Bound by Danger (The Alliance #6) - Brenda K. Davies Page 0,7

his bite on her.

I hurt her. Shit. I can’t hurt her!

The insanity, self-hatred, and hunger tearing at him made it feel like someone was digging their fingers into his brain and peeling it apart. What was wrong with him?

But he knew the answer to that. It had been too long since he’d fed; he was out of control, and for some reason, this woman affected him in a way no other ever had.

When the paralysis from her pain eased, Callie hit the asshole carrying her in the small of his back. She didn’t care that he was unstable and a sick freak who ran around biting people; she wouldn’t let him continue to abuse her in such a way.

Her fist connecting with his solid flesh made a thwack sound and caused her hand to sting, but he showed no sign that it affected him at all. He didn’t even grunt from the impact, which infuriated her as much as the fact he kept biting her.

Memories of the past swirled up again as she recalled the time her friend, Jeannie, bit the tongue of… of…

Callie couldn’t remember the name of the kid Jeannie bit, but they were playing spin the bottle, and he’d landed on Jeannie. Until then, they were only doing chaste pecks on the lips, but this kid was a couple of years older and a whole lot bolder. When he shoved his tongue into Jeannie’s mouth, she bit it.

Callie recalled his muffled shouts as he slapped his hands over his mouth. Jeannie started shouting at him that he was a freak, and everyone else, torn between laughter and disgust, watched as the kid stormed out of the house.

Less than a week later, they learned sticking your tongue in someone’s mouth was the way adults kissed, but at the time, it was gross.

They never saw that kid again, but over the years, spin the bottle became a whole lot more interesting, and Jeannie stopped biting and started playing a whole lot nicer.

Callie didn’t much feel like playing nice with the asshole who kept biting her, and why was it so excruciating? A normal bite should never be as paralyzing and punishing as what this freak was doing to her.

Chapter Four

When another Savage stepped in his way, Lucien drew on the strength the few drops of her blood had given him. He remained far weaker than he used to be, and his mind was a convoluted mess that made him feel like the rat hunting the cheese in the maze, but her blood helped to focus him.

He needed to kill; it had been too long since he felt the thrill of snuffing out the life of a Savage with his bare hands, and now he was too weak to experience that thrill. It had been too long since killing helped smother the demon part of him, and he had to unleash that part of himself on something soon.

The delicious aroma of her blood teased his nostrils until all he desired was to taste more of her. But no matter how much his mind churned with its incessant chatter to feed, he couldn’t do that to her again.

The woman’s hands pressed into the small of his back as she kept herself propped up and hit him again. He barely felt her fists against his flesh, but he lowered her and set her on the ground when he spotted two Savages running toward him from the end of the tunnel.

Unprepared for the abrupt motion, Callie staggered to the side and almost hit the wall before righting herself. She glared at the brute, but her irritation with him vanished as, from both sides of the tunnel, footsteps slapped against the dirt and monsters raced after them.

Lucien caught the first Savage by the throat and slammed it into the wall. He tore its throat out as the second came in low and wrapped its arms around his waist. He lost his hold on the first Savage and hit the ground with a loud oomph.

He twisted beneath the clawing hands of the Savage as it pulled at his flesh. Its fingers threaded through his hair, and gripping it firmly, the creature lifted his head from the ground. Before it could smash his head into the earth, Lucien jabbed his palm up and into the Savage’s nose.

Its foul-smelling blood sprayed his face, but though the blood reeked worse than him, it pricked his appetite. Before he could stop himself, he sank his fangs into the Savage’s