Part 5 (1/2)

Through gritted teeth, she said, ”I can't.”

His eyes moved to the wide-eyed little redhead who stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at them, looking hardly more than the kid he had saved decades earlier. ”Let her go, Kelsey. Get...her the...f.u.c.k away...

from me.”

”I'm not stopping her from leaving, Eli. And why are you so eager to maker her leave? She can end this, here and now.”

Eli's eyes closed. G.o.d, he hurt. The blood in his veins pumped sluggishly and it seemed to be filled with acid, burning him from the inside out. ”Tori...?” He could smell her, that subtle scent of peaches, s.e.x, woman, and vampire.

”She's down the hall. We can't get her to feed, Eli,”

Kelsey said, her eyes closing. She had to close her eyes, never having been much of a liar, if he looked dead at her he'd see the lie. Right now, he was probably too weak to sense it, but he might still see it. ”Declan's tried and she won't respond to him. I don't know how to reach her.” Desperate energy suddenly flooded him as the rage broke open inside. Eli rolled, pinning the woman beside him, staring down into her slanted green and gold eyes. He was so f.u.c.king tired, and it wasn't such a ch.o.r.e to let it all be over after three centuries of walking alone. He would never have Tori and there was no other woman.

But he could not let them die. Tori and Declan meant more to him than his own soul. This b.i.t.c.h in his bed could save him and then he could save Tori and Declan. Afterward he could go right on being lonely, but what the f.u.c.k else was new?

”You owe me blood, darling,” he purred with menace, his muscles trembling with the effort it took to move and hold her even though she didn't resist him at all.

Those rather amazing eyes closed and she turned her head, offering her neck, saying quietly, ”I know.”

Sarel couldn't believe she was doing this.

Eli was as weak as a f.u.c.king kitten, his entire body quaking with the effort it took just to move. She could have thrown him off easily. Whatever bonds had prevented her from moving had been lifted and she could have tried to flee. No magic, that was still being held deep inside her, and would most likely reflect back on Sarel anything she tried to do.

But she didn't try to run, didn't even move away when the vampire covered her body with his. His heart beat against hers, but weakly. He was dying.

She felt sick. Her magic had done this. Her magic and her hate.

Sarel braced herself for the pain, remembering how he had mauled her father. Granted her father had been a murderer and a child molester, but Sarel had just tried to murder Eli, and he didn't know that she didn't know and...and...and...she tried to slow the panicked flow of her thoughts as his golden head lowered to her throat. It was going to hurt and hurt bad. And the awful truth was, she deserved it. If she had just looked, she would have seen the truth, right there in front of her, close enough to bite her on the a.s.s.

A strangled gasp left her throat when his teeth pierced her skin, quickly, sharply, a sudden burning pain that was there and then gone, replaced by heat. Her mind still ran in confused circles-how much would he take?

Would she live through it? Would he let her leave?

Would he turn her into a vampire?

Then she felt a soft brush on her mind.

A gentle shush that calmed the chaos in her brain and turned her body into mush, a seductive warmth chasing away the fear that held her body stiff and cold.

The brush turned into a caress that drew her body tight once more, this time with need, and she cried out, arching up, desire she had never known racing through her body as he fed from her, his cool body growing warm, his trembling, weak muscles stilling as strength flooded back into him.

Eli groaned when she moved against him, crying out.

Still weak, he knew he wasn't up for aught but feeding.

However, his c.o.c.k didn't seem to understand that as the blood he took instantly raced down to his shaft and he couldn't keep from rocking his hardening c.o.c.k against the notch between her thighs as he fed.

Eli's hazy thoughts were slowly clearing and his strength was returning. Confused and distracted by the witch's thoughts, he absently reached out and calmed her while he fed. She was sweet-hot, rich with youth and magic and power. The power that had d.a.m.ned near killed him was restoring him almost as quickly as he could swallow. He understood enough of her chaotic thoughts to recognize the grief and the sorrow, the guilt.

The hot young body was another thing he understood, driving his c.o.c.k harder against her as he fed, swallowing more, her hot blood splas.h.i.+ng in his belly, sending fiery strength out through his body.

He pumped his hips against her covered mound once more as he pulled away from her neck, pausing to lick the neat little puncture wounds, savoring the final few drops of blood before he pushed away, licking his lips and staring down at his almost murderer.

She was young. She was pretty. She was a witch. And she looked...oddly familiar.

Sarel's lids fluttered. One hand lifted and she reached out for him, a weak moan falling from her lips. Beneath the st.u.r.dy cotton of the black s.h.i.+rt she wore, her nipples were hard and stiff. Eli could smell her arousal and he was tempted. If he was certain he had the strength, he just might rip her clothes off and give her a good hard f.u.c.k before throwing her naked a.s.s out.

But he'd rather know why she had tried to kill him.

Even now she didn't strike him as a nutcase.

The chaos of her mind hadn't made much sense to him, but one thing had been clear. She'd come seeking vengeance for something.

Giving her a light mental slap, he cleared the feeding- induced l.u.s.t from her mind and turned to look at Kelsey who stood smiling broadly at the foot of the bed.

”Thank you, Kel-”

A movement, a scent caught his attention. Turning his head, he saw who had been standing in the corner.

Apparently the whole f.u.c.king time. Tori and Declan.

”Dying, brat?” he said, his voice still hoa.r.s.e.

If she answered, he never heard it as Tori flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and swearing at him, laughing at the same time. His own eyes stung as Tori buried her face against his naked chest, tears dampening his skin as she cried. ”Aw, sweet. Do not cry,” Eli said roughly, stroking her tumbled curls. ”Your mate will finish the job if he thinks you care enough to be crying over me.”

”Shut up!” she hissed, smacking him in the arm with her hand as she pulled away to stare at him. Then her eyes widened. ”d.a.m.n it, Eli. You look terrible.”

”Well, that is exactly the thing I needed to hear, thank you very much, sweet,” Eli muttered, shoving a hand through his tangled, matted hair.

Declan asked roughly, his voice thick, ”How are ya feelin'?”

A wave of weakness washed through him and he pressed his palm to his brow. Tossing a look over his shoulder, he said, ”Weak. Starving. Hot. I feel sick.

How long will I feel like this?”

The stranger on his bed opened her mouth but he coldly said, ”I was not asking you, girl.”

Color flushed her face and her eyes gleamed, but to Eli's amazement, she remained silent. He would not have expected such...wisdom from her.

Kelsey suppressed a smile as she said, ”It will fade within a few days, I think. If you feed again now, it will help a lot. You didn't take much from Sarel.” Her eyes flitted to the silent girl on the bed. ”If you fed from one of your people, or from me or Declan-”

”I can feed him,” Tori said softly.

”No,” Declan said, shaking his head. ”You just fed him yesterday. Too much. This is too soon even for you, wonder girl.”