Page 96 of Hunter

“No that’s not going to work. It’ll take too much time. It’s too risky.”

“We’ll take our chances.”

“No, I won’t risk your life or mine. I…”

“Take my blood,” Willa whispered. As the words left her lips, Hunter’s anger rushed over her. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes met Viktor’s.

“What did you just say?” His eyes widened in disbelief.

“I…” Willa glanced to Hunter whose lips were drawn tight. “I said you should take my blood.”

“Willa…” The Alpha began but she interrupted him before he had a chance to finish.

“No, listen to me.” She squeezed Hunter’s hand, focusing on her mate. “He needs to feed. We can’t make any mistakes. Not one. Leaving us here with the vampires isn’t an option. We can’t trust that they’re all loyal. Someone or something could have gotten to one of them. A demon might detect Viktor leaving us. Seriously, we’re only safe for a few hours until all Hell literally breaks loose back in Baton Rouge or New Orleans or wherever we’re making this shit happen with a witch none of us trust. All of us have to be at the top of our game. There cannot be any weakness. He must be as strong as you and me. We are a team.”

“But Willa…you know the implications, right?” The corner of his mouth ticked upward. “It’s just not that easy at this point. You saved his life in Hell. He saved yours. You’re lucky you haven’t created a bond already.”

“Viktor senses me. He probably could find me anywhere. I’m certain of it. But the only bond I’ll ever truly have is with you…my mate. Maybe there’s a way…” Willa plowed her fingers through her unruly mane. Her thoughts spun with possibilities. “He could bite you too. Spread it out. We won’t be weakened but he’ll have both royal blood and Alpha blood. You know that would make him stronger than any old human blood.”

Hunter blew out a breath and looked at Viktor. “Maybe…I don’t know about this.”

“It will work,” she insisted.

“You both understand the ramifications, yes? Because I’d never ask you to do this. You’re newly mated and Willa…you’ve already helped me.”

“You’ve helped us too. You stayed with me and Hunter for far longer than you should have.”

“That’s what friends do. We don’t leave each other when the going gets bad. And as unlikely as I would have thought it, I care about both of you.”

“We are friends and that’s exactly why we’re agreeing to it,” Hunter told him. He smiled at Willa.

“The twenty roaming vampires had something to do with it,” Viktor replied.

“True, but this is your boat. And we’re safe because of you,” Hunter said.

“The effects of my bite. You know how this works. There’s only two ways.” Viktor shook his head and looked off into the distance. “I refuse to hurt her. Or you.”

“You won’t. We know what we’re signing up for. I can’t promise my reaction or what’s going to happen but…” Willa reached for Hunter’s hand and nodded.

“Do not attempt to form a bond with her, vampire. I just fucking mated with her. This is a one-time deal. Get that straight. Whatever goes down, you’d better damn well take note.” Hunter blew out a breath and looked to Willa. “Are you sure about this? Like really sure? Whether you know it or not, you’re probably traumatized from what happened to you in Hell. This could trigger something.”

“It could but my wolf…my heart…you’re here. As long as I’m with you I know I’ll be safe.” Willa took a deep breath. Viktor won’t hurt me . “I can’t explain it. If there was any time he could have killed me, it would have been in Hell. But he saved me.”

“Ah good then. Because if I don’t eat soon, I won’t be dematerializing us anywhere.” Viktor raised his glass with a chuckle.

“Where’s our room?” Hunter grumbled.

“The Alpha doesn’t waste time, I’ll give him that.” The vampire set his drink on the table and clapped his hands together. “All right then.”

“I’m well aware of the effects from your bite,” Willa told him. “I want to be comfortable. As much as I love this warm breeze, I won’t feel safe out in the open. Our guard will be down.”

“Exactly. We both need rest too,” Hunter said.

“No time like the present. Shall we?” Viktor gestured to the galley.

Willa’s stomach fluttered as she rose from her chair and headed into the yacht. She smiled, admiring its lush interior. The vampire didn’t do anything small. Opulent white leather furniture in the living room matched a grand piano that sat next to a marble fireplace. A life-sized black and white portrait of a gorgeous nude woman stared back at her as they made their way to a staircase, and Willa couldn’t help but wonder who she was.

Her heart raced as her palm slid over the cool chrome railing descending to the guest quarters. A series of overhead crystal lights illuminated the sleek hallway. They passed several rooms before coming to an intricately designed golden door. Viktor inserted his palm into a scanner and glanced back to them with a smile.