Page 110 of Bound by Vengeance
“You okay?” Abby asked as she handed fiveblood bags over to her.
“Yeah,” Vicky muttered. “But he’s been stillfor so long.”
“Have you spoken with Kadence?”
“No other vampires or hunters are gettingnear him right now.”
“Kadence would never hurt him; youknowthat. You’re unstable and not thinking clearly rightnow because the bond isn’t complete and your mate isvulnerable.”
“She’ll bring Ronan here.”
“And Ronan would kill himself before he everdid something to upset her, and if something happened to Nathan,she would be devastated. Let me call her; she knows what to expectand what he’s going through more than any of us do.”
Vicky hesitated before glancing at Nathan.The small twitch of his fingers on the bed was the first sign ofmovement she’d seen from him in hours. Then, he went still again.She had to know if this had occurred with Kadence and if any othersurprises might follow it.
“Okay,” she relented.
Vicky stepped aside to let Abby enter, butwhen Brian emerged from the shadows in the hall, her lips skimmedback and her fangs lengthened as she bared them at him. Redshrouded her vision as her protective instincts roared to theforefront.
“Easy,” he said in a calming tone. “I won’tgo anywhere near him.”
Her tensed muscles gradually relaxed, andshe edged backward to allow them entrance. Brian wouldn’t attackNathan, but that didn’t stop her from positioning herself betweenthem.
• • •
Agony fired across every synapse and searedthrough cells Nathan hadn’t known he possessed. An endless howlreverberated through his head. Out of his control, his body bowedupward as sweat soaked his clothes to him. He tried to seeanything, but the world was nothing but pain.
Where was Vicky? Where washe?
His head and body spun until it felt as ifhis bones were breaking apart. Darkness rushed over him, hurtlinghim through space and time. Stars whipped by so fast they becamenothing more than streaking blurs he couldn’t differentiate.
Then, it all came to a screeching halt thatlurched him forward as his body fell.
He gasped in a breath as everything slowedaround him, until the blur of blackness and light became a deeppurple tunnel around him. He gazed up and down the endless shaftwhile stars and galaxies materialized through the purple.
Within the swirl, he glimpsed the Big Dippermingled in with worlds, planets, and constellations he’d never seenbefore. Stretching his hand out to touch one of the stars, hisfingers came up against nothing as the tunnel pulled back andspread around him.
It was then he understood he was merely anobserver here. But where was here? What time and space was he in,andwherewas Victoria?
From beyond the galaxies, he detected thefaint murmur of voices. Then, Vicky’s anxious tone pierced through,drawing him closer to the edge of the tunnel.
The stars fell back until they became apanoramic view of space rotating before him. Awe filled him as theknown and unknown galaxies coalesced. He had no idea what was goingon or where he was, but he recognized that somehow this was a farlarger manifestation of when time slowed for him outside of thisplace.
Like a key twisting in the lock andspringing it, a locked away piece of himself was opening withinhim. The rightness stealing through his limbs pushed away the painas a healing warmth suffused him.
• • •
“Time,” Nathan murmured, and his head turnedtoward her.
Kneeling at his side, Vicky brushed back astrand of his damp, black hair. Sweat coated his entire body andadhered his clothes to him. Minutes ago, he’d bellowed as his bodyarched off the bed and his face contorted. His suffering had nearlysent her over the edge.
She’dcaused this to happen to him;she should have been strong enough to withstand the matinginstinct, but she was weak and selfish.
Tears burned her eyes and slid down her faceas she bowed her head to kiss him. “I’m sorry.”
A hand fell on her shoulder, and she tiltedher head up to gaze at her older brother, Aiden. His spring greeneyes were understanding when they met hers. She’d asked Abby tocall him too, as she needed his steady presence and the strength heexuded.
“It’s difficult, I know,” he said. “SeeingMaggie go through the transition made me hate myself, but it’snecessary, Vicky. You couldn’t have held back from completing thebond for much longer.”
