Release, book 3 of The Angler series Read Online Free

Tane.” I struggled with the words between breaths.
    “Yes?” He pressed the ice to the swollen side of my face while cradling my head in his other hand.
    “I can’t sense him. The only time I haven’t been able to sense him was when Luckard was torturing him.” I gripped Rurik’s wrists. “What if they are hurting him?” If Tane hadn’t blocked our mental connection, I’d sense all his pain. His seasoned mind could handle a lot more than mine.
    Rurik stroked my hair, his eyes growing sad. “Do you think he can’t handle it after everything he’ s been through over the centuries?”
    I took a deep, slow breath. “He can take care of himself.” After being around for over a thousand years, he should be able to, right? Part of me didn’t believe he could.
    Rurik gave me a small smile. “Yes. He’s better off with us out of the way. We’re a—”
    “ Weakness.” I leaned into the ice pack and allowed the cold to numb the pain. “What if they kill him?”
    The gentle fingers running through my hair tightened. Neither of us spoke, but that didn’t make the consequences of my bond any less real.
    I would die too.
    “Come let me check your injuries.” He handed me the ice pack and pushed me toward the bedroom. “How did you lose your shoes?”
    “Long story.” Basically, I was screwed. Separated from Tane, I couldn’t do anything to secure my future without risking Rurik’s life. Would the Nosferatu clan take Tane as a hostage? I didn’t know enough about vampire politics to hazard a guess. But I knew an expert. Glancing at Rurik, I smiled. He worked as Tane’s right-hand man. His people skills outweighed his fighting skills, which made him a fantastic ambassador and politician. Tane wouldn’t have such a strong hold on the Vampire Nation without Rurik’s network of spies and allies. 
    He came to a halt. “What?”
    I gave him my best innocent blink. “Nothing . I’m happy you saved me.” I really was. If not for Rurik, I’d be human confetti. “You’re my hero.”
    He snorted and pulled the ice from my face. “You should learn to duck faster.”
    My smile became more crooked as a small wave of shame burned my cheeks. “I’ll take that into consideration.” I trained hard with Kam so I wouldn’t have to rely so much on a rescue, but the odds weren’t in my favor. Sure, I had a blood slave’s strength and speed; however, in comparison to a vampire’s or shifter’s it didn’t matter. I was still human, frail.
    He circled me with that unnatural predatory grace his people possessed, the kind that set off my genetic reflex to flee. Capturing me within his arms, he pressed his hard, muscled body against mine. After years together, my skin still tingled at Rurik’s touch.
    I leaned into his embrace , letting my curves conform to his solid plane.
    “Connie, I need to feed,” he whispered in my ear. An unusual plea tinged his voice.
    I sucked in a sharp breath and went stiff in his arms. “You already fed earlier today.” A vampire his age shouldn’t need to feed more than two or three times a week. I couldn’t keep up with his increasing demands for blood. Being bonded to Tane didn’t cover unlimited blood supply. Tane had been using his own magical blood to heal me more often than usual, due to anemia.
    With a groan, Rurik released his hold on me and leaned against the wall.
    I took note of the slight tremor in his hands. Things were getting worse and we weren’t closer to diagnosing what was wrong with him, let alone finding a cure.
    He gave me a weak smile. A dark, thinning fuzz covered his head now. He shaved in a poor attempt to hide his hair loss. If he were human, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
    I set my hands on my hips and took a d eep breath. Tane had insisted Rurik drink only from me until we figured out what was happening so we could ensure a clean blood source. This meant some serious anemia unless Tane healed me.
    “I can’t help it. My hunger grows worse. It’s