Taken by Blood

by Tamara White

  I kinda feel sorry for them because Britt is a little emotional in the best of times. More of an act first, think later kind of girl. She’s gonna be pissed that they allowed her mother to simply destroy their bond and wipe her memories. She will question the hell out of them as to why they didn’t stop such a thing happening. Even if she knows in her heart that she loves them, she will make them suffer for allowing such a decision to be made.

  The three guys in question pale a little at that. Linc looks between me and the three of them with an evil smile on his lips. “Interesting...”

  I can tell he’s curious as to why I am so willing to trust them. To be fair, I can’t exactly say I trust them completely. But I do trust them up to a point. Do I think they would hurt my guys or me? No. Do I think they will hurt Britt’s husbands? Not intentionally, but regardless of what happens, they won’t come out of this unscathed.

  Even so, I still need to have this talk with the guys before I summon Britt and my grandmother. Although now that I think about it, I’m surprised no one summoned them when I died. But then again, knowing my guys, I bet no one was willing to leave my side long enough to do such a thing.

  As Linc helps me over to the bed, I consider the best way to do this. I want my guys in here with me, but it feels weird to have them around when I discuss something so personal with the others. I battle with my decision for a time, but then reach the conclusion I would want as small of an audience as possible if it were me.

  “Lincoln, Nikoli, and Devin, I need you to leave us.”

  All three of my guys stare at me in complete shock. But Dev is the one to voice what they all seem to be feeling. “You just died! We aren’t leaving your side even for a minute.”

  I smile fondly and hold out a hand, inviting him to come closer. Once his hand is in mine, I pull him to me, giving him a tight hug. He relaxes into my embrace, and while staring at Linc and Nik over his shoulder, I murmur into his ear, “This is important. They deserve for this to be a private moment. Please trust me, okay?”

  Then I let go of Dev so all of them can see the earnestness in my eyes. “Maybe you guys could go down and get Britt and my grandmother? Just... give me ten minutes or so to explain some things.”

  Dev looks me over, searching for any sign of hesitation. After a moment, he sighs in resignation. “Alright.” He presses a kiss to my head and then backs away, leaving the room.

  Linc moves in close, and leans down to whisper, “If they make one wrong move, take them all out, my little killer.”

  I chuckle at his words and the wink he sends my way, watching as he backs away and out of the room.

  Nikoli continues to linger, appearing a little unsure. He looks upset that I’m asking him to leave, but I also know he wouldn’t force me to let him stay.

  In that moment, I have to admit I’m kind of glad Talon isn’t here right now, because I know he wouldn’t agree to leave. He would be kicking up one hell of a fuss, and I’m sure he would have thrown me over his shoulder by now and spanked me six ways to Sunday for even thinking of tossing him out.

  I smile sadly, my eyes stinging with unshed tears at the reminder he isn’t here. Soon, I think to myself. Soon, I will reach him and make that French bitch regret taking my soul-tie from me.

  Nik sighs heavily before dropping to his knees in front of me. “I don’t know why you insist on this, but I will leave because you asked.” He takes my hand and presses a kiss to the inside of my wrist, right where my pulse beats. Then he lets go and stands, staring at Chase, Hunter, and Alistair with an intense expression. “We’ll go get Britt and Em’s grandmother, but if anything happens to Emerald while we’re gone, I’ll wipe you from the face of this Earth. I don’t give a fuck who you guys are.”

  I shiver, suddenly filled with desire at the hint of possessiveness I heard in Nik’s voice.

  He flashes me a grin and winks, clearly having sensed it. Damn, I really need to try and keep these hormones in check.

  Hunter, Chase, and Alistair all give him a brief nod of respect, but I see Alistair’s lips twitch as he does so.

  With that, Nik turns on his heel and stomps from the room.

  Once I hear the suite doors close behind him, I turn to Blaine, Meron, Torie, and Kellan. “Since there’s no easy way to explain all this, I’m just going to project everything that happened to me while I was dead. After, you can ask questions. Either I’ll answer them, or Chase, Hunter, or Alistair will. Okay?”

  After they each nod their assent, I close my eyes and telepathically connect with their minds. I’m unable to keep Alistair, Chase, and Hunter from the influx of memories. But they don’t seem to mind seeing the replay of events that happened after my demise.

  That’s just another reason I’m glad my guys left. I’m not sure how much energy would be too much, and them being here might very well have pushed me over the edge. Even just sharing with the seven of them is taxing enough.

  When the flow of memories finally comes to a stop, I gasp for air. My head is pounding and I forcefully push back the need to recharge my body that tries to rise up within me. Not yet. I need more time.

  After a few moments of silence, Meron is the first to speak. “So we weren’t meant to be with Brittany at all… But the three of you were?” he asks testily, his anger directed at the three men who are standing there looking like they’d rather be anywhere else in the world right now.

  “Meron, I know this is hard to handle, believe me, I wasn’t even going to bring them back at first, but you saw what I did. That final door...” I shudder, the image of Britt and I fighting to the death still burned in my mind. I don’t ever want for that to happen. I don’t want anyone to die, or for us to be battling out over their dead bodies like they didn’t even matter. I want to ensure that never comes to pass.

  Meron rises to his feet and begins to pace angrily, glancing over every few steps to glare daggers at Hunter, Chase, and Alistair. But then he suddenly stops and turns his gaze to me. “So, what, we’re supposed to let go of Britt so she can be with these three, and we just start shacking up with you instead?” Meron’s eyes are filled with such rage that I flinch under his gaze. I never thought he had such anger inside him. Knowing he is meant to be mine and is showing such hatred toward me at that revelation cuts me deeper than I thought possible.

  I try to tamp down the hurt I feel, but he must have seen it because after a second, his shoulders droop and his eyes soften.

  Meron takes a step toward me, but I raise a hand to stop him. “Don’t.”

  “Shit, I didn’t mean it like that, Emerald,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

  I shrug my shoulders before meeting his gray eyes. “It’s okay. I understand.”

  He drops to his knees before me, then looks up at me with a tortured expression. He reaches up and rests his hands on my knees, and then crawls between them. “No, it’s not okay. No matter how angry I am, it’s never okay for me to take it out on you, or anyone else for that matter. It’s just hard. Things with Britt are already complicated, not to mention all these growing feelings we’ve all been having for you. Then you throw this in the mix?”

  He rests his forehead against mine with a sigh and I close my eyes. Fuck, it’s much harder than I thought it would be to keep myself detached.

  I would be lying if I said I didn’t want them, but I also want my friend to be happy. But is that even possible? Would Britt still want to make this work between her husbands if she was able to touch them again? Or would she only want the three men that she knew growing up?

  Meron slides his hands up my legs and I’m suddenly aware of just how close he is. When I open my eyes, I see the loss, confusion, and frustration in his, but also desire, which is right on the surface as he watches me carefully. “Our souls are drawn to each other. I want my wife, but I want you too. And I’m terrified that what you showed us might give us everything we want with you, but that I might lose my wife in the process.”

  In
the blink of a second, he rises up and kisses me fiercely, a growl of eagerness rumbling in his chest.

  Lust rushes through me and need envelops my very being. I start to shake and Meron finally backs off. But then his eyes go wide when my body suddenly arches in pain at the loss of his touch. I collapse back onto the bed, filled with so much pain that tears begin to sting my eyes.

  “Shit, you need an energy recharge,” I hear Hunter say seconds before he appears above me.

  “No, I should have time. You said I’d have two hours,” I groan, the pain rocking through me again.

  “My Sight isn’t as precise as my mothers. If someone does something else, or different, then it leads to different outcomes. I never saw Meron kiss you. The touch of someone that is capable of replenishing you made the need rise sooner.”

  I nod, unable to gather my wits about me to understand exactly what he’s saying. But I trust it makes sense to the others by the way they all seem to watch on in concern.

  “We should leave so you can boost your magic.”

  I shake my head even before he’s finished speaking. “No, I still have to talk to Britt first. I don’t have the luxury of being indisposed until I’ve explained everything.”

  Hunter looks at me like I’m mad but nods curtly. Then he turns to address the others. “Right, you four need to connect physically, and one of you has to feed Emerald. She will need to feed on your blood and drain magic from the link you share with her. It should help recharge her a little. I’m not sure how long it will last, but it’s the only option you have unless you want to start an orgy right here and now.”

  Is he really hinting at an orgy? Seriously? Does Hunter really think we have no control over ourselves?

  But it’s hard to focus on anything else when I’m shaking so badly, my body flashing between hot and cold so quickly I feel like I might throw up.

  Blaine moves toward the head of the bed and helps me move into a sitting position, then pulls me so I’m cradled against his chest.

  I look up and notice Torie has a hand on Blaine’s shoulder and Kellan is holding Torie’s hand. Then Meron moves closer, before ripping his shirt off and exposing his chest.

  An intense wave of desire races through me and I have to fight not to act on it. It’s bad enough I’ve already slept with Blaine. I need to learn to control these urges better. I won’t let them control me.

  Once Meron is in front of me, I can see how worried he is about the way my body trembles. Glancing past him, I watch as Hunter, Alistair, and Chase move to another area of the suite and turn their backs in an effort to give us a little privacy, which I really appreciate.

  “Feed, Em,” Meron demands, leaning in close enough to offer me his neck.

  I don’t hesitate. I feel my fangs grow, and then I strike out like a snake.

  Meron moans, and I feel him move, reaching out with his hands to connect with Torie and Blaine. The moment they touch, I can sense it. I feel their power and my body wants to siphon it from them, but I have no clue how. So instead, I let my instincts guide me.

  As I drink the blood, it feels like I’ve made a connection with a second juicier vein and I greedily suck on it, the taste of power so intoxicating. I feel it begin to work, my body becoming stronger and the shaking starting to ease. A moment later, I rise up to my knees and run my hands along Meron’s arms as lust fully takes over. I continue to feed on him at a more leisurely pace as the second vein I seemed to be drinking from is plugged. Meron’s arousal is pressing against me as I crawl into his lap, craving more of his touch. Time ceases to exist as I eagerly run my hands over him. It’s not until a familiar, but unexpected voice speaks up that I stop.

  “Well, this is fucking hot as hell. Can I join?”

  The sound of Britt’s voice is probably the only thing that could stop me right now, and it does an effective job of doing just that. My eyes snap open and I see her grinning at me from the now open doorway, my grandmother just behind her.

  I quickly seal the wound on Meron’s neck with my tongue and smirk at her playfully over his shoulder. “Hey, you could have been involved right from the start if you didn’t choose to stay on another floor.” I stick my tongue out at her teasingly as I climb off Meron’s lap. I feel a little stronger than before, but I know I still need more energy, which sucks. I have so much shit to do. I can’t be fucking my guys when I have to explain things to Britt and hunt Talon down.

  Britt steps into my suite like room and starts making her way toward me. But then she freezes a foot away from me when she senses the other sources of energy in the room. She turns slowly, and I see her pulse beating rapidly on her throat.

  When her gaze finally lands on the three men from her past, disbelief flashes in her eyes. Followed by hope, then happiness, then excitement, and then disbelief once again. Suddenly without any warning whatsoever, her eyes roll back in her head and she drops. She just crumples to the floor in a dead faint and we’re all so shocked by her reaction, none of us were able to move in time to catch her.

  “Shit.” I rush off the bed and over to her prone form, wanting to make sure she didn’t have a heart attack or something. Why the hell did she faint? The moment I hurried over to her, everyone else in the room tried to spring into action, but I erected a barrier around us to stop them from getting close. I didn’t want her husbands and the new guys fighting over who had the right to touch her, so instead, I lift her into my arms and walk her over to the bed myself.

  I set her down and sit down beside her, keeping my hand in hers. “She’s fine, guys. I think she was just surprised,” I announce to the room, refusing to look anywhere but at my best friend. If she had that extreme of a reaction at just the sight of them, then how the hell can I tell her the full truth? Show her memories of the men she grew up loving before her mother interfered? Fuck, I hate that I’m the one who has to do this.

  Twenty-Two

  Blood Bond

  Talon

  “Master Talon, your presence is requested.”

  At the voice of Maria’s loyal human servant , I hold up a hand, effectively stopping all training.

  I turn to Jesiah with a raised eyebrow. “And who is it that wants to speak with me? Why don’t they come down here? Do you not see I have a class that requires my full attention?”

  Every five years, Maria swaps out her human slaves and promises them something they will never get—life as a vampire. She manipulates them until she no longer needs them, and then simply takes their life. I should know, I was one of those idiot victims, until she screwed up and turned me. Though she didn’t turn me because she still needed me, it was simply an accident, one she benefited from by owning me and my talents.

  Jesiah seems to think he will be different than other human servants before him, but I highly doubt it. Maria will permit him to live his life as a useful little pet maybe for five years if he’s lucky, then she will feed on him and take all of his blood before disposing of his body with as little care as possible.

  I’ve come to understand that my maker is not capable of compassion. Once, I may have thought that way, but my eyes were opened to the truth, and if it wasn’t for Jeannie, then I doubt I would even be alive today. I would have ended my life just to be free of Maria and her claws.

  “Your queen wishes to see you. I suggest you end training, as her majesty takes priority over anything. Wouldn’t want something to happen to another person you love, now would you?” Jesiah’s face is filled with derision, his tone mocking. He knows I can’t refuse her, and he loves it.

  My hand twitches, the desire to reach out and snap the human’s neck strong. It would be so easy, but the retaliation from Maria isn’t worth it.

  She made it clear that now that Emerald is gone, if forced to, she will resort to hurting Nikoli and Devin. Maria gloated while I grieved. She stated that the loss of Emerald wasn’t felt because our tie no longer existed, but because the blood bond that kept me joined to Nikoli and Devin would cause me so much pain I would wi
sh for death.

  She knew she had me and that I would do anything to prevent them from being harmed.

  I tried to call them, to warn them to go back home and get under the protection of Axel and Sierra, but I was stopped before the call connected.

  Maria punished me severely with her whips, and has now denied me blood, which has my lashes healing humanly slow.

  “Fine, I’ll find my maker and leave you to deal with the recruits.” I turn and walk away, ignoring Jesiah as he calls after me, but he has no choice but to stay. He knows I’ll tell Maria that he was left with them, so if he doesn’t dismiss them, it will be his ass on the line.

  I should have questioned where Maria would be, but due to our stupid blood bond, I feel her up in the estate part of the compound. Most likely her room by the pull I’m feeling.

  I make it to her door in no time, knocking once.

  A scream sounds from inside the room, but it dies just as quick as it came.

  “Enter,” Maria calls softly, as if she isn’t torturing another in her bedroom.

  Gripping the door handle, I swing it open and step in, before closing it behind me. I bow my head, not out of respect, but because if I see her, I will try to kill her again.

  “Ah, Talon, my love, how wonderful that you’re here. I have some news that might interest you,” Maria chirps cheerfully. Though to those who know her as well as I, whatever news she has is definitely not good.

  I glance up, unable to resist seeing what has her so irked, but am met with the sight of a human male shackled to the bedposts in an upright position. His hands are bound at the top of the frame with manaclelike chains, giving him just enough room to struggle, but tight enough to hold him up.

  His legs are spread apart and his feet chained securely, while blood drips down his naked body. With each drop that falls to the pristine, white sheet, my hunger stirs to life.