Page 51 of Crimson Mate
“Conrad,” I say, hating that this is what he's turned into. “You're better than this. You used to be?—”
“Don't do that,” he says, his smile falling. “Don't pretend like you ever cared for me.You’rebetter than that. We were acquaintances at best, especially once you turned down my attempts to court you.”
“What happened to you? Conrad, we used to be friends.”
He crouches down, his hand cupping my cheek, pain lining the features on his face. “I know,” he says. “Don't you know that's why I'm doing this? I didn't want to hurt you. Ihadto, don't you see? If I didn’t injure you, you would’ve immediately launched into a fight and you wouldn't listen to me. I need you to understand, your place is on our side. Your place is withme.”
I swallow hard, a cold sweat popping on my brow. “You keep saying our?—”
Gravel crunches as another vampire steps out of the shadows, wending in. For a split second, I think Saint stumbled upon me, and I’m overcome with relief, but as the moonlight drenches him, I can tell it's not Saint.
It's Samuel.
“Talia?” Samuel asks, grinning down at me. “What's it been, a few centuries? I knew Conrad spoke about your little chase, but seeing you is a whole other thing. You looked better the last time I saw you.”
I try to muster a snarky retort, but I'm so damn weak, the blood loss and the poison doing everything to render me absolutely useless.
Why do I always have to go off on my own?
Conrad glares up at Samuel. “Enough of that,” he snaps. “Heal her.”
Samuel slides his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “Now why in the hell would I heal Zachariah’s mate? He’ll be weakened beyond repair the moment he feels her die.” He smiles, eyes brightening.
Conrad stands up, stomping toward Samuel. “You promised. This was part of the plan.”
Samuel laughs, and I realize that he’s just as convincing as he’s always been, drawing people into his plans and inspiring a twisted loyalty that I’ll never understand.
I feel so damn bad for Saint and the others.
And the weaker I feel, the more I realize I'm losing my shot.
Zachariah and the other hunters have been searching for Samuel for a very long time.
And I'm done taking on this fight alone.
I dig deep inside myself, snatching up that mating bond that I wanted to deny for so long, jerking it to attention and mentally whisperingZachariahas I watch no less than thirty bloodmad vampires stumble in behind where Samuel and Conrad are still bickering.
Fuck me, we’re all going to die.
CHAPTER 19
Zachariah
Something yanks inside the center of me, jerking my body and soul to attention in such a demanding way that I flinch as Alek speaks to Conclave.
Zachariah, I hear Talia’s voice inside my mind, whispering down the bond that connects us.
It's followed by a rush of pain and fear and regret, her location easy enough to lock on as I hurry out of the Conclave walls, Alek calling after me, but I barely hear his questioning yells. I pull my phone out, texting my brothers before I wend without a second thought, the three actions taking me mere seconds.
I immediately spot Talia, collapsed in the middle of the street, next to one of Benedict's motorcycles.
And then I see the horde of bloodmad vampires.
Every single one of them is racing toward me.
I don’t have a second to think, to hesitate.
My arsenal of powers springs to the surface in one harsh snap as the very real possibility of death bears down on me…on Talia, lying there, so limp…