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I jab lare at thehten up and Nathan turns to Minna who’s so disturbingly close that it evenher wrinkly eyes and letting her tongue gently lick her top lip

"I think I just threw up in my mouth," I hear Isaac say inthe flow of our thoughts suddenly

She gets up fro all of us, and I see a thick layer of relief suddenly wash over Nathan

But he’s certainly not out of the woods yet

Minna walks away fro her arle over her biceps The hot pink nail polish contrasts brightly against her white robe

I don’t knohat just happened, but it’s obvious that Minna is playing a different game than what any of us expected of her

"You’re lycanthrope," Minna says and we reas still vying for the power of Sovereignty?"

"Always," Isaac says, retaining his professional demeanor

Minna nods and paces back and forth over the saain This time she can barely stand on her own; her body heaved violently into a coughing fit where she stumbles her way to the nearby wall to hold herself up To my complete surprise, Isaac and Nathan both instinctively jump to their feet to help her, but she fans theainst the yelloall

"G’on back to your seats," she says in a croaky voice She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and when she wipes her hand on her robe I gli into the plush, dingy fabric

"Oh no," I say under hts to

Minnawhatever composure she has left and looks back at us as if about to make a speech

"My price is immortality," she announces and I think the three of us each share cos about the turn of events I’m indifferent only because I’ve not had but two seconds to let it sink in that she actually wants what I’ainst Why would anyone want that? But then after a few more seconds I beco already--probably lung cancer Isaac, on the other hand: I know he’s completely unsympathetic and noill have to make a very difficult Alpha decision which I know he doesn’t want to make Nathan? Well, his heart and stomach just fell at the same time because he knows that out of the three of us here, he will be stuck with the job of bonding this wo a ninety-year-old wo Nathan to have sex with her, except only worse, because a Blood Bond is usually only done between lovers: two people so devoted to one another that they would die for each other without thinking twice about it

This isn’t just repulsive This isn’t only asking Nathan to do soross’ that we can make fun of him about later No, this is a serious htinto a joke

"And I won’t accept anything else," Minna adds

Nathan takes a deep breath and rolls his head back, his eyes shut heavily He brings up both hands balled into fists and presses theainst his temples and then shoots up fro?" His face is twisted by sadness and disappointer

"Of course I do," Minna says and presses her pals for nearly sixeven lance toward the side of her recliner where an oxygen tank is partially obscured by the chair ar, crossed firmly over his ribs

Isaac stands up, too "You can’t ask my brother to let you drink from him," he says stern but calmly "If you knoe are then you knohat e intently, engrossed in this tragic twist My face feels stiff with anticipation, buta olf now, I’ up even on Nathan’s emotions, which are surely the most turbulent in the room

"Yes," Minna answers hoarsely, "I know that a Blood Bond is only ever done out of love I know that if he does this, not only ue as a result But that’s notup fro my hands to my sides My head jerks swiftly over to see Isaac, my face full of question and shock and disbelief "What does she ue? You’re not serious…" I turn to see Nathan now, but he can’t look atoff into nothingness

"Oh dear," Minna says, "You must be a new one"

"Yes, I aet off topic Someone needs to explain this I’er Shedoith her shaky hands gripping the arms of the chair for balance For a second it see off the oxygen tank but then she decides against it She takes three heavy, unsteady breaths and then looks back at me

But Isaac is the one who answers:

"A Blood Bond is sacred," he says, "No one of our kind--except for rogues--has ever, nor would ever, share that bond with so else with, too If Nathan does this, they’ll be linked forever or at least until one of thelances behind me at Nathan "I won’t ask him to do this I refuse We’ll find another way" Isaac shoots an angry glare back at Minna and then he grabs o, Nathan We’re out of this shithole"

"No," Nathan says, stopping us both in our tracks "We have to do this, little brother All of us are at risk and it needs to be dealt with before so us come to the final conclusion all on our ohich she already knows is going to go her way I gli look on her face and it takes everything in ht off