When she stood, he cupped her face in his big hands, dropping his mouth to hers in a brief kiss. “Be with Aodhán without guilt, Natalie,” he said, his voice raspy and quiet. “My life is the richer for your friendship, which we will always have. But if he makes you unhappy,” he added in a tone as hard as steel, “he will answer to me.” He stepped back.
“Wait.” She grabbed his wrist, knowing she held him in place only because he allowed it. “You haven’t fed all week.” She shoved out her arm, soft side up. “Please.”
His lips firmed. “I don’t like pity feeds any more than I like pity fucks.”
She frowned. “I wasn’t…that wasn’t what I…,” she huffed. “I’m worried about you, you big lug. It’ll probably take a couple of days for you to make an arrangement with another donor, and you need to feed sooner rather than later.” When he didn’t move, she dropped her arm to her side. “Fine. Just don’t come whining to me when the hunger really gets bad.”
He scooped up her arm and held it gently in his hands. Silver eyes gleaming, he licked his lips. “I admit my control will not be what it should be if I don’t feed soon.” He stared into her face. “I won’t make this pleasurable for you, Natalie. It would be too much like cheating. I can dull the pain of my bite somewhat, but you will still feel it.”
She swallowed. While he’d been so gentle with her, it had been easy to forget he was an apex predator and she was weak, puny prey. She trusted him, though, not to hurt her beyond the pain of the bite. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. “Go ahead.”
Natalie heard his deep chuckle, then felt the cool brush of his fangs against her arm before they pierced her skin. Her eyes shot open, and she couldn’t hold back a squall of pain. She sucked in a breath and panted. God. If this was him blunting the pain, she’d hate to know what a full-on bite without any vampire glamour felt like. After a few seconds, his mouth lifted and his tongue stroked over her skin, sealing the wound. In an hour there wouldn’t be any sign at all that he’d fed from her.
That made her inexplicably sad.
His hand came up to her face, his thumb swiping away a tear she’d been unaware of shedding. She saw the same misery she felt reflected in his eyes.
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” she said on a sob.
Atticus drew her into his arms, pressing her head against his chest. “It is a natural reaction to the end of a blood-consort relationship,” he said. “This sadness you feel will pass. Don’t fight it. Just breathe and have faith that all will unfold as it should.”
She pulled away and swiped her hands across her cheeks. “I’ll find you a match as soon as possible.”
“I have no doubt you will.” He touched the tips of his fingers to her cheek, then turned away. He paused at the open door. “Thank you, Natalie.” Then he was gone, the door closing behind him.
She slumped back onto the sofa. Still the tears crept down her face. She couldn’t shut them off. Through watery vision, she watched the round wounds on her inner forearm close. Close to an hour after Atticus had left, there were only two red spots where his fangs had thrust through her skin. She lightly rubbed at them and wondered if she was crazy for wishing they’d scarred so that she’d have a visual reminder of her time with him.
Someone knocked, and her first thought was that Atticus had come back to tell her he’d changed his mind, that he wanted to stay with her. That he wanted to have more. Because at least Atticus was a sure thing. She knew she could count on him to be there for her. He wanted her, and not just because her blood tasted good. And while she might not have the same feelings for him as she did for Aodhán, at least she wouldn’t be alone when she died. With Aodhán, she just wasn’t sure how long he’d stay. He was, after all, not of this realm and had obligations
“Wait.” She grabbed his wrist, knowing she held him in place only because he allowed it. “You haven’t fed all week.” She shoved out her arm, soft side up. “Please.”
His lips firmed. “I don’t like pity feeds any more than I like pity fucks.”
She frowned. “I wasn’t…that wasn’t what I…,” she huffed. “I’m worried about you, you big lug. It’ll probably take a couple of days for you to make an arrangement with another donor, and you need to feed sooner rather than later.” When he didn’t move, she dropped her arm to her side. “Fine. Just don’t come whining to me when the hunger really gets bad.”
He scooped up her arm and held it gently in his hands. Silver eyes gleaming, he licked his lips. “I admit my control will not be what it should be if I don’t feed soon.” He stared into her face. “I won’t make this pleasurable for you, Natalie. It would be too much like cheating. I can dull the pain of my bite somewhat, but you will still feel it.”
She swallowed. While he’d been so gentle with her, it had been easy to forget he was an apex predator and she was weak, puny prey. She trusted him, though, not to hurt her beyond the pain of the bite. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. “Go ahead.”
Natalie heard his deep chuckle, then felt the cool brush of his fangs against her arm before they pierced her skin. Her eyes shot open, and she couldn’t hold back a squall of pain. She sucked in a breath and panted. God. If this was him blunting the pain, she’d hate to know what a full-on bite without any vampire glamour felt like. After a few seconds, his mouth lifted and his tongue stroked over her skin, sealing the wound. In an hour there wouldn’t be any sign at all that he’d fed from her.
That made her inexplicably sad.
His hand came up to her face, his thumb swiping away a tear she’d been unaware of shedding. She saw the same misery she felt reflected in his eyes.
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” she said on a sob.
Atticus drew her into his arms, pressing her head against his chest. “It is a natural reaction to the end of a blood-consort relationship,” he said. “This sadness you feel will pass. Don’t fight it. Just breathe and have faith that all will unfold as it should.”
She pulled away and swiped her hands across her cheeks. “I’ll find you a match as soon as possible.”
“I have no doubt you will.” He touched the tips of his fingers to her cheek, then turned away. He paused at the open door. “Thank you, Natalie.” Then he was gone, the door closing behind him.
She slumped back onto the sofa. Still the tears crept down her face. She couldn’t shut them off. Through watery vision, she watched the round wounds on her inner forearm close. Close to an hour after Atticus had left, there were only two red spots where his fangs had thrust through her skin. She lightly rubbed at them and wondered if she was crazy for wishing they’d scarred so that she’d have a visual reminder of her time with him.
Someone knocked, and her first thought was that Atticus had come back to tell her he’d changed his mind, that he wanted to stay with her. That he wanted to have more. Because at least Atticus was a sure thing. She knew she could count on him to be there for her. He wanted her, and not just because her blood tasted good. And while she might not have the same feelings for him as she did for Aodhán, at least she wouldn’t be alone when she died. With Aodhán, she just wasn’t sure how long he’d stay. He was, after all, not of this realm and had obligations
Similar Books
