by Kym Grosso
“I know what a bite can do to someone,” she replied, shaking her head. “I mean, I know how it feels. The intense emotions…the incredible sex. I simply can’t risk becoming attached to anyone. It happens all the time.”
“With donors?”
“I’m not supposed to talk about it. But it happens. I don’t mind donating my blood. The money’s good. This works for me. When I fall for someone, supernatural or human, I want to know them first.”
“I understand.” Sydney remembered the first time she’d made love to Kade, allowing him to infect her with his intoxicating bite. But she’d been attracted to him long before that amazing night. She’d never doubted the honesty of her feelings.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you here today?” Mya rolled up her sleeve, allowing Elia to prepare her skin. Although she was speaking to Sydney, she paid close attention as the alcohol was applied.
“I, um, I can’t feed.” As the needle pricked Mya’s arm, Sydney involuntarily dropped her fangs. Tears brimmed in her eyes.
“Hey, no worries. It’s all good.”
Sydney shook her head and looked away.
“I’m not sure what’s going on with you but really, you’re going to be okay soon. Look…see…the blood is coming. You’re just hungry. There’s no need to be ashamed.”
Sydney’s eyes fell to the end of the tube where the blood flowed into a tall champagne glass. Mesmerized by the sight of the dripping sanguine fluid, her eyes darted to Mya who gave her a comforting smile. Within minutes, Elia clamped the flow and offered the drink to Sydney. As she reached for it, Sydney once again looked to Mya as if seeking her permission.
“Please, take it,” she insisted.
Sydney brought it to her nose and sniffed. The ambrosial scent caused her to salivate. Her animalistic response couldn’t be stifled. With no emotional tie to the source, she freely drank the warm delicious sustenance. Unlike the sexual pleasure she’d experienced tasting of Kade, she likened it to eating a batch of freshly baked cookies. Perhaps it didn’t offer an earth-shattering orgasm, but it was entirely comforting and provided satisfaction that could only be obtained from food.
When she reached the bottom of the glass, her eyes flew open. Electrified by the nourishment, her body tingled from head to toe. She shoved the glass onto a counter, barely noticing that Elia had left the room. Yanking her shirt upward, she ran her fingers over her belly. The scar had disappeared. Energy spiraled throughout her cells, and a broad smile spread across her face.
“It’s gone, tell me it’s gone,” she shouted at Mya who laughed in response.
“What’s gone? I don’t see anything.”
“Thank you. Oh my God, you saved me.” Sydney rushed to Mya, taking her in her arms. Her laugher turned to tears and back to laughter.
“It’s okay, now,” Mya told her.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t know but I couldn’t eat and now this…you…everything has changed. I feel so…so great. No, wait,” she released Mya and took out a mirror from her purse, inspecting her newly rejuvenated skin. Pink-tinged cheeks and bright eyes stared back at her. “I’m fine. I feel so good. So strong.”
“Well of course, you’re a vampire.” Mya sat up and steadied herself onto her feet.
“I didn’t ask for this,” Sydney confessed. She offered Mya a glass of juice that had been prepared earlier by Elia.
“Not everyone does,” Mya replied, her expression somber. “I’m no vampire expert, but it’s my take that most don’t. But hey, look at humans. No one asks for what we’re given either. Life can suck. We do what we have to to survive. And you, my friend, are doing just that…surviving.”
“It’s going to be okay…for both of us.” Sydney wasn’t sure what had happened to Mya but whatever it was, she suspected it had been horrific. She’d recognized the trauma, having seen it on many a victim.
“Yes.” Mya offered a small smile.
“I don’t want to be too forward, but is it okay for me to see you again?”
“Yes. I’m new so I’m only here once a week or so, so make sure you schedule at the front desk.” She paused. “Listen, I’m not supposed to do this. I seem to be breaking rules left and right today, but here…”
Mya took a pen out of her bag and scribbled a number onto a napkin. Carefully folding it, she handed it to Sydney.
“My cell number.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“If you were a dude, there’d be no way. Even some of the supposed ladies in here are pretty aggressive. So I don’t usually do this.” She sighed, as if contemplating her decision to share her personal information. “No one deserves whatever happened to you. I mean, you need to eat, right? If for some reason I can’t get here, you can always go see one of the other siphon donors. Twenty-four seven, Embo is open. But if you need someone…”
“Thank you,” Sydney replied softly.
As she went to hug Mya, she heard Kade’s voice bellow through the walls. He’d found her.
Chapter Four
“I’ve gotta go,” Sydney said, grabbing her purse.
“Are you in danger?” Mya asked.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll see you next week. Thanks.” Sydney opened and shut the door, not wanting Kade to see where she’d been.
She ran down the hallway, grateful that he hadn’t found her yet. As Sydney flew through the doors, she caught sight of Kade coming into the bar. She settled her back against a wall, and tried to gather her thoughts, so she could articulate the miracle of what had happened. In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a familiar woman who approached from the dance floor. Sydney turned her attention to the human, studying her face, and soon realized that Kade had brought her to their house. At the time, she’d been in a daze, but memories of the buxom beauty flashed before her eyes; Kade trying to get Sydney to bite her. Unable to accept that she’d been turned, Sydney had refused. Her heart raced as she recalled the meeting. Unwilling to cause a scene, Sydney felt helpless to move as the donor cornered her.
“Can I help you?” The natural phrase of a police officer rolled off her tongue. She’d always trusted her instincts as a human, but as a vampire, all her senses were amplified exponentially. Confusion swept her mind.
“You know me, right?” the woman asked, her hands on her hips.
“You were at our home,” Sydney responded. Her eyes darted to Kade who was deep in conversation with the bartender. He’d sensed her, she was sure of it.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m Gemma.” She twirled a strand of her hair and gave Sydney a wide grin. “I didn’t think you’d remember. You were kind of out of it.”
“Yeah, I was sick.”
“So, um, I don’t mean to be so forward but you aren’t married yet. And I noticed that Kade seems really unhappy. He used to be so…”
“My mate’s feelings are none of your concern,” Sydney said flatly. “Wait. What do you mean by ‘he used to be’…used to be what?”
“Oh,” she exclaimed innocently. “He didn’t tell you? That’s just like a man, isn’t it? What I meant was that he used to feed from me. You know…before he met you. It’s not the first time I’ve been to his house.”
“What did you say?” Sydney felt her pulse race as her anger spiked.
“Before you met him, he fed from me. That’s why he brought me to you. We know each other.”
“He’s a vampire. Of course he had to eat.” Sydney’s eyes narrowed on the blonde’s fingers as she toyed with the ribbons on her pink corset. Her tight black pencil skirt accentuated her ample curves. It was at that moment Sydney wondered how far Kade had gone with the human who clearly sought to provoke her.
“We kind of had a thing. I just thought with you being turned and all…I wasn’t sure if you and he were still seeing each other.” Gemma shifted on her feet and glanced over to Kade. She cupped her breasts, as if she were serving them up on a plate. “The last time I was at his house…”
/> “Our house.” The rage within Sydney bubbled to the surface. This woman was an enemy, threatening her relationship with Kade. When she’d been human, she might have restrained her response. But now, her primal instinct was to protect, kill if necessary.
“I’m just sayin’, it’s not like you can feed him anymore. From what I heard, you can barely feed yourself.” She laughed. “Honestly, if you can’t take care of yourself, you should let him go. I really think you should…”
How does this insignificant twit know that I can’t eat? Did Kade tell her? Does he really only want to be with a human, someone who can cater to all his needs? Doubt swirled within Sydney and as if a switch had flicked inside her, she lost control. Seizing Gemma by the neck, she slammed her face first into the wall. Instead of releasing her, Sydney held her tightly in place, coming up behind her. With her breasts tight against the woman’s back, she yanked the hair out of the way, exposing the tight cords of her neck.
“Don’t fucking move, bitch,” Sydney hissed. Her fangs descended, rage filtering throughout her mind.
“I didn’t mean to…” Gemma began.
“Shut the fuck up. You want me to feed, huh?”
“But he’s not your…”
“Tell you what; you can have him when you pry him out of my cold dead hands.” Sydney, poised to strike, caught Kade’s gaze as she continued. “And about that feeding. How about I take you for a test drive?”
As Kade’s hands landed on her shoulders, Sydney sank her fangs into Gemma’s shoulder, slicing through her muscles. Before she had a chance to suck her blood, Kade extracted her off the human.
“No,” Sydney yelled, aware that Gemma had fallen to the floor. “She’s mine.”
“Let her go, Sydney,” Kade commanded. “It’s alright. She’s nothing.”
“Leave me alone.” Wild with anger, she flailed, attempting to free herself. The desire to kill consumed her.
“Okay, guess we’re going to do this the hard way,” Kade quipped as he slipped in front of her and hoisted her over his shoulder.
“Put me down! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sydney clawed at his suit, barely cognizant of Kade climbing the stairs. How many donors has he fucked? Brought to his house?
“Almost there,” Kade told her as they reached the landing.
“Just stop, Kade. Put me down,” she pleaded.
Removed from the situation, the reality of what she’d done hit her. Sydney had never been one to take shit but she’d always kept calm, made decisions based on facts. Since she’d been turned, her every action tied itself to an emotion, rational or not. She sucked a breath, aware that she’d just bitten someone, intending to inflict suffering. If she’d been truthful with herself, she would have admitted that she’d flirted with the idea of killing the human. And she knew that she’d have done it without remorse.
As her feet hit the floor, she took in her surroundings. Kade had brought them up to a private terrace, which overlooked the club.
“Out,” Kade yelled at two young women who were staring at them from a corner settee. Without argument, they scurried down the steps.
“You have no right to come in here and treat me like that.” Sydney pushed the hair out of her eyes, scanning the balcony to make sure that they were alone.
“Wrong. I have every right to keep you from killing someone. You were out of control,” he countered.
“Damn right I was out of control. That woman…that donor…you brought her to our house,” she choked. Pacing, she raked her fingers through her curly locks. “I can’t do this, Kade. You know I love you but I can’t watch you with other women. You can’t expect me to let you bring your lovers into our home.”
“I’m not sleeping with her. I’d never do that to you.”
“She told me you slept with her.”
“I’d never lie to you,” he asserted, deliberately lowering the volume of his voice. “I may have been intimate with her, but it was long before we met. She’s always been a reliable donor and that’s why I had her come to the house. I haven’t touched her since we met. I swear it.”
“But you did touch her…a few weeks ago…after you turned me…”
“That day, I brought her for you only. I’m only going to say it one more time. I did not touch her,” he insisted.
“Why would you ever bring her to our house?”
“I just told you why. I used her in the past. I know it was wrong but you have to put yourself in my position. I was upset and had to do something. Jesus, you almost died. I needed someone reliable to help. I don’t like to just grab people off the street.” Kade sighed.
“How many donors have you fucked?” Sydney put her face in her hands and blew out a breath. She lifted her gaze to meet his.
“That’s not fair. We both have pasts.” Kade paused. “Sydney, I’m really sorry. I know I shouldn’t have brought her, but I was desperate to help you. I made a mistake.”
“I can’t do this.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way. If we can find a way for you to feed from a human, we can enjoy this together. Any woman or man is nothing more than food.”
“But I can’t, can I? Look at what’s happened to me. I didn’t ask for this.”
“I am looking at you,” he said softly. He approached her slowly and cupped her face, tracing his thumb over her bottom lip. “You’re as beautiful as the day we first met. I can see that you ate. Tell me what happened. Please tell me you didn’t kill anyone.”
“I knew about this place…I’d been here on a case,” Sydney stammered. She shouldn’t feel guilty for coming here alone, yet shame overwhelmed her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and then raised her gaze to meet Kade’s. “I went to a siphon room. I’m sorry but I just had to do this. And it worked…I feel…”
“I can see you feel good again. But I don’t understand why you ran. You have a bad habit of doing that, you know? No more running, Syd. Jesus. Come here,” Kade ordered. He embraced his fiancée, a comforting hand massaged the nape of her neck. “We’re going to figure this out. But you have to trust me.”
“This is my fault. I did this.” Within his arms, she relaxed. Confused, she held no answers. “Something’s wrong with me. I can’t ask you to give up the way you’ve lived for over two hundred years just for me. It’s not fair to you.”
“This isn’t about fair, love. This is about us. You’re the only woman in the world for me.”
“But those women…”
“Shh.” He kissed her hair. “They’re nothing. There’s never been anyone but you.”
“I love you so much. I want this to work. Please.” Sydney wasn’t sure what she was even asking. With her life in a blur, she couldn’t remember the last time they’d made love, that she’d felt like a woman, desired.
She glided her palms up his chest as he backed her against the wrought iron railing. She wiped the back of her hand across her cheeks. Crying had never been her style, but her emotions spun wild.
“This will work. There is nothing that can ever come between us. Not this,” his fangs descended, his lips pressed to her neck, “not this.” Dragging his thumb across her lips, he teased them open. He ran his fingers over Sydney’s teeth, and her own incisors dropped in response. “Your blood will be the only blood I ever want. Your lips…you, love.”
As his mouth descended on hers, Sydney’s heart raced. Allowing him to take control, she surrendered to his will. The taste of her mate spiked her arousal, and she was reminded how Kade could erase all worries from her mind. Coming alive with fire, she desperately kissed him in return. When he tore his lips from hers, she protested with a whimper.
“Turn around,” Kade demanded, placing her palms onto the cool metal. He wrapped his arm around her waist. “These people…the vampires, the donors, they know nothing of our lives. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.”
“Kade,” she breathed. Her bottom brushed against his rock hard erection.
“Nothing else m
atters. But you,” he growled. He gathered up her skirt until he found the front of her thigh.
“Please, I…I missed you so much.” Her line of vision drifted to the floor where onlookers had stopped to watch from below.
“From the moment we met, I knew you were mine. Nothing about your transition has changed that.” Kade concealed his hand underneath the fabric, working his fingers into her panties. Cupping between her legs, he whispered in her ear. “Your pussy yearns for me, doesn’t it, Sydney? Your master has been gone too long.”
“I…I…” At a loss for words, she resisted the urge to run. The heat between her legs intensified, confirming what she’d always known. She belonged to him…her heart, her mind, her body. Despite her independence and bravado, the comfort of being cared for, loved, superseded any notion that she could survive as an island.
“I know what it’s like to be so consumed with someone that you can’t breathe without them. I may not have been the one starving this past month, but I’ve struggled to survive without you.” He bit down on her earlobe as he slid a finger into her slick folds. Teasing her clitoris, he refused to give her a chance to retreat. “Goddess, I fucking missed you.”
“Kade …they can see us,” she breathed.
“That’s exactly the point, love. I want them to see us. To see the pleasure I bring you.” He plunged deep inside her pussy, withdrew and added two more. “Fuck, yes. You’re so wet for me.”
“I can’t do this here…oh shit,” she cried. It had been so long since he’d touched her. The ripples of excitement speared through her and she fought the orgasm she knew would come all too soon.
“Never again will you hide from me. Everything we do we do together. Feeding. Fucking. All of it. Do you understand me?” When she didn’t respond, he removed his hand and lightly smacked her mound.
“No, don’t stop.” He was angry that she’d fed on her own. She’d known what his reaction would be but had convinced herself he’d understand. Yet here he stood, teaching his lesson in front of an audience. She was helpless to argue as the ache between her legs grew.
