Once Forbidden by Hope Welsh Read Free Book Online

for
her pulse. It was there—but barely. Choice was taken out of her hands now. Either
he had to change her, or he had to watch her die.

 
    Chapter Eight
     

     
    Devlin
grabbed a knife from his bedside stand and quickly sliced his arm. He lifted
her into his arms and held the dripping wound against her mouth. He prayed that
it wasn’t too little too late. He’d never changed anyone. Of course, he knew
the process. The one to be changed had to drink from the vampire.
    But
could she when she was unconscious? “Sarah! Drink!” he commanded, his voice
hard. “Now!” He forced his will past her unconscious state, delving into her
mind. “Do as I say, Sarah. Drink from me,” he ordered. “Do it now, love!”
    As
she drank from him, he too had to drink from her—and she had precious little
blood to spare. He lifted her wrist to his lips, kissed it and sank his
incisors into the radial artery. As always, there was the surge of power he
felt with fresh blood, but this time there was so much more.
    He
didn’t want to stop—the hunger he felt was fierce. This wasn’t what he’d
expected, but he forced himself to retract his incisors, though he continued to
let her drink from him. She needed the blood—and she’d need even more when she
awoke.
    Finally,
he pulled his arm away and watched dispassionately as the wound closed itself. He
could feel her blood coursing through his veins and it was intoxicating. The
urge to mate was almost overpowering—had she been conscious, he doubted he’d
have been able to control it at all.
    Not
exactly sure how long she’d remain unconscious—she’d been too near death—he
hurried to get his freshest blood for her. He knew that she’d be repulsed at
the idea of drinking from a living person, although it would have been his
preference. He grabbed two bags and two wine glasses, and then went back to his
room.
    The
burns were starting to hurt more now that the immediate danger to Sarah had
passed. It took burns from even filtered sun hours to heal—but they would heal.
He needed blood of his own for that to happen.
    Taking
scissors from the nightstand, he snipped open the end of the bag and poured the
blood into the wine glass. He drank it slowly. When the glass was empty, he
refilled it with the remainder of the blood and sat it on the nightstand. That
would tide him over until she was awake.
    He
lifted her shirt and looked at what remained of the wound on her chest. She’d
obviously been stabbed. But it would heal. Even as he watched, the scars on her
chest began to heal. She’d be alright.
    Devlin’s
jaw clenched. Those that had harmed her would not. He would destroy them
in the most painful manner he could devise—and he could devise many. With a
sigh he pushed the thought aside for now. First, he had to take care of her. He
didn’t want her to wake up covered in blood. He stripped away the bloody shirt
and the ridiculous sweat pants and tossed them carelessly to the floor. A smile
touched his firm lips as he looked at her panties, remembering that he still
had her other pair in his pocket. He removed those, too, as they were covered
in blood as well.
    Next,
he carried her to the bath and laid her carefully into the large tub. He turned
on the water and adjusted the temperature. She slept through it all, as his
hands gently washed away the physical evidence of the attack.
    Devlin
smiled when her eyelids fluttered open as he washed her hair. It had grown even
and was mid-way down her back now. “You’re awake,” he said gently.
    “I’m
not dead?” she said.
    “What
happened, love?” he asked as he rinsed her hair. “Can you tell me?” He watched
as her eyes darkened with remembered pain and cursed beneath his breath. He
reaffirmed his determination that those responsible would pay with their lives.
    Sarah
looked down at herself. “Is this another illusion?” she asked.
    Devlin
shook his head. “No, not an illusion, Sarah,” he said quietly.
    Sarah’s
eyes