Page 25

I gasped, cringing into Jax, but immediately stiffened. Jax was the furthest vampire I’d seek comfort from.

Tobias frowned.

“She’s bleeding. Close her wounds.”

Jax’s jaw fluttered and he loosened his hold at once, yanking my fingers from where they curled around his shirt.

“I’m not healing her.”

Tobias’s jaw ticked and he looked at Jax like he thought he was scum.

“Very well, hand her over.” Tobias slid his arm around my back to prop me up. “I need to close your wounds.”

I had no energy to fight Jax transferring me over to Tobias. I was limp and aching. My legs slid against the tile, scooting as Tobias cradled his arm behind my back to drag me close. He had no right to be so gentle. Who was he trying to fool, me or himself?

Electric pinpricks traveled through my limbs. I shoved at his chest. My move caused the wetness at my neck to trickle toward my cleavage.

“Shh,” he murmured and brushed my hair back from my face.

I blinked tears away, too weak to make an appropriate effort to get away from him.

“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured and his head lowered, gaze fixed on the rise of my breasts. His tongue slid up the column of my throat. The warm lash of his tongue was a smooth caress that brought my goose bumps to life.

I shuddered, closing my eyes tightly.

His tongue paused mid-lick and his fingers tightened around my waist. I waited between the precipice of not knowing what he would do and wanting to beg him to keep touching me.

When he finally moved again, it was to sigh, his warm breath puffing me with sweet orange as he retreated.

“What happened?” Asher scowled. “I left you alone for only minutes.”

Tobias smoothly stood and extended his hand to help me up. I ignored it and struggled to stand on my own. He must have had enough of my fawn-like movements because he cupped my elbow and hoisted me to my feet.

I wavered. It couldn’t be good losing as much blood as I had. In addition to that was the hunger twisting my stomach. My head swam and I swayed. Tobias’s grip tightened.

Asher tsked and plucked at the blood drenched collar of my shirt.

“We need another outfit.”

I didn’t like him talking about us like we were a unit.

I glared at him and yanked my arm from Tobias’s grip.

“He burned all of my things,” I spat, letting my temper get the best of me. Ren’s eyebrow raised and he lifted his hand. Abright flame sputtered to life across all of his fingertips. The five small flames were faintly blue at the base and brightened toward the tip.

“Would you like me to setyouaflame?”

“Go ahead,” I said, gritting my molars, with more bravado than I felt. I tensed so much it hurt, but it was the only way I stayed in place instead of pointlessly running like a bat out of hell.

“Enough,” Asher muttered. He clapped his hands. “I have some gowns in the upstairs storage.”

The flames hovering over Ren’s fingertips sputtered and extinguished. Only then did I process Asher’s statement.

“I’m not wearing one of those hideous gowns belonging to that vampire woman.”

The entire room went utterly still. I swear the oxygen sucked out of the room with my words.

True fear skittered down my spine. If anything would drive them to rip my head off it was talking about their precious Imogen. Instinctively, I crowded closer to Asher.