Present Tense (Out of the Fire #3) - Candace Blevins Page 0,35
pushing him to go harder and faster. It didn’t come in waves now, but in a river, and he didn’t care if he drowned in it. He fucked harder. Faster. Wished he could do more.
Eunice came home from his run and felt the power when he stepped foot on the property. It grew stronger when he stepped onto the first front porch step, and hit him like a freight train when he opened the door. It took effort to make it down the steps. The palm reader wouldn’t work to get into the room, and he had to manually key in the override.
If they hadn’t been underground, it might have been too much for him, but mongooses find their power when they’re inside the earth. He was grounded, so he could walk into the room and touch his friends long enough for them to find themselves. To remember who they were.
Collosa came out of it first, and he rolled off the bed, crouched as if expecting gunfire, realized no one was shooting, and darted out of the room, through the rest of the basement, and into the backyard. He could safely change in the woods at night, and Eunice figured he’d done just that.
It took Fabio another twenty seconds before his eyes came back to normal, and as soon as they did, Eunice risked skin-to-skin contact with the vampire long enough to lift her off Fabio’s dick and settle her at the foot of the bed.
He stepped back from all of them, careful to stay grounded, and crossed his arms while he waited for the two of them to find their voice.
Kelsey’s eyes went from brilliant blue back to a soft hazel with tiny bits of gold floating in the color.
The power level dropped significantly.
“Crikey! Fuck! Bloody hell! What in the fuck? I can’t get pissed, and I feel bloody blind!”
“Cupcake!” It came out harsh, despite the fact Fabio used his nickname for her, but it got her attention and her eyes focused on him.
“I don’t even know how many points to give you for that,” Fabio told her, “so we’ll give you those as a freebie, but no more. Get hold of yourself.”
Eunice was sweaty so he didn’t want to sit on the sofa. He walked to a chair and sat on the edge. “You’re saying you can’t get drunk, but you feel as if you are?” he asked her.
She nodded, and he looked at Fabio. “I take it ya’ll hadn’t planned for that?”
“No.” Collosa walked into the room, still naked, but no longer smelling of sweat and sex. He’d changed to bear and come right back. He had a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, and he sat, opened the ice cream carton, and took several large bites before speaking.
“Your eyes were brilliant blue. What does that mean?” Collosa asked Kelsey.
She shook her head. “No one’s ever told me that happened before.”
Eunice looked at the clock. “I believe you have about ten minutes until the dawn takes you. Will you be okay to rise, or do you need a sip before you go down for the day?”
“I feel both weak and strong. I don’t know what that means.”
Fabio stuck his arm out. “Take as much as you need. Nothing sexual, just drink. I’m going to change and run today, so you’ll be able to drink now and then again tonight.”
Eunice watched them carefully, and opened up enough to sense the energies in the room. He sensed power again, but not like it’d been before. They’d need to call Marco and get his input and instructions. Eunice’s housemates weren’t going to want to, but their contract specified they were required to notify him of anything hinky.
She only took a few moments to drink from Fabio, and then went into her little brick den. Moments after the wall closed, Fabio breathed out as if a weight had lifted.
“I felt the dawn take her,” Fabio told them. “I’ve only been close enough to a few vampires to sense that, and then only after a blood bond was consciously formed.”
Eunice had felt the dawn take her as well, and he’d never felt anything like it. “She’s new. Is it possible she formed one accidentally?”
“There was no blood transfer tonight until she drank from me a few moments ago.”
Eunice looked to Collosa, who shook his head and gave a small shoulder shrug. “No idea. I’ve never been bound to a vampire. Her eyes went from hazel to brilliant blue. Electric, glowy blue.