by Anna Katmore
“You need to drink, and I’m the only one around.”
“No… Abby…”
Good. He’s strong enough to speak. He’ll be strong enough to drink, too.
“It’s all right. I want you to do this.” Esther comes forward as far as the rope allows. The thin trails of blood in her coat catch my attention once again. I gulp, turning back to Quentin. “Just…just stop when I say so, okay?” And then I lean forward so he can get a whiff of my neck.
“Don’t…” His hot breath skims over my skin. I brace myself for the pain, but nothing happens. When I ease my hold on him, his head dips back to the cushion. Dammit! He wanted to do this several times before, and now that I let him, he clamps his mouth shut? What kind of stupid vampire would be so suicidal?
If he won’t bite me, I need to find another way. And quick, before he keels over dead again and his heart gives out. But how—?
My gaze moves back to the cut on my palm. Deep breath, Abby. It’s okay. Slowly, I squeeze the skin around the lesion. Fresh blood wells out in a scarlet pearl. Jesus Christ, help me! I dip my finger into it and then gently swipe it across Quentin’s bottom lip. No vampire should be able to resist this kind of tease.
He doesn’t move.
“Are you even a vampire?” I whine in frustrated panic.
I press more blood from my wound and catch it on my fingertip. This time, however, I push my digit past his parted lips and into his mouth. My heart stops beating while Esther and I tense for what’s coming.
Quentin’s soft tongue twirls around my finger, sending little shivers of surprise through me. He licks the drop away and swallows, but when I pull my hand back, he’s still in his deathly rigor. Okay, if this is how he wants to be fed, we can continue. It’s not as spooky as getting nibbled anyway.
Lifting my left hand, I press into the flesh beneath the cut. More blood seeps out, forming a tiny puddle in my palm. And close to Quentin’s face. So close, he must be catching the scent because his nostrils start to flare. The next instant, his hand snaps up so suddenly, snatching me around the wrist, that he shocks me half to death. I shriek and yank at my arm, but his grip is like iron.
Slowly, he tilts his head forward, his eyes open. The irises shine with an icy blue that makes the air freeze in my lungs.
Quentin brings the heel of my hand to his mouth and plants his lips over the wound. His ravenous gaze fixes on me between my spread fingers as he forcibly sucks a tiny sip out of me. It hurts and makes me whimper.
One moment later, he releases my hand and runs his tongue across his bottom lip, catching the last drop of blood there. An unhurried smirk reveals his deadly fangs. Then his eyes move to my throat.
Shit!
Seized by sheer panic, I draw back, but Quentin’s arm shoots up my spine, and his cold fingers grip my neck. He’s ready for the bite. But I’m not anymore.
“Sorry, I have to go home now!” I squeak.
Even though I shove hard at his chest, fighting to get away, he pulls me toward him with unexpected strength. His warm breath dampens the skin of my neck. “Why the rush, Abigail?”
God, what a stupid idea. Coming here…and thinking I could save a vampire from starvation! Well, I will rescue him, but at what cost? My life? A frightened whine escapes me. “Please, let me go! I’m not ready to die…”
Quentin freezes, and seconds tick by. All I hear is my pulse beating in my ears. Eventually, his hard grasp on my neck eases, which leaves me a little disoriented. I can stop pushing now because he stopped, too.
His hand slides down my back, and then his arm settles around my waist. He shapes his other hand to my cheek so gently that I let him tilt my head to the side without resistance. We stare into each other’s eyes for a long, tormenting moment. His irises have changed back to the beautiful deep blue that stuns me every time.
The eerie fangs are still out, but there’s a torn look on his face now that touches the caring part of my heart again. Quentin breathes a little faster than before. I pant.
“You can leave, if you want,” he rasps with what seems like an incredible effort.
For a solid minute, I don’t move. The agony in Quentin’s fathomless eyes holds me captive—as does the unexpected tenderness in them. What the hell is happening here? With him—with me…
I came here with the intention of helping him. To make him feel better. A few minutes ago, when I saw the pain he was in, I was ready to do anything to make it stop. And now, I want to run? Seriously?
Quentin didn’t tear into my neck to get what he wanted. To protect me, he’s fighting his instincts.
It’s time for me to do that, too, and fight the urge to run away. I’m not a coward, goddammit! I didn’t come here to wake him from the dead, just to let him go through all his pain anew. He’s not a lethal monster, he’s my friend. And I trust him to keep me safe when I offer him my blood in a second. Because that’s what he needs…
Closing my eyes, I draw in a slow, deep breath. “Please don’t hurt me,” I whisper.
Quentin brushes his thumb across my cheekbone, catching the single tear there, and promises, “I’ll try not to.”
His hand slides behind my neck and swipes away my hair. In spite of the panic rising in me again, I tilt my head a little to give him better access. His mouth skims down the side of my throat, his breath caressing my flesh all the way. He plants a tender kiss to my neck that gives me the chills. Instinct warns me to brace for his bite. My fingers claw into his shirt.
Quentin opens his mouth and lets me feel his lips there. They brush over my carotid in another soft kiss. His tongue gives the skin a slow, gentle lick. And then two sharp teeth move into position.
Ow! Ow! Ow! I squeeze my eyes tighter and clench my jaws.
Instead of the bite, however, something else happens that throws me completely off balance. He slides his hand that isn’t tangled in my hair over mine on his chest and laces our fingers. They feel much warmer than a couple of minutes ago, and the tender squeeze garners all my thoughts. My eyes snap open, my gaze zooming to that place over his heart.
And then a quick double sting on my neck startles me out of my distraction. A soft moan escapes me in the silent hall, my eyes tipping backward in their sockets, vanishing behind my lids. My spine arches at the quick pain, but it’s gone just as fast.
What remains is the feeling of Quentin’s long fangs deep inside of me. It’s intimate on a level I’ve never experienced before. A bond beyond description forms, and my muscles unclench as I surrender. But when he only takes a slow, deep breath through his nose, I get the feeling this is not what he’s supposed to do.
Quentin sighs quietly. With me lying half on top of him, he seems utterly relaxed and comfortable. His breathing eases into a steady rhythm that warms my skin. Suddenly, I wonder what sinking his teeth into human flesh does to him.
I almost protest when he finally withdraws his fangs because, on some strange level, I don’t yet want this bond between us to break. But when he starts sucking gently, it coaxes me into surrender. It almost feels as if he’s giving me a hickey. As he draws blood out of my vein through those two puncture wounds, a pleasant tingle starts there and spreads out through my entire body, the wave moving at a leisurely pace. Wrapping my arms around him, I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.
This vampire kiss is timeless. Endless. It brings lethargy that pulls me under. I utterly fall—into an abyss.
Quentin lets go of my hair. Instead, he wraps both arms around me, pulling me so hard against him that I can barely breathe. But that’s okay. I like to be this close to him. He feels good. Safe. And gentle. Lying in his embrace, I know that I’m much more to him than just a food source. I’m his savior. His friend. We can trust each other, and we can enjoy this moment together.
Blackness begins to take over my mind, and it keeps me from opening my eyes. No, I don’t want to sleep now. I want to revel in this amazing sensation until morning comes. More…for the rest of my life. How could I ever think that gett
ing bitten by Quentin would be gross? It’s not. In fact, I don’t remember a time when I felt better.
My fingers dig into the skin at the back of his neck. I want to crawl into him, feel him, get closer. And he lets me. He hugs me so tightly, it’s as if I am the only girl he ever wants in this position. And that makes me happy. It puts my world to rights. Now, it’s okay to sleep. I can finally let go…
As if my body is floating on cottony clouds, everything gets light and airy. I wander across a beautiful meadow in the silent darkness, my feet barely touching the grass. Someone’s waiting there for me. A young man, sitting on the ground. He reaches for my hand and pulls me down onto his lap. A small, warm smile plays on his lips before he presses them to mine.
“Abby?” Quentin’s gentle voice follows me into my dreams of moonlit nights and vampire kisses.
“Mm-hmm?”
“How do you feel?”
I wonder why he can speak so clearly with my throat in his mouth. Did he stop drinking? I cannot tell because I’m too far away from the hall in the castle. It’s good here. Cozy. Do we really have to talk now? I like how he strokes my back, up and down.
“Tired,” I grant him the raspy answer and move my arms around his neck. This is a nice position to snuggle. I think I’ll make him my official pillow. And security blanket. My cuddly vampire…
“Okay,” his whisper comes very close to my ear. Then, something moves me. He shifts me. The caress of my back stops, but I feel his firm grip around me. Lifting me. I hold on tighter to him.
With immense effort, I manage to pry my eyes open for a blink. Quentin carries me—I think upstairs. I can see the giant chandelier in the middle of the hall. Where are we going?
The dark void creeps over me once more. My thoughts go hazy. I’m gone…back in that meadow in the moonlight. With a blissful sigh, I recline against the long, soft grass that feels like a bed beneath me. The ground floats. Someone touches my cheek, oh so gently.
I want to see who’s with me in that meadow, but this time, it’s almost impossible to open my eyes. It takes me an eternity to pull out of that blackness and blink. A warm glow envelopes the cozy room. It makes the shadows dance across the beautiful face in front of me. Deep blue eyes. A smile, but one that looks a little concerned. I don’t care. I like it. Reaching out, I want to trace the lines of that smile, but my arm feels too heavy and sinks to the pillow before I can touch him. My eyes slide shut again.
As I return to the meadow under the moon, a warm hand takes mine, and then a tender kiss is pressed to my knuckles.
“Sleep now. I’ll take care of you,” I hear my vampire whisper.
Chapter 19
In a coma
Quentin
Abby drifts off again. Her chest rises and falls with deep, even breaths. I hold her hand and just watch her face for…minutes? Hours? Lying in this bed next to her steals my sense of time.
She gave me so much tonight. And she surprised me even more. Offering her neck to a starving vampire—what was she thinking? Stupid little girl! I brush one of the dark blue strands weaved throughout her black hair from her face and anchor it behind her ear. Stubborn, silly…amazing, beautiful girl…
She sighs in her sleep, and it coaxes my smile. Then a frown pulls my brows together. Abby is way too weak. I shouldn’t have taken so much blood from her. But when she clung to me so tightly and gave those sweet little moans, I couldn’t stop myself. If anything, I wanted to hold her closer. Stroke her. Soothe her. Kiss—
By the time I finally detached from her neck, she was almost unconscious. A mouthful or two each day does well to keep a strong vampire healthy and going. I was famished when she teased me with her blood—a small sip was nowhere near enough for me. Once I started, I had to drink myself out of this crazy state of mind to get a clear head again. I tried to be gentle and keep ahold of myself. Still, Abby tasted so damn delicious—just like the dessert her scent promised me all along. It was a fucking battle to let her go.
I drape the red blanket over her and tuck her in. She’ll feel a little groggy for the next couple of days, but she’ll be okay. No permanent damage was done. And with what she gave me, I should be able to train my powers and learn mind control before hunger weakens me again. She gave me at least three days. Next time I have to feed, I won’t need to bite her again.
Shame…somehow.
To get my mind off that thought, I decide to go downstairs and clean up the hall. The goat and I made quite a mess there earlier. As I try to slip my hand away from Abby’s hold, she tightens her grip and pulls me back. With her eyes shut, I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing, especially when she scoots toward me, obviously seeking nearness. Damn, she looks cute.
Ah, what the hell, the cleaning can wait a few more minutes. I reach out and slip my arm under her, to pull her really close. Abigail nestles against my chest and expels a long breath, her arm looping around me. She feels soft and warm. Fragile. This girl is someone any man would want to protect.
I stroke her hair away from her neck and pull her black hoodie down a little, checking the spot where my teeth penetrated her skin. It’s flawless once more. Not even the faint punctures are visible. That’s what the enzymes in a vampire’s saliva do to cuts in human flesh—they seal them. Would be a hell of an advancement in human medicine to have vampires in operating rooms. We spit on the wound…no stitching necessary. That reminds me…
I reach for her hand and examine the palm she’d hurt somehow. That wound is gone now, too, though I saw how unpleasant it was for her when I sucked the first sip of blood from there. The pain was because I didn’t open the wound with my fangs so the healing and analgesic properties couldn’t kick in from the beginning. It took a few seconds. Now, it looks fine. I run my finger across the heel of her hand. No cut, no bruise. I brush my thumb back and forth and then start tracing the lines in her palm. Her hand is small and soft, just like the rest of her.
My gaze moves up her arm, then back to her face that’s pillowed on my chest. I like her fringy hair that falls in straight strands over her cheek. The skin beneath it is still pale. In a few hours, it should bear her natural rosy blush again. The elegant sweep of her black eyebrows coaxes me into stroking the line with my fingertip. Then I shape my palm to her cheek and gaze at her eyes, so blissfully closed. It doesn’t matter. I know what stunning gems lay beneath those lids. They remind me of gingerbread every time she looks at me.
I loved gingerbread when I was still human.
Abigail is a stunning girl. In a different life, I probably would have asked her to go out with me… But in that other life, I wouldn’t have sucked her into a coma, either.
It’s time to get up and distract myself before some crazy thoughts make me question the virtues of my vampire side. Carefully, I ease Abby down and slip out without waking her. Replacement for me is quickly found. Saby takes up my space on the pillow and kneads himself a bed. “Take good care of her,” I whisper, rubbing behind his ear.
Downstairs, Esther takes a nap, too. She’s eaten all the herbs she could reach. With a broom from the washing room, I sweep out the rest through the front door and then clean up the mess on the floor where I spit out the mouthful of goat blood. That reminds me to check and clean Esther’s neck from my failed bite, too. The wounds have healed, but the dried blood in her coat isn’t a good sight. I don’t want anyone freaking out when they see her.
Afterward, I head into the dungeon with a burning torch in hand. My phone must still be down there somewhere.
The fire illuminates every inch of the room, but the damn little thing is hiding well. Moving the casket to the wall, my attention finally snags on the rain grate in the floor. There’s not much to see down there, even with the torch in hand. The grate comes off with a jerk, the rust of the centuries giving way. Holding the torch near the narrow chute, I spot my black phone at the very bottom, which seems like two meters down.
Just fucking brilliant! How can I get it out of there now? My arm is
n’t long enough to catch it, and the opening is too narrow for a body to fit in. Grunting, I sink to my haunches and rake a frustrated hand through my disheveled hair. Now, doesn’t it fit into the luxurious style of this glamorous palace to go without a phone?
I rise and leave the chamber, closing the gate to the creepy place behind me. I’ll worry about my phone tomorrow. Abigail comes first. She needs to go home.
It’s around four in the morning, still early enough to take a quick bath in the pond behind the castle and change into fresh clothes. When I come back to the bedroom, Abby still slumbers peacefully on the bed.
It doesn’t look like she’s going to wake anytime soon, but she can’t stay here. I want her home before sunrise, or her grandmother will probably freak out with worry. The goat needs to go back to her stable, too.
In front of the bed, I kneel down before Abby and run my fingers through her hair. “Hey, little one… Time to wake up.”
She stirs, but other than a groan, she makes no sound. I stroke her cheek with my knuckles until she opens her eyes. “Hmm…?”
I offer her a friendly smile. “It’s late. We have to leave now.”
“Leave? Where?” Disoriented, she sits up, but her lids keep falling shut, and her head dips forward.
“Home.”
Abby heaves a deep sigh that seems to exhaust her, even without speaking. Somehow, she doesn’t look like she’ll even make it downstairs without falling back to sleep, which worries me a little. It’s quite a way to her house.
I rise and then take her hands to cautiously pull her to her feet. With my arm around her waist, I steady her. Even though she’s valiantly afoot, her head drops against my shoulder one second later. It’s going to be a fun walk.
A sulky meow draws my attention back to the bed. Sabretooth stands at the edge and glares at me, giving another little kittenish sound.
“What?” I narrow my eyes at him. “You wanna come, too?” His little tail-antenna stands upright, which usually means he’s ready for action. I sigh. “Fine.” Keeping Abby in my arm, I grab the tiger with the other hand and put him in the hood of my sweatshirt. He settles down immediately, and his lawn mower purr travels up my neck.
