Free Web NovelChapter 147: Chapter 147
Gunnar’s POV
My brows pulled together as the words left her mouth, and for a second I thought I had heard wrong.
"Feed me?"
The way she said it wasn’t careless, and it wasn’t weak either, it was like she had already made up her mind before she even stepped into this room, and that alone made something inside me shift in a way I didn’t like.
The beast in me reacted first, not me, not the part that still thought clearly, but the darker part that had tasted her blood not long ago and still remembered it too well.
It rose fast, pushing at my control, telling me to take what she was offering without hesitation, telling me she was standing too close, breathing too soft, looking at me in a way that made restraint feel like punishment.
But I didn’t move.
My daughter was still here.
That alone forced me to stay where I was, even though every part of me felt tight and restless, like I was holding back something that was ready to snap loose.
Then, just as the silence started to stretch too long, someone stepped in beside Riley, and I didn’t need to look twice to know who it was.
My mother. she simply stood there with that calm look she always had when she was already ten steps ahead of everyone else, and then she turned slightly toward Summer and Caden.
"You both should leave," she said in a voice that didn’t sound harsh but still carried enough weight that no one would question it.
Summer hesitated for a second, her eyes moving between me and Riley, like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. Caden gave me one last look, something unreadable in his expression, and then he turned and followed her out.
One by one, the others left too and mother joined them as well, shutting the door behind her.
Now it was just me and Riley.
My gaze stayed on Riley as I slowly stood up, my body still stiff from earlier.
Then I started walking toward her, slow enough that she could see every step I took, slow enough that she would feel it.
"You’re foolishly brave," I said, my voice low but clear, "for someone I nearly sucked dry just hours ago."
I stopped right in front of her, close enough to see the way her throat moved when she swallowed.
"And yet here you are," I continued, my eyes locking onto hers, "asking to do the same thing again."
I watched her closely, not missing the way her fingers tightened slightly at her sides, not missing the small pause in her breathing.
She was scared.
Of course she was.
But she didn’t step back.
That alone made something twist inside me.
Looking at her more carefully now, I noticed things I hadn’t paid attention to before, or maybe I had, but I hadn’t allowed myself to think about it.
She looked a lot like Carian.
Not exactly the same, not in a way that would confuse anyone, but enough that it was there, in the shape of her face, in the way her eyes held something strong even when she was afraid.
But there were differences too.
Clear ones.
The curve of her waist, the way she held herself, the calm strength in her posture.
And for a brief second, a thought crossed my mind that I shut down immediately.
"She’s not Carian," I told myself firmly.
Still, the thought had already been there, and I didn’t like that.
"I’m stable now," Riley said, pulling my attention back to her voice. "Your mother asked me to feed you when you wake up so you won’t go around biting off everyone’s blood."
Her tone tried to sound casual, but it wasn’t completely steady.
I could hear it.
I was about to reach for her, the instinct too strong to ignore now that she had stepped this close, when suddenly her foot slipped.
It was small, just a quick misstep, but it was enough.
Her body tilted, and before she could hit the ground, my hand shot out and grabbed her waist, pulling her back up against me.
The moment my hand touched her, everything inside me stilled for a second.
Then it hit harder.
Her body was warm and I could feel the tension in her muscles, the slight shake she was trying to hide.
But that wasn’t what caught my attention the most.
It was the smell of it.
Blood.
Fresh.
My grip tightened slightly without me meaning to, and my eyes dropped to her side.
There were bandages wrapped around her hip.
They weren’t clean.
"What happened to you?" I asked, my voice colder now, sharper.
She shook her head quickly. "It’s nothing."
She tried to move away from me, but I didn’t let her.
My hand held her in place, firm enough that she couldn’t just slip out of it.
"It’s not nothing," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
I shifted slightly, my other hand moving to the side of her dress, and before she could stop me, I lifted the fabric just enough to see what she was trying to hide.
Blood had soaked through the bandage.
My eyes widened, and for a second, the room felt too quiet again.
"Who did this?" I asked, my voice lower now, but more dangerous.
She didn’t answer immediately.
Her lips pressed together, her eyes looking anywhere but at me.
"Riley," I said again, this time with more authority, the kind she couldn’t ignore even if she wanted to.
Her shoulders tensed, and I saw the moment she gave in.
"It was Daphne," she said finally, her voice softer now.
Everything inside me went still.
"Your sister stabbed me."
For a second, I didn’t react.
Then the anger came.
It didn’t rise slowly, it didn’t build up over time, it hit all at once, sharp and immediate, like something had snapped inside me.
My grip on her tightened without me realizing it.
"She did what?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
Riley flinched slightly at the tone.
"It wasn’t—" she started, like she was about to defend it, like she was about to make it sound smaller than it was.
"Don’t," I cut her off, my eyes locking onto hers again.
She went quiet. Because I didn’t want excuses right now. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
I let go of her dress slowly, but my hand stayed on her waist, like I wasn’t ready to let her move away yet.
"And you’re standing here," I continued, my voice still low but steady, "bleeding, weak, and you’re offering yourself to me like that’s a good idea."
"I said I’m stable," she replied, a bit more firmly now, even though I could still see the strain in her.
"You’re not," I said immediately. "I can smell your blood from here."
That made her go quiet again.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The tension between us felt different now mixed with something that neither of us was saying out loud.
"You still want me to feed?" I asked after a moment, my voice dropping slightly.
She nodded."Yes."
There was no hesitation this time. No second-guessing. Just that one word.
I stared at her for a few seconds longer, searching her face, looking for any sign that she didn’t fully understand what she was offering.
But there wasn’t any.
My hand moved from her waist to her arm, guiding her a little closer, giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to.
Her breathing picked up slightly, and I could hear it clearly now, every inhale, every exhale, like my senses had locked onto her completely.
"Stay still," I murmured, my voice quieter now.
She swallowed but nodded again.
I leaned in slowly, close enough to feel the heat of her skin against my face, close enough to hear the way her heartbeat had started to speed up.
My hand shifted slightly, holding her steady that she wouldn’t move suddenly.
For a second, I paused, right there, just before closing the distance completely.
Then the beast in me pushed forward, stronger this time.
And I didn’t stop.
My lips brushed lightly against her skin first, just enough to feel her flinch, just enough to make her breath catch.
Then I sank my teeth in.
She gasped, her hand instinctively gripping onto my arm, her body tensing for a second before slowly relaxing again.
Her blood hit my senses immediately.
Warm. Sweet and intoxicating..
It filled my mouth, sharp and rich, and for a moment, everything else faded.
I held her with more control than before, even though every instinct in me wanted more.
She let out a shaky breath, her fingers tightening slightly against me, but she didn’t try to pull away.
"Gunnar..." she whispered softly in a hushed gasp.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Not right now.
I forced myself to stay sane, to take only what I needed, not what I wanted.
After a few moments, I pulled back, my breath heavier now, my control still intact but barely.
Her body swayed slightly, and I tightened my hold on her again so she wouldn’t fall.
That was when she glanced down to her hips, and saw the wounds closing up. Instead of feeding from her, I had infused the healing pheromones inside her instead.
She looked up at my face in confusion "You’re not drinking from me?" She asked.
"I’m not mad enough to drink from an unstable wounded petite little woman, you’ll loose consciousness faster than your breath"
