Lucien was getting sleepier and sleepier. His head dipped and Vinny had to readjust his grip as he took on more of Lucien’s weight. I helped make way for them as they rounded the table.

Lucien’s breathing grew shallower with each breath. “I don’t understand,” he gasped as we led him out the door. “Alcohol doesn’t affect me.”

“You’ve been drugged,” I said, helping him navigate the front step, hoping he was aware enough to understand. “You have to stay awake.”

“Drugs don’t work on me,” he said, voice slurred.

I glanced back at Nina’s house. “This one does.”

We sped off in Vinny’s car, not even caring about breaking cover. Lucien lay across me in the backseat. He wasn’t moving. I smoothed his hair back, just to have something to fuss over.

This was bad. We had no idea how to reverse whatever Bliss had given him.

“Contact the Vampire Council,” I told Vinny. “See if they’ve learned anything about Slimprol.”

Lucien was dead weight as we pulled him out of the car. His skin was clammy, and his face had gone deathly pale.

“Drag harder,” Vinny said. He took Lucien’s head and shoulders while I took his feet. “He’s not helping us at all.”

“Stay with me.” I planted Lucien’s feet on the ground, then slipped underneath and helped lift him out. “You hear me?”

Tia came running up the driveway. She’d lost her shoes and had the wide-eyed look that told me she’d be no help to us.

“Go home, Tia.”

“But, Heather, I—”

“Not now.”

We could be fighting for Lucien’s life here. He was immortal, but he wasn’t un-kill-able and I still didn’t trust Bliss not to make a lethal move. She was desperate, vicious, and out for blood.

Vinny was thinking the same thing. “Lock the door,” he said when we’d made it inside.

I threw the dead bolt and the chain. Then I set the security alarm.

There was no way we could drag Lucien up the stairs. In fact, we made it as far as the couch in the living room.

“Easy does it,” Vinny said, out of breath as we laid Lucien on the white couch facing the fireplace.

“How could Bliss even think she’d get away with this?”

Vinny pulled out his cell phone. “I doubt she was thinking that far.” He hurried toward the kitchen. “Rodger? Get me Milosh.” He took the rest of the conversation in the garage.

Lucien struggled just to keep his eyes open. His pupils were fixed and dilated. His breathing had slowed as if he were asleep.

“Stay with me.” I ran my fingers through his short blond hair and touched my lips to his forehead. “Come on. You can do it.” I kissed his eyelids and his cheeks.

God, he had impossibly long eyelashes.

I was anxious. Terrified, really. It was as if a big hole had opened up in my chest, waiting to be filled, or crushed.

His eyes fluttered.

“That’s it,” I said. “You don’t want to miss this.”

I brushed a kiss over his lips, and then another. A tear splashed down on his cheek and I wiped it away, glad that no one saw.

“See?” I asked, wiping my eyes. “You’re fine.”

What was wrong with me? Getting blubbery over a job.

I’d seen death more than I cared to admit. It was part of being a pack enforcer.

But this was Lucien and he was different and he didn’t deserve this.

The garage door burst open. “No information on Slimprol, but they’re sending a medic.”

“How long?”

Vinny shoved his phone in his pocket. “A half hour.”

“Damn it, Vinny.”

“What?”

“I don’t think he has a half hour.” My voice caught in my throat.

His breathing had all but stopped. He wasn’t keeping his eyes open and he’d gone deathly pale.

Vinny stood frozen. “Shit.”

“Get on the phone,” I ordered. “Figure it out.”

“Yeah,” he said, fishing in his pocket.

Vinny retreated back to the kitchen or the garage or wherever the hell he went. Damn the Vampire Council for being so slow. Damn Vinny for not figuring this out. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beat something because Lucien was dying right in front of us and there was nothing I could do.

I couldn’t cure a vampire.

I couldn’t make this better.

I—

“Wake up.” I tapped at his cheek until I was full-fledged slapping him. “Wake up!”

His eyes cracked open.

“You’re going to have to drink from me,” I said, breathless. I couldn’t believe I was saying it, much less thinking it, but there was no other way.

Lucien was a vampire. He needed blood to heal and I would give it to him.

“Lucien!”

He groaned.

“Damn it, Lucien. Wake up. You have to drink from me.”

I rubbed at my wrist, trying to figure out where there’d be an artery. I’d heard there was one in there somewhere.

To hell with it. No time.

I climbed on top of him and lowered my neck to his mouth. “Drink!”

He didn’t move.

“Oh well, this is just great!” I hollered. First he could barely keep his fangs to himself, and now when I had to save his miserable life, he wanted to go to sleep. Well, not on my watch.

“You are not going to die,” I growled. “In fact, I’m going to seduce the hell out of you.”

I got an eyelid flutter for that.

Ha!

“That’s right,” I said, wrestling with the back zipper of my dress. “I know you’ve been dying for this.”

I dropped my bra. Damned vampire.

My mouth skimmed his jaw and nibbled at the soft spot behind his ear. One by one, I freed the buttons on his white dress shirt until I could press my hands against his deathly cold flesh.

Don’t think of that. I focused instead on the hardness of his muscles, the wisp of hair that trailed from his chest and disappeared into the front of his dress slacks. I flicked a nipple and he groaned. I took it between my teeth and he groaned harder.

That a boy.

I pressed my breasts flush against him and let his coolness seep over me. He’d begun to breathe harder. So had I. I paused for a moment to breathe in his spicy, masculine scent.

I almost forgot this was a rescue mission instead of a mutual pleasuring. He felt so good. I brought my body flush with his, toying with his belt buckle, nibbling my way up his chest as I reached lower.

He inhaled sharply. “Heather.”

“Um-hum,” I said, nuzzling his ear. God, he was hard.

“Help me get undressed.”

“You have to drink,” I said, lips crushed against his ear.

“I want to be inside you.”

“Drink.” I tilted my neck toward him. His fangs pricked the tender skin of my neck, sending a jolt of panic through me.

“Heather?” he whispered against my neck.

I wet my lips. “It’s okay.”

His fangs sank into my neck and my fear vanished. I squirmed, rubbing myself against him as I experienced the most explosive connection I’d ever felt.

Lust swamped me. I shivered with the intensity as he pressed me against his hard body and drank. My body stretched like a bow with sheer pleasure, held in place by Lucien’s steady hands.

He was with me, alive. And he felt amazing.

I was wet, shaking, and on the verge of climax when Lucien sank back from me, dazed. “Is this a dream?” he asked, rolling me under him.

“No,” I said, blinking back to reality. He was alive, and strong. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Not a dream.”

There was stark, sexual hunger in his eyes. “Good.”

I was naked before I knew what had happened.

“Lucien—” His fingers found the core of me and I stopped complaining.

He drew me into the most erotic kiss of my life, his fingers exploring me until I thought I was about to scream from the intensity of it. A second later, I came.

“May I?” he asked.

I threw my head back against the couch. “God, you’re polite.”

“Hardly,” he said, pressing the tip of himself against me. His radiant blue eyes fastened on me. “Tell me you want it.”

My breathing hitched. “I do.”

He drove into me, setting off another wave of pleasure. Sweet heaven, how could anything feel so good? I thought I’d had men before but I’d never had anyone like Lucien.

He pushed me. He filled me. He drove me to heights I hadn’t even let myself imagine before.

I nipped at his shoulder, his neck, anything I could reach.

Lucien let his head drop. His face pressed against my shoulder as his fangs slid along my neck.

“Do it,” I gasped as he bit me again.

Yes! I slammed hard against him as he drove into me. We took from each other and gave to each other until it was impossible to separate our two selves.

This time, I screamed as I came.