Blood streamed down Astrid's throat, even as tears streamed down her face.
As soon as the red liquid touched her taste buds, Astrid's eyes flew open, and tears began to fall even faster.
As the familiar yet impossibly real taste of Erik's blood hit her senses, Astrid's heart warred with her mind. 'This can't be,' she thought, even as a part of her screamed in recognition. The taste she had dreamed of in her darkest nights was now a bittersweet reality flooding her senses, challenging her denial.
Her arms, which, so far, had been hanging uselessly to her side, now wrapped themselves around Erik's back, and squeezed hard, as if she was trying to wring every last drop of blood out of his body.
Luckily, her drinking speed was a far cry from what it was a few days ago, allowing Erik to easily compensate with Elora's help.
