Page 28 of Kentucky Nights (Dead Man’s Ranch #1)

Kentucky throws me on the bed, blurs to the furthest end of the room, and bites into his own arm, shouting into the wound with frustration. It’s somehow enough to calm him. He slides down the wall until he is sitting on the floor. Blood drips from his arm, but he doesn’t remove his fangs.

His face seems pale. Dark circles appear under his eyes. His arm falls to his side, and dark red drips from his mouth. “I’ll never take away your choice,” he murmurs. “Never.”

Kentucky’s eyes roll to the back of his head, his body slumping over.

“Kentucky?” I whisper his name with fear. “Kentucky!” I shout, jumping from the bed to rush to his side. I grab his shoulders, shaking him in hopes he will wake up.

He doesn’t move.

His arm is slower to heal. The wound still oozes blood, a small pool collecting on the floor beneath him.

“What do I do? What do I do?” I chant, leaning down to check to see if he is still breathing, pressing two fingers against his neck.

I don’t feel anything.

“Oh my god. Kentucky!” My eyes fill with tears and panic, not knowing what to do in this situation. I place my hand under his nose, exhaling a huge breath of relief when hot air brushes by.

Why can’t I feel a heartbeat, then?

“Um. Okay, it’s okay. He is alive. Barely, but alive.

What do I do? Think, Druscilla, think.” I have always spoken my issues out loud.

It makes it easier to think of solutions when I can hear what the problem is.

“He is unconscious. You have no idea what from. He is pale. He isn’t healing as fast. Clearly, he is sick.

Maybe vampires get the flu? No, that doesn’t make sense either.

He said he can’t get human diseases. Unless it is the vampire flu.

” I roll my eyes at how stupid that sounds. “I bet that doesn’t even exist.”

I try shaking him awake again, but it doesn’t work. He still lies there unconscious, barely breathing, with a heart rate of three. I don’t know how that is possible.

Nearly tripping over myself when I run to the bed, I snag a few pillows, the comforter, and an extra blanket that is folded at the bottom. I place a pillow behind his head, shove the others under his legs to elevate them, cover him with the comforter, and rush to the bathroom to clean up a little.

I wish I could appreciate how beautiful the bathroom is.

There’s a huge walk-in shower to the left, made with wood paneling.

According to the screen on the wall, it also doubles as a sauna.

To the right is another claw-foot tub, and the vanity has two sinks with antique mirrors hanging over each of them.

His closet is directly to the left when you enter the bathroom, big enough for four people.

Half of it is unused while the other half has his jeans, shirts, and hats.

There are a few drawers that I rummage through.

I’m relieved when I find a pair of underwear, and I steal another Dead Man’s Ranch shirt off the hanger.

I don’t get dressed just yet. I need to clean up.

I roll up toilet paper and stuff it between my legs as a makeshift pad, hoping I can get the products I need soon.

When I’m done, I wash my hands and splash some cold water on my face, staring at myself in the mirror. I’m brainstorming. Maybe Kentucky is resting, and I’m overthinking. I tend to do that when I have no idea what is going on.

Patting my face with a fluffy towel, I scurry into the bedroom and sit by Kentucky’s side. I take his hand in mine, leaning my head against his shoulder, waiting.

What if all I end up doing is waiting?

I lift his arm over the blanket, staring at the wound where he bit himself. Why would he do that? That doesn’t make any sense when I offered him my wrist. The wound isn’t bleeding anymore, which means he is healing.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask him, despite the fact that he can’t answer. “Would Lorcan know?” I bet he would. How do I summon him? Is it like “Bloody Mary” where I say his name three times while looking in the mirror with all the lights off?

“Um, Lorcan! Lorcan!” I decide to try, shouting his name into the quiet room. “Lorcan, it is an emergency!”

“You rang,” he sings, appearing in the darkest corner of the room.

“Lorcan, I need you to help me.” I tuck the blanket under Kentucky’s legs, so he stays covered. “Something is wrong with Kentucky.”

Lorcan turns to smoke, drifting closer to us. His torn black cloak drags across the floor. Kneeling, he presses his hand to Kentucky’s forehead, his lips pinching together.

“Well, he isn’t in rodeo shape. The damn thing is Friday. I lose money every year betting on him.”

“Lorcan!” I point to Kentucky. “Do you think I give a shit about a rodeo when he seems to be barely breathing? Also, his heart rate is very low. It’s three beats a minute.”

He waves his bony fingers through the air. “That’s normal for a vampire. Fun fact, every vampire has a different heartbeat.” He sighs, pressing his fingers to his temples as if it could actually relieve his headache. “I can’t tell you what’s wrong because I’d be going against Kentucky.”

With a sneer, I grab him by his cloak and slam him against the wall.

“Listen, Bone Boy, I don’t know what fucking games you two are playing, but I’m sick of it.

You’re going to tell me what is wrong right now, or I swear, I will start breaking your bones one by one in order for you to tell me what the hell is going on.

How can I save him? Why isn’t he healing? ”

“Okay, retract the claws. I’ll help, but you have to promise you don’t know anything when he wakes up.”

“Fine. What is going on? Please, Lorcan. I…I care about him more than I understand.”

“I told him to tell you. I told him. He is so damn stubborn, but he wanted you to have the choice, Dru. Choice is very important to him. If I do this, I’m taking that away.”

“If you don’t tell me, can he die?”

“Can you let me go? You’re oddly strong for a human.”

I narrow my gaze at him, debating if letting him go is the right thing to do. He seems to respond best to attitude.

“Right. I thought I did already. Sorry.” I let him go, and he straightens his robe, brushing out the wrinkles even though he clearly needs a new one with how torn and ragged it is.

“Before I talk about him, I need to know how you are doing? How are you feeling? Outside of this moment, you need to tell me everything,” he says, bending down to examine Kentucky’s arm. “He bit himself?”

Tears fill my eyes. “Yes. I offered my wrist to him. He was struggling so bad, Lorcan. He flew from the bed, yelled at me to stay back, and then I offered him my wrist for him to drink, but he bit himself. I tried shaking him awake. He’s out cold.”

“And how do you feel? Not the panic, I mean, how do you feel around him in general? I need to know how far this has gone. I see you gave in to the heat,” he says, pointing to the bed.

I choke on a cough, twisting one of my curls around my finger.

“We have been fighting it for the last few days. I don’t know what happened.

I feel this need to be close to him at all times, my body is always hot like I have a fever, and when I’m around him, I fall more in love with him.

The thought of being away from him kills me.

I don’t want to go home if it means leaving him.

This feels like my home now, and I don’t understand.

We fell into bed, and it was…amazing. It felt right.

It felt natural. I don’t know why he wouldn’t take my blood.

Is something wrong with me? Will my blood hurt him or something?

I’m type AB negative. Does he not like that?

Does he prefer another? I can try to go get him some. I’ll break into a blood bank.”

Lorcan smiles at me, wiping away my tears with a rough bone. “No, Dru. Someone else’s blood won’t work.” He groans in frustration. “This isn’t how this is supposed to go.”

“Lorcan! Just tell me!” I sit down next to Kentucky, taking his hand in mine. “Please.”

Lorcan sits down too, joining me on the floor next to Kentucky.

“He can’t take any other blood but yours, which is why he bit himself.

If he bites you, it seals the bond between you.

Forever. He is like this because he needs your blood.

Have you felt desperate? Achey? Or feeling like you will die if he doesn’t bite you? ”

I nod, bringing Kentucky’s hand to my lips, kissing his palm. “Yes. All those things.”

“You’re his fated mate, Dru. It’s why all this is happening.

The heat you’re feeling? It’s called a mating heat, and it won’t get better until you seal the bond.

The fever will get worse, you’ll become more desperate for his bite, and he will drive himself out of his mind until he bites you.

You’re already half-bonded by the smell of it,” he clears his throat.

“Since you know…” He juts his head toward the bed.

“I’m assuming you didn’t wear protection. ”

I look away, still feeling the warmth of him between my legs. “No, we didn’t.”

“If he bites you, that’s it. You’ll live forever.

He will live forever, and that’s another thing he has been struggling with.

For as long as I have known him, he has only wanted to die.

Meeting his fated mate is the last thing he wanted, until he got to know you, Dru.

He told me he wanted the choice to be yours, but know this, if you say no, you will die too.

Fated mates can’t live without each other.

He didn’t bite you because that would be taking away your will, and with how he was turned, choice is too important to him.

He would rather suffer than trap you like he was trapped. It’s a big decision.”