“Some of them mature late. A quarter century is nothing.”
My chest gets tight and I have to fight to speak through it without yelling. “Stop it.”
His brows draw together and he looks actually confused instead of just icy and terrifying. “I don’t understand why you’re fighting this. It’s a fact. Your blood is not just vampire and human. There’s something else there. It’s familiar, but I can’t place it. The fact it’s strong enough to be tasted means it’s strong enough to manifest.” He tilts his head to the side. “It would explain your lack of magic. The other blood is more powerful than the vampire half of you.”
“You’re crazy.”
His blue eyes are merciless. “Why not try? What do you have to lose?”
I close my eyes and strive to think instead of reacting emotionally. It will hurt if this is all bullshit and nothing changes. It will hurt a lot. But it won’t kill me. If I don’t get out of this house, if Malachi doesn’t get out of this house, my father might.
Really, it’s a simple decision when I lay it out like that.
I exhale slowly and open my eyes. “What do I have to do?”
Rylan glances at Wolf and Malachi, and then refocuses on me. “There are two ways. Pain or pleasure.”
I wait, but he doesn’t offer anything more. “So you want to torture me.”
Malachi snorts. “No, little dhampir, no one is getting tortured.”
“It might be the only answer.” I glance at him, and gods, my chest aches just looking at him. It’s too soon to feel something so strong, but hell if I can push the feeling away. “I’ve had pleasure since I’ve been here, especially in the last twelve hours. Nothing’s happened.”
“Pleasure.” Wolf drops onto the bed beside me and laughs in that slightly unhinged way of his. “You haven’t seen anything yet, love.” He grins, flashing fang. “But it’ll be fun to blow that pretty little mind of yours.”
I had already planned on grabbing every bit of pleasure possible, so I suppose this isn’t exactly a trial. Still… I look over to find Rylan still watching me too closely. Every instinct I have says the other shoe is about to drop. “What am I missing?”
“Those two can’t do it on their own.” He doesn’t move, doesn’t seem to breathe. “I have to be involved.”
I blink. “You wanted me dead—literally dead—twenty minutes ago.”
“Things change.”
“You don’t like me.”
His lips twitch the tiniest bit. “Are you really that naive you think sex and fondness have anything to do with each other?”
No, of course not. But there is a large distance between fondness and wanting to murder someone. Isn’t there? “No. I guess I’m not.” I guess if he can handle his side of things, all he has to do is bite me to get me onboard.
And Rylan is sexy. I really hate he’s sexy. He’s like some ice king that’s wandered in and letting him touch me might freeze me right down to my bones, but I can’t quite forget how good it felt to have him pressed against me.
Apparently now I’ve gotten a taste for sex and bloodline vampire bites, I’m in danger of getting addicted. The thought should worry me, but I’ll deal with the consequences later. If there’s a way to get us out of this trap my father’s constructed, I’m going to do it.
I look up at Malachi. He doesn’t seem particularly pleased by this turn of events, but he’s not exactly displeased, either. I can’t read the expression on his face. He motions to the box in his hand. “Will you agree to hold off on this until we try?”
“The longer I hold off, the less effective it is.”
“All the same.”
I search his face, but it’s like the first few days here. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. “If this works, you’ll be free.” He’ll have no reason to keep me around.
That should make me happy, right? After all, the only thing I want is what I’ve wanted since I was old enough to watch my hopes turn to ash. Freedom. No vampires to speak of. A chance to figure out my own way. And hopefully not stumble right into a government facility that will spend the rest of my life doing experiments on me.
I drop my gaze, but Malachi plants his hand on the bed and leans down until it’s more awkward to avoid his gaze than to look at him. I still can’t read the expression on his face. “We won’t leave you hanging.”
Something like hope flutters in my chest and I want nothing more than to squash it. “You’ve been locked up here a long time, Malachi. You’re not in any position to offer me protection.” Which isn’t what he’s offering anyway. He said they won’t leave me hanging. They. I shake my head. “And you can’t speak for them.”
“No, I can’t.” He doesn’t move. “But I’m speaking for me. I want you to stay with me. If that’s not what you want, we’ll figure out a way for you to land safely. I give you my word.”
There’s no reason to trust him. We’ve known each other a tiny fraction of a moment and he might be a liar in addition to everything else. I can’t help trusting him all the same. “Okay,” I whisper.
“Okay?”
Gods, why does he always make me say it? I know, though, don’t I? “Okay, let’s try this.”
15
I expect us to get right down to business, but apparently that’s not the plan. Rylan leaves, muttering something about preparations. Wolf plants a devastating kiss on my mouth and then he leaves, too. They couldn’t be more obvious if they’d hand painted a sign saying We’ll give you two time to talk.
Malachi holds out his hand. “Let’s go find you something to eat.”
I’m starving, but I’m so nervous, I don’t know if I can eat. It’s more than the sex that has my stomach tying itself in knots. They’re putting a lot of hope in something that’s barely more than a theory. “This might not work.”
He tugs me off the bed and across the room to the door. “If it doesn’t, we’ll figure out something else.”
How can he be so calm at a moment like this? His very freedom is on the line. “Malachi…” I dig in my heels a little and he slows to a stop. “You’re just going to do this on Rylan’s say-so? The longer we put off me taking that pill, the less likely it is to work.” I don’t know what the odds are that I’m pregnant. I know how cycles work in theory, but I hardly track mine so closely I could tell if I’ve ovulating right now or in the near future. And, really, all my information is related to full humans. I don’t know how a dhampir’s reproductive system might differ, especially when there’s vampires and magic involved.
I don’t know if the damn pill would work even if we use it under the best case circumstances.
“Mina.”
Gods, I love it when he says my name. It’s like I’m a tuning fork thrumming just from the sound. “I’m not being unreasonable.”
“I know.” He gives my hand a squeeze and pulls me closer so he can wrap his big arms around me. I have absolutely no business feeling safe right now just because he’s holding me. The list of things to worry about is longer than my arm and seems to be growing by the minute. A hug doesn’t solve anything.