Blood Bound Read online

  “There's nothing he could do to me that wouldn't cause me physical pain,” she replied, her gaze dropping down to somewhere between us. I slipped my fingers under her chin, trying to get her to look at me, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

  “Look at me,” I said, soft but firm. Slowly, she complied. “He wants you. You know that, right? He wants you like I want you.”

  “Please don't cheapen yourself with that comparison.” Her voice was harsh and irritated, and she tried to push away from me, but I refused to release her. I didn't want her rushing out the door into the unknown.

  “I love you, and I'm just trying to protect you,” I tried to explain. “I need to know you're aware of his intentions so you can help defend yourself from his advances too.” I released a frustrated sigh, hating she was stuck in this.

  “Vance, I honestly would rather be dead than ever do anything that would encourage your father and his advances.”

  “I know. But I'm your husband, so please let me do what I can to protect you, even if it means I'm flattering my ego.” I knew she was a strong, capable witch, but I needed to be able to do something to help her or I was going to go mad.

  Finally, she nodded and gestured for me to go ahead. “I'll follow you.”

  Carefully, I opened the door and stepped out. My father was nowhere to be seen, but there was a large food tray left on the bed. I gestured for Portia and heard her stomach growl the moment her eyes landed on the plate. I wondered how long it had been since she'd eaten. The only nutrition I'd had was her blood. If he'd been keeping her drugged, it had probably been a while since she'd had any food. I wanted to punch him in the face for taking such poor care of her. Then again, I didn't want him doting over her.

  “Wait,” I instructed. I needed to check the food for contaminants. I wouldn't put it past him to poison us. I ran my hand over the tray, attempting to bring up substances that shouldn't be there, but nothing happened. Blood wasn't going to affect me this time, but I didn't want Portia being taken advantage of.

  As soon as Portia saw there wasn't any blood, she hurried forward, but I still warned her back. “What?” she asked, clearly irritated and hungry.

  “You need to take it slow. I don't want you getting sick.” I couldn't forget the time she'd eaten too quickly and gotten ill in London. I was sure she'd been pregnant at the time. Man, that seemed years ago now. This time, I was positive she wasn't pregnant. Well, not unless my dad had gotten to her. The thought literally made me want to gag. The idea was so upsetting that I simply stood there watching her eat until I could push it aside. Then I joined her on the bed.

  Buttering a piece of bread, I laid it next to her bowl of stew, watching as she continued to nibble on apple slices. “Well, at least he considered a fairly light course for you.” I was glad for that, knowing her stomach might be upset after not eating for so long. She'd definitely lost more weight since the last time I'd seen her, and she didn't have any extra to lose.

  “It smells delicious.” She still didn't try the soup, continuing to eat apples.

  “Yes, it does. It's been too long since either one of us has eaten.”

  “What happened to you?” she asked, dropping the apple from her lips. “What did he do to you?”

  I knew she wanted all the gory details, but I didn't want to give them to her. I was tired of all the baggage I had weighing her down. Anger flooded through me with the memories, and I felt my eyes flash red, but quickly blinked them away, not wanting to scare her. “He caught me by surprise.” Lifting a napkin, I handed it to her, before spreading the other out in my lap.

  “And?” She wasn't going to let this go. I knew she wouldn't, but I was hopeful the food would distract her.

  “I was upset because I'd attacked you that morning.” Aggravated over my actions, I let my memories of our last day at the mansion flood through me, remembering how scared I'd been when I realized how badly I'd assaulted her. I'd been mortified. An involuntary shudder ran through me. “I thought maybe I hadn't stopped in time, in the very beginning. I thought Mayla had gotten her wish, and I had finally killed you.”

  “But you didn't.” Portia placed her hand on my leg.

  I couldn't help slipping my hand over hers. “But I didn't know that . . . not for sure.” I gently squeezed her fingers, staring into her eyes. “I was terrified. Once I could see you were going to recover, I stormed from the house and began taking some of my aggression out on different areas of the property.”

  “By doing what exactly?” she asked, clearly confused.

  I gave a slight shrug. “I may have blown up some trees and a few of the outbuildings that were vacant—no big deal really.” I couldn't look at her, but I was pretty sure she was rolling her eyes at me right now. It seemed such a childish thing to do, but at the time, it had been an excellent way to vent my anger.

  “So, what happened then?”

  Irritation moved through me. “I allowed myself to get distracted; that's what happened. I let my guard down, and I didn't even see him coming. He stabbed me from behind with one of those infernal needles of his. I dropped like a fly right in front of him.” I'd been pissed to find Damien alive and standing over me. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. My carelessness had left us both vulnerable and in a position to be captured and brought here. Once again, Portia was suffering because of my stupidity. I was damn sick and tired of it.

  Lifting a bowl and spoon, I handed it to her, anxious to move on from this conversation. “Here. Try some of this before it gets cold.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. I was grateful when she didn't question me anymore, merely eating. I took my bowl and began doing the same. It was actually quite good.

  “Does that seem to be settling okay?” I asked after a few minutes, thinking her color looked better. She wasn't as pale as she had been.

  “Yes. It's wonderful. I couldn't have asked for anything better.”

  “Good.” A brief smile teased my lips, and I couldn't help running the back of my hand over her soft cheek. She was so beautiful. I was happy she was feeling better. I returned to my own food, eating a few more bites before continuing to fill her in, even though I didn't want to. We needed to be on the same page. “When I finally woke up, it was to find both of us here. You were draped on this bed, unconscious, and I was on the altar. It was quickly apparent to me Damien had received The Awakening since my powers were virtually ineffective against him. I knew then he had to have drunk my blood for that to happen.”

  “He's a shapeshifter,” Portia said, glancing worriedly in my direction.

  “I know. He enjoyed spilling the whole story of events to me.” In excruciating details, but she didn't need to know that.

  “What happened then?”

  “He attacked me again, drinking until I was on the verge of death but alive just enough to watch helplessly when he went to drink from you.” Muscles flexing, I clenched my jaw, not wanting to remember all the things he'd said and done to me—to her. My eyes flamed, but I didn't try to stop them this time. “All I could do was lay there, watching him while he touched and tasted you.”

  The vile point in my words wasn't missed by her. “What do you mean he touched me? Do you mean . . .” She swallowed thickly, and for a brief moment, I thought she might throw up.

  I shook my head, trying to play things down for her. “No. I never saw anything like that. Thank goodness, or I probably would've died of a heart attack on the spot. As it was, my internal struggle almost consumed me.” I stared at my food, not wanting her to see the pain in my eyes. “But he didn't mind telling me all the things he would like to do to you once I was out of the picture. That was brutal. And watching him drink from you . . .” I had to stop, and I ground my teeth together. Enough of this conversation. “I don't want to talk about this anymore.” I grabbed my spoon and shoved another bite in my mouth.

  “Did he kill you after that?”

  Dammit. She wasn't going to let this go. “Yes, for the first time anyway,”
I replied in between bites.

  “The first time.” I could hear the sorrow in her voice.

  “He would feed me your blood to revive me, testing all of his little theories on regeneration.” It had been the worst kind of brutality.

  “But how did he know you would come back that first time?”

  “He didn't.”

  “And he did it anyway?” she cried, her anger showing.

  I didn't answer. The truth was already evident.

  Portia set her food back on the tray and slid off the bed.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, watching as her face grew redder.

  “Figuring out how I'm going to destroy Damien,” she snapped, her voice sounding deadly.

  “Portia.” I sat my food down and joined her. “Listen to me, baby. You've got to let this go.”

  Her body shook as she stared at me. “Let it go? I don't think so! He's going to pay. Severely!”

  Grabbing her by the upper arms, I shook her gently. “He will pay, Portia, but not right now, and I need you to listen to me, so you don't aggravate the situation.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I don't know, but he's alluded to some plan he has for us. Our getting to be together is contingent on not rocking the boat. If he feels we're a threat together, then he'll separate us. I don't want to give him any reason to keep us apart. Do you understand? He wants us to give him a reason to toy with us. It's all part of the game.”

  Portia's anger swelled with my words. I wasn't making anything better. “No! I can't let this go. He killed you, without knowing what would happen, and he has to pay!”

  “I'm asking you to stop dwelling on what might've happened and realize what actually did. It's okay. His theory was right, and I'm here with you now.”

  She was practically hyperventilating now. “I can't.”

  “You don't have to let it go completely,” I said, gripping her tighter as I tried to get through to her. “I'm just asking you to be smart about it and wait until later. We'll make a plan and face this together, okay?”

  A snort, followed by some kind of hysterical laughter, spilled out of her. She was losing it.

  “Why are you acting this way?”

  She was scared. I could easily see it. “Because he convinced me he was in control, and I see now that it's futile to fight him while we are like this.” I had to protect her.

  “He threatened you, didn't he?” Her eyes searched mine, but I refused to answer her. “What did he say?”

  “It's not important.” There was no way I was going to tell her what he wanted to do with her.

  “It is important!” she yelled. “I need to know what's—”

  I did the only thing I could think of, dragging her into my embrace and placing my lips over hers, capturing her lips in an emblazoned kiss.

  4

  Emotion tumbled through me, so many conflicting thoughts vying for center stage in my mind. I didn't want to acknowledge most of them, wanting to lose myself in the incredible sensations Portia's mouth was creating tangled with mine. Her arms twisted around my neck, hanging on tightly as her body stretched, pressing so hard against me I stumbled back a step.

  I liked aggressive Portia.

  Releasing a growl, I redirected our momentum toward the bed, grabbing her tiny waist and tossing her onto the bouncy surface before climbing beside her and recapturing her lips. Lust and bloodlust raged through me, eyes filling with the red color I knew she despised. I wished I could push that all to the side and simply love her the way any regular guy could, but I had too many worries blazoning crazy trails through me.

  I was hungry. Angry. Scared. But I wasn't afraid for myself. I was worried about what might have happened to my beautiful wife while I wasn't around to protect her. I didn't want to think about all the ways my dad could've molested her. I didn't want to think about him at all. I only wanted to live my life with this amazing girl, yet time after time, this evil man had found ways to insert himself into every part of my life. I couldn't be with her and not wonder about him, and he knew it. He wanted it this way. He liked making me suffer.

  Forcing the thoughts of him touching her out of my head, I redirected my attention to just wiping any traces of him away with the love and need I felt radiating from her. I wanted to protect her, keep her safe, but I didn't know how. Right now, I simply wanted to make love and pour my heart inside her soul. She would keep it safe for me. Her love was the one constant thing I had in my life. It was her and me against the world.

  My hands traced her delicious body as my mouth claimed her, slipping down over the silkiness of her pajama top until I felt her bare leg beneath. Instead of lifting the shirt, I found myself comparing the silkiness of her skin with the fabric, loving the way it felt under my fingertips.

  I feathered kisses across her face and neck, her wildly, rapid beating pulse calling to me like a siren song. My teeth lengthened without me wanting them to, and I cursed them. I didn't want to mar this moment by feeding on her, but I couldn't stop the reactions of my traitorous body either.

  Portia arched beneath me, a moan escaping, and I was lost in my need for a taste of her. She read me perfectly, turning her head to the side, giving me permission to bite, and I couldn't resist.

  Her sweet blood filled my mouth, blood I knew he'd tasted. Sorrow raged through me, laced with anger, and all the fear I was trying to repress. Images flashed in my mind, snatches of memories. Damien touching her. Damien stroking her arms and legs. Damien feeding on her, as he held her like a lover in his arms. Damien taunting me with the things he'd like to do to her.

  I couldn't take it, biting into her harder as hot tears fell from my eyes even as I tried to stop them. I was lost in his torture, his contamination of everything I held so dear.

  I hated him. I wanted to kill him, to wipe him from existence. I wanted to erase every trace of him so nothing about him could stain our lives anymore.

  “Stop!”

  I vaguely heard the word, but it didn't register.

  “Vance, stop!”

  I was drowning in my own head, hanging onto Portia like she was my only lifeline.

  “Please, Vance,” Portia's voice called to me, and her body shook with a sob.

  Too late, I realized my error. We'd linked mentally, and I was hurting her, wallowing in my own grief and pain. Immediately, I slammed the wall closed between us and yanked away.

  Leaning over, I couldn't stop the tears that still fell as I stared at her with both horror and regret. Even now, she radiated strength and beauty despite my horrible actions. I hated that Damien was such an influence inside me. I hated he was affecting the way I was treating her now. I hated that he wanted her for himself.

  “You are mine,” I said, sounding like an ungrateful brute.

  Portia placed hand over my heart. “Yes. Only yours.” Her fingers were trembling, and I detested that I'd scared and hurt her. “I'll only ever be yours,” she added, and while I loved the words, I couldn't respond, not trusting myself any longer.

  I simply stared, drinking her in as I searched for some way to make things up.

  “Vance,” she said, my name barely a whisper on her lips. “Please kiss me.”

  I couldn't believe she wanted me anywhere near her. “Why?” I asked, sounding way too harsh.

  “Because I love you, and I want you to.”

  Her words consumed me, wrapping around my heart. I was both grateful and regretful to hear them, but I closed my eyes and collapsed on top of her. I buried my face against her neck, all traces of the bite I'd given her erased by The Awakening.

  “I'm so sorry, Portia.” I kissed the spot where I'd bitten her. “Please forgive me. I never intended for you to see those images. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just lost control, and I wanted—I wanted to . . .” I sighed heavily, knowing I was botching everything I was trying to say. “I don't deserve you.”

  “Yes, you do,” She replied, cuddling against me. “You deserve happiness mo
re than anyone else I know in this world. Besides, I can't live without you.”

  I lifted my head to stare at her, always amazed that she wanted to keep me around.

  “Will you kiss me now?” she asked. I couldn't help a weak smile. She was so cute.

  “No. Not this time.” I adjusted my position, slipping to the side of her and tucking her under my chin.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you're tired, and I've already been too selfish with you. Now you're going to go to sleep, and I'm just going to lie here and enjoy having you safe in my arms.”

  “Oh.” It was all she said, and that spoke more than anything else. She was tired. I could feel her exhaustion. It didn't take long for her to drift to sleep. Unfortunately for me, it took a long time for me to follow after her.

  He was here.

  My eyes flew open, and my muscles clenched, ready to pounce. I didn't want to wake Portia though.

  “Get your filthy hands off her, you bastard,” I growled in a low, threatening tone. Just seeing my father with his hands in her hair was enough to make me want to vomit. He touched her liked he owned her. It made me sick.

  “Just admiring the view,” he replied, rubbing the silky strands. He made no move to leave.

  As quickly and easily as I could, I gently untangled myself from Portia and got off the bed, coming around to face him. He stood, moving a few feet away and I followed after him.

  “You keep your filthy body parts away from my wife!” I whispered harshly.

  He had the gall to grin. “It's hard to do that. She is so fascinating.”

  “Maybe you didn't understand the ‘my wife' part. I get that you don't give a shit about your marriage vows, but I mean every word of mine. Stay away from her. I'm more than happy to make you pay.”