Chapter 78

“It hurts,” he said. His voice was low and steady, like a lake left untouched beneath an autumn night. It afforded no more room for argument, commanded her deepest attention. “Don’t be fooled by how you’ve seen it romanticized. Being bitten by a vampire isn’t the joyride some people make it out to be.”

“But it can be worthwhile.” Mathias appeared at Edmund’s shoulder, spectral and fierce without ever raising his voice. “I can make you forget the pain, help you focus on the cerebral rather than the visceral.”

A single glance at Edmund said that was true. And another glance downward revealed both of them were hard. He could fight her on this as much as he wanted, but Edmund couldn’t deny that he found the prospect exciting. Even if he wouldn’t be the one doing the biting.

“The pragmatist and the romantic.” She shot them a half-smile before carefully pulling free of Edmund’s hold. “It’s no wonder you two were together for so long.”