressed a kiss to his lips. He tasted salt. Tears? “That’s how it works,” she whispered.

She pulled back. He didn’t want her to pull back. Didn’t want her to leave.

But Marna lifted her arm and bared her wrist. “Bite me, vamp.”

A growl broke from Tanner’s lips. Riley had better not—

“It’s okay.” Marna’s eyes were on his. Bastion stood at her back. The angel was always too close to her. “He’s not drinking from me.”

“Uh, I’m not?” Riley asked. Then Tanner saw him, coming up on Marna’s side. Taking her offered wrist. “Then what am I doing?”

“Opening a vein.” Her eyes didn’t leave Tanner. “And saving my shifter.”

Her blood. He’d told her not to give him her blood again. It was too addictive. The blood connected him to her even deeper, so deep that if she ever left him, what would remain?

Nothing.

“I’m not leaving you.” Did she know what he was thinking? A flash of pain crossed her face. “And you’re not leaving me.” She put her wrist to his mouth. Blood trickled past his lips. “There’s no time for a fancy transfusion, but it worked when you drank my blood before.”

Because the beast inside lived on blood and death.

Not her blood. It was the beast’s denial, and the man’s.

“If you want to stay with me, if you want to be sure all the vampires and the demons out there don’t get my blood or me, then you’ll drink.”

No one would get her. No one would hurt her.

“Drink,” Marna said again, and he did.

Her blood slid down his throat. The panther had taken blood from prey plenty of times, but the man hadn’t. He choked, hating what he was doing to her. Hard hands held him down. His gaze flew to the left. To the right. Riley and Cody were pinning him down, making sure he couldn’t move.

“Drink for me,” Marna whispered, “because I don’t want to lose you.”