The Way You Bite(52)

Vee’s wide-eyed terror met Eric’s declaration.

“But you’re the king, and she’s….” Julio stared at the now-covered mark on her shoulder, horror etched on his face.

“Can’t predict these things.” Lexan noticed Ryder looked shell-shocked.

Roman said, “Okay, so moving beyond this for a moment, we’ve got to act fast and do something. Don’t you have a healer in your group? Maybe if he focuses on the main entry site, instead of her bleeding you until she dies from blood toxicity we can just give you new blood and he can try to filter out what he can? Or we can just remove as much as possible. It’s a long shot, but what options do we have? I don’t think she could remove enough before she’d die and that’s not acceptable. For either of you.”

Lexan nodded to one of his boys. “He can heal by touch and do local silver. Just not in the blood.”

Vee inhaled sharply.

Oh shit.

She stood in front of him. “You didn’t really need my help the other day at the hospital, did you? Why didn’t your magical healer guy step forward an hour ago?”

“If you hadn’t come through at your place of work, I had backup. He can’t do much once silver spreads everywhere. No one can. The other day I didn’t mean to get shot, but I used it as a way to meet you. Yes.”

“I don’t like being played. I hate secrets. How do I know anything any of you guys have said or done is real? This could all be some sort of elaborate hoax to seek revenge on vampires.” She glanced around the room while saying, “If you want to kill me then just get on with it. I don’t respect mental torture. You’ve already made it impossible for me to return to my regular life at this point. If you don’t kill me, Dominic or Ambrose will.” She glanced at the exit.

Damn it, she was going to run. He needed to make sure she was safe before he died from silver toxicity.

“Everyone out!” Lexan thundered. Seconds later they were alone.

He caught Vee’s arm the second she tensed to move farther away from him.

“Let go of me.” She tried to pull out of his grasp.

“No one is playing you. There was no bigger plan other than helping you learn how to manage your wolf side and getting you to safety. I swear I am here at your father’s request.” He massaged his temple with the hand not holding her. “I’m not used to explaining myself.”

She sat down beside him.

He wiped a stray tear from her eye. “Don’t cry. Please. I can’t stand it. I pretended to need your help as a way to meet you. Yes, I have an Elite Guard wolf with the ability to heal by touch.”

“What’s real? Have you been using your woman-magic thing on me?”

“Woman magic? Those must be Eric’s words. It doesn’t work on you. Whatever you feel is real. What is between us, I didn’t see it coming.” He drew her into his arms and whispered, “Please stop crying. I’ve never marked a female before. I’ve never had the slightest interest in doing so until you. I’ve been alive hundreds of years longer than you and not once in that time had I been tempted. Even then, I barely knew you a day and…that’s how real this is.” He never rambled. This had to be the fever.

“What does the bite mean? Why me?”

He traced the lines of her face down to her chin with a finger. “You’re mine. What may sound demeaning to you is a great compliment from a wolf’s perspective. We belong together.”

“That’s impossible. I mean, really. Really? The logistics of this working are so far into the negatives that it’s absurd.” She pulled back to gaze at him and chewed on her lower lip. “Does this mean we’re married or something like that?”

“It could. The other wolves will respect it as such.”

“I wish you had asked me before…”

“If I could’ve been in control of my mind when I did it, then perhaps I would’ve. No woman has ever made me lose my mind like that.”

Her eyes went wide. “If you survive, you’ll have to take the bite back or something. Lick it away or whatever. It’s best for everyone.”

“It doesn’t work that way.” He flinched when a wave of pain hit his stomach and he swallowed hard against nausea.

“Oh God. I’m sorry for the selfish breakdown. This is a lot to take in. You’re hurting and… Crap, I’m so sorry.” She cleared her throat, and her tone changed. “You getting better has to be our top priority right now. You can’t die.”

“This is the doctor talking. You go to her when you’re upset. It’s cute.” He touched her face. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’ve never seen a wolf survive this much silver in the blood, but if I die, I’ll regret losing what has happened between us and not seeing it through to the end.”

“Me, too, I think.”

“We all die at some point. Perhaps this is my time.”

She gazed at him for a few seconds. What he wouldn’t give to know what was going on in her head. Her forehead furrowed. She lay her palm against the exposed skin above his eyebrows. “You’re burning up. It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”

He shrugged. Physical pain he could handle, but the fear of her walking out that door and leaving him without her for whatever few minutes of his life remained equated to something he was pretty sure he couldn’t come to grips with. He needed her. Pride be damned. He was going to beg. If that didn’t work, he would force her to stay. “Stay with me…to the end.”