Here Be Sexist Vampires(117)

“Sam, baby, wake up,” I coaxed as I lay her on the forest floor. As soon as she’d collapsed with exhaustion her own body had peeled away from mine, leaving my skin itching like crazy for a minute, and I’d had to then carry her down the bulky tree. I squatted beside her, running my hand through her hair. “Come on, wake up.”

Becoming aware of a presence behind me, I turned to find Antonio, Luther and Sebastian being teleported by one of the guards.

“How is she?” Antonio immediately asked.

“Totally wiped out. She’d known from what happened with Joy that she could drain me if she wasn’t careful, but she’d ended up draining herself.”

“Thank God it wasn’t to the point of death,” said Luther.

“A coma?” enquired Chico as the entire squad suddenly appeared from the trees with Alora.

I heard some of the guys cursing in. “She’s just unconscious,” I assured them. “But she’s sapped.”

“So she’ll be okay?” David was swallowing hard in panic.

I nodded. The only thing I could think of that might rouse her from this state was blood. I slid my hand under her upper back and raised her slightly, allowing her head to fall back a little. Then I bit hard into my wrist and swiftly put it to her mouth. Although the skin quickly healed itself I still managed to get a few drops onto her tongue. “Come on, Sam.” Nothing; no movement, no sounds, not even the flicker of an eyelid. “Sam, I swear to God if you don’t wake up I’ll spank your ass.”

Bastard, I heard in my head.

Instantly a smile curved my mouth. “She’s alright, she’s waking up.”

Denny raised a brow, still tense and anxious. “How can you tell?”

“She’s just telepathically called me a bastard.” There were laughs at that but the air was still filled with worry. Then she inhaled a long breath through her nose and everyone seemed to sigh and sag in relief. Aquamarine eyes found mine and she smiled a little. I raised her and pulled her onto my lap as I sat down. “Hey baby.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Was there a reason why you felt it necessary to turn into Storm out of the X-Men?”

“Oh shut your noise.” She looked up at Antonio then. “Many casualties?”

He smiled. “Not as many as what I would have expected, given how outnumbered we were. It seemed that Rupert’s legion suffered the worst. Although I think things would be very different if you hadn’t…turned into Storm, as Jared so aptly put it.”

“It was so cool,” said Harvey with a wide smile. I shot him a scowl.

She turned to the squad and smiled, her eyes flicking to each one of them. “I don’t mind saying I’m proud of you lot.” They each grinned. “But if you let it get to your heads and rods reappear up your backsides it’ll be storm time again, alright?”

They each chuckled but nodded.

“If you think we’d risk your wrath you’re crazy,” said Damien.

Jared? It was Evan, anxious.

“Evan’s awake,” I told her. “I stashed him out of sight further into the rainforest when I found him unconscious.”

Alora dashed forward. “Can you take me to him? Please?”

I nodded then stood upright, Sam still in my arms. “See all you guys later.”

“Put me down.” She kicked her legs until I planted her on her feet, an arm around her waist, waiting while she steadied herself before grabbing Alora’s hand. In under a second we were stood before Evan who stopped in his anxious pacing and quickly locked his arms around Alora who, to my surprise, eagerly returned the embrace.#p#分页标题#e#

I looked at Sam. “That was fast work for Evan.” She only smiled. Then her smile wobbled a little and she suddenly seemed nervous. “What is it?”

She cleared her throat but when she opened her mouth she didn’t say anything, as if she wasn’t sure she should say whatever it was. I encouraged her with a look. “When I Merged with you…it meant I could access – I wasn’t snooping, it’s just part of the Merging – your thoughts and memories and…feelings.”

I knew where this was going. I’d suspected that the process would allow her to do that.

After a second, she murmured in disbelief, “You love me. Or at least you think you do.”

I smiled. “I know I do.” I wrapped my arms around her. “And you love me.” Her eyes widened; clearly she hadn’t known that I’d had the same access to her mind as she had to mine. “If you sensed I love you then you must’ve also sensed that I meant it when I said I was claiming you as mine. And no, I’m not asking, and the reason I’m not asking is because the answer ‘no’ is unacceptable. I want the Binding Ceremony – everything.”