But it was all fake. It wasn’t real. He was in her head, tricking her, seducing her from the inside out. It wasn’t the same with Mikhail. Eden knew she felt those things for real with him. He didn’t need to deceive her to illicit true feelings.
Right before Bael sunk those teeth into her flesh, she saw flames dancing in the black of his eyes. Then everything became a vivid, colorful blur of sight and sound.
She thought she heard Mikhail’s voice in her ear. And felt his hands on her body, but surely she must be dreaming for that to happen. Because she had given herself foolishly to Bael and was now his slave.
Chapter Thirteen
When Mikhail saw the trickle of blood down Eden’s neck, he nearly went ballistic. He wanted nothing more than to eviscerate Bael with his claw, but he knew he had to save her first. And time was of the essence. His healing capabilities had their limits.
He’d fought his way into the club and down to the basement rooms and had burst into each room to search for her. He’d seen her in the strobe lights almost the moment he’d opened the door. He’d crossed the room in two strides and had Bael by the neck. But it was too late—he could now see the bite marks in her neck.
After tossing the vampire across the room, he scooped Eden up in his arms and ran out of the room and the club. There was so much rage on his face, in his eyes, that no one dared stop him from leaving with her.
Durt met them outside in the back alley. The goblin had commandeered a car, and he opened the back door the second he saw them. Mikhail settled Eden on the seat and climbed in beside her while Durt got behind the wheel.
The goblin drove to Mikhail’s apartment, ignoring all rules of the road. And Mikhail was thankful for it. When they arrived, he took Eden out and ran her up the stairs to his place. He kicked open the door and rushed her to the bed. She was barely breathing when he laid her down on the mattress.
He stripped off his clothes, and hers. For this healing he needed no barriers between them. He settled on the bed and drew her into his lap, cradling her head in his hands. Closing his eyes, he settled his palms around her throat, where the wound still wept blood.
His chi filled his hands. The heat of it drew across his flesh, burning him from the inside out. But he felt no pain. He suspected he would in time, given the nature of her wound. He let it saturate him, then he spilled it into her.
He opened his eyes and watched her face, looking for signs that his healing was working. But her face remained slack, lifeless. As if she’d already become one of them.
He drew more power from his reserves. His flesh now seared with pain. It was as if he’d placed his hands in a great fire until his skin sizzled and split open. But his skin didn’t burn, just turned red with strain. He pushed more into her. More than he’d ever used on anyone before. More than anyone could likely bare.
She took it in, greedily.
He watched her face and saw the first glimmer of hope in the fluttering of her eyelashes. Then her eyes opened and she stared up at him. Mikhail saw awareness in her eyes. She had not passed into darkness. She was still here. She was still Eden. His Eden.
He released his hold on her neck. The bite marks had closed and the skin around them was freshly pink, like brand-new skin. She would have little scars but at least she hadn’t died and been reborn into the night.
“Mikhail?”
He smiled down at her and swept stray hair from her face. “I’m here.”
“Am I dead? Did he turn me?”
“No. You’ll be fine.”
Eden brought a hand to her neck and ran her fingertips over her wounds. She winced as she touched them. He suspected they would hurt for a few days until the toxicity of Bael’s bite left her system.
“I nearly lost myself to this place. I should’ve left when you told me to.”
He ran a hand over her hair. “It’s not Threshold that is the problem. It’s Bael.” He captured a curl in his fingers. “There are other things in Threshold worth staying for.”
She looked at him, tracing a finger down his cheek. “I don’t know what to do. I feel so lost right now. I’ve been pushed by my guilt for so long that I’m almost empty without it.”
“You need to fill yourself up with other things.”
“Like what?”
Mikhail placed his hands around her waist, lifted her up and then settled her into his lap. He was already hard just from looking at her.
“Like sex.”
She laughed and wrapped her legs around his waist. Reaching down between them, she guided him into her. She was soft and wet and open for him. Like silk, she wrapped around his cock. He groaned as she moved ever so slightly on him.
“And what else?” she asked.
“And love.”
Her eyebrows went up at that. “Love? I’m not sure I even know what that means anymore.”
“I could show you if you let me.”
He spread his hands across her back and held her still for one moment while he studied her. With his gaze on hers, he leaned in and kissed her. It was simple and sweet and perfect.
When he was done kissing her, he leaned back and looked at her. Really looked at this woman who had somehow captured him and tamed him. If only a little, and if only for a short time.
“I want you to stay here with me.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as it takes for you to never want to leave.”
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him until they were both breathless and on the threshold of more pleasure than either of them had ever hoped for.