she could voice them. “But a vamp’s blood, to any paranormal creature, is damn near miraculous. It will help her fight the poison in her system. Plus, since you aren’t wholly vampire, it won’t make her addicted the way a full vampire’s would.”
Her eyes narrowed and Ronan saw the questions, the disbelief in her eyes. There was no time to answer them though—even now he could smell the way the silver was poisoning her sister’s blood.
“Look,” he snapped. “I’m ninety-eight years old and I’ve been doing this job for longer than you’ve been alive, Goldilocks. I know what I’m talking about. Do it now , or you will lose her.”
She just gazed at him, mistrust in her silver eyes.
Ronan cupped her cheek in his hand. “Come on, Jenai…you can trust me. In your heart, you know that.”
Her shoulders rose and fell on a deep sigh as she turned and stared at Stephanie. She whispered quietly, “I hope I don’t prove myself a fool by trusting you.”
That stung. But he didn’t let it show on his face as he went to kneel by the bed, on level with Steph’s head. Through his peripheral vision, he could see Jenai sinking her teeth into her wrist, piercing a vein there, and the sharp, spicy scent of a female vampire’s blood filled the room. Vampire, and something else. Something sweet, something warm and ripe.
She hesitated though, and he reached out, seized her wrist and drew it to Steph’s mouth. The younger woman was unconscious though. Her mouth was slack, graying around the edges, and the blood trickled out of the corner before Ronan reached out and rubbed gently on her throat until she swallowed reflexively.
A few minutes passed as Ronan kept his attention split between the shape-shifter on the bed and the vampire who fed her. “That’s enough,” he murmured. “Will have to do. Any more and you’ll be weakened.”
As her eyes lifted slowly to his, he saw the rush of fatigue and he hoped he had stopped her soon enough. Her eyes dropped to her sister’s face and Ronan looked down as well. “She looks a little better…doesn’t she?” Jenai asked quietly, her voice soft and uncertain.
“Yes.” He jerked his head in the direction of the bed. “Go lie down. We’ll take care of getting you fed in a little while.”
“What if they come for us?” she asked.
“I’ll know,” he murmured, rising and moving around until he could urge her onto the bed. “Come on. Lie down…that’s a good girl.”
She stared up at him, her eyes looking vulnerable and scared. A need inside him rose, a need to protect her, to promise her that nothing would ever hurt her again. But he couldn’t promise that—not with the lifestyles they’d chosen to live.
When her hand lifted to him, Ronan couldn’t believe the sense of relief that raced through him. Stretching out on the bed beside her, he drew the long, slender lines of her body against his. Jenai pillowed her cheek on his chest and her hand came up to rest just above his heartbeat.
“Go to sleep, Jenai.” Pressing his lips to her crown, he said, “Nothing will happen tonight. We’re safe right now, and Stephanie will be fine.”
She fell asleep almost as though she had just been waiting for somebody to tell her it was okay. Ronan waited until he knew she would stay asleep and then he slid away from her.
His body ached just from that innocent contact, holding her while she fell asleep. Staying too close to her was torture. And he couldn’t trust himself. Exhaustion blurred his mind as well and he couldn’t let himself relax. Shifting into a sitting position, he braced his hands on the edge of the mattress, staring down at the stained beige carpet under his feet for a moment as he tried to settle his thoughts.
It didn’t completely work, but at least he was able to focus on something other than Jenai, so close to him at last.
Rising, he grabbed the extra blanket from the closet and tucked it around Stephanie, touched his fingers to her
Her eyes narrowed and Ronan saw the questions, the disbelief in her eyes. There was no time to answer them though—even now he could smell the way the silver was poisoning her sister’s blood.
“Look,” he snapped. “I’m ninety-eight years old and I’ve been doing this job for longer than you’ve been alive, Goldilocks. I know what I’m talking about. Do it now , or you will lose her.”
She just gazed at him, mistrust in her silver eyes.
Ronan cupped her cheek in his hand. “Come on, Jenai…you can trust me. In your heart, you know that.”
Her shoulders rose and fell on a deep sigh as she turned and stared at Stephanie. She whispered quietly, “I hope I don’t prove myself a fool by trusting you.”
That stung. But he didn’t let it show on his face as he went to kneel by the bed, on level with Steph’s head. Through his peripheral vision, he could see Jenai sinking her teeth into her wrist, piercing a vein there, and the sharp, spicy scent of a female vampire’s blood filled the room. Vampire, and something else. Something sweet, something warm and ripe.
She hesitated though, and he reached out, seized her wrist and drew it to Steph’s mouth. The younger woman was unconscious though. Her mouth was slack, graying around the edges, and the blood trickled out of the corner before Ronan reached out and rubbed gently on her throat until she swallowed reflexively.
A few minutes passed as Ronan kept his attention split between the shape-shifter on the bed and the vampire who fed her. “That’s enough,” he murmured. “Will have to do. Any more and you’ll be weakened.”
As her eyes lifted slowly to his, he saw the rush of fatigue and he hoped he had stopped her soon enough. Her eyes dropped to her sister’s face and Ronan looked down as well. “She looks a little better…doesn’t she?” Jenai asked quietly, her voice soft and uncertain.
“Yes.” He jerked his head in the direction of the bed. “Go lie down. We’ll take care of getting you fed in a little while.”
“What if they come for us?” she asked.
“I’ll know,” he murmured, rising and moving around until he could urge her onto the bed. “Come on. Lie down…that’s a good girl.”
She stared up at him, her eyes looking vulnerable and scared. A need inside him rose, a need to protect her, to promise her that nothing would ever hurt her again. But he couldn’t promise that—not with the lifestyles they’d chosen to live.
When her hand lifted to him, Ronan couldn’t believe the sense of relief that raced through him. Stretching out on the bed beside her, he drew the long, slender lines of her body against his. Jenai pillowed her cheek on his chest and her hand came up to rest just above his heartbeat.
“Go to sleep, Jenai.” Pressing his lips to her crown, he said, “Nothing will happen tonight. We’re safe right now, and Stephanie will be fine.”
She fell asleep almost as though she had just been waiting for somebody to tell her it was okay. Ronan waited until he knew she would stay asleep and then he slid away from her.
His body ached just from that innocent contact, holding her while she fell asleep. Staying too close to her was torture. And he couldn’t trust himself. Exhaustion blurred his mind as well and he couldn’t let himself relax. Shifting into a sitting position, he braced his hands on the edge of the mattress, staring down at the stained beige carpet under his feet for a moment as he tried to settle his thoughts.
It didn’t completely work, but at least he was able to focus on something other than Jenai, so close to him at last.
Rising, he grabbed the extra blanket from the closet and tucked it around Stephanie, touched his fingers to her
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