Bane's Choice (Vampire Motorcycle Club #1) - Alyssa Day Page 0,86

wrist.

“No,” she protested, but Ryan could see how her gaze fixated on the blood now dripping from Edge’s arm.

“Yes.” He put one hand behind the nape of her neck and held her in place while he sealed his wrist to her mouth, almost forcing her to drink. After a moment, she did.

Ryan sank back on her heels, blowing out a huge sigh of relief. Admittedly, part of her relief was at not getting bitten, but—somehow, in such a short time—Meara had become almost as important to her as Bane.

Bane.

Where had he gone? She looked around to find him standing over her, staring down at her with those terrifying, glowing, scarlet eyes.

“You’re bleeding,” he growled.

“What? No, it’s his blood, the…oh.” She reached up and touched her cheek, which she only then realized was stinging. “Yes, I guess I am, but just a little. He scratched me before I…before I—” Her teeth started chattering; she was definitely going into shock.

“Your blood,” he said, his voice a dark roll of thunder and need. “Want it. Want it now.”

Meara shoved Edge’s wrist away from her mouth and tried to stand, but she was still shaky and fell back against him.

“Brother,” Meara said, cajoling. “No. Not her.”

“Need,” he growled, and now Ryan was starting to feel the fear even through the shock.

Edge put a hand out. “Bane. Stop. You’ve been around human blood before. You can control this. You need to stop. You’re scaring her.”

Bane ignored him completely and crouched down and scooped her up in his arms, staring down at her with an expression gone entirely feral. “Not like this. Not like her. Tastes like sunshine and champagne and happiness.” He closed his eyes and drew in a huge breath. “Tastes like everything.”

Edge and Meara lunged forward, probably to help her, or maybe to stop Bane, but he sliced his hand through the air in an imperious gesture, and both of them flew back through the air and bounced off the car behind them. Then he made another gesture when they sprang to their feet, and they froze, unable to move.

Bane’s fangs snapped down. “I take what I want,” he snarled, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her head back to bare her throat to him.

“No!” She reached up to touch his face, in spite of her shock—in spite of her fear. “No, Bane. I don’t think you would ever forgive yourself, so let me tell you this,” she told him. “It’s not taking if I freely give. Take what you need.”

He smiled, his red eyes flaring even hotter, and then he drove his fangs into her neck.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Bane’s brain exploded at the first taste of her blood. So sweet, so full of life and light and everything he’d ever wanted. He wanted more and more and more.

He needed her blood. Needed her.

It’s not taking if I freely give.

She freely gave her blood to him. She’d even offered her blood to save his sister.

And he was killing her.

He froze, forcing his fangs to retract, and swept his tongue across the puncture marks to help them heal. Ryan’s eyes fluttered open, but she looked so, so weak.

How much had he taken?

“How can you trust me when you see what a monster I am?” The anguish in his voice cut through the night.

“Because I see beneath the monster to the man,” she whispered, almost boneless and weak as a kitten in his arms.

He wanted to kiss her, but not with her blood staining his lips like the evil of his past stained his soul. He could never deserve this woman. He should tell her that, as much as the monster inside him howled denial.

“Ryan—”

She offered him a shaky smile. “Maybe let Meara and Edge go before I have to kick your ass.”

He could never deserve her, but he was damn well going to try.

He released Meara, who was spitting mad, and Edge, who glared at him and then silently strode to his bike and stood waiting, gaze fixed on Meara as if she were his north star.

Bane’s attention returned to Ryan, all but asleep in his arms. Ryan, who had trusted him. Trusted him not to kill her, after she’d watched him kill those shifters. Not just trusted him, but freely gave her blood.

She was a fool to give anything to a monster—even if she claimed to see the man.

“I’m going home,” Meara said, ice dripping from every word. “I’m getting in my car and driving it at a ridiculously fast speed and