Page 27 (1/2)

"Been busy"

Blade stepped forith a right hook that Will bobbed out of the way to avoid "Who is she? You’ve never ’ad a woot one now" He ducked a tricky couard

Blade staggered back, grinding his teeth together "Fine Let’s just pretend you’re strung up tighter ’an a lute for no reason Only thing as leads to that is woht hook and stepped straight into Blade’s left fist The punch snapped his head back, but it lacked the force it once had Years ago, Blade’d been able to take him down to the mats at nearly every session Noas lucky if he could do it once a ed a foot that Blade snapped toward his face He barreled forward, his shoulder driving into Blade’saround his around his waist and flipped him Will took another punch to the face and tasted blood Kicking Blade off, he rolled to his feet and wiped his ettin’ slower"

Blade’s eyes narrowed and he drove a fist into Will’s side The breath expelled fro the next blow by an inch

"Slow enough?" Blade snarled

Will looked up, his blood boiling around his ears "You have to stop drinkin’ her blood"

The words fell into the suddenly silent room

"What the ’ell do youthe reckless urge that had ht"

"Aye, you do You know exactly what youout his fingers "Me skin’s gettin’ darker Me hair too And I’h, he ran his hands through his hair "Three years ago I’d ’ave killed to be ht be careful what you wish for" Sucking in a deep breath, he adh of her blood for her not to be suspicious The rest I drink cold, out o’ the icebox Honoria thinks me CV levels have reached a plateau" He looked down "If the Echelon finds out, we’re dead"

Will nodded The Devil of Whitechapel’s reputation was the only thing keeping theht he had a weakness, they’d be on hi ’ave you known?"

"A year Once I started beatin’ you regular-like, I began to wonder," Will replied

"Shit" Blade turned around and stalked off the o back to drinkin’ noret me CV levels up But ’ow do I tell ’er that? She’s obsessed with curin’ me"

Will followed him, hisbefore Lena arrived for their lesson--if she arrived--but it was clear Blade was done with it "The last thing I can offer is advice on woh "God’s truth" He snatched his shirt up and tugged it over his head Unlike Will, his skin was dry A blue blood didn’t sweat

"But you don’t need to worry ’bout the Echelon You ain’t the only blue blood we got now There’s Rip and Charlie And me" Will picked up his towel

"And what’ll the Echelon see? A rogue blue blood with a es, and a beast that ought to be caged"

It was the truth, but it still rankled Will slung the towel over his shoulders and hung onto both ends "Might be true But reo through me first"

"You won’t be here forever"

Will stiffened "Didn’t knoere leavin’"

Blade gave hi look "You need ure that out yourself"

Will opened his mouth to retort, but Blade’s head cocked Will heard the sound the second after Skirts Swishing on the stairs

"Honoria" Blade looked around guiltily "She can’t know"

"She ain’t no fool"

"Not yet," Blade snarled and moved to open the door "Not ’til I work so the towel over his chest Behind him, the door opened and Honoria’s scent bled into the roout clenched Lena Directly on Honoria’s heels She’d come for the lesson

A part of hiuilt and desire burning a ragged hole in his insides, he wiped the scowl from his face and reached for his shirt

"Goodness," Honoria murmured to Blade "Is that blood on your knuckles?"

"Aye Will forgot to duck"

His gaze went straight past the pair of the every inch the society lady in lemon yellow Her hair was artfully curled over one shoulder, hiding the bite leaaze dropped, darting over the shirt in his hands and his bare chest before she looked away A frozen little smile was etched on her full mouth Her defense, he realized The way she hid from the world, froht before o after Colchester with an ax, but the sound of her pain tore so to hold the hurt away, but it was bone deep

Alone She’d been alone through all of it Unable to tell her fa that pretty little s had ever happened when deep inside the wound festered and grew

He tore his shirt over his head as Honoria lifted on her toes and pressed her lips affectionately against Blade’s It was too terab her by the shoulders and ask her where she’d been when Lena was lying bleeding in an alley He kneasn’t her fault; circumstances had been what they were then, but the fury in hiic and he’d been too long a wolf at heart not to go with his gut He had to get out of here

"Where are you going, Will?" Honoria asked, catching his movement out of the corner of her eye The senuine

"Got a lesson with Lena"

Lena’s head jerked up and crimson infused her cheeks She looked him in the eye, her chin tilted with icy disdain Cool Untouchable Carefree