War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,100

wrist, she forced open Conall’s mouth and pressed her bleeding wrist into it. “Come on, come on, drink.”

He didn’t move and her wound sealed, instantly healing.

“Fuck!” Think, Thea, think.

She glanced around in panic and then it hit her. Her eyes flew to the back corner where the iron dagger was on display. Thea was a streak of energy crossing the room, yanking the dagger from the wall, ignoring the blazing agony ripping up her arm from her hand. Her reflexes wanted to drop the knife, but she forced her grip around it, pushing through the pain.

Weakening from the dagger, she fell to her knees at Conall’s side. Fresh sweat glistened along her brow, and she bit her teeth against the scream that tore up from her throat as she dug the blade into her wrist.

It was pure fire.

Tears streamed down her face as she dropped the dagger and pressed her sliced wrist to his mouth. Her blood dripped, the iron-made wound taking longer to heal.

Conall didn’t move.

“No, no, no, no,” Thea panted. “Conall, you have to drink. You can’t leave me.” She bent over him, pressing desperate kisses down his scarred cheek, her tears splashing onto his skin. She rested her cheek against his, her body shuddering with panic. A sob burst out of her. “P-p-please … p-please don’t leave me.”

A grunt, a choking sound, drew her head up.

He was choking on her blood.

Alive.

Healing.

Thea made a garbled sound of pure happiness and cradled his head so he could drink without choking. His eyes didn’t open but he raised a hand to clasp her wrist to his mouth. “Sorry,” she whispered, kissing his temple. “I’m so sorry.”

Then she watched as the wound on his neck healed.

His grip on her wrist eased and when Thea pulled back, his eyes were open.

Thea laughed through her tears. “Hey, you.”

Conall pushed up into a sitting position, tugging Thea into his lap. He buried his head in her neck and they shuddered in each other’s arms for a second as they tried to get a hold on their emotions.

“You almost died,” she whispered, her voice hoarse with grief.

His grip tightened. “But you didnae let me.”

Thea drew back, cupping his face in her hands, wondering how it was possible to need a person so much. Her blood stained his lips, reminding her of how close he’d come to death. The idea was unbearable. Losing her parents left her with a gaping hole in her soul. Losing Conall would obliterate her. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying.

“I was so scared,” she admitted.

Conall nodded slowly. “Aye, lass. Me too. That’s what it is to be mated. It’s a ‘cannae live without each other’ deal.” Anger blazed in his icy eyes. “Which is why I dinnae appreciate you offering your life for mine.”

He was lecturing her? Now? She hadn’t even wrapped her head around the whole mating thing yet. “Seriously? You would have done the same thing.”

He grumbled at that, but his gaze drifted over her shoulder. Awe crept into his expression. “You wiped out fourteen vampires, Thea. You became pure sunlight.”

She nodded, more than a wee bit wary of the door she’d opened inside her soul. “I’m a little scared of myself.”

“Don’t be.” He turned her face to his. “You can control this.”

Thea studied him, hoping he was right. He had so much faith in her, it was humbling. “Did you really not know? About … our mating? How can it be true?” There was a part of her, the part that just wiped out fourteen vampires to save his life, that believed it to be true. She’d trusted Conall because she’d known deep down who he really was, and how could she have known that without some bond or connection pulling them together?

Yet, her logical side, belonging to that person who had been running on her own for years, found the whole idea a little too spectacular. After all, she and Conall had only met a few days ago, even if it did seem much longer.

Conall’s brow furrowed in thought. “I smelled you on my skin the morning on the ferry. But I thought it was just from sex. Now”—he nuzzled her throat, drawing in her scent—“you smell of me too.” His grip tightened, and she felt his body harden against her. “I cannae let you go now, lass.”

Truthfully, Thea didn’t want him to. She couldn’t deny what she’d felt when she thought he was dying. Everything inside her had wanted to die too. But it