Page 74 of Ryder’s Storm

Ryder looked over his shoulder, where Maya was checking out Vanessa’s injuries. “Not helping.”

“Why don’t you take Scarlet up to the lounge to talk to her,” Maya suggested. “I’ll be up once I’ve taken care of everybody’s injuries.”

Ryder looked back at Scarlet, his eyes looking normal again.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Scarlet said, her chest heaving.

“I’m good, Mom,” Vanessa said, despite the blood Scarlet saw gushing from her arm. “I just need a little blood.”

“Okay, that’s enough, Miller,” Luther suddenly said. He was still crouched down next to the V-CON and Lizzy.

For some reason, Scarlet couldn’t take her eyes from Lizzy and how the vampire beneath her finally took his fangs from her neck. Was he smiling at Lizzy? When he pulled her neck back down to her, Scarlet thought he’d plunge his sharp fangs back into her neck, but instead, he licked over the two bleeding holes his fangs had left. When he removed his lips from her neck, Scarlet noticed that the holes were gone.

“What the…” Scarlet couldn’t finish her sentence, too stunned by what was happening right before her eyes.

Lizzy rose. She looked… happy. How was that possible? How could she have let this monster drink her blood? Wouldn’t the bite turn her into a vampire too? Was that what had happened to Ryder and Vanessa? Had they been bitten and turned? And was that what would happen to her now?

Scarlet shuddered.

“Scarlet, baby, come with me. We’ll talk.”

While Luther helped the V-CON up, Ryder walked toward her, looking entirely human again. No red eyes, no fangs, no claws. As if she’d dreamed it. But she knew she hadn’t. The claw marks on Ryder’s chest and arms bore witness to the fact that he’d fought with the inmate.

Scarlet pressed her lips together, pushing back the tears that were welling up. She realized all of a sudden that she was in love with Ryder. But there would be no happy ending for her, because Ryder was a monster. A vampire out for blood.

“I’m sorry you had to see all this,” he said, his voice gentle and soft. “But when he charged toward you, I had to stop him. I couldn’t let him harm you.” Ryder ran a shaking hand through his hair. “I had no idea he was trying to get to Lizzy. To his mate.”

She shook her head. Nothing in her world made sense anymore. “Are you saying she’s letting him bite her of her own free will? No! Why would she?”

“Because I love him,” Lizzy said suddenly, pivoting. “He would do anything for me to keep me safe.”

Scarlet looked past her, and noticed the loving look with which the convict looked at Lizzy. As if she could feel it, Lizzy turned her head and smiled back at him.

Then she addressed Luther, “I need to go with him, or he’ll get worse again.”

Luther nodded, though he seemed annoyed and growled at Miller, “You should have told me that you were blood-bonded. What the fuck were you thinking? You knew you’d get sick if you drank anybody’s blood but Lizzy’s.”

Miller glared at Luther. “So you could punish her for falling in love with a prisoner? No, I’d rather die.”

“Yeah, well, you nearly did,” Luther hissed.

“What’ll happen to him now?” Lizzy asked.

“He’ll go back to prison.”

“But, if he doesn’t get my blood—”

“We’ll arrange regular conjugal visits so he can feed. But he’ll finish his sentence. There’ll be no early release.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Lizzy said, beaming.

Luther looked at Maya. “I’m assuming the second V-CON has the exact same symptoms?”

Maya nodded. “We have to assume he’s blood-bonded too.”

“We’ll have to find his mate, or he’ll die,” Luther said. “I’ll talk to him.”

Luther motioned to the guard that stood by the double doors. “Take him to lockup.”