Bloodsong

Chapter 51

M atteo had the decency to not let me hurt as his fangs sunk in. His arms around me were cold, his embrace tender. I was about to die, but at least it wouldn’t hurt. As I tilted my head back, the familiar haze of pleasure enveloped me. One hand shifted, holding the back of my head as we sunk to the ground. This was the man I’d seen, one who had cared. Perhaps Lilith was wrong about who he was.

When he growled, I knew I’d lost him. I turned my head to try to catch a glimpse of his eyes. Pure hunger shone through; he was no longer recognisable. I reached for his face, and he growled again, a savage sound that reverberated through my body. A tear fell as I closed my eyes. There was no point fighting him or pleading with him. There was nothing left of him to plead with. He was lost in his own bloodlust.

“You never got to hear your song,” I whispered.

Of all I regretted, that’s what gave me the most grief. He’d helped me heal from my sister’s death, shown me that Steven hadn’t completely destroyed my spirit. I yearned to sing to him, to somehow reach him. Light-headed, I focused on the words I’d written. For him.

“Tonight the room dissolved except for you and I.” My voice shook at first, but I called upon as much as I could to sing. “I skipped a beat as my reply.”

I put everything into the song, what I had felt when I wrote the lyrics, and the days I had spent with him. “And from the stage all I could hear was one refrain. The need to see you again”

I sunk into drowsiness, unsure if he could even hear me.

Strong warm arms held me; breath caressed my cheek .

“I’m sorry, Quinn,” there was a devastation in the voice, deep pain that tugged at my heart. “Please wake up.”

I groaned, opening my eyes. “How am I…Please tell me you didn’t…” Everything was fuzzy. “Did you turn me?” Despite my question, I didn’t feel the hunger.

His eyes were still red, but he was no longer the animal. “You did something to me.” His eyes shifted to focus behind me. “To all of us.”

I followed his gaze to find five vampires standing at the door to the cage, their eyes red, watching us, including Carlos.

“How am I not dead?” I muttered. “What happened?”

“ Your voice saved you . There really is something extraordinary about it. I would even say supernatural .” He stared at me in wonder.

“Supernatural?” I tried to get out of his grip but lacked the strength to move.

“You started singing. I was deep under my hunger, and yet, I heard you.” His thumb stroked my cheek. “I heard you,” he whispered in wonder. “Somehow, you pulled me from deep within my bloodlust with your voice. Once I’m that deep in, I had thought that nothing could pull me out.”

Carlos took a step forward. “We heard you as if you were calling to us. We couldn’t resist that call.”

“But I’m not a vampire. How is that possible?” None of this made any sense.

I finally let myself see Matteo since I locked him out on my balcony. His shirt had been torn, the front of it soaked in blood. The entire bottom half of his face showed results of his feeding, with my blood adding to it. His fangs were on display, and his eyes bright red .

Tired, the exhaustion that washed through me was one I had never experienced. I wondered if I was going to pass out.

“Lilith told me what you did,” I said. “Is that my fault?”

He caressed my face. “No, it is not your fault. Do not ever blame yourself, mi amore .”

“They’re hunting you,” I said. “Her family are vampire hunters, and they want you.” Surprise flickered in his eyes. “I’m not entirely sure I can blame them. What you did…”

“Ask the hunters what they do when they capture a vampire,” Carlos said with anger. “Ask what they did to Rowan.” He glanced over his shoulder to one of the other vampires. “Josef, his maker, felt everything before he died. Ask them. They call us monsters.”

I closed my eyes.

Matteo’s fingers pushed my hair from my face. “I took a lot of blood. You might need a blood transfusion.” He kissed my forehead, and I opened my eyes again. “Carlos can take you to the hospital.” His eyes hardened in Carlos’s direction. “Hurry, before she comes back.”

I was passed into Carlos’s arms, not the threatening vampire he had appeared earlier, but almost gentle.

“Go, live your life, mi amore. Be happy.” Matteo smiled at me.

“She’s not going anywhere.” Gabriela had returned.

I didn’t hear what she said next over Matteo’s growls. He moved forward, putting himself between me and her.

Wooziness had set in, and I struggled to stay awake. Unable to hold my head up, I leaned it against Carlos’s chest. He wasn’t the wall of muscle Matteo was, but still solid, warmth soaking into me. I had no strength to fight him .

“I want to go home,” I murmured to Carlos, not sure if I was forming words.

Gabriela’s eyes lit up with laughter. “There is no going home for you, little human. You may as well accept that.”

She took a step towards me, towards the cage, and fear flooded through me. Instinctively, I appealed to Matteo. “Please…Don’t let her.” Please protect me.

A series of multiple growls echoed Matteo’s. The male vampires who had been drawn in by my voice stood protectively in front of the cage, blocking Gabriela from getting to me. Carlos tightened his arms around me, growling, a low, deep sound that should have filled me with fear. Instead, I stared at his face in wonder. I could feel his presence, and Matteo’s and the other vampires.

She folded her arms. “Get out of my way. Now.”

No one moved.

“I said move.” There was an expectation in her voice, as if she knew her command would force them to move. They all shuddered but remained.

“What did you do to them?” she demanded, eyes on me. “I can feel that your presence is in the way of my command. How do you hold sway over them?”

I lost consciousness.