Bleed For Me (Loved By Gods #1)(23)
Terese gave a small yelp at his sister’s appearance and clutched him tighter.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Artemis lifted a brow and gazed meaningfully at his bloody wrist. “She’s had your blood. Quite a few times, I imagine.”
“Who is she?” Terese whispered, her lips brushing his ear.
“My sister.”
“Oh.” She offered a faint smile to Artemis. “Um, hello.”
“Why doesn’t the light burn her?” He frowned at Artemis. He was missing something.
“Because she has your blood,” Artemis repeated patiently. “She’s been drinking from you, right?”
He nodded and flushed slightly at the knowing look in his sister’s gaze.
“Apollo, as the sun god, your blood is incredibly strong. And when she took that blood, well, she got some of your power.” Her gaze locked with Terese’s. “You can control the light now, like Apollo. So that means the sun can’t hurt you.”
Terese’s lips parted and a peal of delighted laughter filled the air. “Apollo, I don’t have to stay in the dark anymore!”
She looked so happy, so very beautiful with the golden light around her. He bent his head, wanting to taste the joy on her lips—
“Not as long as you take Apollo’s blood,” Artemis said softly.
And just like that, her joy vanished. “Wh-what?”
Artermis’s lips thinned. “As long as you keep drinking from Apollo, you’ll be immune to the burn of the light. But as soon as you stop…”
“I’ll burn again,” Terese whispered.
She nodded.
Dammit. Apollo tightened his arms around her. There was a hell of a simple solution to this mess. But he wanted to talk to Terese alone, not with his sister peering at them.
He glared at Artemis, hoping she’d take the hint.
But she just stood there, looking all tragic, just like Terese.
Enough was enough. “I’m taking Terese home.”
“Home?” Artemis blinked. “You mean, your place here in—”
“No. Home.” It was past time his little vampiress saw his island. He’d been longing to see her strolling on his white beach under the sunlit sky.
“Are you sure about this?” Artemis asked.
“I don’t understand—” Terese began.
“Very sure.” He called forth his power. Felt the telling change in the air. “But don’t worry, sis, I’ll invite you to the wedding.”
Chapter Eight
“Wedding?” Terese managed to shriek the minute the world stopped spinning.
Apollo grinned down at her, his dimples winking, and those sexy blue eyes flashing. “Yeah. Wedding.”
She pushed against his arms and struggled to her feet. But the minute her feet touched the sandy shore, her knees gave way.
He caught her right before she plopped face-first onto the beach. “You need more blood.”
Yes, she did, but she wasn’t going to drink from him. Not now, not when she knew—
He pulled her close to his chest, lowered his head toward her, and exposed that tempting neck of his. “Take what you need, Terese.”
“No.” She clenched her teeth. “I-I can’t take anymore from you.”
“Why not?” He glared at her. “Haven’t we been over this? You’re a vampire, you need blood. I’m an immortal, your perfect supplier.”
Terese shook her head. Too much had happened. She needed to think.
The sun! She was actually in the sun!
She glanced away from him. Her gaze roved to the pristine white beach. The sand was so soft, so pure…it looked like sugar. And the glistening water…so dark and blue. The waves brushed the shore, white caps streaming in a beautiful banner.
“This is my home,” he whispered as his lips trailed down her cheek. “Delos. My sister and I were born here many, many years ago.”
“I-it’s beautiful.” It was. Paradise. She wished that she had her paints so that she could capture this raw beauty on a canvas.
“My mother was one of Zeus’s lovers. One of his many damned lovers.”
She ached at the pain in his voice.
“When she got pregnant, Hera was so furious that she cursed the earth, determined that no land would allow my mother to birth us. Hera wanted us all to die, you see.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
He took a deep breath. “This island resisted her curse. It welcomed my mother. My sister. Me. It’s been my home, my refuge, for as long as I can remember.” A brief pause. “And when we marry, it will be your home, too.”
Marry. Okay, why did he keep saying that? “We aren’t getting married,” she gritted, pulling back.
His brilliant blue eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
Why not? Did the man want a list? “Because I’m a vampire, for starters! Remember? I need blood—”
“And you can take mine.”
“I can’t stay in the sun—”
He grabbed her arm. “Yes, you can. With my blood, you can stay in the sun forever.”
Her fingers trembled. She balled her hands into fists. “You give me blood. You give me sunlight. Hell, Apollo, it’s all about me, don’t you see that? It’s not right!” He deserved…more. So much more than she could give him. “Since I met you, you’ve been protecting me, helping me. Saving me. But it has to stop. It’s not fair to you, you shouldn’t have to—”