by Cara E Holt
“Have you ever been fed on before?” I ask him, my voice coming out all dry and husky.
He shakes his head. “No I haven’t. I have kind of been brought up to be told that we don’t mix with other races.” I wince when he says other races, because that is what I am now. “Stop it Elara. I hadn’t finished. What I was about to say was that was honestly the hottest thing I have ever experienced.”
“Yeah?” I ask with a shy smile.
His mouth curves into a smile. “Hands down. I’m horny as hell right now. You can drink my blood six times a day if you need to.”
I chuckle. “I think that might drain you dry.” I bite my lip. “So, you’re okay with being my blood bag?”
“Hell yes.” He replies with a deep sigh. “I’m thinking next time though, it might be better if we do it naked. You know, so we don’t get any blood on our clothes.”
I match his grin. “Naked, huh?”
“Completely.” He replies, his gaze flitting to my lips.
We arrive back at the dorms and I am surprised at how tired I feel. I guess now that my blood lust was sated my body needed to nap and recover. Drayce comes in and checks on me once I’m settled in bed.
“You okay?”
I nod.
“Okay get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning?” He turns to leave.
“Drayce?” He turns back and waits for me to speak. “Would you.., would you stay with me tonight please? I don’t want to be on my own.” I pull back the bed sheet and pat the empty side of the bed.
He doesn’t give me an answer, instead he strides back across the room and slips into the bed beside me. “Good night little raven.”
Blood Drunk.
I awake in the morning to find myself with my head on Drayce’s chest. His leg is wrapped over mine and his arm is heavy across my waist. As soon as I take my first breath, the burning in my throat starts and I wonder if this is how my life will be now. Will my life centre on my thirst for blood?
“Drayce.” I say softly.
He taps my waist with his hand. “Take what you need.” He tells me softly.
Not needing any further encouragement from him, I move up his body until the vein in his neck is in front of me and I groan in anticipation. I break the skin quickly but remember my instructions from Silas. Once I know the venom has numbed the area, I drink. Drayce groans in response. His hands grasp at my hips, and he grinds himself against me. As I take another pull, his hands snake under my panties and cup my ass squeezing hard and I groan loudly against his mouth. He tasted amazing and felt so good pressed against me.
“Elara.” He moans. “I’m going to come, Jesus.”
I move my hand down into his boxers and wrap my hand around him, causing him to hiss and curse out loud. I pump my hands up and down as I drink from him and he calls my name as he finds his release. I retract my fangs from his vein and then lick across the wound and seal it closed. I lift up, meeting his eyes and flush slightly.
“Morning.” He grins lazily as he rolls us, so that I end up underneath him. Before I can respond to him, his mouth is on mine and his hands are on my body. “I want you Elara.”
As much as I don’t want to, I pull my lips away from his. “This is the effect of my venom talking Drayce. That’s the only reason you want me, trust me.”
I want nothing more than for him to kiss me right now, but I know that the only reason he is feeling like this is because of the after-effects of my venom.
He rests above me breathless, looking at me with an expression of pure want. “Latimer I don’t just want..,”
“Drayce.” There is loud knock on his dorm door. “Drayce man, we’re going to be late for our shift.”
Drayce groans against my neck. “I’ll be down in five.” He shouts to Thorin. “Damn.”
“You’re on patrol this morning?” I ask breathlessly.
Cursing, he nods. Drayce eyes meet mine and he brushes my hair off my face.
“Morning.” I say with a shy smile, and this earns me one of his panty-dropping signature smirks.
“Morning little raven.” He replies, his voice all husky. “I’ll get Meara to take you to class. You feel okay? Have you taken enough? “
“I’m blood drunk.” I tell him chuckling.
He grins back. “Glad to know I filled you up.”
Oh holy cauldrons! He lifts up off me and climbs out of the bed, and I sigh as I ogle his perfect arse in those tight white boxers. He comes back in five minutes later showered and dressed, and sits on the side of the bed.
“Meet Meara downstairs okay? She will take you to class. I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Okay.” I reply as I sit up, bringing me closer to him. Smirking, he shakes his head. “Laters.”
After lying in a blissful state for ten minutes, I pull myself out of bed and into the shower. I head down to the communal living area and find Meara sitting waiting for me, engrossed in her phone.
“Well hello Black’s fiancé.” She grins when she clocks me.
I roll my eyes. “Elara will do thank you.”
“I don’t know what you did to put that smile on his face this morning but whatever you did, keep doing it. I’ve never seen him so chipper this early.” She grins, teasing me and I feel my cheeks redden.
Meara walks me to class and I am amazed that she doesn’t quiz me about my engagement with Drayce. Instead she talks to me about her plans to join the guard and that she wants to be stationed over in Ireland. I arrive at my potions class just in time and Norah is waiting by the door for me.
“There you are. I thought you were going to bunk off again.” She tuts as she pushes me into the classroom and we both take our seats. “You have a lust drunk look plastered all over that pretty face of yours you know. Did Black screw you into early hours or what?”
She says it a little too loudly and a few people turn around and giggle. I put my hand over her mouth and tell her to shush. “I want details later.” She tells me and I know she won’t take no for an answer.
Norah pecks my head all morning, and as we are walking to lunch she is still at it. She tugs on my hair as we queue for food.
“Come on Latimer, spill.”
I sigh and lean into her ear. “We haven’t had sex okay. We are kind of at second base.”
She shakes her head at me. “You disappoint me girl.”
We collect our food and start to walk towards our usual table. “Did you hear about the boy that was attacked?” Norah asks.
“Yeah, it’s pretty frightening.” I hate that I have to play stupid and pretend I am as clueless as the rest of the academy students.
Norah nods, her face set firm and serious. “He was in one of my classes. He was really smart. His Mum is on the high council.”
“Really?”
Norah nods. “Odd isn’t it. The first girl who was attacked. Her father used to be on the council.”
Was that a coincidence or could there be some connection? I would have to talk to Drayce about it later.
“Anyway moving on to less morbid things. Xan is throwing a party tonight.”
I scrunch up my nose. “It’s a Tuesday Norah. Who throws parties on a Tuesday night?”
Norah folds her arms and tuts at me. “Girl this is a Wiccan academy. We party every night. You can bring that delicious fiancé of yours and dirty dance on the dance floor with him.”
Norah places her tray down and I hesitate. Norah looks up and see’s me looking over at Drayce’s table. “No way Latimer. Sit your arse down. Black is going to have to learn to share you. He can sit here if he can’t leave you alone.”
She has a point. Why should I have to always sit at his table? Maybe he should come and sit at my table sometimes. Cas and Selene arrive a few minutes later and Selene grabs hold of my hand.
“Wow girl. Now that is a rock!” She stares at my ring in awe.
“Big isn’t it?”
“Someone talking about me?” I look up just as Xan takes the seat besid
e me. “Hey gorgeous.” He nudges me. “So you’ve gone and got yourself locked down before you tried the Xan goods.”
I laugh. “Afraid so Xan. Guess you will always have to wonder.”
“Speaking of, lover boy just entered the room.” Norah announces, and I follow her eyes to the doorway of the dining hall. Drayce walks in with Thorin. As he has been out patrolling he is not in uniform, instead he is in dark grey cargo’s that hug his thick thighs and a black tight top that hugs his arms and torso and does little to hide how ripped he was underneath. He was also sporting that five o’clock shadow that just made him look even sexier. I see him scan the room and his eyes find mine and he cocks a brow when he sees me sat with my friends.
I turn back to my friends and listen in on the conversation. In truth I wasn’t really listening. I was wondering if he would come over here, or if he would just go to his own table. My answer comes a few minutes later when Norah who is chatting away pauses and smiles, and I feel two hands on my shoulders.
“Hey guys.” He greets them all with a warm smile. “Mind if I steal my fiancé away?”
Norah offers him a gushing smile. “Of course not.”
I look across at her surprised as she had been adamant that I was sitting with them today.
“What?” She asks me, knowing full well what I am thinking. It seems the Drayce Black charm even works on my super tough best friend.
I have finished my food so I grab my drink and stand up. Drayce immediately grabs my hand and pulls me into his side and drops a lingering kiss on my lips. He leans into my ear. “We sit together now remember. Come on, I need to eat.” I give my friends a quick wave and find they are all sat avidly watching my exchange with Drayce with a mix of cheesy grins, all except Xan that is who rolls his eyes and look disinterested.
Drayce keeps hold of my hand as we head over to his table, and I am touched when all his friends greet me warmly and make me feel welcome.
“How was patrol?” I ask him as he tucks into his sandwich.
He shrugs. “Uneventful.”
“Xan is having a party tonight. Norah wants me to go.”
Thorin chuckles. “Is that Xan who has you top of his fuck wish list?”
I choke on the sip of cola I have just taken. “Sorry, what?”
“Drayce don’t kill me. I’m just saying.” Thorin holds his hands up in defence.
Drayce looks at me with a frown. “So you’re on his fuck wish list?”
It’s my turn to hold my hands up. “Hey, I know nothing about a list, nor whether I am on it.”
Thorin grins, his dark eyes full of mischief. “You’re number one on that list.”
Drayce coughs and he clenches his jaw. “Well he had better re-write that list if he wants to keep that pretty face of his.”
I look at Drayce in surprise. I never had him down as the jealous type. Hell who was I kidding? This guy was one hundred percent testosterone, of course he was possessive. He places an arm around my shoulder and looks over his at Xan, who is animatedly talking with my friends.
“And just to be clear, if anyone hears of any list with my fiancé’s name on it, then I want to know.”
Thorin laughs and offers Drayce a mock salute. “Got it.”
I take another sip of my drink and it burns as it goes down. I put my hand to my neck and cough and Drayce clocks it straight away.
“You need to feed?” He asks quietly in my ear.
I nod, unable to speak with the burning in my throat. Drayce grabs his bag and picks up mine. “We’re heading off. Catch you later.” Taking my hand he leads us through the packed dining hall. As we pass Sereia’s table she glares at me and down at my hand that his held in Drayce’s. The mean girl look on her face tells me she is not going to let this matter lie.
“Library or dorm room?” He asks me with a smirk.
“Yeah, I think the week of detentions is enough to put me off the library for some time.”
Drayce sits on the bed and winking he pats his lap. “Climb aboard.”
Rolling my eyes, I sit myself down on his lap and I try to ignore the racing butterflies in my tummy. “You sure you’re okay being my blood bag?”
He clears his throat. “I’m more than okay with it. Besides, it not like you can feed from anyone else in this school. We have to keep your identity a secret.”
I nod as I wrap my arms around his neck. “Yeah. I can’t imagine your dad being too thrilled that he agreed to his son being engaged to a hybrid.”
“We’ll talk about this later okay? But for now you need to feed.”
“Okay, feed, and then talk. I like that plan.” I lean into his neck and sink my fangs in his vein and I lose myself in the taste of his blood.
“Fuck, Drayce.” I groan my hands in his hair as I take one last drink from him and it causes me to orgasm. I keep my face hidden in his neck, somewhat embarrassed that I had just got off on drinking his blood.
“Stop hiding raven.”
“Nope. Too embarrassed.” I tell him, wanting to hide from him forever.
“Are you forgetting that I busted my load this morning when you fed? Like you said, it’s the venom; it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
Reluctantly I lift my head up and look at him, chewing anxiously on my lip.
“Would it help if I let you get me off now?” He asks with a teasing grin.
“Fuck off Black. It’s not funny.” I glare at him as a blush a shade of crimson.
“Look Latimer. We are both witches, witches who like sex. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, okay? Watching you get off is pretty hot.”
“It is?” I ask him still feeling self-conscious.
He brushes the hair out of my face so he can see me properly. “We are eventually going to have sex Latimer.”
My insides flip like bunnies at the very thought of sex with Drayce. I wanted it, I shouldn’t, but I did and I knew it was nothing to do with the high drinking his blood gave me, no that only strengthened a desire that was already there.
He squeezes my thigh, pulling me from my thoughts. “Come on its defence class, and you don’t want to piss of your tutor by being late.”
I grin. Drayce was my tutor in defence class.
We walk into class separately because well, I don’t want their being any suggestions that I am subject to favouritism. I take a seat and Lorelai sits herself down beside me. Lorelai was a strange girl, I noticed her about school and she was always watching people and writing down things in that little journal she carried around.
“Hey Lorelai.”
She turns to me and studies me silently for a minute, making me feel super uncomfortable.
“So what did you do to pull off an engagement with one of the elite?”
I am surprised by her directness, but in some way I respect her for coming straight out with what she is thinking.
“I didn’t do anything. It was fate I guess.”
She continues to study me intently. “Drayce Black was not what fate intended for you Elara Latimer.” She then turns to her side and gives me her back and starts furiously writing in that book of hers.
“Okay quiet down.” Drayce shouts, clapping his hands together. “Welcome to your second physical combat class. Today we have paired you up with those at the same level as yourself. Today we will be learning how to fight with weapons.” A chorus of excited chatter erupts around the room. “Ah now before you get too excited. We start off with wooden poles.” The chatter immediately turns from excitement to disappointment. “Okay your names will be read out in pairs, come down to the mats when you are called out.”
Drayce reads through the names until I am the only one left sat on the benches.
“Elara, you’ll be paired with Meara today.” Meara was a fellow fire senior and assistant instructor.
Whispers take place behind hands as I walk down to where Meara is stood. I walk to the weapon store and pass Drayce as I do.
“Well done for singling me out. My class mates wi
ll never accept me now.”
“Okay.” Drayce shouts out loud to the class. “I just want to make one thing clear here and now. Elara gets no special treatment in this room. She has been paired with Meara because she is an exceptional fighter. A decision that was made with Coach Grey before our engagement was made. Has anyone got anything they want to say about that?” There is silence around the room. “Good, now get in your fighting stances and listen to my instructions.”
Flushing red I head over to where Meara stands waiting. I’m not sure whether I appreciate what he just did or whether he just made things worse.
“Try not to be too angry with him. He did just admit to the class that you were an exceptional fighter and coming from Drayce, that is a real compliment.”
I shrug my shoulders. Part of me was kind of pumped that he had said I was exceptional, but part of me also wondered if that was what he really thought. “Let’s do this. I’m in the mood to burn off some energy.”
As soon as I start fighting I notice I move quicker and more fluidly. I can only presume that this is linked to the vampire side of me. Drayce comes up behind me and leans into my ear.
“Try to move slower, you are noticeably faster than everyone here. People will ask questions.”
As he walks away, I look around the room and find Lorelai watching me intently. That girl was starting to give me the creeps.
Meara gives me a good thrashing, but I come back equally as hard. I have to work hard to slow my vampire speed down, as the last thing I needed was to raise anyone’s suspicions that I was anything other than a full-blooded witch.
Meara grins as she jumps back onto her feet after I have taken her down to the mat for a second time. “I’m impressed Latimer. I should have known Black would have picked a bad-ass female as his mate.”
I grin as I take up my fighting stance. “Who said he picked me? Maybe I picked him.”
Meara laughs. “Trust me girl, Drayce Black wouldn’t let himself get caught if he didn’t want to be.”
We spar back and forth for the rest of the class and I take Meara down just as often as she takes me down. By the time Drayce announces that the class is over most of the students are dripping with sweat, but I look like I have been for a stroll around the grounds. I am starting to realise that hiding my hybrid status might be harder than I thought.
