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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NERI

Liv snarled at Hunter the third time he jerked away from her, trying to draw a sample of his blood to compare to Neri’s. Instead of gritting his teeth through the procedure, he refused to let Liv near him.

“For fuck’s sake, Hunter. I haven’t even pulled out the needle yet. I’m checking for a viable vein to draw from. So, stop moving before I strap you down and take if from you.”

It took a while for Neri to agree to go downstairs with Liv and Hunter in what she considered a glass dungeon, but the look of fear on Hunter’s face when she offered to stay with the other assassins in the living room had her changing her mind.

But now she was here, there was no claustrophobic feeling, only amusement as Hunter balked at getting his blood drawn. She should have been a supportive mate, but Neri giggled with every flinch Hunter made, although Liv was nowhere near him with anything sharp.

The back and forth had been going on for about twenty minutes until Liv growled at him. But at Liv’s words, he got a determined look in his eye. He was about to use his new teleportation powers, delaying the inevitable, so she shook her head to get his attention.

“I’ll come after you and hold you down for Liv. It’s not that bad, love. And if you concentrate on me instead of Liv, then it’ll be over and you won’t feel a thing.”

Hunter frowned. “A fucking sharp metal object will pierce my skin. How is it not going to hurt?”

Neri cupped his face and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Have you ever had someone draw blood from you before?”

Somehow, he crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, looking both ferocious and cute. Although she didn’t mention the last part of that thought aloud.

“No, but I’ve seen medical shows…”

“Which is nothing like the real thing. Ara, who had her veins collapse on her because she had so much blood drawn from her never complained, even when she was human. Now, hold out your arm before I make you,” Liv ended in a growl.

Neri leaned in and whispered in Hunter’s ear. “If you do this for me, the next time we’re naked in the shower, I’ll drop on my knees and suck your cock until you explode down my throat. I’ll be so wet and ready for you I’ll beg you to fuck me against the wall.”

He shivered at her words and dropped his arms at his sides in shock. A blush exploded on his cheeks as he swallowed. It took a few moments to form words, and when he managed, they were gruff and choked. “You’d… do that for me, anyway.”

She shrugged and gave him a beaming smile. “Yeah, that’s true. But Liv finished drawing your blood, and you never noticed.”

His spine stiffened, and he glanced down to find his arm half-bent and Liv holding a cotton ball against his skin. When he moved his gaze to Liv, she held up two vials of his blood and shook them with a smirk.

“Works every time.”

Her smile turned into a frown when Hunter huffed. Neri turned back to her mate in time to see his eyes roll in the back of his head and his huge six-foot-two frame swayed from side-to-side, preparing to topple over. Her hands clamped down on his shoulders as his body sagged forward, loving the fact she had the strength to hold him upright with ease.

“I wouldn’t have gone with shaking the blood in his face, but he was looking green long before that so I can’t fault you for bragging. I thought you sampled all the immortals’ blood to use with the antidote?” Neri asked.

Liv shook her head. “I asked Kai first but… well, we had a falling out. That’s why I never tested vampire blood against the bioweapon before. I asked Hunter, but he refused. Jade and Reaper volunteered, so I used their blood. I focused on eliminating the bioweapon I didn’t stop to think about the variants.”

Neri kept one hand on Hunter’s back, who groaned and buried his face against her neck not conscious yet, and reached her other hand out to squeeze Liv’s.

“It’s not your fault Liv. From what I gathered from the others, even if you had surmised a reason immortals exist, you still have to research each one of us and answer why we have the abilities and strengths we do. Which sounds near impossible.

“And from what Hunter told me, you are a brilliant immunologist but answers can be scarce. Such as Ara’s healing abilities and telekinesis, why Noah is a tiger instead of a fox, or the reason Frost can get pregnant, and why Silas has such powers. Like in life, some things are impossible to answer, although we try to find reasons for them. I’m sure answers will come in time, but don’t beat yourself up. You would do anything to protect your family.”

Liv surged forward, but when Hunter’s large form didn’t move from where he settled against Neri, she wrapped her arm around Neri’s waist and squeezed.

“Thank you, Neri. Now, let’s see what his blood shows.”

Hunter groaned at the word blood and slumped against her again. Neri ran her fingers through Hunter’s hair, comforting him as he recovered from his shock.

Neri’s gaze took in Liv’s lab for the first time. There were many machines; some creme colored and small, some black with numerous buttons, so she stood back touching nothing. But there was a steady hum of sound coming from them that was soothing to her. She watched in awe as Liv turned on a machine which churned Hunter’s blood before she put a drop on a slide and slid it under a microscope.

Across the room, a machine made a whirring sound and beeped every so often, but Liv paid it no attention as she studied the sample in front of her.

By this time, Hunter’s breathing had deepened. She scoffed when she realized he fell asleep. She nudged his face up and shook him until he opened his eyes.