Read Online Don't Drink the Holy Water by Bailey Bradford - Free Book Online Page B

Axel’s. What did that mean, even? Whatever it meant, Axel was sincere. It showed in the worried expression he wore, and the way he wrung his hands. West decided that he could offer Axel some of the truth. Still, he trembled as he spoke. “Someone bit me there, and it was…it was bad. Bleeding and terrifyingly bad.”
    Axel recoiled. “Who would do something like that? Did— No, anything else you want to tell me, you can, but I will tell you this. I’ll never do that again, okay? If there’s ever a chance of us, you know. Making out again.”
    West watched Axel fidget for a moment. Axel was clearly distressed, and it bothered West. Now that his own panic had ceased, he didn’t want Axel to be upset. It felt like the biggest risk he’d ever taken when he reached out and cupped Axel’s hands in his. “There’s more than a chance, if you think you can put up with me being weird.”
    “You’re not weird!” Axel huffed. “God, something bad happened to you.” Then he frowned. “Is it going to bother you if I touch your neck with my hands?”
    West thought it over then shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s only the one area.” Jeez, this is hard to talk about! His cheeks were hot enough that he thought he’d make water boil if he dunked his head in it.
    Axel moved closer to him. “Do you want to sit back down?”
    He wanted something else, something he considered more important than making out. And after his almost-flight, he needed to ask for it. Even so, West surprised himself by tugging Axel closer. “Can I have a hug?”
    Axel was pressed against him a split second later, his muscular body warm and firm against West. They held each other, and West listened to the steady beat of Axel’s heart, the soft, shaky breaths as they embraced.
    He knew then that he wanted more than just friendship with Axel, and more than just someone to mess around with. West was beginning to think he wasn’t the ‘mess around’ type anyway.
    But there was more than just his own life on the line, and there were coven rules he couldn’t break without risking expulsion. With his siblings settled in and happy, he didn’t want to risk that.
    Patience. He could almost hear his mother saying it. She’d always been on the go, never winding down, and waiting had driven her nuts—but she’d done it with a grin, muttering about patience and her lack of it.
    He could be patient for Axel, for what they might have. West held on to him a little tighter. He took in the scent and feel of the man, and felt more at peace than he had in a long time.
    He needed to get over his stupid neck phobia. West wanted to be normal—or as normal as a vampire could be. Any additional hang-ups beyond the fangs, battiness, and so on were ones he didn’t need.
    What he did need, who he just might possibly need, was right there with him. West turned his head just enough to brush his lips over Axel’s.
    Axel’s lips parted easily, his mouth warm and welcoming as West slid his tongue in. He could feel Axel tense up, smell need in the air around them.
    And West ached. He wanted as he never had before.
     

Chapter Thirteen
     
     
     
    He wasn’t going to screw up tonight. Axel vowed to pay more attention to West’s reactions— if they did anything. They’d talked again after West had finally returned to sit on the bench. Axel couldn’t help but feel there was something huge that West was keeping from him. Maybe whatever went along with that biting incident. His gut cramped when he thought of West being hurt, and he was afraid of what else might have happened to him.
    “No pressure.” Axel wrung his hands then snorted at himself. He was so nervous, and something else bothered him about West’s past. Specifically, there had been nothing but smooth, sweet skin on West’s neck. No scarring of any sort that Axel could detect. In fact, he’d been entranced by the texture and the taste of West, and he firmly remembered there not being any kind of