The magic of life-giving blood will never cease to amaze me.
“Aren’t you supposed to drink or something? If you wait for me to bleed into your mouth we could be here all day. Won’t the cut clot on its own soon?”
The hunger gnawing in my gut leaps forward, goading the monster inside me to latch onto her offered flesh and drink my fill. I withstand the urge by a bare thread of sanity.
I swallow the small mouthful and shake my head once. “No, I don’t want to hurt you.” I open my mouth again to catch the next slow trickle.
“For crying out loud, you just burned your skin off for me! Drink dammit, I can deal with the pain.”
She doesn’t understand. She has no idea what she’s asking of me. If she truly did, she’d never volunteer.
I close my eyes to avoid looking at the caring expression on her face. If I bite her she’ll never look at me with such concern ever again.
“Dammit, you’re stubborn! Do I need to slice an artery to get you to drop the noble hero routine?” Lisa thrusts her open wound onto my lips. “Drink or I will cut myself again.” Her voice holds a hint of hysteria. “I’ll do it. Then you’ll be sorry if I bleed out all over this pretty floor.”
Hearing the truth in her words, I give in, unwilling to watch her with the knife again. Regret twisting my face, I close my lips over her wound. I draw deep, pulling her succulent blood across my tongue. My body tenses, waiting for the first cry of pain to rip from her lips.
Nothing.
Tentatively, I suck again, cracking one eye open to see if she’s in agony. Lisa’s face remains concerned, her gaze locking on mine.
“See? Now was that so bad? I don’t understand all the fuss you made. It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s kind of gross. But other than that it’s okay.”
Could she be immune to whatever it is that hurts other humans? Or could she be different enough as a reaper that my bite doesn’t hurt her? That’s what happened when I had sex with Joanna and bit her—no pain, just pleasure.
Joy surges through me. The fates have finally given me a chance not to hurt someone I’ve come to care about.
I push my desire for this incredible woman into our joining. I twist the normal discomfort she’s feeling into pleasure, like I did with Joanna. Granted, we were naked and having hot monkey sex at the time, but I’m hoping the same principle of intent works here.
“Oh…” Lisa whispers as she relaxes next to me, settling back from her kneeling position to sit on her ankles. “That’s not bad at all.” One hand rests on her lap, my own clothes too much of a bloody mess for her to touch. “Despite you looking grosser than the prom scene in Carrie, I’m feeling strangely attracted to you right now.” Her smile turns soft, while her eyes blaze with heat.
Hope flares to life in my heart. Could I make something work with her or did I fuck up too badly already with pushing her away in her room? Would she want anything to do with a vampire beyond a few lusty kisses?
Very quickly my body responds to the fresh blood. Yes, fresh is definitely better than bagged. Both are equally nutritious to a vampire, but the personal connection with feeding from someone is so emotionally intense… I’d almost forgotten.
Forgetting was easier than remembering the exact moment their desire turned to hatred and fear.
I want to slip into her mind, to share all the poignant richness she has experienced with her family and their love, but I resist. That type of sharing is best done with the donor’s awareness—and Lisa hasn’t signed the donor forms Vivian enforces at the inn. Without asking, I’d feel like I was violating her.
Gently my fangs pierce her skin near the wound, holding her wrist in place while I take what she’s freely offering. I tense, wondering if this will be when her pain starts. After a deep pull and no change from her, I relax, realizing my worst fears are unwarranted. She’ll be okay. I won’t scar her for life like the others.
The damaged flesh of my sun-exposed skin re-knits, and the last of the excruciating pain vanishes. Next, my own blood is reabsorbed through the healed skin, like a sponge. All that’s left is the mess on my clothes and whatever congealed or started to dry before I drank from Lisa.
I pour my sexual cravings into the slice on her wrist, wishing I had enough time to bring her pleasure with my bite for what’s she’s done for me.
“Hey now,” her voice sounds stronger. “You’re looking much better. No more exposed muscles and blistered, peeling flesh. And I’m not sure how, but the worst of the blood is gone.” She snuggles her wrist more firmly against my mouth. “This donating bit isn’t so bad.” Her cheeks flush and she looks ready to purr. “In fact, I think I’m digging it.”