Crave - Teresa Mummert Page 0,35

into.”

My stomach turned at the thought.

“We agreed I would handle this,” Elijah interjected with his jaw clenched shut tightly.

“That was before you brought her to me bleeding,” Reid replied with narrowed eyes.

“She belongs to me,” Elijah argued, as the other vampires tightened their grips on him and he struggled against them. Reid rolled his eyes and walked back to his chair. I could almost feel Elijah’s want for me to remain strong. It felt thick and cumbersome in the air around me. Reid sat quietly for a moment as his eyes darted back and forth between us.

“So she does. Eva, did our friend here explain to you why he is able to share his feelings with you?”

I looked at Elijah, who remained silent, but I could tell he was furious. It radiated off him in intense waves. Is that what this was? Is that why I was so trusting of him even when he walked me here to my death?

“It takes a very special bond between a vampire and a human. It appears our dear Elijah never had any intention of leaving you breathing.” He laughed as the others joined in, but I felt ill.

“What? Is that true?” I searched Elijah’s face for any sort of confirmation but he gave nothing away.

“Oh, no. You’ve hurt her feelings,” Reid replied mockingly. “I simply meant making you his, not his dinner.”

“Shut up, Reid,” Elijah bit out, his fists clenched in anger.

My stomach suddenly turned and I doubled over on the floor in pain. I screamed as it crept through the rest of my body. Elijah eyed Reid wildly as his anger flowed through my veins like arsenic.

“We won’t even need to bite this one,” he said shooting me a glance as the pain got excruciatingly worse. “You never were any good at controlling your emotions,” he said with a grin towards Elijah. “Right now her heart is racing too fast, her blood running cold. Your hatred is too much for her weak and fragile body to endure.”

I choked and coughed as a tiny trail of blood flowed out of my mouth onto the cold tile floor. Elijah’s body convulsed as he struggled to break free from the other vampires.

I let my heavy eyelids flutter closed as a scream ripped from his chest. The pain was too overwhelming. I heard Elijah growl in agony faintly in the background as I slipped out of consciousness, letting the ache consume me.

Elijah ripped free from the grips of the other vampires and was next to me on the floor. I felt him lift my body in his arms, but I couldn’t respond. He squeezed me tightly and brushed the hair from my face. I felt his sadness deepen and sweep over my body, engulfing me in his heartache. The pain was greater than anything I’d ever felt. Death would have been kinder than this.

His finger trailed along my mouth, wiping the blood away as he slowly put his lips to mine and kissed me softly. The pain that coursed through me slowly subsided as Elijah bit his own lip and his blood slowly dripped into my mouth, filling my mouth with the copper liquid. I felt a tear escape my eye and roll down my face as I lay helpless.

“No!” I heard a scream from above. It was Marcus. “Don’t make her a monster like me,” he pleaded.

Reid laughed in the distance. Marcus launched himself at Reid knocking him hard into the wall behind him. “What do you care?” he hissed at Marcus.

“She’s my sister,” Marcus growled and clawed viciously at Reid. I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. Elijah’s face was inches from mine and I felt his overwhelming relief surge through my body as I was finally able to move. He lifted me and climbed to his feet. Every inch of my body felt alive and better than ever. I shot a glance passed him at Marcus, who was savagely beating the other vampires. “Take her,” he growled to Elijah amidst blows. His face was twisted into a snarl. I hardly recognized my own brother.

Elijah nodded and ran out of the house, carrying me in his arms. I closed my eyes, thankful Marcus was really here. My brother was alive and so was I, for the time being.

But as darkness took over, I was sure I’d finally succumbed to the pain of a broken heart. I just couldn’t tell if it was my own or if I was feeling Elijah’s loss.

***

My body shook violently