The Immortal Hunter(75)

It was blood that had dripped down from his head wound and dried there, Dani realized, and found herself inhaling deeply, drawing the sweet scent with a metallic tang into her nose. She closed her eyes at the dizziness that overcame her as the blood in her body began to jump, bubbling as if on the boil, and then before Dani quite realized what she was doing, her mouth closed on the dark stain and she was suckling at it, drawing every bit of blood from the cloth that she could.

The tractor suddenly bumped and shuddered and then bumped again, making her lose hold of the shirt as she fell back, and John quickly looked down at his damp shirt as it fell to rest against his chest. He glanced to Dani then, frowning as he took in her face.

"Are you all right?" he yelled. "You're pale as death and sweating."

Dani groaned and peered past him to the field beyond to see that they'd moved behind the house and bumped their way into the field. Hazel was headed in what appeared to be a straight line for the neighboring property, picking up speed as she went. Judging by the direction they were moving, it seemed the Parkers owned the farm to the right of the enforcer house. As Dani recalled from what she'd seen that day on the way to the mall, this field was as long as at least one city block, possibly two... and then they'd meet the woods.

She wasn't going to last it out, Dani thought with despair. The field was so long and there was no way they could drive the tractor through the woods. They would have to cross those on foot. None of that would be a problem were she not losing control so quickly. She had already been reduced to sucking dried blood off a shirt. What was next?

Dani turned to try to see how far they had gotten and what lay ahead, but John's body was blocking the way. Then he too turned away to look ahead, leaving his neck stretched before her. Dani found herself forgetting about the crops and the worry of the woods and staring with hungry fascination at the vein pulsing in his neck.

Realizing what she was doing, she forced her eyes away, only to find herself staring at his inner wrist as he readjusted his hold on the door frame and grabbed it a little higher as he leaned out to get a better look ahead.

"Take us to the edge of the woods and I'll run to the house to get someone to come help us get the girl there," John yelled suddenly, startling her attention away from his wrist.

"All right," Hazel yelled back.

John turned to glance at Dani, frowning when he got a look at her. He let go of the frame with the hand closest to her and jarred his shoulder against it to keep from losing his position so that he could feel her forehead. He then glanced beyond her to Hazel, leaning in a little and placing his forehead closer as he yelled, "The girl's flushed and feels feverish. I think-"

He paused abruptly as Dani suddenly turned her head, leaned forward, and licked the hand he'd pressed to her cheek.

"Hey, now!" John jerked his hand away. "Nobody licks on me but Hazel, girl. Behave yourself."

"Sorry, there's blood on it from when you wiped your forehead," she mumbled.

"What was that?" He leaned closer, eyebrows rising in question, and Dani found her attention focusing on his forehead. His head wound had started bleeding again, and fresh, sweet-smelling blood was seeping out. She watched it slowly trail down, making a path through the dried blood from earlier, and felt saliva gathering in her mouth. Dani swallowed thickly and then licked her lips, finally leaning forward a little to better inhale his scent, amazed to realize he smelled as delicious as a nice juicy steak as Leo had said he would.

"What did you say?" John asked, leaning even closer, and Dani took the opportunity to lick his forehead. He immediately jerked back in shock, and then scowled at her and snapped, "Stop that!"

"What did she do?" Hazel asked.

"She keeps licking on me, Hazel. She's worse than that damned cat of yours," he growled, glaring warily at Dani now.

Dani wanted to apologize, but she was busy savoring the blood she'd managed to get in the quick lick, moving it around inside her mouth before swallowing it. She'd never thought so before, but blood was really quite delicious, and Dani was wondering how she could lure him in for another lick when Hazel asked with amazement, "She licked you?"

"Yeah, she keeps-" John broke off to lean back away from Dani as she tried to lick him again. The action made him lose his grip on the door frame with the hand by her head and he shouted, the free arm pin-wheeling as his upper body started swinging outward.

"John!" Hazel cried.

"I've got him," Dani yelled, and was slightly amazed to find she did. Her hands had reached out instinctively to catch him by the front of the shirt and had dragged him half into the cab so that his chest rammed into her knees and his face was directly in front of her. She didn't know where the strength had come from, it was just suddenly there, but so was the pain, ripping through her and urging her to drag him closer so that she could lick his forehead again.

"Hazel!" John roared, pushing at her, but unable to break her grip. "Help me!"

Dani was distracted by a smack on the head as Hazel yelled, "Stop that! Bad girl! Leave him alone! Stop licking my husband!"

Decker heard the door open and lifted his eyes sharply to see Lucian appear in the entrance, a dark form against the moonlit background.

"There you are." Lucian peered into the lightless barn. "Sam said she thought she saw you come out here."