BodySnatchers Read Free Page A

wounded.
    The woman deserved to walk away whole, even if it was a
vampire helping her to do so. He didn’t have to turn her, but she might think
that was his intent when she came to.
    “Are you sure you want to do this?” Melisande asked.
    Yuri sighed. “Yes.”
    He gathered the red-haired woman into his arms, her blood
smearing across his sleeve. Had he not fed an hour earlier, the hunger would
have been washing over him in waves. The scent of blood drew him like no other,
but he’d had over four hundred years to learn to control his bloodlust. He
hoped the lessons learned would carry him through the other urges not so easily
controlled.
    He carried her to his room and turned to close the door.
    “Need my assistance?” Torsten asked, his gaze focused on
Yuri not the woman.
    “I do not wish to be disturbed.”
    “What if she tries to kill you?” Melisande asked.
    He smiled gently at his two friends. “I’ll call if I need
you.” With a slight kick, the door swung shut, blocking out Torsten and
Melisande’s worried faces.
    When he laid her on the bed, she was like a rag doll,
completely limp and unresponsive. Her wounds were not mortal, but she’d lost
enough blood to weaken her. The trance did the rest. But as soon as he started
the healing process, she’d awaken.
    Maybe she’d be frightened. More likely she’d be shocked and
angry, thinking he was taking advantage of her. Perhaps that was the reason
he’d brought her here in the first place.
    This woman and her foolish bravado intrigued him as no other
in many years.
    Yuri glanced at the clock. Dawn was only an hour away. If he
planned to do this, he’d need to do it quickly.
    Without another thought to the consequences, he pulled a
knife from the sheath in his boot and slipped it beneath the hem of her shirt,
the blade slicing through threads until he peeled back the tank top, exposing
the wound and a shell-pink lace bra.
    For a woman all in black, the pink bra was a pleasant
surprise. Apparently, she had a softer, more feminine side. In order to heal
her, he had to strip her clothing away to expose entry and exit wounds.
    He flipped the front clasp and her breasts spilled out of
the lace and into his hands. Okay, so he probably hadn’t needed to remove the
bra, but he couldn’t resist, and the straps might prove to be in the way across
her back.
    His cock flicked against the confines of his trousers, and
Yuri ground his teeth together to stave off his rising desire. Although the
surge of lust was inevitable, he had no business coming on to this
semiconscious woman.
    When he rolled her to her side, she moaned, a low, weak
sound in the large room. Careful not to cause her further pain, he eased the
remnants of her shirt over her shoulder and down her arms. The back of her
shoulder wasn’t nearly as messy with blood as torn flesh from the bullet’s
damaging exit in front. At least he needn’t worry about removing the slug.
    Once he had her top half stripped, he removed his own boots
and his bloodstained T-shirt. Then he climbed on the bed beside her and went to
work.
    Healing an open wound was a delicate line for him to walk
with the taste of blood on his tongue and the silkiness of female flesh beneath
his fingers. He’d die a thousand deaths before he finished the job. Resisting
her would be a monumental task.
    Melisande had been the only other person he’d healed. Doctors
were available for this kind of thing. For centuries, he’d lived a quiet
existence, blending into the shadows of the places he lived. If he healed every
wound, he’d leave himself vulnerable and others would come to realize the truth
of his existence. If they learned of his true nature, they’d hunt him down and
kill him. Fear of vampires led many to destroy them without considering they
were still people beneath the undead exterior.
    Yuri had contemplated that death on occasion, but he wasn’t
ready to give up on life such as it was. He had Torsten to keep him company