Page 11 of This Blood that Bonds Us

“How could you say that?” I didn’t like the deep frown set on her face. I was worrying her. Hurting her more.

“But I’m ruining everything.”

“We don’t do things alone. You know that.”

“I know, but—”

“Hush. Let me think.” She grabbed my hand, probably to keep me from bolting.

I tried to train my attention on her. Her new black hair was pulled into a bun with pieces framing her face. I could tell she didn’t like it, but she was breathtaking no matter what color her hair was. She was still my Kimberly, and nothing would ever change that. Vampire or not. She couldn’t be more out of her element, yet she was navigating it gracefully in her baggy blue jeans and flannel. I moved my hand up to her cheek to pull her out of the thought spiral she was undoubtedly falling into. She’d try to fix this, and I wasn’t sure it could be.

She gasped as my fingers grazed her jaw.

“I have an idea.” She wrapped her fingers around my hand. “What if you . . . bit me?”

“Huh?”

“I know that sounds strange, and. . . I don’t have much to go on other than it’s really our only option to try. If human blood is making it worse, and if it’s really Her blood that you want. Her blood is technically in my veins now too.”

I shook my head, feeling sick all over again. “Barely, Kim. I’m not biting you.”

“And I’m not letting you run off and live in the woods like some feral animal. We have to try every possible solution.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Not really. Not anymore. I’m not human, Aaron. Your brothers literally battled in their own blood. I think I can donate to you and be just fine.”

I covered my face with my hands. What the hell was happening? There shouldn’t have been anything appealing about her proposition, yet her invitation made the hair on my arm stand up. I always wanted her, and now she was offering me her blood. Considering the night we’d met, I’d never let myself think about it for more than a few seconds because it was wrong, but Ididthink about it. Going into her room, crawling my way into her bed, and biting her everywhere she’d let me.

“Will it help?” I asked.

As much as I loved to torture myself, she was right. We had no other options, and I couldn’t imagine leaving the car without something to take the edge off the thirst boiling me alive. It was that or running into the woods until the blood lust turned me insane.

Her heart skipped. “I don’t know. It’s possible it could make it worse, but I don’t think so. My blood should be diluted enough. I think it’s our best option.”

“It can’t get worse.” My mouth watered as I tuned into the sound of her heartbeat.

She held up her wrist. My unnecessary breathing was already unsteady, and her skin was cool against mine. Everything in me was burning, aching, and ravenous.

She guided her other hand through my hair. “Let’s try.”

Everything in me shifted like a caged beast hitting the edge of its prison. “I don’t want to hurt you . . .”

The yearning knotted in my stomach as I moved a hand over her thigh to pull her closer. Maybe it would make it worse. Her blood was technically connected to the queen’s blood. I was in the middle of the most complicated blood system I knew almost nothing about, and nothing was helping. Nothing was okay. My brothers were gone and—

“You can’t hurt me. I’m not made of glass anymore.”

It all swirled together. Lust. Thirst. Want. Fear.

“What if it’s a bad idea and we can’t go back?”

“It will be okay. We’ll figure it out together.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked up at me through her lashes. Coy. Anticipating. Her chest heaved like a cornered animal’s, and I was overly aware of how it felt to trap her there with me. Nowhere to run. My fingers wrapped around her wrist, and I savored her pulse beneath my fingertips.

“You gotta stop looking at me like that.” It was a plea that came from deep within as I used one arm to pull her toward me till she was sitting on top of me. My fingertips dug into her thigh.

There was something so beautiful and right about how warm she was and how it felt to have her body interlocking with mine. I wanted to be closer. So much closer.