Seduce(25)

The moment his eyes reached Antoine’s hand, Snow growled and buried his fingers into his white overlong hair, clawing it back so hard that it pulled at his skin. He screwed his face up, his agony palpable in Antoine’s blood, fell to his knees with a harsh thud and curled over into a ball. A deep shudder wracked him and he snarled. His back tensed and arms tautened, every sinew of his muscles visible beneath his skin. Antoine rushed to his side and reached out to touch him, but Snow batted his hand away with such force that Antoine’s arm snapped back and sharp pain buzzed along his bones. He realised his mistake. He had gone to touch him with his cut hand.

“Antoine?” Sera whispered, her fear colliding with his brother’s agony, tearing him between them.

Antoine rushed into the bathroom, wrapped a small black towel around his hand, and then came back to Snow. Sera was in no immediate danger. He had to place his brother first.

“Snow.” Antoine knelt beside him. His brother remained curled up, huge body rocking back and forth, his claws dug so deeply into his scalp that blood stained his white hair red in places. He touched his brother’s wide muscled shoulder and felt it trembling. “Snow?”

Snow snarled, a tortured sound, one that Antoine had heard far too often.

“Sera.” He didn’t turn to look at her, couldn’t take his focus off his brother. There was no telling what Snow would do now that he had lost himself to the same horrific memories that haunted Antoine each day and was reliving them.

Or at least some of them.

Antoine was sure that others were buried so deeply in his brother’s mind that he couldn’t recall them at all.

“Yes?” Her voice shook, betraying her fear.

“The canister,” he said and she moved an instant later, heading for the chest of drawers to his right and grabbing the blood. She didn’t hesitate to approach him, revealing the depth of her bravery. Most women he had met in his lifetime would have made a break for the door, or at least the safety of the bathroom. Not Sera. She had leapt into action, assisting him. Both kind and courageous.

She became more intoxicating with each new thing he learned about her.

Sera handed him the canister of blood and he knocked the cap off and lowered it under Snow’s head.

Snow growled, pained and low, and turned his head to one side, trying to escape it. Antoine persisted, knowing that his brother both needed and didn’t need the blood. It would chase away the memories torturing him but would do so by replacing them with bloodlust, sending his brother into a mindless rage and hunger. It was cruel but it was the only way Antoine could relieve his immediate suffering. When the bloodlust had him in its grip, he would forget everything but his craving. Antoine risked moving the canister closer.

His brother snatched it, clawing him in the process, and was gone in a flash, retreated into the far corner of the room with his precious prize. He crouched there with his back against the corner, blood streaked white hair obscuring his face, radiating danger that warned Antoine to keep his distance or risk losing a limb or his life.

Antoine licked the cuts on the back of his hand and rose to his feet. He reached out to Sera, placing his hand on her stomach and guiding her behind him, and eyed the cuffs hanging over the end of the bed and then the distance from them to his brother. Almost equal. If he made a lunge for them, there was a chance that Snow would realise his intent and reach them first. Even if he did manage to grab them, he still had to get them on his brother.

Snow gulped the blood down, both strong hands locked around the fragile container, knuckles white from the force of his grip. Red rivulets spilled from the corners of his lips and trailed down his chin and neck.

Antoine needed more blood. Enough to keep Snow occupied long enough for Antoine to get the restraints on him without him noticing.

“Sera,” Antoine said very slowly and quietly, trying not to draw Snow’s attention to her. “Go into the bathroom and lock the door behind you.”

“No.”

It was such a determined response that he couldn’t stop himself from looking at her and frowning.

“You can’t handle this alone. You don’t have to handle this alone.” She stood resolutely behind him.

Dangerous words. It was all too tempting to go along with her, to accept her help and accept that she was right in the process. He didn’t have to handle this alone. He could share this burden with her.

Something that wasn’t going to happen.

Antoine shoved her so hard that she tripped across the floor and fell into the bathroom, ending up sprawled out rather indecently on the tiled floor. He moved faster than she could, shutting the door and holding it closed.