Delinquents Turned Fugitives - Ann Denton Page 0,130

a perimeter. You really need to get the hell out of there.”

“Roger that,” Evan said dully, touching his ear, but his eyes, like the rest of ours, were glued to Callum.

Evan’s hand found mine and squeezed.

I couldn’t control my trembling as Callum made his way back over to Matthew. For some unknown reason, when Callum approached, Matthews growls grew quieter and his eyes grew wide. He froze, almost like a rabbit who tries to hide from a predator, hoping that the lack of motion would make the hunter move on to other prey.

But Callum didn’t move on.

Goosebumps rose on my arms as I watched the tall blond man bend down and caress my brother’s cheek, like he was petting him.

Fuck.

Had I made the wrong choice?

What was he about to do?

Both my hands squeezed Evan’s as hard as I possibly could. Tiny rays of light escaped my palms, evidence of my anxiety.

Callum reached down and let his fangs extend. Then he gently bit into his own wrist. As soon as the blood started to flow, slavering Matthew was back, all effects of Calm receded. Callum’s vamps released their hold on Matthew and my brother’s claws grew back to full size. His fangs latched onto Callum’s arm and he wrenched the man down toward him.

Callum’s head knocked into the wall as Matthew yanked on him, but the sane vampire didn’t retaliate against my brother, my step forward to protect Matthew was unnecessary.

The British vamp was gentle with my brother, lowering his wrist so that Matthew could more easily lap up the blood. He flinched when Matthew’s fangs lifted and pierced his arm in a second spot, but he still stood there, letting my brother take in his changed blood.

His cured blood.

Malcolm and I exchanged a look as we both realized what was happening at the same moment.

The cure could be shared via blood.

Vampires could still be cured.

Fuck, I didn’t think my heart had ever beat so quickly.

Not in the vault, not the fight to get to this room. No moment had ever felt as precarious as this one. Maybe because only my life had been at stake. But now … it was his.

And not just Matthew’s—I realized every vampire’s sane existence hinged on Callum.

The pale vampire’s eyes met mine as my brother’s wild noises slowed. His deep gaze seemed to drag me in, and I took a step forward without meaning to—luckily, Andros’ thick hand clasped my forearm and pulled me into him so that I didn’t cross the room while my brother was unrestrained.

“It’s working.” A faint smile touched Callum’s lips as Matthew’s fangs started to recede.

Callum stuck a hand in my brother’s hair and pulled Matthew’s mouth away from his wrist. At first, Matthew snarled and raised his claws to rake Callum’s side.

Malcolm raised a hand, a snowball erupting in his palm. He pelted Matthew with it and a second snowball, causing my brother to lose focus and turn his freckled glower in our direction. We tensed and Evan stepped forward, ready to toss up an ice shield between my brother and the rest of us. But when Matthew’s eyes collided with mine, his expression changed.

And then his entire body began to morph.

His long claws retracted slowly, transforming back into human hands. His feral look became muted by shock as he blinked and brought a finger to his wet lips, then raising a questioning brow when he recognized the red substance. His jaw dropped.

“Hales?” his jaw trembled.

I shot forward like a cannonball, shoving Callum aside so that I could wrap Matthew up in my arms. His shoulders felt broader than I remembered, even though he was gaunt and stick thin, malnourished at this fuck of an institute.

Tears? I didn’t have tears—I had river rapids gushing down my face. I couldn’t hold back the horrid sounds that emerged from my chest, the garbled sobs as I clutched my brother.

“You’re back,” I whispered, when I finally had caught my breath and could speak again.

Matthew pulled away slightly—blood drying on his chin and forming a dull brown crust—and asked, “How long have I been gone?”

I swallowed hard, my throat sore, and debated how best to tell him. I pulled back and swiped at my eyes and cheeks, and tilted my head, giving him a soft smile. But his eyes traveled past me and looked at Evan.

“Dude? What happened to you?” Matthew’s eyes traveled up and down Evan’s huge form, the net still magically embedded in his face. “Did you get into a fight