Page 16 of Entombed By Blood

I hear the unsaid ‘for now’ at the end of his sentence. No doubt there’s already a plan in place to extract her as soon as she’s well enough. Finn’s probably got himself into the building’s security systems, so sneaking her out shouldn’t be a problem. If it even comes to that.

“So what? We let her out…” Vane trails off.

“She’ll be crazed with the need to feed, but the thrall bond won’t let her kill us.” Gideon shifts, looking uncertain for a split second before he recovers his composure. “After this first feeding, we can try to evaluate her mental state. She’s been stuck in hell for over a century, so she’s going to need some careful handling.”

He gives me a pointed look, his thin eyes narrowing until I nod my agreement. “Yes, Alpha.”

Of the four of us, I’m the smallest and least threatening. If Finn were here, he’d be in charge of comforting her. I’m no omega, like he is, but I’ll have to suffice for now.

“Her file mentions she’s fluent in multiple languages, including English, so sheshouldunderstand us,” Gideon continues.

We all nod, but the statement does nothing to relieve the tension running through the room. Many older immortals are multilingual, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Still, it’s good to know we’ll be able to communicate with her.

“Ready?” Gideon asks, running a hand through his hair.

A chorus of agreement echoes from all of us.

Draven slices a line across the side of his neck. “Me first,” he announces with a grin, pale green eyes flashing with eagerness.

Gideon just nods, flipping open the lid.

Evelyn doesn’t move. She stays just as statuesque as she was before, but her nostrils flare at the scent of fresh blood.

She’s gorgeous. A china doll with perfect, long lashes and creamy skin, though the latter is already marred by burns from the silver.

That spiked silver ball is still forcing her jaw open and her lips are scabby and raw from it. Our alpha unbuckles the gag and tugs it free cautiously, ready to dart out of the way if she tries to sink her fangs into him.

Even Draven seems on edge, waiting for her to lunge.

Evelyn does nothing beyond snapping her mouth shut. Her eyelids don’t even flutter. She looks so peaceful that she could be sleeping.

Reassured, Gideon undoes the padlock keeping the chains tight across her body.

No one breathes as we watch the silver links drop to the floor.

A heartbeat passes. Two.

Those haunting, ice-blue eyes snap open.

Evelyn flies out. Or she tries to. Cain’s blood might have restored her from the husk she was, but her muscles are unused to movement after such a long confinement. She staggers, falling to the floor as her body refuses to support her own weight.

Draven chuckles and her head snaps up, catching the scent of his blood on the air like the predator she is.

“Want some of this?” he taunts. “Come and get it.”

She pounces, pupils blown wide with animalistic need.

This isn’t Evelyn. This is pure survival instinct. For a second, I doubt that we’ll ever get Evelyn back.

Almost two centuries buried in the dark would break anyone.

No. Evelyn will never be who she was before. I doubt anyone could be.

She leaps at Draven, tackling him to the ground with surprising strength, and her fangs sink into the flesh over his cut.

Draven’s moan and her growl are a complete contrast to one another, but the two vampires cling to each other just the same. Evelyn’s black hair completely obscures the view of what she’s doing, but I can see Draven’s hands clenched possessively over her ass.

At least she has enough presence of mind to release the intoxicant that makes her bite arousing rather than painful. That gives me a little bit of hope.