Page 115 of Undying Thirst
Tobias was the first to move.
“Imogen,” he murmured, crouching where she huddled. “What happened to you?”
“He had me.” Her fangs flashed with her words. “I don’t know why he let me go so suddenly. I-I.” A shiver coasted down her spine. “That fucking bastard hurt me.”
My stomach soured. In sympathy . . . in confusion. She had been held hostage and tortured this entire time? She never died. I clenched my hands at my sides.
Ren’s expression twitched the barest bit.
“Who had you, Imogen?” The threat in his voice made my stomach ache.
“Wrenhaven.” She curled into her stomach, grimacing. “I am so hungry.” She whimpered.
I felt eyes on me. Hers . . . and her vampire males. I was going to vomit.
“You want . . . me . . .?” None of them said anything. Tobias’s jawline twitched as he stared down at his sister. “I’ll feed her,” I finally croaked, approaching.
I hugged my torso because it felt like I would fall apart if I didn’t. My chest hurt.
I slowly approached. She didn’t look good. Her scraggly unkept hair hung into her face and dirt smudged her clothing.
Red welts bled at her wrists.
A smidge of sympathy rose to the surface. On an entirely separate note, despite my jealousy, she was injured and I didn’t have it in me to turn away despite the visceral need to run the other direction.
I dropped to my knees and sat my ass on my calves. Asher had an expression I’d never seen on him before. He reminded me of Jax. The relaxed version of him was nowhere to be seen.
The one thing that could have sent my entire life into a tailspin sat before me, weakly shivering.
Her pupils were so dilated, her eyes looked black. I pulled back my sleeve and her eyes fastened on the pulse at my wrist. She struck suddenly, wrenching a gasp from my throat. Agony. Blistering agony traveled through my wrist. Like my bones were being ground together in her hand.
I sank my teeth into my tongue, so I didn’t burst into tears. She sucked painfully hard. Another deep drag that tugged my breath from my lungs. And then another. I’d been fed on too much recently . . . I couldn’t contain my gasp as she sank her teeth in again, opening the wound wider.
Tobias grabbed her jaw and sank his thumb into her cheek. She finally released with a hiss.
I yanked back and my sleeve fell over the bites.
“Go!” Tobias shouted at me.
Jumping to my feet with my head lowered so they wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes, I rushed up stairs before I gave into the urge to cry and cling to them. This damn foyer was turning into a curse. Every atom of my make up pulsed with the tattoo of their names.
“Jax and Asher.” I froze half-way up the stairs. A few more steps up and I could let loose.
I lifted my chin high and calmly walked up the rest of the way to the second floor. As soon as I turned the corner, tears welled, blinding me as I ran to Asher’s bedroom.
A rupture had split through my chest, and it begged for release.
My shoulder smashed into something hard.
“Catalina?” Ren asked, catching my bicep.
God no. I didn’t want witnesses to my piss poor insecurity. I had good reason for it. For God's sake, they had a picture of her and all her dresses still stored in the house, of course that hurt. It also didn’t help making me feel less crappy.
And one that was not as good as the original.
“Let go,” I choked out through my tight throat.
“Ren!” Tobias shouted. Ren’s grip flexed.
