Hot Blooded

hurting them. You always forget to breathe
. There was
the merest hint of amusement in his melodic voice, an intimacy that took her
breath away.
    Her entire body clenched, searing heat touching her in places like the stroke
of fingertips. Her breath caught in her throat. He was dangerous, far more than
she first thought. His voice was a weapon, seduction a tool. And she was
susceptible to his sensual mouth, his burning eyes and his velvet voice.
    Juliette forced energy into her body, using her fear, her adrenaline and his
momentary distraction while feeding. She attempted to jerk out of his arms,
using the sudden surge of built-up terror. His arm remained clamped around her
like a steel trap, unmoving, almost as if he didn't feel her resistance.
    Riordan allowed the first human male to sit down on the ground, swaying
weakly, and he reached for the second one. He needed fresh blood to replace the
enormous loss he had suffered through his confinement and torture within the
walls of the laboratory. With the infusion of blood, he hoped to heal enough to
begin restoring his body to full power. With renewed power and without the
constant electrical charges to stimulate the artificial poison he might be able
to remove the substance from his system. Carefully, he helped the second human
to the ground, retaining possession of the woman by holding her body close to
his. He felt her. Every inch, every curve. Her skin was unbelievably soft. He
bent his head to her thick mane of flowing hair, inhaling the scent of her. It
took a tremendous amount of self-control not to bury his face in the silken
strands.
    She was very frightened, the fear swamping her despite the fact that he had
tried to soothe her. Her brain patterns were different, the most difficult he
had ever encountered. He caught her chin firmly in his hand and tipped her head
back so her strange eyes were forced to meet his gaze. Her eyes were shaped
liked a cat's, a deep turquoise in color, and he could tell by her pupils she
had excellent night vision. Her lashes were long and the same inky black color
as her hair. He stared down into her eyes, a simple hypnotic technique that
should have calmed her instantly, but instead he could hear the frantic rhythm
of her heart pick up.
    "You rescued me. Thank you," he said softly, gently, compulsion buried in the
silvery tones of his voice.
    Juliette tried desperately to regain her energy. Her legs were very heavy,
her arms still leaden. He was the only thing holding her up. She was dizzy, and
every time she stared into his black eyes she felt as if she were falling
forward. She blinked rapidly, trying to find a way to regain her ability to
think clearly. "What's wrong with me?" Her mouth was dry and her voice sounded
far away to her own ears.
    "I took too much of your blood," he answered softly, honestly. "It was the
only way I could escape from that hellhole. There is no need to fear me, I will
replace what was lost." His arms tightened possessively.
    Juliette pushed ineffectually at him. "Just go away. I don't want you to
replace anything at all."
    "I am Riordan, your lifemate. I have searched these long years to find you."
    "You are some kind of bloodsucking something or other and I just want you to
go away." Juliette nearly sank into the bushes, but he lifted her, preventing
her from falling. It disturbed her that he had such strength when he had been so
brutally tortured. Blood or no blood, he should have been as weak as a kitten.
His chest held long, raw burn marks, almost as if the chains holding him had
been made of acid. "You have to take care of these wounds. They'll get infected
in the jungle. You can't have any open wounds at all." Why she cared made no
sense. She just wanted him to go away. He cradled her as if she were a child
hanging limply in his arms, her head lolling back on her neck. She was very
aware of her throat, so vulnerable to his sharp teeth.
    Riordan stared down into her peculiar eyes, searching her mind for a way to
calm her fears. He heard a soft grunting cough coming from the darkened interior
not very far from them. She reacted. She tried not to, but there was elation,
hastily suppressed in her mind, and her body tensed for the briefest of moments.
He felt her response beginning in her mind, he was already that tuned to her and
they hadn't shared his blood yet. She took a breath. Before she could make a
sound his hand clamped around her throat.