But he couldn’t seem to feel anything.
Bastion looked down on him. “You traded yourself for her.” He sounded . . . surprised?
Tanner couldn’t speak, but, hell yes, he’d made the trade. He’d known the risks. Gladly accepted them. His death, her life?
Fucking fair.
Then Marna slapped him. “You aren’t doing this to me!” Good thing he couldn’t feel anything, or that hit might have hurt.
She caught his face between her hands. “You aren’t dying for me.”
“Yes.” Cody’s voice. Sad. Hopeless. “He is.”
Bastion reached down for him.
Marna stiffened. “Bastion, you’d better yank that hand back, or you will lose it.”
“So someone else does see him,” Riley whispered and eased back a few feet. “Thought I was goin’ crazy.”
“Vampire . . .” Marna’s voice held a lethal edge. “Don’t even think of leaving.”
Why was the vampire there? Tanner tried to push up but found his arms wouldn’t move. No, he couldn’t move.
Marna leaned over him again. “You save me, I save you.” She bent and pressed a kiss to his lips. He tasted salt. Tears? “That’s how it works,” she whispered.
She pulled back. He didn’t want her to pull back. Didn’t want her to leave.
But Marna lifted her arm and bared her wrist. “Bite me, vamp.”
A growl broke from Tanner’s lips. Riley had better not—
“It’s okay.” Marna’s eyes were on his. Bastion stood at her back. The angel was always too close to her. “He’s not drinking from me.”
“Uh, I’m not?” Riley asked. Then Tanner saw him, coming up on Marna’s side. Taking her offered wrist. “Then what am I doing?”
“Opening a vein.” Her eyes didn’t leave Tanner. “And saving my shifter.”
Her blood. He’d told her not to give him her blood again. It was too addictive. The blood connected him to her even deeper, so deep that if she ever left him, what would remain?
Nothing.
“I’m not leaving you.” Did she know what he was thinking? A flash of pain crossed her face. “And you’re not leaving me.” She put her wrist to his mouth. Blood trickled past his lips. “There’s no time for a fancy transfusion, but it worked when you drank my blood before.”
Because the beast inside lived on blood and death.
Not her blood. It was the beast’s denial, and the man’s.
“If you want to stay with me, if you want to be sure all the vampires and the demons out there don’t get my blood or me, then you’ll drink.”
No one would get her. No one would hurt her.
“Drink,” Marna said again, and he did.
Her blood slid down his throat. The panther had taken blood from prey plenty of times, but the man hadn’t. He choked, hating what he was doing to her. Hard hands held him down. His gaze flew to the left. To the right. Riley and Cody were pinning him down, making sure he couldn’t move.
“Drink for me,” Marna whispered, “because I don’t want to lose you.”
He closed his eyes and drank. At first, the blood didn’t seem to do anything to him. Maybe he was already too far gone. He’d wanted to stay with her, wanted to be at her side forever, but maybe fate had other plans.
Fate had always screwed with him.
Marna pulled her hand away. Tanner licked his lips. He still tasted her, and now, he could almost feel her, inside his mind. A warmth spread within him and filled him with energy and strength.
Deep within him, the panther seemed to stretch and roar.
Alive.
Tanner opened his eyes. “I’m . . . not leaving you.”
Her smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “No, you’re damn well not.” Then she bent toward him and her lips feathered over his cheek.
Cody and Riley eased their grips and pulled away from him. Over Marna’s shoulder, Tanner saw Bastion. Waiting. Watching. His dark wings curled toward his body. His eyes flickered with emotion.
Was he going to have to fight the angel now? He’d killed one jerk-off already. What else was he gonna have to do?
Tanner rose, but kept a strong grip on Marna. He was naked because of his shift, but that was the least of his worries right then. They’d cheated death, for the moment, and that was what mattered.
“Nice trick, shifter,” Bastion said.
Riley flinched. “I need to get the hell out of here.”
“I didn’t realize beasts were so adept at healing.” Bastion’s wings unfurled. “Guess there is more to you than killing.”
“And there’s more to you than death,” Marna said, her voice strong and certain. “There always has been more, Bastion. You aren’t like the others.”
The angel’s hands were clenched into fists. “I was supposed to . . .” He swallowed and said, “You should have died today.”
And what would happen, Tanner wondered, once the angel went back upstairs without his charge?
But Bastion lifted his chin and smiled. “I’ve heard the fall is one wild bitch of a ride.”
Wait . . . had the guy just said—?
“I didn’t want you to fall for me,” Marna told him. Yeah, well, Tanner sure as shit didn’t want that either. Blondie, earthbound? Dogging their steps? Spilling over with emotion?
“Not for you.” Bastion shook his head and straightened his shoulders. “For me. Because maybe I want to know just what it is that humans feel.”
Lust. Fury. Need. Love.
“Find me when I fall,” Bastion said. His gaze darted between Marna and Tanner. “Help me, and any debt you owe me is paid.”
A debt for not taking a soul? Yeah, they’d find the guy all right.
And then Tanner would make sure the Fallen kept his hands off Marna.
A strong wind ripped through the room, sending them all stumbling back. All but Bastion. He rose up, tossed by the wind. The air around him grew dark.
“See you soon,” Bastion whispered as the wind grew even stronger and howled with its own fury.
Then he vanished.
“Holy f**k,” Riley whispered. “Is he really gonna fall?”
Marna’s face tightened with sadness. “Yes.”
Because he hadn’t taken Marna’s soul? Or because he didn’t take mine?
Either way, Blondie would be earthbound soon.
Cody strode toward them. He glared at Tanner an instant, then hauled him close in a back-breaking hug. “Bastard. You weren’t supposed to use that fancy-ass light trick anymore.” Then he eased back and gazed steadily at Tanner. “But for her, you’d do any damn thing, wouldn’t you?”