Bonded With Love by Tiffany Heiser (digital e reader .txt) 📖

so soon. But we must take care of her now or she could die.”
At those last words, the slicing sound of Drake's fangs sinking into his own flesh was all I heard at first. Then Cecile's lips wrapped around Drake's wrist. Her loud gulps filled the new silence, along with moans in between swallows as the red syrup flowed from his veins and down her throat. I sat watching as a small drip fell from her mouth and dribbling down her check, coating her pale white skin with a vibrant red.

Chapter 7

I scrunched up my nose. “Are you done yet? She looks better.”
I needed to avert my eyes, the scene between the two of them felt more private than public, like watching lovers kiss. But with complete fascination I couldn't force myself to look away.
Drake blinked several times before he realized that I was talking to him. He glanced down at Cecile as she continued to slurp up the blood, a smile twisted on his normally sour puss face, and he slowly removed his wrist from her grasp.
A whine came from Cecile and reached out to Drake as a child would for their mother. She wanted his closeness, or maybe it was his blood she craved still. I couldn't accept the latter.
Cecile's body fell limp back to the floor. I rushed over and crouched beside her. “Are you okay? Feel better?”
She nodded but didn't say anything.
“Do you want help up?”
“Um, yes.” She then turned to Drake. “Is it always like this? I mean drinking straight from you?”
“Yes. Straight from the source affects you a lot more.” He smiled at her.
She glanced around the room slowly before returning her gaze on him. “Well, let me say I love it. That was all sorts of hot and sexy.” She winked.
Drake winked back. “Oh, most definitely hot and sexy.”
“Okay, okay. Get a room you two.” I shook my head.
Cecile blushed. “Right, you're still here. My bad.”
Drake slowly helped Cecile up, then carried her the rest of the way over to the couch.
I stood up and felt Cryder standing silently behind me. I turned to face him and saw him fidgeting with a splinter of wood poking out from the wall. His fingers may have been focused on pulling the piece out, but his eyes were glazed over and obviously concentrating on his thoughts.
I stepped back to stand next to him. “What's wrong with you?”
He shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Whatever. Normally you're talkative, but now you're standing back and concentrating a little too hard on the wall.” He dropped his hand, and I lowered my voice. “What's wrong?”
He turned to look at me. “I received a phone call from our grandfather a few minutes ago.”
“And?”
He relaxed against the wall. “He knows which rogue is here.”
“Who?”
“His name is Bristol. And he has a lot more than your blood on his mind. That I'm sure about.”
“What do you mean?” I crossed my arms.
“I think we all need to sit down and talk. There's a lot to be discussed.”
“You always say that.” I huffed.
“Yes, and it's true. I can't help that.”
“Fine, let's talk.”
Drake and Cecile made their way over to us.
“Sorry I was eavesdropping. Heard we have to talk.” Drake sighed.
Cryder gestured to the couches. “Take a seat.” Once everyone sat down, Cryder took a deep breath. “When a vampire enters their fiftieth birthday, if they have not found their mate or the mate has been killed, then the deterioration phase begins. It is a very sad thing to see, especially when it happens to someone you care about. Confusion between what is right and wrong, or fact and fiction collapses around them. Their world becomes a made up land. A place that has donors, not victims. Where everyone they ever use to know have become their enemies. The world is out to get them.”
“That sounds awful.” Cecile nuzzled her face into Drake, and he put his arm around her.
“It is. And they are able to survive on any human blood, but they are never truly satisfied. Their bodies demand it daily. Without blood though, they will whither, die, and slowly turn to dust. Either way life without the true mate is a slow death sentence.” Cryder replied.
“That is so sad. I feel sorry for them.” Cecile whispered from underneath Drake's armpit.
Cryder didn't hesitate on answering. “We all feel bad for what their lives have become, but you cannot forget what they're after.”
“Well what about the rogue that's after me?” I asked.
“Apparently he is an old colleague of our grandparents. My grandfather believes that he is here to take revenge on our family for killing his mate so many years ago.”
“Y-your family killed his mate?” My heart raced. Was his family nothing but murderers? Am I stupid for starting to believe him?
Cryder leaned forward and kept his eyes steady on mine. “No they didn't. She had been kidnapped by another group of rogues.”
“So they do work together?” I asked.
Cryder glanced at me as I sat on the recliner. “Those did. It does not happen often. This group was trying to raise the number of rogues and take over the vampires. They wanted to rule, and so they attempted to steal the children and women. My family tried to stop them, but the rogues had already disappeared.”
I wrung my hands in my lap. “So his purpose is to get rid of me because he assumes your family killed his mate, and it wasn't even them? How did I get involved in this?”
“You are involved because I am the next to take the throne. My parents, the king and queen at the present time, are ready to step down. With this announcement, my blood and the next queen are connected to it. As close as I am to becoming fifty, your death will bring me to my breaking point quickly, and put the future of vampires in danger.”
“Killing me, means the end of the vampires? And it w-will turn you into a rogue?” My palms grew sweaty with the realization of what making my decision could do, and why finding me and keeping me alive meant so much to Cryder.
Cryder walked over and knelt before me. His blue eyes stared into mine. “You will be fine. We will take care of you and keep you safe.”
Even for a fifty year old vampire the most beautiful I had ever seen. His skin glowed healthily, and everything about him appeared young. Yet, he had lived a long life, compared to me, and the story behind those eyes peeked through when I looked into them. How could I be attracted to an old vampire guy like him? Alarms rang when I was near him, but I could feel it though. The bond he had been talking about was there. Would I admit to it out loud? No.
I stared at him, and watched the golden hue of truth filter through as I spoke. “How do we kick his ass?”
He stayed looking into my eyes briefly before turning back to the group. “My grandpa said not to aim on killing him, but capturing him and lock him up in the highly secured prison that has been around for many year to guard against problems such as this.”
This time Drake spoke up. “Not kill him? What the hell?”
“Grandfather said no. We listen.” Cryder snapped. “This is why we are here in the first place, Drake. You jump into things before knowing the truth. You leap when there are steps to follow and precautions to take. You definitely show your immature age when you talk like this. We can't do that any longer. There are other lives at stake besides our own. Do you understand?” Cryder snarled between gritted teeth.
He took a deep breath and continued. “The prisoners are watched over, fed, and taken care of. Our grandparents started this organization when they were only in their early teens. Their whole mission in life, at that time, seemed to work on making the world a better place for their children and grand-children.”
“So, how did he escape?” No matter how scary the situation, I knew I needed to know what we were up against.
Cryder stood, walked over to the front window, and glanced out into the darkness. “My grandfather said there had been a terrible fire. Bristol was able to get out, and knew that the rule of the vampires had been past down to me. Now he is here.”
Cecile wrapped her arms around Drake's waist, tears streamed down her cheeks. “How did he know that it had been passed down?”
“Every vampire can feel the change in their bones.” Cryder's voice came out in a hushed tone. “I felt it before my grandfather told me.”
I made my way to Cryder and stood beside him. I wrapped my hand in his, and he grinned as he intertwined his fingers with mine. A heat-wave crashed into my body instantly and sweat formed on my forehead. His touch created strong reactions from me, and I didn't know why. The only thing that made any sense was that we're meant for each other. No one's touch had ever impacted me as much as his does, and I felt determined to never let it go.
“Well, what do we do from here?” Cecile shakily asked.
“Yeah, what happens now?” I asked, and put my fists up. “Do we fight?”
Cecile giggled silently, which in turn put a grin on my face.
Cryder didn't seem amused. “I wish you two would take this seriously.”
I turned to him. “A sense of humor comes in handy sometimes, get one.”
“Not here and not now. Drake and I will take care of that part. I want you to know exactly what you are up against.” Cryder responded.
“Listen, I already told you I'm ready. So teach me. Got it?” My heart raced from frustration. How could I not be taking this seriously? “You will not tell me how I'm suppose to react, and you better not expect me to hide in the corner. I will be damned if I'm going to just sit this one out. So you will teach me, and will not treat me like a child ever again. Understand?” I held my gaze, not blinking once, with Cryder.
I watched his eyes, as many different emotions swirled through them. “You are right. You do need to be trained in case we are ever caught off guard. However, Bristol is a pure-blood, and you are no match for his strength.”
I let out a whoosh of breath that I didn't know I had been holding.
He reached down and grabbed my hand, slowly bringing it to his lips. Goosebumps ran from my toes to the top of my head. Flames of desire flicked at my stomach, and I wanted those sweet lips to travel all over my skin. And for Cryder to show me how strong his need for me