roar, he grabbed her arm, his grip so powerful she gasped. There was no escape as he latched on with his mouth and started drinking in ferocious pulls. Twisting on the table, he savaged her wrist, his eyes fixated, animalistic as he breathed through his nose and swallowed in great yanks.
Through the pain, she felt total, abject fear.
Tell me you're still in there, she thought. Tell me you are still with us...
It wasn't long before she became light-headed.
"He's taking too much," Vishous said, all urgent.
Before she could respond, she became aware of a scent in the room, a dark... yes, a bonding scent. Wrath's.
Except why would he feel the need to establish his mating territory here and now?
She swayed and Vishous's hard fingers grabbed her upper arm. "Marissa, you're done."
But Butch was starving, mad from hunger. "No! No-"
"Let me take over."
Marissa's eyes shot to Beth... then focused on Wrath. Standing at his shellan's side, Wrath's face was set in violent lines, his body coiled as if he were about to fight something.
"Marissa? Will you let me feed him?" Beth said.
Marissa looked at the queen. God, those words, those same words that had been spoken back in July... when Wrath's body had balanced on the edge of life and Marissa's vein had been what was needed.
"Will you, Marissa?"
As she nodded her head numbly, Wrath started to growl, his lips peeling off fangs that had elongated into white knives.
Oh, Lord, this was a very dangerous situation. Fully bonded males did not share. Ever. In fact, they would fight to the death before they let another male anywhere near their females when it came to feeding.
Beth looked up at her hellren. Before she said anything, Wrath bit out, "V, get your ass over here and hold me back."
As Vishous approached the king, he wished Rhage was with him.
Shit... this was a bad idea. A pure-blooded, bonded male vampire about to watch his shellan feed someone else. Holy hell, when the Scribe Virgin had suggested Beth come down, V had assumed it was for ceremonial purposes, not so she could be a vein. But what was the choice? Butch was going to suck Marissa dry and not have enough and there wasn't another female in the house who could do the job: Mary was still human and Bella was pregnant.
Besides, like dealing with Rhage or Z would be any easier? For the beast, they'd need a tranq gun the size of a Page 259
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cannon and Z... well, shit.
Beth reached up and stroked her hellren's face. "Maybe you shouldn't watch."
Wrath grabbed her by the throat and kissed her hard. Then he brought up her wrist and scored her flesh, opening her vein.
"Go to him. Now." He pushed her away, then slammed his body back against the wall. "Vishous, you better fucking hold me. Or this is going to get ugly."
Wrath's awesome body was trembling, his muscles tensed up, his skin breaking out in a sweat. From behind his wraparounds, his eyes glowed with a light so fierce you could see it plainly.
V hurled himself at his king and met instant, straining resistance. Dear God, this was going to be like holding back a bull.
"Why don't... you leave?" V grunted as he worked to keep Wrath's body in place.
"Would have to... get past them... to get to the door. No... way."
V twisted his head and looked at the table.
Man, Marissa was going to be on the floor if she didn't get free of Butch. And the cop was going to fight like hell if that source of blood left his mouth.
"Beth!" V shouted as he and Wrath struggled. "Pinch the cop's nostrils. Pinch them hard and hold his forehead down. That's the only way you'll get him to release her."
When Beth grabbed Butch's nose, the cop made an inhuman noise, as if he knew what was coming. And his body jackknifed on the table like he was prepared to fight whoever was going to take his food away.
Oh, Christ, please don't let him attack Beth, V thought. Wrath was so lit he was liable to break free and kill the guy. Please-The females handled it beautifully. Marissa yanked her wrist away and nailed Butch in the shoulders, punching into him, holding him down as Beth brought her wrist to his mouth. As that fresh vein came to him, Butch took to the new blood like a babe and moaned at the taste.