Forever Bound Series 1-4(79)

Except for Latham. She hadn’t killed him. If she had, then neither of them would be having these problems right then.

“There was just one little rule about breaking your spell…” Jamie kept his voice flat when his own anger wanted to stir. He had helped the woman. As far as she knew, he was just being a good Samaritan. Had Iona even offered a thank you to him? He cleared his throat. “The wolf that woke you…”

“I wasn’t asleep!”

He ignored that, for now. She’d sure looked asleep—no, dead-—to him. “You’d only crave the blood of the wolf that freed you from the spell.” He studied her, then said, “‘It will taste like wine to you…’” Now he was doing a direct quote from what a witch-in-the-know had told him during his search for the Blood Queen. Before Iona could speak, he finished the last of that witch’s quote, “‘While the blood of others will never satisfy your hunger.’”

She grabbed him. In all of his years, he’d never seen a vampire move as quickly as she did in that one instant. “You’d better be lying.” Her fists had clenched around his shirt. The material was in danger of ripping at any moment.

He gave her a big smile, knowing that his dimple would flash. “Baby, would I lie to you? I’m the wolf who saved you.”

Her fists clenched even harder as she dug her nails into his shirt.

He kept his eyes on hers. Jamie said, “I’m also the man who’ll keep you alive. My blood. It’s what you need. What you’ll always crave.” He felt like he was driving nails into the vamp’s coffin. In a way, he was. He was also enjoying himself. Iona was about to realize just how much she needed him. “So it’s in your best interest to make sure that I live a very, very long life.”

The shirt began to tear. “You’ll never live as long as me.”

Normally, no. But their situation wasn’t exactly normal. “I will live as long as you give me your own sweet blood.” The beast inside had always enjoyed a taste for blood. And hers blood was the most powerful that he’d ever had.

Her gaze held his. “You want my blood?”

“I kinda have to get it, in order for us both to keep living.” He kept his face blank. She couldn’t know the real reason why he wanted her blood. That wonderful power boost that he’d get from it. The boost that would make him strong enough to take out Latham.

Because Latham had also been feeding on vamps.

The secret was out in the paranormal world. Thanks to the mating of a few werewolves and vampires, folks had realized that if you wanted a power surge, you had to get very, very intimate with those who’d once been your sworn enemies.

Since Iona had been sleeping during that time of revelation, she didn’t realize just how hot of a commodity her blood had become to the werewolves of the world.

Blood as old as hers, as powerful…and it’s all mine.

Jamie knew his smile had widened. He couldn’t help it. Everything was falling into perfect place for him.

“Liar.” Barely a breath from her. A breath that was full of burning fury. “One bad human doesn’t mean I’m stuck with you. He was probably on drugs. I always hated the taste of drugs in a human’s blood.”

But she wasn’t letting him go, and Jamie wondered if, deep down, she already knew the truth.

Then he caught the scent of blood. Heard the softest tread of footsteps. His head jerked up. His nostrils flared.

Five men. Though not actually men. Not human.

Coming their way.

The same knowledge was in her eyes.

“Company,” he told her as he drew in the scents of the night.

Her head turned to the left, away from the faint lights from the parking lot and toward the darkness of the woods that waited. Her body seemed to tense against his. “Yours?”

“No.” But it was company he’d expected. Just not quite so soon. “Don’t worry,” he told her, as he pushed her behind his body. She went easily enough, probably more from surprise than anything else. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

Five against one. He could handle these odds in his sleep.

Especially since he’d taken some of her blood. Hmmm…maybe he could even consider this as a test run. To see just how much strength her blood would truly give him.

The others were coming in fast now. Time to change. Time to show Iona just who—what—she was dealing with in this battle.

The fire of the change swept through his body. It wasn’t some light, easy shift. It was brutal. As savage as the beast he carried. His bones snapped. His muscles tore and reshaped. Fur seemed to explode along his flesh. He hit the ground, but when his palms slapped against the cement, they were already transforming into the powerful paws of a wolf.

Iona stood behind him, and the fast pants of her breath echoed in his ears.

The werewolves were coming for her. He knew it. Once the spell holding Iona had broken, Latham’s witch would have told him the news. And Latham would have sent out his attack dogs.

Too bad. You can’t have her back.

Their “company” broke from the trees. Two black wolves. Two gray. One white.

Latham’s foot soldiers—wolf soldiers.

Jamie bared his teeth and didn’t wait for them to come lunging at him in an attack. He sprang toward them, more than ready to draw first blood.