vampire lore was accurate she had an option, a very undesirable one because it was extremely dangerous. But she didn’t have much of a choice.
“You have to suck the venom out,” she croaked.
She saw Connor’s face contort. “I can’t do that. I don’t wish this life upon anyone.”
She tried to shake her head but only managed to move it a few inches in either direction. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Suck out the venom, Connor, but I’m not going to drink your blood. I’m going to be a queen, not a vampire. Don’t stop until it’s gone, and if I live then it was meant to be. But I will not die like this. A Robart does not go down without a fight.”
She saw the panic in his eyes, but he had started to nod slowly. She was relieved. That meant that it was possible to be bitten by a vampire and not become one. So that part of vampire lore was true.
“Please,” she whispered, and she felt her consciousness fading. Maybe she was going to die. Her salvation rested in the hands of this handsome vampire. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
Connor watched Angeline descend into unconsciousness. He didn’t have any time to think or decide if he should really contemplate doing what she had asked him to do and what it meant. Connor had not drunk human blood in more than fifty years. But if he wanted her to live, he had to do it. Unfortunately, there was a chance that the request carried a heavy consequence that they would both have to live with forever. No matter what Angeline thought she knew, what she had asked him to do had far-reaching repercussions if he didn’t manage to remove the venom before she reached death’s doorstep.
There wasn’t time to think about it any longer. Her life was wavering in the balance. Connor made the decision, took her hand, and sank his teeth into the warm bump where it had all started, and immediately he felt heady and nauseous at the same time. While Angeline’s blood tasted fragrant and young, there was an underlying hint of sourness—the spider’s poison. He knew that his vampire healing would keep him safe from the full effects of the venom, but his knees weakened and he sank to the ground. But that wasn’t enough to deter him; the blood lust had him fully in its claws. His eyes rose up Angeline’s slim, still body. Her chest rose and fell in short successive gasps as her lungs tried desperately to get fresh air. Her skin had gone waxy, and he could see two red splotches high on her cheekbones.
Then he was lost again. He closed his eyes and drank deeply. The taint was still there. In the back of his mind he knew that he had run out of time. The moment of truth had arrived, and he thought that letting her die may be a merciful gesture. At that moment, Angeline started to moan and thrash, as if she had read his thoughts and was wholeheartedly disagreeing with his logic. He had to pull her down tight into his arms to keep her still, but his mouth never left her hand, which had begun to quiver. Between the poison and the heady rush of warm blood in his mouth and stomach, he felt drunk and hungover at the same time.
He felt Angeline’s heart starting to slow. It wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t drink much more and still hope that she would live without some kind of blood transfusion. The poison was still there. Just as he felt her body shudder one final time and he started to unlatch his teeth from her delicate flesh, he realized that in that very last moment, the noxious taste was gone. Her body slid from his lap to the trampled grass and he stared at her in shock at what was about to come next.
His shaking fingers felt for her pulse. There was nothing there. He fell back away from her body and grasped his head in his hands, trying to make the pounding inside go away. He heard it before he saw it and he looked over at
“You have to suck the venom out,” she croaked.
She saw Connor’s face contort. “I can’t do that. I don’t wish this life upon anyone.”
She tried to shake her head but only managed to move it a few inches in either direction. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Suck out the venom, Connor, but I’m not going to drink your blood. I’m going to be a queen, not a vampire. Don’t stop until it’s gone, and if I live then it was meant to be. But I will not die like this. A Robart does not go down without a fight.”
She saw the panic in his eyes, but he had started to nod slowly. She was relieved. That meant that it was possible to be bitten by a vampire and not become one. So that part of vampire lore was true.
“Please,” she whispered, and she felt her consciousness fading. Maybe she was going to die. Her salvation rested in the hands of this handsome vampire. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
Connor watched Angeline descend into unconsciousness. He didn’t have any time to think or decide if he should really contemplate doing what she had asked him to do and what it meant. Connor had not drunk human blood in more than fifty years. But if he wanted her to live, he had to do it. Unfortunately, there was a chance that the request carried a heavy consequence that they would both have to live with forever. No matter what Angeline thought she knew, what she had asked him to do had far-reaching repercussions if he didn’t manage to remove the venom before she reached death’s doorstep.
There wasn’t time to think about it any longer. Her life was wavering in the balance. Connor made the decision, took her hand, and sank his teeth into the warm bump where it had all started, and immediately he felt heady and nauseous at the same time. While Angeline’s blood tasted fragrant and young, there was an underlying hint of sourness—the spider’s poison. He knew that his vampire healing would keep him safe from the full effects of the venom, but his knees weakened and he sank to the ground. But that wasn’t enough to deter him; the blood lust had him fully in its claws. His eyes rose up Angeline’s slim, still body. Her chest rose and fell in short successive gasps as her lungs tried desperately to get fresh air. Her skin had gone waxy, and he could see two red splotches high on her cheekbones.
Then he was lost again. He closed his eyes and drank deeply. The taint was still there. In the back of his mind he knew that he had run out of time. The moment of truth had arrived, and he thought that letting her die may be a merciful gesture. At that moment, Angeline started to moan and thrash, as if she had read his thoughts and was wholeheartedly disagreeing with his logic. He had to pull her down tight into his arms to keep her still, but his mouth never left her hand, which had begun to quiver. Between the poison and the heady rush of warm blood in his mouth and stomach, he felt drunk and hungover at the same time.
He felt Angeline’s heart starting to slow. It wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t drink much more and still hope that she would live without some kind of blood transfusion. The poison was still there. Just as he felt her body shudder one final time and he started to unlatch his teeth from her delicate flesh, he realized that in that very last moment, the noxious taste was gone. Her body slid from his lap to the trampled grass and he stared at her in shock at what was about to come next.
His shaking fingers felt for her pulse. There was nothing there. He fell back away from her body and grasped his head in his hands, trying to make the pounding inside go away. He heard it before he saw it and he looked over at
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