Page 1 of The First Year Continued (Marked Blood Academy #2)

Odin

Caught between bliss and anguish, each pull of Roxy’s mouth sucked more of my life force from my body. I swayed toward her, bracing my hands on either side of her body. I didn’t want to hurt her but knew that my strength would give out any second.

The edges of my vision became so cloudy, I closed my eyes and sank into the abyss—farther and farther. Darkness washed over me. Pulled me under. Tugged on my consciousness until I barely remembered my name.

Or if I was still alive.

“Roxy!” someone called from a distance. I recognized the voice but couldn’t recall the name of the owner. “Roxy, you have to stop. Stop!”

Hands clamped on my shoulders and wrenched me backward.

I would’ve caught myself if it weren’t for the debilitating jelly my legs had turned into.

My body weighed a thousand pounds. Clattering and rushing movements swirled around me.

I landed in a slapping heap on the cold floor.

Oh, the chill felt so nice compared to the fever that had wrapped me in its embrace.

Cold. Sleep. So damned sleepy.

“Odin.” My face stung from the impact. Ouch, that hurt, damn it.

Did Sol slap me? That insolent prince. He was going to pay for that…as soon as I could move my arms and legs again. I tried to lift my hand to bat him away, get him to let me drown, but my hands were made of lead and even my shifter strength was of no use.

“Odin, wake up. You’ve got to open your eyes. We have to make sure you’re okay.”

I would’ve loved to wake up. Damned eyes wouldn’t open.

Fight back. Wake up. Wake up!

My wolf sent me a surge of energy. Magic trickled through our connection, dripping at first, and then a big push had me inhaling all the oxygen in the room.

“There. Open your eyes, big guy.”

I shot up to a seated position and used all my concentration to force my eyelids open.

I was in Roxy’s room. Evander had his arms around her waist and his legs wrapped around her hips.

A thin scarlet ribbon made a river that started at the corner of her mouth and meandered down her jawline and to her throat.

Fangs, vampire fangs, sharp and white, protruded from her gums.

Her eyes were wild. Wide. Large. Nailing me down.

“Is she okay?” I asked. “Roxy? Are you okay?”

Her breaths slowed, and it was her turn to close her eyes.

Sol crouched beside me. “Is she all right? Are you?”

Why was he worried about me? Why me and not her?

The moments before my capture by the darkness all came flooding back. Finding Roxy in the stairwell. Bringing her to her room. This room. Yes, we were in her room. Why was it so hard to remember that?

She pulled me in. I thought she was going to kiss me.

Then she sank those fangs right into my neck. A burst of pleasure and passion took over the pricks of pain.

Then there was the throbbing of my heartbeat in my temples.

The drumming of my slowing heart.

The gulps and grunts as she pulled me closer, tugging at my clothes. Pulling me closer—closer still.

She couldn’t stop. Her need flowed from me, from her body to my wound and threaded into my soul.

“Odin, gods damn it. Answer me!”

“I’m here.” I could form no other response at the moment.

“Good. About time.” He turned to look at Roxy.

She had calmed enough for Evander to release his grip. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she slapped her hands over her mouth. “Odin? Odin, I’m so sorry. I…”

“Let’s get him onto the bed. I need to see if he’s stopped bleeding.”

Evander and Sol grabbed me, hefting me up by the arms only to deposit me on Roxy’s bed. The power my wolf had shocked me but waned bit by bit and sleepiness threatened to take over again.

I lay back on the pillow that smelled like her. Evander leaned over my form and tugged at my shirt. “It’s still not closed. We need to put pressure on it.”

“Here.” Evander ducked into the bathroom and emerged with a small towel, balled it up, and pressed it against my wound.

Long gone were the fuzzy sensations and pleasure that knocked out the pain.

When he put his weight on my neck, it bit back, sending aching pain down to my chest and over my shoulder. Even my jaw hurt.

“What in the hell happened?” Sol asked, pacing. “Start from the beginning.”

I told him everything I remembered.

As I spoke, Roxy came over and took my hand in hers. She filled in the gaps of my memory. “I’m so sorry, Odin. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

“You didn’t mean to. It was not your fault.”

Evander crouched near Roxy. “We know you wouldn’t hurt us on purpose. You haven’t been doing well with the bite.”

“You noticed? I thought I was hiding it so well.”

Sol cocked his head. “You weren’t. Not from us, at least. Not sure about the others. Speaking of hiding it well, we need to talk about this. What happens next.” He pulled the towel away from my neck. “The bleeding stopped. You’ll be better once you shift, but it’s coagulating for now.”

“How do you feel?” Roxy asked. I found it funny how she ignored Sol’s conversation. No one ignored Sol.

I wished I could take her in my arms and tell her I would be fine. That I was more concerned about her and her pain. Despite liters of my blood inside her, we weren’t there yet. I was sure she was my mate, our mate, but kept my mouth shut.

“I’ll be okay. A little weak. What about you?” I squeezed her hand back.

“I’m okay. Hungry.” Every stare landed on her. “Not like that. I could really use some sugar.”

“I’ll run and get them a snack but not before we talk.” Sol was all business. All kinds of rare things happening today.

“About what?” I asked. “She didn’t mean to do it.”

“I believe that.” Evander took a seat and rested his head in his hands. “We need to talk about never telling anyone about this. Not telling a soul what happened here tonight.”

“What will happen to me?” Roxy whispered, pulling my shirt aside to look at the bite. “I’m so sorry.”

“Nothing because none of us are going to tell anyone. No one.” Sol rose from the bed. “I’m going to go get Odin some clothes. Evander, when I get back, you find something for them to eat.”

“I can stay with him. He’s okay for now, right?” she said.

Evander and Sol shared a look. “We’re not sure that’s a wise idea, Rox. It’s too soon.”

“Oh.”

I wasn’t safe with her.

“I’ll go. Be right back.”

While Sol was gone, I let my eyes close. Roxy slid to the floor and laid her head against my hand, which she still held in hers. Sol came back, and soon Evander left. In no time, he was back as well, snacks and a few sandwiches in hand. “I told them we were studying. They bought it.”

My friends helped me sit up. I ate two of the sandwiches, but Roxy didn’t touch a bite. Once I was full, she finally took a pack of peanut butter crackers and ate them slowly.

“What happens now?” she asked. “If someone finds out, I’ll be staked. Exiled. Forced to go rogue. All of the above.”

“We said we wouldn’t tell anyone and we meant that. We’re in this together.” I reassured all of them. Mostly Roxy. Our mate. We had a new bond now. One of blood.

Did her bite count as a mark? No. It was made with vampire fangs.

Besides, she wasn’t exactly in her right mind when she did it.

“I would understand if you did.” She blinked back tears. “I would understand if you all left and never spoke to me again. What I did was unforgivable.”

“You weren’t yourself. The responsibility lies with the vampire who bit you first. Hell, even the shifters are responsible for making us go to war. None of this is on you.”

If anything, her expression darkened even more.

“If it’s okay with you, we’ll spend the night here. Odin’s not strong enough to get to our room without being noticed and we want to make sure you’re good as well.” Sol looked genuinely concerned about me.

“You do?” She perked up a bit. “Even after this?”

“Always, Roxy. We’ll always look after you.”

We found places to sleep. They all insisted I stay on Desi’s bed and made spots for themselves on the floor, Roxy in her own bed, of course. The lights were turned off. Silence took over.

“Roxy?” Evander said.

“Yeah?”

“Are you…can you still feel your wolf?”

I hadn’t thought to ask her that. Did he think drinking blood had turned her fully vampire? Smart to ask.

A pregnant pause hung between us. “Yes,” she finally answered. “My wolf is still there. She spoke to me. She’s not gone. Thank the goddess. That means I’m still a shifter, right?” Her cheeks, which had been flushed, paled. “A shifter and a vam—”

“Shh,” I tried to comfort her. “Let’s get some sleep. We all need it after tonight.”