Realizing there was another person to snack on, Hellina switched her focus, launching at Devyn’s ankles and biting.
Devyn howled. “What the hell?” He kicked out his leg, trying to shake the hungry dog loose but not succeeding.
“She’s a new vampire,” McKell said, “and she’s hungry. Needs to feed.” Even uttering the words was odd.
“I don’t give a shit about Ava or Noelle being a vampire and hungry right now. I only feed Bride. Now get the dog—”
“The dog is the vampire. Hellina, stop.” To his ever-increasing shock, the dog instantly obeyed, removing her teeth from Devyn’s leg. She panted up at McKell, adoration in her big eyes, blood dripping from her mouth.
Did she have to obey him because of their blood connection?
He couldn’t believe he was even contemplating the possibility. It never should have happened, shouldn’t have been possible. Or did she simply love him and want to please him, as all females should? There would be time to sort that out later. After Ava was healed.
Ava. “Stay,” he told Hellina as he carted Ava to her bedroom. “And put Noelle on the couch,” he threw over his shoulder.
He eased Ava onto the bed, gently, softly, and she gave another of those pained moans. Perhaps he should have taken her to a hospital, but he’d known he could do more for her than anyone else.
And he would turn her if necessary. He hadn’t known that was a possibility until seeing Hellina, but he’d meant to feed Ava his blood, anyway, mating them. Despite her absolute trust in him. He’d felt that trust as he’d lifted her from the ground, and it had sliced him like a fang. That wouldn’t have stopped him, though. Nothing would have, not when it came to saving her.
He’d once worried about her shorter lifespan, and had later discarded the worry, uncaring that she would age as long as they were together while she lived. But seeing her so … broken, and feeling himself break in kind, he’d convinced himself that mating with her would twine them, their lifespans. She would live as long as he did, and he would live as long as she did.
Except, even with such a hope, he hesitated now. If he did this, she would hate him. He didn’t want her to hate him. But he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from acting much longer. She was covered in so much blood, so pale, so still, and he was … worried. Yes, that was the tightening in his chest, making a complete mockery of his anger. He should be screaming at this woman for placing herself in danger.
That’s part of who she is. A danger seeker. Deal with it, or lose her forever.
He felt rather than heard Devyn and Bride approach. They stopped, one on each side of him, and peered down at Ava. If either one of them reached out, he would cut off their arms.
“So. How do you have a vampire dog?” Bride asked casually. To distract him? “Don’t get me wrong, I can guess. I’m all-powerful, after all, but I’d really like to hear you say it.”
Devyn shook his head. “All-powerful. Please. Mia told me what his blood can do, and I told you.”
“That isn’t important right now,” McKell snarled. “How do I heal Ava without giving her my blood?” If there was a way, he’d take it. If not, he would just have to risk her wrath.
“I can give her my blood,” Bride suggested.
“No,” Devyn said with a firm shake of his head—before McKell could issue his own denial. “I’m tired of everyone getting a piece of you. The humans infected by the Schön, AIR agents, your friends. There has to be a line, and you’ve already given some today.”
“No,” McKell finally got to say aloud. If Ava had anyone’s blood, it would be his. Still. There had to be another way.
“My blood won’t turn her into a vampire,” Bride said. “As Devyn said, a lot of people have sampled it, and none of them have turned.”
Ava moaned, and he suddenly found himself wavering, possessiveness giving way to protectiveness. Damn it. She trusted him to keep her human, and that was a stronger deterrent than he’d realized. “What if you’re wrong?”
“Devyn has a sip everyday, and look at him. Pure arrogance and sex appeal, but no fangs. And there’s no danger that she’ll ever have a chance to feed me her blood, binding us for life.”
“Because you’re already bonded for life,” Devyn said, his voice stern. “And don’t you dare try to get out of it again.”
Bride rolled her eyes. “I only tried to leave you, what? Four times? Cut me some slack. Anyway,” she said to McKell. “She’ll heal quickly, and her pain will ease. I promise.”
The thought of Ava healed … “She has to agree.”
“Then wake her up and ask her already. Although waking her up will only cause her to thrash, and the thrashing could injure her worse. And if she’s injured worse, the healing will take a lot longer. But it’s your call.” Bride reached out, as if to smooth Ava’s hair from her brow.
McKell hissed at her, and she held her hands up, all innocence. How had he ever thought himself in love with this woman? She was annoying. “Give your blood to Noelle first. I want to see how she reacts.”
“Two patients now?” Devyn gave another shake of his head, dark hair falling over his brow and hiding the natural sheen of glitter in his skin. “No. That’s where I draw the line, Bride. You were stumbling around earlier, so you need every drop you’ve got for yourself.”
She patted his cheek. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” She strode from the room, leaving McKell alone with a sputtering Devyn.
“You owe me for this,” the Targon muttered. “She’s going to be weak when she’s done, and that will seriously ruin my plans for later.”
The man had the nerve to complain while Ava lay a few feet away, not really dying but cutting it close? At least, that’s what he told himself. Otherwise, he would have been clawing at the walls.
“Make yourself useful,” McKell snapped at him. “Her cupboards and refrigerator are nearly bare. Fill them.”
Devyn’s amber eyes widened. They were lighter than Ava’s, but close enough in color that McKell decided the bastard could live. “You want me to shop?”
“Yes. And she loves butterscotch. Buy her as much butterscotch as you can find. She’ll want a treat when she wakes up.” Because he planned to yell at her, maybe make her cry, and the food would comfort her when he was done, his concern and anger appeased.