Page 20 of Desired for Her Blood

He shrugs. “There’s a tunnel.” He points to the far side of the cave. “It’s long. Miles long and super narrow in sections, with very few places to surface.”

Hope rises. “Where does it lead?”

“Dead end.”

“Fuck.”

He grabs another log, adds it to the fire, and then shakes his head. The firelight makes his cock look even angrier, but it seems to be calming down a bit. Still stiff, but starting to angle more ahead of him than up.

Must be uncomfortable as shit.

“Maybe we could climb,” he says softly.

“Climb what?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “It’s probably been sealed over.” Using a stick, he prods the fire and sparks rise, and I follow their ascent until they flame out above us. I don’t want to let my hopes rise like those sparks, only to be extinguished again.

“What’sprobably been sealed over?”

“Can’t remember how far away it was, and it was sixty years ago, but I saw what looked like a well rising up from the water. I used that spot to take in some air.”

“How’d you know it was a well?” I ask.

“Hole was too uniform to be natural.” He tugs one of the furs over his lap to cover his stiffy.

“Do you remember where it was?” I ask. “Could you find it again?”

He’s right to assume that it’s probably sealed over—no one uses open wells anymore—but it’s the best chance of getting the fuck out of here I’ve heard since I realized manipulating Octavia with my charm was a major fail.

“You’re welcome to try,” he says. “I’m not leaving that way.”

“Why the hell not?”

He draws a deep, chest expanding breath. “Because she can’t.”

I lean back. “The swim is too long?”

He nods. “It might change with the seasons, and who knows what’s happened over time, but last time I swam down that tunnel there were stretches that went for miles, with no chance to get your head above water. It’s way too risky for her to even try.”

My chest tightens again. My breathing accelerates and I put my head in my hands, hoping to disguise what’s going on inside me. Fuck.

Suddenly I feel even more trapped. Because, even if Icouldescape that way, I’m with Axe—there’s no chance I’d leave her behind.

Through my fog of panic, a heavy hand lands on my back and I realize that the big man is next to me.

“You okay?” he asks.

I nod, but can’t catch a full breath. I doubt that vampires can die of a heart attack, but it feels like I’m about to find out.

“Breathe,” Axe says, his voice low and steady. “You’ll be okay.”

I fight to slow down my breathing, to make sure at least some of my inhales deliver molecules of oxygen. Slowly the feeling fades.

“Thanks,” I say, keeping my eyes cast down. “I hate this fucking cave. No offense.”

He grunts, then moves away a few feet to sit, and I’m shocked how I miss the heavy comfort of his hand on my back.

“Can we keep this between us?” I ask.