She dropped her head to his and nuzzled his ear as she whispered, “I’m offering you my blood.”
For a second, he showed no reaction to her words, but then his hands dug into her flesh, and he lifted his head. His thick muscles vibrated beneath her palms, his breathing stopped, and his body stilled.
“What?” he asked, uncertain he’d heard her right.
“I’m offering you my blood. I want to know what it feels like to have you feed on me.”
Saliva rushed into his mouth at the idea of it, but he held back. “You’re weakened from not eating and drinking—”
“I’m fine, and you don’t have to take much, right?”
Right, but once he started, he might not be able to stop until he turned her. Mike was also afraid that tasting her would accelerate the mating bond and he’d become as crazed as Liam before his friend changed Sera.
When his gaze fell to her throat and the pulse of her vein, he realized it was already too late for him. Taking her tonight had pushed him closer to the edge, and the constant threat to her life would only unravel him further. Tasting her blood wouldn’t make him anymore crazed for her than he already was.
Mollie tilted her head to the side as Mike’s finger glided down the side of her neck. Her heart skipped a beat when he bent forward until his breath warmed her throat.
“If you don’t fight it, it will only hurt for a second,” he murmured. Mollie nodded as he cinched her hair in his hand and turned her head for better access.
She waited for him to strike, but his tongue traced over her skin as his body started moving again. Closing her eyes, Mollie lost herself to the pleasure he so easily stoked within her. She clasped his nape and clung to him as another orgasm built within her.
“Mike,” she whispered.
And then he struck. Mollie bit back a startled cry when his fangs pierced her flesh. She almost reeled back, but as swift as the pain came, it went. One second, it was there, and the next, happiness rose to fill her as she felt the first pull of her blood.
She should scream and fight against him, he was draining her blood, yet she became more lost to him. She’d never been so connected to someone before—Mike was in every one of her cells as he became a part of her. Tears of joy burned her eyes as she gave herself over to him completely.
Mike knew she’d surrendered to him when her body slumped against his and her joy radiated through her blood. He’d been right, she tasted better than she smelled, and the second her blood hit his tongue, it flooded him with power.
Her body quickened against his as the muscles of her sheath gripped his dick more firmly. Turning her head into his neck, her small teeth bit down on his flesh to stifle the cry she released when she came apart in his arms. Unable to take it anymore, Mike withdrew from her and held her close as he found his release against her belly.
The heat of his semen branded her flesh as he cradled her to him and retracted his fangs. He’d said he wouldn’t spill in her, it was what she’d asked for, but she couldn’t help feeling oddly disappointed he didn’t finish inside her.
She pressed closer to him as lingering contractions from her orgasm rocked her body. She’d never experienced anything like it before and knew, without a doubt, Mike had ruined her for all other men. How could anyone ever compete with him?
But then, she didn’t want them to. She was probably the biggest idiot in the world for allowing herself to fall so fast for a vampire, but it was too late to stop herself; she was a goner.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Mollie. Mollie, wake up.”
Mollie’s eyes fluttered open when the hand on her shoulder gave her a gentle shake. She frowned as she gazed at the sticks in front of her. She’d been dreaming of home and Aida, but with a start, she realized she was far from home.
Bolting upright, she recalled she was naked only when the quilt fell away from her.
“Easy,” Mike murmured, stroking his hand over her shoulder.
The events of last night rushed back to her. She cursed the blush flushing her cheeks as she turned her head to look at him. Her breath caught when she found his gaze hungrily drinking in her exposed body. So, it wasn’t just a “we’re in the dark and fighting for our lives” type of thing last night; he desired her in the daytime too.
When her gaze fell to his crotch and the cock straining against his jeans, her nipples puckered in response. A pleasant soreness remained between her legs, but fresh wetness also spread there as she stared at him.
Tearing his gaze from the slender curve of her back and hips, Mike focused on the far wall. If he didn’t look away, he’d take her again, and he had to get her food and water before they left here.
“I’m going to find some supplies for you,” he said.
Mollie’s gaze returned to the sun poking around their barrier. Gathering the quilt against her chest, she adjusted her position as she searched for her clothes. “Now that we know it’s an island, we have to go to the building you saw beyond the barn. Aida must be there,” she said.
Mike tensed; he’d promised to find her sister, and he would, but he didn’t want her anywhere near the bastards who brought them here. But what else could he do with her? He could get her off the island, no matter what it took or how much she resisted, then come back for her sister. He’d bring a lot of help and destroy every prick on this piece of land.
However, if he forced her to go, she would hate him for the rest of their lives. He did not doubt that. Could he hide her somewhere? That would be a better option, and maybe once they got closer to the house and barn, he would be able to find a safe place to keep her, but for now, she would stay by his side.
“There could be other properties here we haven’t seen yet,” he said.
“It’s a place to start,” she replied as she gathered her clothes.
“Yes,” he reluctantly agreed. “I have to go.”
Clasping her chin, he turned her head toward him. Mollie gazed into his eyes before he kissed her. She was starting to lose herself to him when he pulled away and handed her the rifle.
“Shoot to kill,” he said.
“I will,” she promised.
He pulled the sticks away from the opening and carefully replaced them after he left. Mollie finished dressing, folded the quilt, and settled against the wall to wait for him. The events of last night played through her head on a loop that left her smiling as well as questioning what it all meant. Not like the trajectory of their relationship mattered while death and water surrounded them, but she couldn’t help wondering if there could be any future for them.
Ugh, you’re acting like an idiotic teen. Any future for you? He’s a vampire who has probably had dozens of women, and you’re as human as it gets; besides, vampires have mates.
Mollie shifted uncomfortably at the reminder. The woman Mike was destined to be with forever could be out there somewhere. Unexpected jealousy clawed at her chest. She didn’t want to give him up, especially not to another woman, but she wouldn’t have any choice if he discovered his mate or simply walked away for someone else.
No matter what transpired between them, she would not ask him where this was going or what it meant. All that mattered now was finding Aida and surviving. A relationship between them, past relationships, and the future didn’t matter when none of it was of any use to them. The present was all they had.
He was only gone half an hour before he returned. Mollie’s stomach rumbled when he handed her two rabbits and some water.
Mike carefully restacked the branches while Mollie dug into her meal. He hadn’t bothered to hunt for himself today; her blood still coursed through his veins, and though he’d only taken a small amount, he felt stronger than if he’d fed from three deer.
Turning to her, he settled against the rocks to watch as she ate. His mate. And he’d gotten lucky with her; she was strong, giving, sensual, and loving. He hadn’t waited as long as many other vamps to find his mate, but more than others, and he would have waited
more years if it meant he still found Mollie.
Licking her fingers, Mollie tossed the second rabbit aside and drank the last of her water before handing the pot and cup to Mike. He gathered the animal remains in case they ended up having to return here—he didn’t want to attract any animals—and left the den.
Mollie followed him into the open and accepted his hand when he offered it to help her rise. She smiled at him when he squeezed her hand, drew her close, and briefly kissed her forehead. “Let’s go,” he said.
* * *
Mike’s tension ratcheted up once they left the coastline behind and cut back into the middle of the island. Through here, the trees were thicker, the shadows deeper, and the hiding places more abundant. He never should have chanced bringing her through here. Let her hate him for trying to get her off the island before finding her sister, at least she would be alive to hate him.
Mollie frowned at Mike’s back as the anger he exuded increased with every step. She didn’t know what had him so worked up, but when she tried to tug her hand free of his, he gripped it tighter.
“What is wrong?” she whispered.
Mike didn’t sense anyone nearby, but that didn’t mean something wasn’t hunting them. “We should have stayed closer to the shore.”
“We have to look for Aida.”
“We should go back to the shore. I’ll find a way to get you off this island, and then I’ll come back for her.”
“No.”
“Mollie—”
“I’m not leaving until I know what happened to my sister. You can run, but I won’t.”
Mike strove to restrain his temper as he surveyed the woods again. “I’m not running. But you must understand there is a good chance your sister is dead and risking your life to find her is pointless. I will come back for her, Jack, and Doug after I get you somewhere safe. There is no safe place on this island.”
Fury coiled through her. She realized there was a good chance Aida was dead, but she wasn’t giving up until she knew for sure. She didn’t need Mike treating her like some idiotic, fragile person who didn’t understand reality and would break easily until then. She’d withstood more than most in her short life, and she would not break.
“Yeah, right,” she retorted. “We leave this island, and you’ll never come back.”
Mike’s eyes were red when they returned to her. She’d seen that color come over them before, but she’d never seen it directed at her. She almost backed away from him, but when it came to her sister, she wouldn’t back away from anyone—not even a pissed-off, easily two-hundred-fifty-pound vampire.
“I gave you my word I would help find your sister, and I’m going to keep it,” he growled through gritted teeth.
The idea she thought so little of him didn’t sit well with him, but he had told her that her sister was most likely dead. She probably wasn’t in the mood to think much of him right now.
“I have friends on this island too,” he reminded her. “I would never leave them behind.”
“Then why don’t you go search for your friends, and I’ll find Aida.”
“What?” he demanded, sure he’d heard her wrong.
“I absolve you of your word. I don’t know why you’ve been looking after me, but you don’t have to anymore. You don’t owe me anything.” She didn’t want to separate from him, but Aida came first. “Go, find your friends, and I’ll find my sister.”
Mike stared at her like she’d just told him to put on fairy wings and prance around naked. Mollie crossed her arms over her chest and gazed around the woods. She didn’t kid herself into thinking her chances of surviving alone were good, but she’d rather be alone than leave Aida behind.
“That’s never going to happen,” Mike vowed.
“And why not? You’ve more than paid any debt you think you might have for me getting you out of your cage, and you don’t owe me anything because we had sex. I’m sure you’ve had sex with other women and walked away from them; it’s fine, I understand.”
“I am not leaving you alone or walking away from you.”
“Mike—”
“No!” he interjected. “Get that idea out of your head, right now! Your father left you; I won’t.”
She recoiled as if he’d slapped her. He despised the wounded expression on her face and that he was the one to cause it, but her words had pushed him into a state of pissed off he’d never experienced before. Not only did she think so little of him, but even after last night, she would still walk away from him.
She’s not a vampire; she doesn’t feel the pull of the mating bond. The reminder did little to ease the turmoil churning inside him like lava in a volcano about to erupt.
Mollie didn’t know how to reply to him. She’d opened up to him, and now he was using her revelations against her. How dare he bring her father into this? “My father has nothing to do with this!” she spat.
“Doesn’t he?”
“No,” she hissed through her teeth, but she couldn’t help wondering if, perhaps, he did. Mike could break her heart, so was she trying to walk away from him before he walked away from her? She’d believed herself over what happened with her father, but she realized now, she wasn’t.
“I’m never walking away from you, Mollie. Don’t suggest it again.”
“What do you mean you’re never walking away from me?”
Mike hadn’t planned to tell her she was his mate until they were off this island. She had enough to deal with without him heaping that on her too, but maybe she should know. As a mortal, she couldn’t possibly understand how intense the bond was, but perhaps it would help her to deal with his rising uneasiness and anger better. Or at least he hoped it would.
He opened his mouth to explain to her, but before he could, a branch cracking behind him caused him to spin around. Lifting one of his arms, he pressed it into Mollie’s chest and pushed her back as the cracking became footsteps.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mike turned and plucked her off the ground. Slipping into the shadows of a large maple, he knelt with her behind a cluster of boulders. Two vampires emerged from the woods—a man and a woman. The woman held a crossbow at her side while the man carried a rifle at the ready.
Their reddened eyes, the weapons they carried, and the patch on their black shirts marked them as two of the Savages who’d imprisoned them. They strode through the shadows of the forest, in a place where the sun didn’t penetrate the thick conifers, before stopping near a small boulder.
At his side, Mollie eased the rifle from her shoulder and clasped it before her. The two vamps glanced at each other before studying the trees above them. To the left, the conifers were thicker while to the right, oaks and maples were more prevalent and allowed more sunlight to filter through.
The Savages nodded to the left before heading in that direction. Mike watched them walk away with their weapons. Mollie might be able to shoot and kill them both, or at least impair them, but the gunfire would draw more Savages.
If he was going to take them, and their weapons, it would have to be hand-to-hand. “Stay here and don’t shoot unless it’s necessary,” he hissed to Mollie before slipping into the trees.
Mollie didn’t have a chance to respond before Mike glided away from her and vanished behind a large tree. He reappeared before fading in and out of view like a ghost floating through walls. Mollie’s heart hammered as her attention drifted between him and the vamps he stalked.
What if something happened to him? Just minutes ago, she’d been willing to walk away from him, but she couldn’t stand the idea of him being hurt or killed by one of these bastards. She didn’t want to lose him; she wouldn’t lose him!
Lifting the rifle to her shoulder, she aimed it at the backs of the vampires as they moved further away from her. She was a decent shot, but she was no sniper. At this distance, she could only hope to wound them.
Then Mike suddenly emerged next to the man. Mollie flinched but didn’t look away when Mike enclosed his hand o
n the man’s throat, lifted him off his feet, and swung him toward the woman. The woman took a startled step back, raised her crossbow, and fired. The bolt slammed into the center of the man’s chest.
Mike crushed the Savage’s windpipe before he could scream and threw the vampire at the woman. The woman’s shot hadn’t been a killing one, but it injured the man, and his inability to breathe slowed him. When the Savage fell into the woman, she was shoved backward and almost knocked off her feet.
The man hit the ground as the woman staggered into a tree. Before she could recover, Mike pounced on her. When she swung the crossbow up, Mike seized the end of it and shoved it back at her. It caught her under the chin and snapped her head back. Mike drove his fist into her chest, gripped her heart, and yanked it from her before tossing it aside.
The other Savage was rising when Mike lifted the crossbow, pulled a bolt free and plunged it into the man’s heart. The man’s mouth parted on an O of surprise, and his fingers scrabbled at the arrow before Mike pulled it free. The vamp staggered toward him but collapsed on top of the woman.
Lifting the woman, Mike removed the pouch of bolts hanging from her side and attached it to his belt before sliding the crossbow onto his back. The scent of apples alerted him to Mollie’s approach. Turning his head, he spotted her slipping through the woods as he pulled the rifle from the man.
Adjusting the man, Mike searched him for more supplies. He found a handful of bullets in the man’s front pockets along with a butterfly knife. He slid the knife into his pocket. Stepping out from behind an oak tree, Mollie approached him.
“Which rifle would you prefer?” Mike asked as he hefted the gun he’d taken from the Savage. “I’m good with an arrow, not so much with a gun.”
Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8 Page 16