Free Dr. Wolf, the Fae Rift Series Book 2- Demon Spiral by Cheree Alsop

back and forth in a weak refusal. “I won’t…break the treaty.”
    Aleric gaped at him. “The treaty? It doesn’t even exist in this world. I’m giving you permission to drink my blood. Take advantage of it. It’s the only fae blood you’re going to get.”
    Dartan was silent for a few minutes before he forced out the words, “I won’t be…like my father.”
    The words gripped Aleric’s heart. The vampire’s resolve scared him.
    “You could never be like your father,” he replied. “Lord Targesh hated you for a reason.”
    The smallest chuckle sounded from the vampire, then cut off as if smothered.
    “He hated you because you have a heart,” Aleric continued. “You care about this world and Blays. You fought him to protect the humans, and you sent your people back to Blays so they wouldn’t hurt anyone else. You are a good person, so bite me.”
    Dartan gave a faint snort. His muscles tensed as if he wanted to lift his head, but he gave up when nothing happened. “Thank…you,” he said in a whisper.
    “For what?” Aleric asked.
    The silence that followed the werewolf’s question felt exceptionally long. The sunlight had crept past the halfway point on the floor before Dartan spoke.
    “For giving me…a second chance,” he finished.
    Dartan’s hands slipped to the floor. His forehead rested heavily on his knees. His eyes twitched beneath his eyelids.
    “Dartan?” Aleric said. Silence followed. Aleric grabbed the vampire’s shoulder. “Dartan!” he shouted.
    When the vampire didn’t respond, Aleric looked around wildly for anything he could use. The room was void of any useful objects, or any objects at all for that matter. Aleric gritted his teeth. There was only one thing he knew to do. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down hard where the veins ran below the skin. It hurt far more than he thought it should, but he didn’t stop until he tasted blood.
    He grabbed Dartan’s dark hair and pulled the vampire’s head up. Aleric held his hand in front of the vampire’s face. Dartan’s eyes didn’t so much as flicker. Worried that he had waited too long, Aleric shoved his bleeding wrist against the vampire’s mouth.
    His ears strained to catch any sound from the vampire’s heart. He couldn’t feel Dartan’s breath against his skin. Perhaps he had waited too long. The thought was too much to bear.
    Dartan’s shoulders jerked and Aleric heard the faint sound of a heartbeat. The vampire lifted his head for the blood that touched his lips to enter his mouth. Dartan’s eyes opened just enough for him to see Aleric’s bleeding wrist. He bent forward. A breath caught in Aleric’s throat at the feeling of the vampire’s fangs piercing his skin.
    Dartan sucked in. The motion was weak at first, then strengthened with each draw. The vampire’s hands moved to grip Aleric’s hand and arm, holding his wrist in place. Dartan drank deeper and Aleric felt the tingle in his hands and legs that told of blood leaving his body. He tried to pull away. Dartan let out a sound that was more of a growl than anything close to human. Aleric’s instincts screamed for him to fight back, but he told himself he had almost waited too long for the vampire to drink. He was glad to see his friend alive.
    The gratefulness Aleric felt slipped into a numb acceptance. The voice in the back of the werewolf’s mind warned that he was being lolled by the vampire’s power. The vampire’s mind control shouldn’t have worked on him, but he trusted Dartan. That trust might be the last thing he ever knew.
    Aleric’s head lolled forward and chills ran from his arm down his body. Black spots filled his mind along with a rushing sound like waves pushing against a distant shore. Aleric closed his eyes and felt the blanket of unconsciousness cover his thoughts.

Chapter Six
     
    “Aleric, wake up. Wake up, you idiot.”
    The muttering brought consciousness back to Aleric’s mind.
    “Seriously? Pulling something like