Page 52

I stared at the fae woman, stunned. Her knowing the truth about Keiko’s nature wasn’t altogether surprising given her connections and fae senses, but what she said meant Keiko was dying.

"Nic…" her rattling breath snagged my attention. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and down her cheek to the floor. "Stop him… Save Rin."

Cold steel wrapped around my heart. If she died, then I was going to lose the closest thing I had to family. She was my family,the little sister I’d always wanted. There was no way I could let that sadistic asshole take her or Rin away from me.

As soon as Keiko had entered my life, I knew I would do anything to protect her. Through every scraped knee, every hurt feeling, I had been there to dry her tears and pick her back up again. We had even dealt with an injury involving wood before. We’d both been so young then. So young and so foolish.

I drew my eyebrows together as the memory strengthened. Taking risks I shuddered to think about now, I’d accidentally shot her in the leg with an arrow during a training session. It had gone clean through her thigh and thunked into the wall behind her.

Yes, I’d been aiming at her, but her reflexes were faster than lightning. The arrow should have missed her completely, but she’d been distracted.

While the hit to her leg wouldn’t have been fatal like a strike to her heart was, I’ll never forget the look on Keiko’s face as she crumbled to the ground. Her screams of agony still haunted my nightmares.

But it was what came next that widened my eyes now.

I’d inspected the injury, which should have healed by then. Instead, it was inflamed, streaks of red spreading outward from the wound like a severe infection. I’d never seen anything like it, but I knew she needed more help than I knew how to give.

I’d slipped an arm under her legs to pick her up, but she’d panicked in pain-induced delirium and bit me—hard. She’d realized her mistake and let go, licking my blood from her lips. We’d both stared in confusion, then awe as the angry red streaks faded away and the hole stitched itself back together before disappearing completely.

Kenzo and his idiotic friends had burst into the training room then and in the usual brawl that followed, I’d completely forgotten about the incident until now.

From the little research I had on vampires, I knew that blood could heal most of their wounds, just not from wood. As Frankie had said, it was like an allergy to their kind, the way iron was to fae or silver to shifters.

For whatever reason, my blood had worked against wood then.

I prayed it would be enough now.

The other gym members caught in the blast had already made their way outside or were focused on getting there. We were alone in the back with plenty of debris to hide what I was about to do.

My fangs elongated as I brought my wrist to my mouth. I punctured through to the artery, then held my wrist to her mouth, encouraging her to drink.

As soon as the first drop of blood hit her tongue, her eyes flew open. She gripped my arm tight as she sucked fervently from my wrist.

With my other arm, I pulled the wood free from her chest. She grunted against my wrist but made no other sound to express pain. She was a tough little thing. Ichiro had made sure of that.

My jaw clicked as I clenched it. If the old man thought he could take my chosen family away from me, he was sorely mistaken. The gaping wound on Keiko’s stomach stitched itself together as she drank. It worked.

"Well, I’ll be damned," Frankie’s gravelly voice came out half-whispered.

When the wound was fully closed, I tried to pull my arm away. "That’s enough, K."

She growled and glared up at me, her irises tinged red.

Fuck.

The bloodlust had kicked in. She would not let go without a fight, which meant one or both of us ending up in severe pain. Most likely me.

"Keiko, let go," I said more forcefully, tugging at my arm.

Her nails dug into my arm as she held tight.

Jou roared in my mind, rising to the surface and ready to fight her off. I knew she could see him flashing in my eyes, yet she still held tight, growling against my wrist. She was lost to instinct.

A purple spark streaked from Frankie’s fingertip to Keiko, whose whole body seized for a moment.

As soon as the jolt subsided, Keiko let my arm go, and I fell backward. Her eyes, dark once again, widened as she wiped at the blood around her lips. "Shit. Sorry, Nic."

Frankie blew across her fingertip like it was a smoking gun. "Still got it."