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He knew that partly because he was hungry as fuck. He also knew it because he was horny as fuck when he thought about feeding on Wynter. He wanted to fuck and feed until he felt like himself again. Truthfully, at this point, the lack of Wynter’s blood actively in his system was stressing him out a lot more than the cattle prod.

Some of that might stem from a desire to protect her.

Especially after what that mustached creep just said about her, the compulsion to feed might be worry about her safety. That worry could at least be making the compulsion worse, turning it into a desperate wanting to be more connected so he could know if she was safe.

Nick didn’t think that was all of it, though.

He could feel how badly he missed her.

She’d been busy lately, working mostly. Apart from today, most of that work seemed to center around Archangel. She worked for them almost full time these days.

Usually Nick didn’t ask, but he knew St. Maarten had Wynter more and more integrated into Archangel’s military infiltration team. Wynter worked as a seer spy, essentially. With a team of other trained seers, she conducted intelligence work for Archangel Industries.

She did her spying mostly from the psychic realm.

It made Nick nervous, frankly.

Even work wasn’t the only thing cutting into their alone time, though.

Also, the kid had been there, which was great, but meant they had to be at least alittlediscreet when it came to their sex life. Neither Nick nor Wynter felt comfortable going at it the way they normally did, not with the kid sleeping on the couch downstairs.

Especially since Tai could read both of their minds.

Mostly Nick missed her presence though. He wanted to feed on her because that’s how he felt that presence the most intensely. Nick knew that was likely the real reason for his hunger.

A part of him missed her.

That same part wanted to erase the empty space he felt between them.

The wanting pulled at him, like a drug.

Nick knew at this point he was completely dependent on his connection to her.

He got anxious if he went even a few days without feeding on her. The usual situation, of seers and humans getting addicted to being fed on by vampires felt flipped in their case. Nick got practically desperate about it if they were separated for two long.

He felt slightly desperate now. If he’d fed on her even a few hours ago, he wouldn’t feel that way, even with the added stress of having these assholes here.

He also would have been able to hear her.

He focused on the kid.

TELL WYNTER WE NEED TO TALK BEFORE EITHER OF YOU COME BACK HERE.He projected the words outward, thinking even louder than before.THEY’RE LOOKING INTO ME, KID. THAT MEANS THEY MIGHT LOOK INTO ALL OF US. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LET THEM GET CLOSE TO YOU… OR MAL… OR MS. JAMES… OR KIT. YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE ONCE I’M GONE AND GO STRAIGHT TO WYNTER… OR YOUR BROTHER IF YOU CAN’T GET TO WYNTER. BOTH OF YOU NEED TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO STAY FOR A WHILE. PREFERRABLY IN ANOTHER PROTECTED REGION. MS. JAMES SHOULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF WORK AT THE SCHOOL, TOO.

He didn’t feel any answer.

Then again, of course he wouldn’t.

He was a vampire.

He couldn’t read minds like a seer.

He couldn’t hear thoughts at all without a living blood connection.

Still, he knew Tai should absolutely have heard that.

Hell, if he could hear her returning thoughts, she’d probably be grumping at him for screaming in her ear. She’d probably be scowling at him through his headset, reminding him she could hear him thinking perfectly fine at normal volume.

Tai would hear him.