“It wasn’t your fault—”
“Will you shut up?” I swung around, hugged him so hard he grunted. There were only a few things in this world that I would willingly fight for. Julien was one of them. Right behind Grayson. Fallon and Mace. Scratch that. Julien was equal to Fallon and Mace. He was Grayson’s friend. He would not die. Would. Not.
“You’re a sorry-assed excuse for a vampire, you know.”
Julien stroked his hand over my head, down my tangled hair. “I am aware, my lady.”
“Cut the lady crap, please.”
“It’s sarcasm,” he said, “to counter your vocabulary.”
“Nice.” I smiled against his chest. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Liar. I should have asked if you needed to feed. Keep up your strength.”
His mouth curved. “Maybe a little? If you don’t mind. Then I’ll try transporting… enough not to leave tracks.”
I dragged my coat sleeve up to my elbow and extended my arm. “Take what you need.”
His lips pulled back, fangs descending. A drop of venom gleamed at one tip, and I couldn’t help myself. I shuddered in anticipation.
His fangs jolted, retracting as he tugged at my sleeve. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No.” I gripped his wrist. “Not that.” My head pounded. “I was thinking of the venom left in the runes.”
A blatant lie, because if he knew the truth, that I already craved the bite, he’d never take blood from me again. Not even to survive.
I wasn’t sure if Julien believed my excuse or if he was being polite in not challenging it. But he wrapped his arms around me. My palms were against his chest, my cheek above where I willed myself to hear his heart beat. Wishing it was Grayson and holding tight to that wish until my eyes stung.
Then we were weightless, with the wind rushing, a turbulent storm, nothing I’d experienced before. Jagged and uncertain until we crashed down in the snow, both of us gasping in the frigid air.
“Where are we?” I pushed upright, searching for landmarks. Everything was so bright that I was snow blind for a moment.
“I’m not sure.” Julien was flat on his back, laughing. But it was a weak, rasping gurgle that had me clawing at my sleeve again, hoisting him—head and shoulders—across my lap. I pressed my wrist against his lips and bent close enough to hiss, “Don’t be a stubborn ass.”
“Why… not…” he coughed out. “It’s so much fun when you react.”
“Do you post drama queen shit like this on your social media account?”
“Can’t.” He held on to my arm, cradled my hand as his fangs pierced. The tugging surge raced through me, igniting tiny fires—gods, it was no wonder females found vampire sex addicting. Heat was shuddering through me in sensual waves. But the need was for Grayson. His touch, his tongue, his… everything.
“Enough,” I panted. “Turn the sex off.”
“Deepest apologies, my lady. I can’t help it. Don’t tell the wolf.”
“He’ll probably scent you on me. And me on you, so we’d better have a good cover story.”
“Tell him the truth. How you saved me.”
How I’d nearly gotten him killed. Saving was the least I could do.
I recognized our location. With his effort to teleport, Julien had leapfrogged us to the opening of the second passage. Once inside, I hoped the magic would shield me enough to hide from Ago. And while he’d be searching, we’d be running toward the secret refuge, where the Green Man’s magic would conceal us from everything and everyone. Even Aine and her nymphs. Fallon and Mace.
Certainly, that would be enough to hide from vampires.
The one secure place where Grayson would know to look.
