Something fell against her lips, and she spat out the tooth, whining softly at the ache of the second row of fangs growing in. The second tooth came free, and she dropped them, clutching at her face as it burned, her teeth growing in at a pace that felt like her gums were being shredded.
She could smell Uzo at her side, his hand on her back in comfort but she shook him off.
Her heart had begun to pound, and she screamed, the sound terrible and unearthly as the two halves of her screamed and raged against each other. Demon and vampire clawing at each other, wrestling for control and she didn't know who she wanted to win.
Clutching at her head, she could feel that expansion that made her head spin.
Her nails dug into her scalp, her blood screamed and then her body jerked as her heart gave one last violent throb and her breathing stopped.
The silence in her chest was loud, final.
She collapsed onto the ground, certain they had finally killed her and glad for it. She wanted to be free of them, she wanted to die and finally she felt herself shutting down, she would be free in death. She welcomed death and called for him, pleading for her to die.
She didn't. Death was a bastard and wouldn't come to her.
Sucking in a breath, she whimpered and curled in on herself. Why were they torturing her? Why were they ripping her apart just to piece her together again? Why wouldn't they just kill her and be done with it? Because they loved her? No, because they wanted to live.
A hot hand touched her cheek and her eyes snapped open, taking a moment to focus.
Uzo was at her side, and he smiled gently, his fingers burning on her cold cheek.
"Hello, love," he said gently. She shook her head, turning from him.
She hurt so badly, every pore screaming in agony and her throat stung.
"She'll have to feed," a gentle voice said. She knew who it was, but she ignored him. What if she refused?
In a matter of hours, she had suffered more than she had from an entire lifetime of fighting and attempts to kill her. She had experienced too much pain, too much loss.
She couldn't do it. She wasn't strong enough to get her magic back. She was a coward.
Uzo ignored her attempts to claw her way away from him and instead he scooped her up into his arms and stood, ignoring her whines and feeble attempts to escape.
He clutched her to him and glared at the others. "You're all idiots. You're going to destroy her. Two in one go? Do neither of you remember what it was like to be turned? You will break her mind under that pain!" He was furious, and she felt their eyes on her.
"The quicker the better," Daemon said defensively, but Uzo turned a furious glare on him.
"You shut your mouth, demon. You need to stay away from her," he stalked from the room with her bundled tightly against his chest and kicked the door shut behind him.
Dropping onto Kai's bed, she frowned at the scent of his anger, and she tilted her head up, sniffing at the air curiously. It was a wonderful smell and his eyes met hers.
"You don't want to do that, little vampire," he said gently. "But then again..."
Giving a hint of a smile at something in his mind, he cupped his hand against the back of her head and drew her to his throat. The smell was utter bliss, and she found her mouth was watering in anticipation of what he might taste like.
Her tongue darted out and touched his skin and he shivered. His throat was pristine, no bites at all.
Unable to resist, her lips parted, and her teeth slid through his skin like butter.
The sensation was oddly satisfying, the pressure against her double canines triggering something in her brain and she wanted to do it again. It felt good to bite.
His blood hit her tongue and her entire body tensed at the first taste of him. Without thinking, she latched onto him and pulled, his blood filling her mouth, and her brain, and every sense her body possessed.
She knew instantly what it was the twins had felt in her when they tasted her, she could taste it then. Uzo was made of magic and light, he was the sun and the moon. He was everything that meant anything to her and then he was so much more.
She knew she was hooked as soon as the blood touched her tongue, and she was greedy as she fed.
His arms were both tight and gentle on her, keeping her close to him but he was ready when he felt the effects of her taking too much.
He pushed her back gently and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and her brain buzzing with the energy that filled her. She wanted to move, to run and dance and sing.
Grinning at her, he used his thumb to gently wipe away blood from her lower lip.
"Now they can't try and steal you away from me," he said gently. What did that mean? She frowned in confusion but then it clicked, and she jerked herself back from him.
He had manipulated her so that she would feed from him, and she would be left craving his blood like the twins had been with her. He was a Fae after all. She pushed herself from his lap, her head spinning as her body sang.
Stumbling, she held the wall and just tried to breathe through the high that his blood gave her.
"Why?" she breathed, trying to understand why they were so cruel.
"Because you are precious to me and I will not let them take you from me," he said calmly.
She shook her head, her body screaming for her to go back to him and get more. To force him into submission and rip open his throat.
She resented him for what he did to her and yet a part of her entirely understood why he had done it. He had no real hold on her before, but now he had his claws in her and she was stuck with him. He had ensured she could be monitored, and in a weird way, it had ensured she would forever be safe.
She looked at him over her shoulder and his eyes were wide, but she didn't feel that same sexual need from him that others had. He really didn't see her as anything but his family and that protected him completely from her.
"You make for an exquisite vampire," he breathed.
She made a face, turning away from him. "You're such a bastard," she said, and her voice surprised even her.
It was that same throaty purr that she had known to be her own.
He stood and approached her, taking her by the arms and turning her to face him. His eyes studied her and then he drew her in, pulling her towards the mirror.
The woman standing there couldn't be her. That creature was exquisite with large, vivid eyes and milky white skin, a radiance about her drew all eyes and she found even she wanted to go to that woman.
The woman reflected her movements exactly and it took several long seconds for her to process that it was in fact her. She had become that creature.
Her cheeks flushed red and Uzo laughed, hugging her tightly from behind.
A gentle knock came at the door that they ignored it, both captivated by the creature before them.