Page 46 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

Like the crazy bitch I was, I dodged his hit then latched on to the blade in his abdomen.

He released a howl as my weight pushed down the blade, and when his paw came down, he missed me.

I balanced my feet on the end of the sword, and then I jumped up, driving Aurelias’s blade straight into its chest.

The yeti went still, released a coo like it was a baby, and then fell back into the snow. When his body went still, I found myself on top of him, his frame limp with death. Now that Aurelias was safe, I turned to Kingsnake. More of the trees had caught fire, and the blaze cast a glow all around us.

Just as I slid down the yeti’s body to help Kingsnake, his creature went down. Snow puffed into the air at the collision. Fang was wrapped around its neck, cutting off its air supply until its face was blue.

“It’s over…”

Now that I knew Kingsnake and Fang were okay, I ran to where Aurelias had collapsed at the base of the tree. He was still, his eyes were closed, but he continued to breathe. “Aurelias?” I grabbed his face and turned it, trying to bring him back to consciousness. “Aurelias, wake up.”

Kingsnake started to run over, and when he saw his brother’s collapsed body, he moved at a sprint. “Aurelias.” He slid across the snow on his knees and came to a halt at his brother’s side. He gave his body a shake to stir him.

“He was awake a moment ago.”

As if I weren’t there, Kingsnake ignored me. “Aurelias.”

I didn’t know what to do, so I stayed quiet.

“He’s fading…”

His death meant nothing to me, but it hurt to watch Kingsnake hurt. “I’m sorry.”

“I need you to do something for me.” His eyes were still on his brother, but he spoke to me.

“Anything.”

“He needs to feed.” Now Kingsnake looked at me, knowing exactly what he was asking of me without remorse. “Your blood may bring him back.”

My eyes shifted back and forth between his, repulsed by the idea of another vampire sinking his teeth into my flesh. Kingsnake was the only man I wanted to have me in that way. “He’s unconscious. How would that even work—”

“Yes or no?”

“Of course the answer is yes.”

He took my wrist and brought it to his face. His fangs protruded, and he bit me, piercing the flesh instantly. The skin was tighter around my wrist than my neck, so the initial bite hurt a lot more. Once the blood was flowing, he held my bleeding wrist over Aurelias’s open mouth and let the drops slide down his throat.

We stayed that way for a while, getting Aurelias to take as much as possible.

Kingsnake eventually let me go then walked back to the camp. “We need a fire.”

“Well…” I looked at the burning trees, several of them ablaze. “We have one.”

“Make a fire next to him.”

I realized it was an order, so I got to work, making a pile of firewood nearby then setting it aflame.

Kingsnake maneuvered his brother into one of the bedrolls and zipped it up to his face, keeping his body warm in the snow. Fang was wrapped around his torso, watching everything over Kingsnake’s shoulder.

There was nothing more I could do, and I felt useless.

Kingsnake ran out of things to do, so he sat beside his brother, arms on his knees with his eyes on the fire. He glanced at his brother every couple of minutes, like he might wake up at any moment.

We sat in silence, listening to the crackling flames.

I wondered what else was out there, what else might see the fire burning, but I didn’t voice my fears.