“What doesthatmean?” I snapped. His tone was icy and chilling.
“Your blood is mine, Ellie,” he looked toward the door, “I won’t let them have it or have you the way I just did.”
“I’m not yours to claim, Logan,” I growled in my newly-discovered dominant voice.
“I can’t share you.”
I flipped myself off the bed, looking for something to cover myself with.
“You will. We’re all going to figure this out. The whole point in this was to see if you’d hurt me. You didn’t. I’m not going to have this dominant bullshit going down. If Cole finds out you’re trying to stake a claim on me, we’re both going to have to answer for what just happened. None of my guys are drinking another vampire’s blood again, so find a way to deal with it.”
“Damn it, I’m sorry,” he said as he sat up, “This is happening by instinct.”
“Well, you need to deal with those instincts.” I turned slipped on a clean one-piece swimsuit from a drawer, “I’ll be out in the pool. Why don’t you take a cold shower or something?”
Maybe I should’ve felt guilty for having sex with Logan, but I didn’t. I felt like it was the most natural thing I could ever do, but I certainly wasn’t going to put up with him trying to stake a claim on me. I had the feeling we were all about to have a problem.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Iswam through the pool, feeling the chlorine burn against the two puncture wounds on both sides of my neck. I had no idea what to do now. Logan was claiming me as his own, and honestly, I felt more connected to him right now than the other three. I didn’t know how this worked. All I knew is that I caused something that, on top of everything else, was going to be an issue with the four cousins.
“Elle,” Cole’s voice was low and set with authority. “Can we talk?”
I spun around in the water and saw his emerald eyes set with concern and disappointment.
“Give me a second,” I said, swimming over to get out of the pool. As I stepped up the steps, Cole reached for my towel, and he wrapped it around me. Even though I could tell he was upset, I felt his concern.
His eyes were distant and filled with the rage he was holding back as he gently touched my neck and studied the marks. “Dumb asshole didn’t even take care of this,” he said in a low voice.
“It was my idea,” I confessed, feeling ashamed.
Cole’s lips tightened, then he exhaled. “I’ll need you to hold very still; although, I think I’m so fucking pissed at Logan right now, I don’t think the scent of your blood will have any effect on me.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked, studying his solemn face.
“What my cousin should have done after feeding on you.” The wordfeedingcame out of his mouth in almost a growl.
My breath hitched as Cole tilted my head to the side and brought his lips to my neck. I felt my body react, but I tamed the wild side of me, knowing this wasn’t a pleasurable thing for Cole right now. The guy was pissed, and it was oozing out of him.
I felt the tip of his tongue gently graze over the puncture wound on the left side of my neck. With that act alone, I felt Cole’s sadness and concern wash over me.
He exhaled and did the same to the right side of my neck. Once he was done, he cradled my head in his hands, focusing on his thumbs as they massaged over the wounds on my neck.
I felt warmth radiate from his hands as he rubbed the surface of the puncture holes that once burned in the chlorine water.
“There,” he dropped his hands and stepped back. “Any traces of Logan feeding off you are gone.”
“Cole,” I said, “It was my fault. I thought I could try this out with Logan to help you all feed on me instead of those blood bags.”
He nodded, “Don’t blame yourself. Logan knew better. He should have had more control.”
“What do we do now?” I asked, totally confused. I had no idea what Logan told Cole or what Cole was thinking about my impulsive decision.
“I’m headed in the house to start cooking. Braden is more himself, and he’s starved,” he said as he turned toward the glass doors that lead to the kitchen.
“Where’s Logan?” I asked, wondering if he was going to come out and start claiming me as only his now in front of his cousin.
“Logan went out,” Cole responded curtly.
