Page 18 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

BLOODLUST

For the first time in a long time, he was in a state of full-out panic. Athan dodged parked cars and pedestrians on the busy street as Sarah lost her battle in the passenger seat next to him, her body contorting and those eyes that brought him to his knees going fully onyx.

Bloodlust.

It wouldn’t matter now what he said to her.

She was trapped somewhere in that immortal body with no other escape than to do something he knew would devastate her.

And he had no time to prepare her for it.

The files he kept of the inmates at the prison were in a box at the house, and the prison was a good hour away.

She’d never last that long. With Sarah’s blood being the breath of life that it was, he never expected her to succumb to this.

His first feeding hadn’t been from a blood bag.

She hadn’t had fresh human blood from a living, breathing host. Sarah growled and screamed, tearing at her throat—the throat he knew had to be on fire as she thrashed around her seatbelt.

“Baby, stay with me,” he huffed, cutting a sharp turn that earned him several honks and middle fingers.

Sarah snapped at him with her teeth, and for a moment it reminded him of the way Rhaena lost herself in those chains.

He had to get back to that part of himself.

The one that soothed the beast. The one that went out of his way to protect the person inside from themselves.

His mate deserved that much from him. He was the reason she came to be the thing he hated most about himself.

Several streets down, in a part of town he knew was a haven for junkies and the forgotten souls that the world decided had lost their minds…

would be the fix she needed. A fix the dealers in this district would soon realize they’d provide.

He almost hit a large dumpster as he swerved into a narrow alley.

Sarah made to attack him from the seat, ripping part of the seatbelt as she lunged for him.

The lap belt was the only thing left holding her.

The sun was a ways off from disappearing for the evening, but the thick clouds covering it now would at least make this a bit more discreet.

Athan parked and hurried around to the other side, and when he opened the door, Sarah’s growling became guttural and laced with that hunger he always longed to forget.

The hunger that robbed her of her life the night that he lost control.

Her nails dug into the sleeves of his suit, and she fought to get past him as he reached around her, unbuckling the belt.

“Back into the chamber…turning!” Sarah growled through her clenched teeth.

It startled him as he pulled her out of the car, holding her arms by her sides in restraint while she struggled.

“All my…soul…within me burning…” Her head violently shook, and he realized then—that was his Sarah—quoting Poe, and fighting to get back to him.

She somehow found it in her to use the only thing she knew would clue him in that she was still in there.

Please don’t hate me again…I love you.

Athan turned her to face away from him and held her tight against him, lifting her feet from the ground and rushing them around the corner to an abandoned subway terminal where he knew some of the lowest drug dealers, and humans barely clinging to life would be hiding in the darkness below.

Maybe it wouldn’t hit her as hard if she took the life of someone who’d likely not be missed.

It didn’t make this better, but it could at least make it more manageable once she came back from the darkest parts of their world and realized what she’d done…

what he’d allowed her to do. Gurgled screaming erupted from her throat and for a moment, as he swept down the weathered steps, her inhuman strength matched his own.

She may have even been a tad stronger than he was right now.

They hit the last step, and a loud fluttering of wings shot past his face, brushing his ear and startling him.

He froze as the caw of a large black bird echoed through the dingy subway.

In the flickering of fluorescent lights, the bird landed on a broken post next to a trembling addict with wide eyes and an aloof expression.

Athan gave pause and his attention darted between the lone fowl and the unsuspecting stranger while Sarah seemed to become more desperate in his arms.

“Tell me what…thy lordly name is,” Sarah struggled, growing ravenous. “…on the night’s Plutonian shore!” Her face raised and the raven cocked its head, clicking his beak. Those eyes…that’s—

Quoth the Raven…

“Nevermore,” Poe uttered, fluttering his wings before diving down towards the disgruntled man leaning against the wall beneath rotting newspapers. Sarah broke from his arms and flew towards the stranger, whose eyes were being plucked by Athan’s own pet.

Athan staggered back, frozen in shock while the man’s screams of pain echoed through the empty dark tunnels and Sarah savagely attacked his neck.

What the fuck was happening? How did he get out?

More importantly…why was he here? His fingers speared through his hair and he breathed heavily, watching the two beings he cared about most, murder someone.

He rushed to her side, careful not to touch her until her first feeding was complete.

Poe squawked, flying past them and landing on the shoulder of a silhouette that appeared at the end of the steps.

Athan narrowed his eyes as the woman’s soft heels clacked forward and the flickering lights finally revealed her face.

“What the f—”

“This could have been avoided,” Sykes drawled, reaching a knuckle up to her shoulder to stroke Poe’s breast. “How could you not have let her feed? As old as you are, you fucking know better.”

Athan glanced back down at Sarah, whose body was becoming more relaxed as she pulled with her mouth from the dying man’s jugular.

The frantic breathing through her nose was starting to even out, and her movements more fluid with satisfaction.

He jerked his face back to the phony detective.

“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded, raising from his crouch and drawing his gun.

“Oh, please. There’s no need for dramatics, Kane. I’m not here to harm either of you.”

He steadied the barrel of his weapon with perfect aim in the center of Ryan’s chest and slid his fangs out in warning. “Poe…come.”

Sykes smirked and shook her head. “He won’t. He’s finished his assignment. He’ll go back where he belongs.”

“What are you talking about? What assignment? I’ve had him since—”

“Since he led him to you. Yes. Curiously long life for a bird. Don’t you think?

” She took another step forward. “Why do you think he came to you? What part of you doesn’t wonder why the one thing that brought you and your mate together, utterly revolves around him?

” She nodded up at the raven, who watched Athan longingly.

“It’s good to see her so taken with you.

You’re so intoxicating together. A pleasure to watch, too. You fuck like gods.”

Something in the pit of his nauseous stomach flipped.

His brows raised, and Sarah’s sharp gasp for breath as she broke away from her host distracted him.

He abruptly turned, lowering his weapon and dropping to his knees next to his mate.

The gun clattered to the concrete, and he brought his arms around her pulling her back to his chest while she heaved ragged breaths.

Her hands violently shook as she raised her palms in front of her.

It was messy…her fingers dripped with fresh blood, and the scent darkened his eyes.

It was difficult to control himself, but he focused on her…

on her and the panic that seized her body as she stared down at the corpse that slumped against the wall.

“No…” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, no…no…” Athan rested his chin over her shoulder, holding her close.

“You’re okay, Sarah…I’m here, I’ve got you.” He knew his words would do nothing for her. This, she’d have to live with for eternity. His eyes flashed to the steps, finding Sykes and his bird gone.

“No!” Sarah shook, breaking into a heavy sob and covering her bloody mouth with her palm. Several sets of footsteps sounded from the other side of the tunnel and Athan pulled her back.

“We’ve gotta go,” he whispered, helping her to her feet.

She’d lost one of her black heels somewhere in the drag from the car to the subway.

Her black tights were ripped at the knees, and her white collar was now almost completely dyed in stark red blood.

The hurried footsteps neared closer, and Athan reached down, checking the man’s pockets.

There was an old pocket-watch attached to the only remaining belt loop on his filthy pants.

He ripped it off and shoved it into his suit pocket, pulling Sarah along as he swiped his gun from the ground and led her quickly up the steps.

Sarah’s hysterical crying got worse with every quick stride back to his car. “Go back!” she wept, struggling against his arm. “Athan, go back! I can save him…please!”

“You can’t Sarah…he’s gone. We don’t leave them alive.

” His heart broke for her. He never wanted this.

Never wished this kind of existence for the one that gave him a real future.

This was her future now. There was a time when he thought that they could avoid the killing of innocent human life.

With her blood, and the good it could do…

there was no way that future wouldn’t be a little brighter, even being what she now was.

He was wrong. And he’d selfishly asked her to be his wife .

Fuck. How could he have been so naive? He helped her into the car, closing the door and pulling out his phone. Rhaena answered on the second ring.

“Hey! We’re—”