Keep It In The Blood: A Vampire Romance For Adults

by Samantha Snow

  Shaking off his nerves, Zach marched right out of the billiards room, leaving the comatose body where it lay. He mounted the stairs, fully aware the girl would have been delivered to his suite of rooms by now and shown the set of three within them that would become her own. Would she be hiding there, or would she be bolder than that?

  He had his answer shortly when he came into the sitting room and found her curled up there. She looked up at him nervously and bit at her bottom lip. He didn’t think she had any idea how enticing that action could be, since he could see no guile in her eyes. She was as innocent as innocent could be. Ripe for his corrupting.

  Damn, that was hot! Especially the way she was blushing.

  Cocking his head to one side, Zach chuckled as he said, “You look about as nervous as I feel, Vivian. Have you not brought along something to wear? A nightgown, maybe? Or a negligee?”

  He grinned when he asked about the last item of clothing, and her face went redder still.

  “Yes, I believe such things were packed for me,” she answered, staring at her hands. He saw that they were trembling.

  Zach stepped up to her and cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her face to look up at him. “Don’t hide those eyes from me, my dear,” he admonished her. “They are really quite lovely.”

  Gulping, she did her best to hold her gaze steady, staring up at him as his eyes roved freely over her face and body, drinking her in.

  “Everything about you is lovely, actually,” he added, smiling.

  “Y-you’re not so bad yourself,” she told him then.

  “You know, you don’t have to lie if you don’t really feel that way,” he told her. “I won’t mind.”

  “Jesus, Zach, have you not looked in the mirror?” she scoffed, finally smiling just a little bit herself. “I can see no reason to complain.”

  He sat on the couch beside her, then tugged her onto his lap and held her about her waist. “So then, which would you rather lose first? Your virginity or your humanity?”

  “Wow, what a choice,” she said with a derisive snort.

  “The deflowering hurts more than the devouring, but sex is much more pleasurable in the long run,” said Zach, trying to be helpful. “Only, if you’re doing it right, the devouring and the deflowering might both be rather nice.”

  “What a perve,” said Vivian, chuckling at the naughty face he made.

  “I’ve been accused of that before,” he conceded, though he thought it prudent not to disclose the source. He didn’t want to bring up the fact that she was not to be his first wife. Women were pretty sensitive about that sort of thing most times.

  “So you’re not particularly into the idea of just getting to know each other for a while first?” she asked hopefully.

  “Not a chance,” said Zach, shaking his head. “The sooner I bite you, the sooner we can begin your training. And there’s no way I’m giving you the pleasure of a biting without taking my own pleasures as well.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a typical male mindset,” she nodded. “I believe all of my brothers would have said the same.”

  “You have brothers?” he asked.

  “Well, yes, Princes William and Geoffrey,” she supplied. “Both much older than me, as you know.”

  “I hadn’t thought you would be raised among the older siblings, with a purpose such as yours,” Zach observed. “Your father likes to divide and conquer as a general rule.”

  “I do not know a whole lot about my father,” she shrugged. “My mother raised me among mostly humans, though he came to have a look at me now and again. It was always James this and James that, and how he was like a brother to him and all. He talked about you three once or twice as well, though he never gave your names.”

  “And where did the crown prince and his spare come into all of that?”

  “They were with him, as often as not,” she explained. “From what I can tell, the three men are practically inseparable.”

  “Well, my dear, I don’t want you to be so nervous with me, which means I ought to bite you now and save the rest for later,” he teased her. “But unfortunately, my libido is telling me otherwise.”

  Vivian followed his eyes as he glanced down between her thighs at his lower anatomy, which was quite obviously standing at attention. She gasped with dismay, moving off of his lap and back onto the seat as she started to tremble all over again.

  “I’ve never—” she began, but stopped and gulped hard, as she realized what she had been about to say.

  “Never what, Vivian?” he asked wickedly as he traced his fingers lightly over one of her hands.

  “I’ve never seen a hardened penis before,” she admitted, blushing.

  “I didn’t think you would have,” Zach smirked. “Not growing up as you did.”

  “It’s not funny, Zach,” she complained. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do here. Do I touch it, or would that—um—set it off?”

  He laughed. “Sweetheart, it’s not a firework,” he told her. “Come, give me your hand. We’re about to instruct you in Anatomy 101.”

  “Oh, my,” she gasped when he pulled it out. When he guided her hand to him and she wrapped her fingers around, she could barely close them, and so her eyes went wide. “Oh, my!”

  “Don’t worry, Vivian, it’s not my intention to hurt you,” he said in a soothing tone. “I promise you, you will survive.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Vivian had been so nervous in the parlor before that, although she had noticed Zach was tall and dark-haired, she had been much more focused on how imposing he was than whether or not she would want to taste him. However, right now, his rather impressive-looking cock was in her hand, and her desire to find out how it would taste was overwhelming her.

  Heat stirred in her belly, but since she’d never been told what to expect, she wondered if there was something wrong. She suppressed her worries as much as she could, allowing Zach’s hands to begin to roam. When he undid the top button on her blouse, she sucked in a breath and found herself holding it in. By the time he’d reached the fourth button, she finally let it out again and looked at him.

  He was watching her reaction, and he seemed to be pleased. As soon as he knew she was looking, he bent his head down and ran his tongue gently over the side of her neck. She quivered, both frightened and intrigued by the sensation. She had no idea if he was going to bite, and her heart hammered deliciously in her chest.

  “Hmm, somebody likes neck play,” he teased, moving up to kiss her lips instead.

  “Stop teasing,” she grumbled, blushing.

  “That’s not going to happen,” he snickered. “Big tease is my middle name.”

  “Oh, so you have two?” she commented dryly.

  “Woman, you are so difficult to read, do you know that?”

  “What do you mean?” Vivian asked, confused.

  “One minute you’re petrified, the next you’re laughing, and in another second you’re trying to figure out the mechanics of the cosmos,” he pointed out. “Which one is it?”

  “All of them and more?”

  “Yes, so I see,” he said, nodding.

  “Aren’t you going to bite me, Zach?” she asked nervously.

  “Not yet, my sweet,” he said. “Though, I suppose I could. Has anyone told you how it works, Vivian?”

  “Only that I must allow you to do as you please,” she said, sighing as she let him go and sat up more fully to listen.

  “Until I drain you to the brink of death, you will remain just as you are—human, for all intents and purposes,” he explained. “It’s only when you are almost without blood, at the point when a normal human would have died, that you begin the transformation. Then, you will awaken hungry—more hungry than you have ever felt before—and it will be a hunger for blood. My blood, at first, since I was the vampire who drained you. Then, once you’ve fed from me, you may pass out for another few days, or you may still feel a little hungry. It depends on the individual which one it will
be. But whenever you are ready, I’ve something else waiting for you to eat.”

  “I see,” she nodded. “Thank you for telling me.”

  “Just so we’re clear, sweetheart,” Zach added. “I’ve no intentions of draining you all at once. I fully intend to have my way with you until that need is sated before I put you out.”

  Vivian could feel the heat of her blush coursing its way down her body. With her shirt unbuttoned as it was, she knew he could see her reaction to his words too.

  “You’re a girl who really wears her heart on her sleeve,” he whispered into her ear. “I think we should take this party into the bedroom now, don’t you?”

  “I—y-yes,” she stammered nervously.

  Zach got up and lifted her into his arms, turning her around so that he was behind her as the two of them headed for his bedroom door. His hands slipped under the loose flaps of her shirt, each one cupping a breast as they went. His thumbs brushed over her nipples, teasing them instantly to life. Vivian was pretty sure she moaned.

  When he set her on the bed, Zach didn’t immediately let her turn around. Instead, he set her so that her backside and hips leaned against the edge. His fingers came down and played with the fastenings to her pencil skirt, and she moaned again as he tugged the zipper down. He pulled the skirt off of her body, tossing it behind him somewhere, and then tugged off her blouse and tossed it as well.

  Still holding her down with one hand, Zach used the other one to trace his fingers over her creamy flesh. “Beautiful,” he told her. “Just as I knew you would be. How could you be meant for my father, when you are so perfect for me?”

  Vivian gasped as his words shot heat all through her body. The feel of his fingers as they discovered the hem of her panties left her panting feverishly. And then, he tugged them down.

  “Whoa!” she muttered when she felt his tongue running slowly over her tailbone. He teased her with it, moving over her hip and thigh, then inward and downward even as he spread her legs open. He found the opening to her pussy and impaled his tongue, and Vivian cried out, writhing, trying to avoid the pure sensation he’d caused.

  Of course Zach held her fast, increasing the intensity of his ministrations until she was moaning so loud she was sure everyone in the whole mansion could hear. But it wasn’t too much longer before she didn’t care if they heard her or not.

  With a sudden flip, Vivian found herself lying on her back. Her butt was resting on the bed, but her legs were still hanging over the edge. Zach wasted no time before he continued what he’d been doing, but this time he had much better access to play with her clit, and he made full use of the fact. Amazed and a bit frightened, Vivian’s body seized up, and a wave of pure pleasure crested over her, making her scream.

  She was still yelling when Zach’s teeth sank into one of her breasts, making her come some more. He suckled for a moment or two, and he had a bit of blood on his lips when he moved away. Grinning wickedly, he left it there as he climbed up her body to give her a heated kiss. The coppery tang of her own blood slid over her tongue as he tasted her, and she liked it.

  “I am going to fuck you now,” he informed her, and the words practically made her come a third time. Zach carefully positioned himself and pushed in. She was so ready, he had no trouble breaking through her maidenhead and staking his claim.

  “Oh yes, please!” she begged, her nails biting into the flesh just above his hips as she grabbed ahold, urging him to keep going with her pants and sighs. Zach moved against her like a wild beast, grunting and groaning with every thrust, every movement, and every thought.

  “Do you like that, Vivian?” he asked her hungrily. “Do you like it when I fuck you?”

  “Yes!” she breathed out again.

  “God!” he groaned, thrusting even harder a few times before he collapsed on top of her. “Feel that, lover? Feel how much I needed you?”

  “Y-yes,” she said, realizing that he must have come. It felt much wetter down there now. The slick juices were practically everywhere.

  “Sorry about that, sweetheart,” Zach excused himself. “It’s been a while—a very, very long while—since I allowed myself to fully indulge in a woman’s charms.”

  “Why?” she asked with soft sympathy, certain she knew the answer already.

  “My former mate, Mary,” he admitted reluctantly. “She’s been dead for twenty years now. And until tonight, I have never broken our vow. But Vivian, she was my mate, but she was not my fate. Do you know the difference?”

  “I think I do,” she said, nodding.

  “I believe that distinction belongs to you.”

  “I—how? How can you tell?” she asked uncertainly.

  “Because of how good that felt,” he said. “And how good it feels just to be near you. And the way the instant I first saw you, my heart began to melt.”

  “Is that why I feel this way too?”

  “I has to be,” said Zach emphatically. “Fate can’t affect only one member of the couple. It would have to be working on us both.”

  *****

  After several hours of lovemaking, Vivian was beginning to agree wholeheartedly with Zach’s opinion. This last time, though, she was starting to realize that he’d drained her body almost to the point of passing out. He was pushing her harder; she was certain of it. Her head was beginning to spin.

  “Zach, I’m so weak,” she whispered, and he brushed her crimson curls out of her face.

  “Do not worry, little one,” he reassured her. “After this, I will let you sleep. And when you wake, you shall be a part of me. You will be more than just my bride, you’ll be my second self. Something I never believed I would ever have in my lifetime.”

  She smiled up at him, and all she could see was the sincerity in his eyes. “Do it, then. Please.”

  Throughout the evening, Zach had alternated in moods, sometimes fierce, sometimes merely frisky, but until that moment, she would not have said he’d behaved gently. This time, that’s exactly what he did as he drained her dry. All she could remember in her dreams was a soft fade, one moment of comforting, then darkness.

  And then, waking again. Her belly was growling, and her head was aching, and she let out a loud, piercing scream. Her lover was there in an instant, catching hold of her and holding tight. She couldn’t remember. Nothing, nothing. Not even his name. She only remembered one thing. He meant for her to feed.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Vivian opened her eyes sometime later, sated and calm. She was in a bed with a canopy over the top, and she was alone. Breathing deeply, she started to search her memories, putting the scattered pieces back together again. She was a bride, and her husband was not James Knight. Everything she had expected to be had not come about—and she didn’t mind.

  She did wonder what had happened to Zach though. There was no way of knowing how long she had been lying here. It was likely that, since he was now the head of his clan, Zach was probably dealing with his new duties or something. She was certain that he would return soon.

  The real question was, what was she supposed to do while she waited? She was wide awake, not especially hungry, and since she’d only just arrived, she didn’t have any of her own belongings unpacked. She couldn’t even read the book she’d brought along because it was still out in the car.

  “Well, this is special,” she grumbled as she padded into the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, she chuckled as she thought, at least I can still see myself. Then, she spotted it: the big bottle of strawberry-scented bubble bath. “Hmm, I think I just figured out what to do for at least an hour.”

  She reached for the knobs and turned them, getting the temperature just perfect and filling the huge garden tub, discovering jasmine and lavender oils to add to the party, then she sank into the blissful bath with a contented sigh.

  Although she was enjoying herself, she didn’t get nearly the hour she was hoping for. It was probably more like fifteen minutes before Zach stepped into the room.

  “Hey, beautiful,
that has got to be the most tempting bath I’ve ever seen,” he teased. “Do you think there’s room for two?”

  “Well, of course there is,” she chuckled. “This tub is huge. There’s probably room for ten.”

  “I’m not quite that adventurous, Miss Vivian,” he chuckled. “So sorry.”

  “Two will be just fine,” she told him with a lazy grin.

  Zach started to unbutton his shirt, and Vivian rolled over, holding onto the side of the tub while she watched. Her tongue was practically hanging out, so she touched it to the back of her teeth just to keep it in.

  “You seem to like what you see,” he teased. “What do you think of this?”

  He dropped his pants. He wasn’t wearing any underwear.

  “What happened?” Vivian giggled.

  “I had to dress in a hurry,” he shrugged. “They’ve been running me ragged for three hours now over a breach in the fence. When I reviewed the surveillance, I found I had no idea who the vampires who tried to get in were.”

  “So, what are you doing back here?”

  “I’ve got my brother, Alex, on it,” Zach said. “Thanks to sharing our father’s memories when he passed, both of us know the same things. So we know that, whoever these guys are, even James has never seen them before.”

  “Well, I hope they aren’t the same people who were after me,” Vivian said worriedly.

  “After you?” asked Zach, frowning as he joined her in the tub, tugging her into his arms. “Why would anyone be after you?”

  “I’m not sure, really,” she said. “I just know that Donovan says they followed us all the way from Colorado. We thought we lost them, but it’s entirely possible they must have known where we were going.”

  “There’s a branch of Carpathians in Colorado, and they know your daddy just took back the throne,” he sighed. “It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they’re up to.”

  “Humor me.”