Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(11)

“I c-can’t walk,” I stuttered when the pressure on my shoulder indicated he was expecting me to follow along.

He arched a contemptuous eyebrow at me, heaved a deep sigh, and then swung me over his shoulder in one, easy scoop, like I was nothing more than a sack of grain.

I groaned in discomfort, and was thoroughly ignored as the tall vampire swooshed up out of the hall and down a wide corridor, faster than a human could have moved by far, but not as swiftly as Warin had run to get us here. He stopped in front of a heavy-looking black door with a keypad attached to the frame. Faster than my eyes could follow, he punched in a code.

The door beeped and swung open, allowing the vampire to walk inside in three long strides.

Once in, he unceremoniously dropped me to my feet. “Stay here.”

And then I was alone.

I stared at the now closed door, too dazed to fully comprehend what had just happened. Not that it really mattered how I’d gotten here, as much as it did that I was locked in a vampire’s bedroom, waiting for him to come have dinner.

The thought that I should probably try to call for help briefly flickered and died. The fanatics had taken my cellphone when they kidnapped me, the bedroom door was locked, and I didn’t see any phones or computers in the surprisingly modern room. Only two nightstands and the king-sized bed Aleric had dropped me by filled the large space, and the sheets on the bed looked to be simple, light gray cotton. Not blood-red or black silk, like I’d kind of expected thanks to my paranormal romance novels.

Apart from the entrance, there were two more closed doors on either side of the room. I assumed they led to an en-suite and a walk-in closet, respectively, but even if Warin had hidden wooden stakes and PIN-free cell phones, I didn’t have the strength to look for either.

I sank down on the bed with a pained groan. There was nothing I could do but hope Warin would remember his promise not to harm me. And that hopefully, he’d bring me to a hospital before it was too late.

I stared miserably at the door while I waited for the man who’d been a stranger to me up until mere hours ago to decide my fate.

I didn’t have to wait long.

After only a few minutes, the door swung open and Warin stepped in.

There was something distinctly lighter about him than there’d been since the fanatics tied him up, and when I caught his gaze, I saw his eyes were once again startling blue, rather than pitch black. He’d also retracted his fangs, which did a lot to take the edge off his “terrifying creature of the night” vibe.

He didn’t say anything as he took in my disheveled form sprawled on his bed.

“I… think I need to go to the hospital,” I said, breaking the silence and hopefully reminding him of his promise not to harm me. My voice was about as pitiful as I felt—which was quite a bit. “I’m not doing too good.”

Warin shook his head and walked to the bed. “No. I will take care of you. It will be much faster.”

“What will be much faster?” I asked. He hadn’t brought a First Aid kit with him.

The vampire sank down on the bed next to me and rolled up his left sleeve, displaying a patch of clean, pale skin emblazoned with an intricate tattoo. “Vampire blood has strong healing properties for humans. Come.” With a smooth movement, he scooted further back on the bed, spread his legs, and grabbed me by the hips, easily lifting me up and then depositing me between his thighs, my back pressed against his chest.

I squeaked and was admonished with a, “Shh.”

Warin wound his right arm loosely around my stomach, ensuring I stayed put, and lifted his bare left arm out of my field of vision. I heard a snick right by my ear, and then his arm reappeared in front of my lips. Blood bloomed from two puncture wounds on his wrist. “Drink.”

What? Ew. Ew, ew, so much ew! Did he really expect me to…?

I stared at his wrist, suddenly overwhelmed with the intimacy of the situation as much as the thought of actually drinking someone else’s blood. His strong body was pressed against my back, his legs cushioning mine, and while he might have been fully clothed, I was only in a ruined summer dress. And my tits were out, I suddenly remembered. If I’d had enough blood left in my body, I’d have blushed when the realization hit me that I’d effectively flashed him and every other vampire in the mansion.

I’d forgotten. In the middle of all the horrors, I’d actually forgotten I was half-naked, save a solid smearing of dirt that clung to every inch of me.

“Er… I think I prefer some iodine. Thanks, though.”

Warin chuckled softly in my ear. “Drink, Liv. I promise, you will feel much better for it.” And then he pressed his bleeding wrist to my lips.

The tang of blood hit my nostrils before my tongue slid out without my consent to lick at the sticky fluid smeared against them.

Sensation exploded across my taste buds, making me gasp into his wrist. More blood dripped into my mouth, and I moaned without meaning to. Oh, goddess, it tasted like… like wild, dark, fantastic…!

I clutched onto the vampire’s wrist with a strength that surprised even me and deepened my mouth’s contact with his skin. Blood, thick and sinfully sweet, dripped past my lips and buzzed on my tongue.

“That’s enough,” Warin groaned. “If you drink too much, you will become intoxicated.”

When I only clung on tighter, he released my waist and gently dislodged me from his wrist. He remained close, though—near enough that I could feel his hard chest press against my back and his even breath against my ear. It didn’t feel awkward anymore, though.