On the Prowl (Bad Things #2)(64)

Mine destroys the light.

In a flash, Julian jumped off the bed. He grabbed Luke and slashed his claws across the guy’s forearm.

The whole room seemed to shake—actually, it did shake. Luke’s fury blasted against him. “What the f*ck are you doing?”

Trying to save her! “Give her your blood. If he’s poison to her, then you could be the cure. Give her your blood.”

But Luke didn’t move. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking?”

“I’m asking for you to help the woman I love.” Because I’m breaking apart without her.

“My blood…you don’t know what it will do to her.”

Julian looked back at the bed and his heart nearly stopped. “She’s dying already. What could be worse?”

“She could come back…wrong.”

What?

“You think I haven’t already considered giving her my blood?” Luke shook his head. “But I don’t know what will happen if I do. My blood…Leo’s blood…all in one person? That much power? Light and dark trapped together? She could wake up and want only death for everyone around her. Or she could wake up…and think that monsters like you and me—the dark ones—that we need to be eradicated. She could be the instrument of our destruction. The being who takes us out. I don’t know what she’ll become.”

“I know what she’ll be.” His shoulders straightened. “Because it’s what she’s always been, vampire or human. She’s no killing machine. She’s not evil. She’s not twisted. She won’t ever be. You give her the blood, and she’ll just be stronger. When bad things come her way, she just keeps growing stronger.”

Luke studied him with worried eyes. “And you think that’s not dangerous?”

“She’ll be on our side,” he promised. Help her!

“How do you know that?”

And despite everything, Julian managed to smile. “She chose me.” She chose life. “And I chose her. She’ll come back strong and she’ll come back right.”

“If she doesn’t, will you be the one to put her down?”

The question seemed to echo around him.

And he didn’t speak.

“That’s what I thought,” Luke said softly. “You love her, you can’t kill her, but if something goes wrong, I’m supposed to just let her roam around attacking people? You know I can’t do that. And you’re the one I send when the dark ones go rogue. If you can’t handle her, then what will I do?”

Did Luke really think he was going to promise to kill Rose?

“She’s your weakness. You think I don’t understand?” Luke sighed. “I do. But I have to look out for more than just you. She could be too strong. She could be—”

“She’s dying.” And he couldn’t just do nothing. “This is Rose. Rose. She’s always been good. She never—not once—killed anyone when she was a vampire.”

Luke’s lips twitched. “She used to get so nervous before drinking that she’d nearly faint. A vampire, fainting at the thought of taking blood.”

“She hates using compulsions,” Julian continued, frantic. “Because Rose doesn’t like to control anyone. She wants people to have a choice. She chose to live this time. She was fighting for the angel. Fuck, she helped an angel. Doesn’t that prove she’ll never go so dark that she loses touch and hurts everyone?”

Luke’s gaze drifted to the bed. “The angel will owe her…”

“Right, yes, fine, the angel owes her. The angel can pay her back…if you help Rose.”

“The angel can kill her.”

Julian stiffened. “What?”

“Angels are so much stronger than you realize. If your lady goes rogue, the angel can kill her. She can pay the debt back that way.” He nodded. “Fine. Done deal.”

No, nothing was done. The angel would not kill Rose. She’d have to rip him apart first.

Luke paced toward the bed. He put his hand over Rose’s mouth.

“Uh, yes, so glad we worked all that out.” Rayce crept forward and the floor groaned beneath his feet. “But how are you going to make her drink? She’s nearly gone…”

“Don’t forget, I hold dominion over the dark.” Luke was his confident self once more. “And there’s enough of her still in that bed to hear me. Rose…Rose, drink my blood.”

He dripped the blood into her mouth.

Julian wasn’t so sure that she could hear him, so he rubbed her throat, trying desperately to make her swallow…and she did.

Luke gave her more blood. She took it, but her eyes didn’t open. And her skin was still too hot. “She’s not getting better!”

Luke gave her more. Julian smoothed her hair away from her forehead. “Keep giving her—”

Her eyelashes fluttered. “No…more.”

Luke immediately drew back.

Her breath whispered out and her gaze swung toward Julian. “I’m…okay?”

No, she was still hell hot and shaking. She was still terrifying him. But he smiled at her. “Of course. You’re better than ever.” Then he looked back at Luke and Rayce. “You two, get the hell out.”