Page 62 of Sinful Mates

I get to my feet, my knees knocking against each other. I hobble away from them, back to the stairs. I clutch the banister, pulling myself forward. I sway with every step but I don't care. I have to get away. I wobbled on the top step, falling backward. I clench my eyes shut, preparing for more pain.

Warm hands steady me, holding me. Tobias is there. He glances down at Theo, the vampire pale, paler than usual, watching us with horrified eyes. "Let her cool off, you should do the same," Tobias snarls at him. A deep growl in his voice.

Tobias leads me to the bedroom. I want to struggle free from his gentle grip, but I can't get over the shock. Theo has bitten me! I glance in the mirror and pale. Blood has stained my clothes, my hair, my everything. My neck burns, a constant agony I can't shake.

Tobias gets a wet cloth and gently cleans my face and dabs lightly at my neck, inspecting it. "He bit deep, but he didn't tear any skin."

I blink at him. "That's not what it feels like. I thought he was trying to tear my flesh apart. He wanted to hurt me."

Tobias winces but didn't reply. There is no point in arguing that. "You're not bleeding any more. Let's get you washed up."

Again I want to argue with him. All of this is his fucking fault in the first place. But words are lead on my tongue. Every sound too heavy to make. Fuck it. I'd fight again later. I nod letting Tobias run the water and strip my clothes before gently pushing me under the streams of water. I let out a choked sob when the water hits my war wound.

But wasn't this my fault? He'd never have lost control if I hadn't slapped him. He might not have done it if I'd bothered to apologize to him like Tobias had wanted. It didn't give him the right to maul me, but he wasn't exactly human. His father had pissed him off, and there I was just pouring an entire bag of salt into the wound.

Tobias massages the shampoo into my hair, his eyes searching mine. “You okay?”

“I didn’t mean to piss him off, he just got under my skin,” I murmur. If it was anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have heard me, but he answers, so I know he heard.

“I think sometimes you forget we aren’t human; you have no idea how hard it is for him to deny his true nature around you. He shouldn’t have done what he did, but I know he wouldn’t have done it if he had control of his instincts.” I nod against his chest. “Just remember next time, Imogen, there is a reason vampires and werewolves are portrayed as evil in books and movies. We are technically what you would call monsters and run off strong emotions and natural instincts. We feel things differently, everything is heightened, anger is the hardest to try and control.”

I wrap my arms around his waist, loving the feel of his warm skin. I find it comforting, being in their arms, it feels like home, where I belong, but it doesn’t make me feel any less scared of the choices that need to be made.

“How would Theo or you change me?” I ask. It’s one question that bothers me, exactly how they became the way they were.

“Werewolves are born, we can transform a human into a werewolf, though the same as a vampire, well like most supernatural creatures.”

“So, there are more supernatural beings than vampires and werewolves?” I don't know if I like the idea or if it horrifies me.

“Yes, most myths and legends hold the truth.”

“Like what?”

“Fae, witches, mermaids, demons, they are a few, but there are more. We live in the shadows, though. This world is too dangerous for our kind. If people found out, they would want to experiment and find ways to recreate it. Humans are good at one thing, and that’s making species extinct, and that is why we have rules.”

I peer up at him. He is right, humans are bigger monsters than they are. I'd been witness to that over and over again.

He kisses my nose.

“You didn't answer how you would change me.”

“We would give you our blood.”

I was confused. I had already drank Theo’s blood and was still human, so if that was it, how come I haven’t changed already? “I’ve drank Theo’s blood and I am still the same.”

“That’s not all there is to it.” He looks uncomfortable and doesn’t want to say what the next part is.

“Then what happens?” I have another bad feeling about this.

He looks away, his voice barely audible. I’m not sure I hear correctly. “You die.”

"I die?" My voice barely reaches a whisper, repeating his words horror ears away at me, but in a sick sense it makes everything they were telling me make sense. I’m horrified. They have to kill me if I’m going to be like them.

"We will make it quick," Tobias continues, like the pain is what I worried about.

Make it quick? Who the fuck is he kidding? I’m not willing to make that sacrifice. What if it doesn’t work? Then I'd just be dead. Who in their right mind would agree to die to be with someone?

"No," I say, shoving him away, gathering my strength.