My Vampire Mate

Chapter 41

Death unexpectedly arrives at our doors in life. It might be the loss of a loved one, something, or someone incredibly dear to us. It leaves us in unbearable sorrow and sadness.

That same sorrow was running through my veins like a flood, threatening to overflow and drown me in its everlasting waters. I didn't think such pain was possible, yet here I was, delving head-on into it like there was no tomorrow.

I lost my mate. I lost my happiness, and thus I don't want to live. I couldn't.

"Amber?" a soft voice called from above me—a voice too gentle to be Dageian's, but I was too deep in my grief to think too hard about it. I simply waited. I waited for the strike to come, yet it didn't.

Instead, a gentle hand gripped my shoulder, and I slowly lifted my eyes to see who it was. First, the image was blurry. Then his face became clear as day, and I saw that it wasn't Dageian at all.

"Max?" I pulled my eyebrows together and shifted my gaze to Mason, who was starting a fire with the broken wood.

It was then that I remembered that I asked them for help earlier. I just never thought they'd actually come. I was so happy and grateful to see them, so I grabbed Max to my chest and squeezed the daylight out of him.

I was relieved when he hugged me back, but as I opened my eyes, I saw Drew lying on the ground a few feet away, with Dageian directly behind him with his neck twisted in a very unusual way.

It then occurred that the snapping sound wasn't Drew at all, but it was the twins breaking Dageian's neck. That wouldn't keep him dead, but it surely could buy us enough time to get the hell out of this place.

I scrambled on my knees over to Drew. He lost a lot of blood, and the hole in his back was already healing, but it was going far too slow. I feared that he would lose too much blood before he could completely heal himself. That wouldn't be good.

I held him in my arms as I sat on the ground, my tears now flowing again as I watched his eyes bob. I cried into his hair, holding him close to me, and his frail hands still managed to wrap themselves around my waist.

I won't lose him. Not again.

The thought that I lost Drew was the worst two minutes of my life. My heart had been broken into a zillion pieces before Max had me open my eyes.

The utter relief I felt when I saw him still alive was unexplainable. And I'd literally be damned if I had to go through that pain another time.

I held my wrist to his mouth immediately as the thought occurred to me. His eyes fluttered open to gaze up at me, and I wiped the tears from my eyes before positioning my hand to his mouth again.

"You have to feed, Drew. Or you'll die."

"Amber, I won't—"

"It's not the time to fight with me, Drew," I snapped. I didn't even know where the sudden anger came from. Perhaps it stemmed from Drew's stubbornness, knowing he'd die if he didn't. "Please, I can't lose you again," I added much calmer, never once breaking my eyes from his.

I could tell that he didn't want to, and I knew why. He promised himself and me that he'd never feed from me. But he also promised that he'd never leave me, and if he didn't feed, he'd surely die. I will not have that.

"Drew, please." My voice broke completely as I stared at him. He could see the turmoil in my eyes until, eventually, he held my hand with his weak, trembling fingers.

I observed as his dark orbs changed into blood-red pools until I felt his fangs grazing my skin. I closed my eyes as I waited, and when he sank them in just a bit, I winced at the sharp pain it caused.