The Wicked Kiss (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #2)(84)

The silence was heavy, and the atmosphere, thick with tension. Shaz looked at me so hard with so much emotion in his jade eyes that I started to come apart inside. He would go to the ends of the earth for me. I felt it, without a doubt when he replied, “Not a problem. I assume that means I can do whatever it takes, if it comes to that.”

Shaz gave me a wink and a grin, which was missed by Arys, who frowned. “Of course. No cheap shots, wolf.”

I was calmer than I should have been with the stimulating sensation of each man’s high-strung energy assaulting my senses. This was something I had to do. I grew more certain of it with every passing moment.

Arys moved quickly, jerking me up against his hard chest. I gasped and adrenaline crashed through my veins. “Listen closely to her heart,” Arys told Shaz. “It will be your guide. Don't let it grow too faint before you stop me. She can take more than a human, but it's hard to say how much more. She's already lost a fair amount of blood.” He peered at both of us through those midnight eyes. The hunger already filled him as the bloodlust fought for control.

Shaz flashed him a dirty look. “I'm not going to let her die. Not unless you intend to kill me first.”

Oh, that was just what I wanted to hear before putting myself completely into their hands. I needed to be able to trust both of them to hold it together. “Do you think you guys could lip each other off after we do this, when I'm not dead?”

“Sorry, Lex.” Shaz shifted so that he was closer to us, almost touching. His pure werewolf energy was calming.

I looked up at Arys, expecting him to ease me into this. I had no second thoughts; I just wanted it over. When he gazed down upon me, I felt more like food than I ever had before, including when walking into The Wicked Kiss. The anticipation of feasting upon my blood was quickly stripping his control away. It was that awareness that instilled the first trace of true terror within me.

I struggled to control my breathing as the adrenaline flooded me. Fear would drive him harder and faster, and yet, knowing that made me that much more afraid.

“Ready?” One word, one chance to turn back. At my stiff nod, he tilted my head to reveal the smooth, unbitten side of my neck. Physically, I felt pretty good after my encounter with Harley though I was reluctant to find out how much more I could take.

Had I expected Arys to hesitate? Possibly. What I hadn't expected was the rough way he grasped my upper arms, holding me immobile. I couldn't even open my mouth to complain before his mouth was on my skin, his fangs plunging deep.

My blood spilled, and a strangled cry filled the room that I vaguely knew was me. It was nothing like it had ever been when he'd fed from me during our lovemaking. This was pure agony. Every vein and artery in my body seemed to seize as he pulled my blood into him. I went cold inside; the chill forming in my core spread throughout my limbs.

I never could have imagined what being Arys' victim truly meant. Not until that moment. With his razor sharp fangs buried in my flesh and the intent to drain me, I had never feared him so thoroughly.

I heard Shaz' voice, but it sounded fuzzy and far away. He didn't make the mistake of intervening, instead watching helplessly as my vampire lover sucked me dry right before his very eyes.

Arys held me tightly to him; a low groan reverberated in his throat as he pulled hard at the wound. A jolt of searing hot pain burned through me, and as instinct kicked in, I struggled against him. He forced me back so that I lay flat on the bed and ground his fangs deeper until I thought that the pain would surely kill me before the blood loss did.

When he withdrew his fangs to let the blood rush freely against his tongue, I convulsed and shuddered amidst the sudden pull of power blanketing us. It rose up like a thunderstorm, crashing over us. Even as he stole my life source, our bond was as strong as ever.

The room began to spin, and I had to close my eyes as a wave of nausea threatened me. Every second brought me closer to certain death. I could feel it. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.

The audible beat of my heart grew louder in my ears until it was all I could hear.

Though I physically struggled uselessly beneath Arys, our power seemed to dance all around us. I knew Shaz was reacting to it when he reached to touch us both. One hand gripped Arys' forearm, ready to drag him off me. The other stroked a few long blonde tendrils that streamed out on the bed spread behind me.

I wanted to beg Arys to stop, but the words wouldn't form properly. All I could do was gasp for breath amid the pain. Forcing my eyes open, I was saddened to see that Shaz' face reflected my anguish. I saw his lips move but couldn't make sense of what he was saying.

It wasn't long before I was too weak to do more than listen to my heart slow. That's when everything went from slow motion to full speed ahead. Shaz jumped like he'd been electrocuted. He grabbed Arys and threw him in one solid motion. The sound of his body hitting the opposite wall caused a reverberation throughout the house.

My eyes rolled back in my head, and I battled to maintain my focus. Arys came back at Shaz fast, instinct driving him. Shaz was ready though, delivering a body slam that had Arys on the floor blinking up at him in shock.

“Finish this!” Shaz reached to drag him up, and Arys smacked him away. “Finish this now, before it's too late!”

I tried to roll over onto my side, and the exertion caused me to cough raggedly. It was enough to draw their attention to me. I couldn't move, try as I might. Everything was slowing inside me, and I was terrified, not that I would die, but that I would die here with each of them watching.