Free Wulf's Redemption (Borne Vampires Book 3) by W.M. Petzler

after him, the fire gone from her eyes. If they could just keeping
going, there should be a house or farm close by, with people to feed on.
    Ah, who was he kidding? There hadn’t been any sign
of humans since the one who shot Kai. The vampire hunters had pulled a
disappearing act. If blood wasn’t found soon, and they went to ground, there
was a good chance they wouldn’t be able to rise from the earth. A vampire had to feed on humans. If not, their blood
cells dried, internal organs withered, the heart stopped beating. Alive and
dead, until the end came to take them to Heaven or Hell in his case.
    What seemed like hours of walking, he found it
harder and harder to keep on going. Kai collapsed, face first in the loamy
soil, unmoving. Dropping to his knees, he gently rolled her onto her back,
brushing the dirt off her face. Her cheeks had sunk in and her beautiful face
appeared skull-like. Thick, black eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her
eyes, exposing their bloodshot state. Pale, creamy skin went grayish-white. Rubbing
a shaky hand over his face, he realized his skin was cold and clammy to the
touch. Placing his hand on Kai’s forehead, she was, too. He noticed how white
the skin on the back of his hand was, how the veins contrasted blue against pale.
He couldn’t give her any blood. There was barely any left in his veins to
sustain him.
    “Alex, I need to sleep,” she whispered as she
closed her eyes.
    Panicking, he grabbed her, shaking her awake. “Don’t
you dare leave me!” he shouted hoarsely at her, bringing her up onto his lap. “Sweetheart,
please, you must hang on.”
    Her eyes fluttered open. A small smile curved her
dry, cracked lips. Kai whispered, “Sweetheart, huh? I like ‘babe’ better.”
    A wracking laugh escaped him. “I order you not to
leave me and what do you latch on to? An endearment.”
    Smiling sadly, she reached up to cradle the palm
of her hand against his stubble-shrouded cheek. “Stupid man. Why would I leave you?”
    Staring at her dumbly, it took him a full minute
for him to process what Kai meant. He had tried to convince himself she had
left him when she’d only gone and made
a life for herself after he had rejected her advances. Putting his arm around
her slumped shoulders, he pulled her closer to him. Weak, she laid her head
against his chest. Kai, who was always vivacious, warm as the sun and twice as
spirited, was dying. Her life was in his hands and he had failed her. Resolve
surged to give him the strength to fight. They weren’t dead yet!
    “Kai, you need to be on your feet.” Climbing to
his, he dragged her with him. He glanced down into her face, alarmed to see her
eyes roll back and only the whites were left.
    Panicking, he stumbled forward, dragging her with
him. Twenty yards, he tripped, catching his balance on the tree next to him.
Staring down at his feet, Alex realized the game trail had met an old cart
path. The hard dirt of the road and lack of grass evidence it was still used.
Holding Kai, he stood there, undecided which direction to take. Past and
present assaulted him. Images of summer and winter collided in kaleidoscope,
confusing him.
    “Dammit, Kai—” the words stuck, his tongue swollen
with thirst. His vision narrowed and he fell to his knees. She landed beside
him, still out cold.
    Fighting to stay conscious, he wrestled the
cloying web of utter despair, betrayed by his own body. So tired! He hadn’t the
strength to open the soil and make a grave, to protect Kai and himself from the
vampire hunters. Crawling over to Kai, he pulled and yanked at her rucksack to
bring her against him. Drawing the gun she’d given him, he leaned against the
tree, holding her close to him. The sensation of the rough bark couldn’t penetrate
the numbness engulfing him. At least he could kill a few of the hunters if they
found them.
    Chirping of birds in the predawn hour mingled with
the jingling of bells and the plodding tread of several horses jolted