Page 46 of Blood Sugar

“Well, if you guys have started to bond, you’ll be able to sense her emotions. And if she’s running late, she might feel stressed or something. Think about it.”

With a concerned look, Liz walked away, leaving me rubbing at my chest.

My skin itched, my stomach churned, and suddenly I was terrified the feelings weren’t coming from me. In a haze, I dialed Amelie and ordered her to get to the booth. Without waiting for her to arrive, I jogged back to the bakery to get my car keys.

She was staying outside of town, and I knew she didn’t have family nearby. She must be staying at a nearby hotel. Everything blurred around me as I searched hotels on my phone and zoomed in. There were a few options, but the nearest was a seedy motel. I really hoped that wasn’t where she had been staying this whole time. I should have asked. Should have known. A million shoulds.

My fingers drummed on the steering wheel, impatient as I drove through back streets to avoid Main Street and the Pumpkin Festival.

Once out on the open road, I fed more gas to the engine, pushing the speed limit. All of my focus was on finding Sadie. The city’s ward brushed over me like a soft breeze as I flew through the barrier.

Past the ward, the feeling of discomfort intensified. It had to be the bond forming between us.

Did Sadie really not know?

Increasing my speed, I raced down the darkened roads, cresting hills and hugging the curves. After ten minutes, it felt like something was tugging at my ribs, drawing me forward, like a magnetic pull.

A familiar car appeared around a bend, and I hit the brake, screeching to a slow crawl. Driving just past her, I flipped around and pulled my car behind hers, throwing it into Park and ripping the key out.

Sadie’s car looked empty, and my stomach swooped. Walking closer, I squinted, and saw a dark shape in the back seat. I’d never forgive myself if she was hurt…

Hesitantly, I opened the door. The shape was clearly humanoid, with a blanket draped over it, but it didn’t move. My pulse thrummed in my ears and throat.

Don’t be dead. Don’t be dead.

Gently, I tugged the blanket back over the head and shoulders, revealing a tangle of blonde curls and a very pale face. Her skin was blotchy and red, with peeling over her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. She was sunburned, something that could be lethal to vampires.

Shit!

She left my bakery with plenty of time to get to the motel. What had happened?

Her chest rose and fell gently, as if she was sleeping.

Brushing her hair back, I murmured, “Sadie. Baby, are you okay?”

Grumbling, she turned, groggily opening her eyes. A slight sense of dizziness washed over me, and I had to believe the feeling was ten times worse for Sadie. And I could no longer deny a bond was forming between us.

“Rowen?” she asked weakly.

Tears streaked her face. Gently, I pushed the blanket down further. She was still in that cherry dress, and peeling burns covered her arms and shoulders.

My first instinct was to call for a healer, but she was a vampire. Fresh blood should do the trick. Thank the Fates she’d fed from me recently, because that blood likely kept her alive, leaving partially healed burns instead of—I couldn’t even think of what might have happened if she’d still been starving.

“Baby, I need you to feed,” I said, sliding into the seat and pulling her upper body into my lap.

She groaned, and my shoulders tensed. I felt like scum for causing her more pain, but she needed to feed. Holding her back against me, I placed my wrist at her lips.

“Bite, sweetheart,” I begged. “Go ahead. You need it.”

“Rowen,” she said again, the word breathy, sounding like it took all of her effort to form the syllables.

“Sadie, bite me,” I murmured, curling over her to kiss her temple.

Her lips brushed my skin, and her fangs pricked. They pressed into my wrist, the puncture slow and painful. I didn’t care how much it hurt. She could have ripped my wrist open, sliced me with a rusty knife, anything if it meant she would be okay.

She didn’t keep her fangs in, and I was grateful to stay clearheaded. As she slowly drank, a thread of my blood slipped from her lips, running down the side of my arm and dripping onto my pants. It was the first time she’d been a messy eater.

This was my fault. If I’d handled things better, maybe she would have stayed with me yesterday. She’d be safe and healthy.