“It’s nothing.” Justin smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m just tired.”
Demetri let the subject drop. For now. The car turned onto the long and winding drive, climbing upward toward Frost Manor. When it came to a stop, Justin slipped out and hurried up the front steps. Demetri sat there for a moment, staring at the man’s backside.
Come morning, Demetri was going to start digging into Justin’s past and find out how this young human was half vampire.
Chapter Eight
Justin found that he had a new symptom to his sickness. Stomach cramps and hunger. He rubbed his stomach as he stumbled from his bedroom into the dimly lit hallway. It was two in the morning, and Justin found he couldn’t sleep. He wanted to eat to stop the gnawing in his gut.
He was slightly warm, but not feverish like in the past. He was a little dizzy but could manage to stay upright. Nausea plagued him, but Justin didn’t feel the need to vomit. It was as if his sickness was being kind to him, only remotely bothering him.
But the stomach cramps were painful. Justin wiped the sweat from his forehead as he made his way down the steps, heading toward the kitchen. The thought of eating didn’t appeal to him, but he had to get something on his stomach. The hunger felt all consuming.
“Are you okay?” Aberdeen asked as he stopped Justin at the bottom of the steps. “You appear flushed. Are you getting sick again?”
Justin opened his mouth to tell Aberdeen that he was getting a late-night snack when the scent of copper filled his lungs. He stilled, listening as he heard a steady heartbeat. Justin gazed at Aberdeen, seeing the vein in the assistant’s neck pulse. He licked his lips as the hunger inside of him grew.
“Mistress Justin?”
Justin blinked, the scent and sound fading to the background. “What did you just call me?”
Aberdeen’s eyes flickered behind Justin and then lowered. Justin turned to see Demetri standing outside his study, leaning against the doorframe. The man was still wearing his suit, though the jacket was gone and the sleeves to his white shirt were rolled to his elbows. A few of the buttons had been undone at his collar, revealing the top half of the guy’s firm chest. “Is there a problem out here?”
Everything dimmed, and the sound of a heart thumping roared in Justin’s ears. Justin could hear Aberdeen’s blood rushing through his veins. It was a mesmerizing sound. He cocked his head to the side and slowly spun to face the assistant.
“What’s wrong?” Aberdeen asked, taking a few steps back.
Justin smiled at the assistant, though he didn’t feel happy. His stomach growled again. It ached. It was so empty. It needed to be filled. His mouth was parched. He needed something to drink. Justin took a step toward Aberdeen.
“Justin,” Demetri barked his name, and Justin felt a compulsion to turn, to see what Demetri wanted. But his gaze stayed fixated on Aberdeen.
The guy took another step back, and this made Justin angry. Did the assistant think he could get away from him? The man was a soft, fragile, slow thing. Justin could catch Aberdeen in a heartbeat. Then the scent, that glorious scent of iron, flowed over him, and all thought was lost.
Justin leapt.
A strong arm grabbed Justin around his waist and hauled him off his feet. “Not here,” Demetri said. “Not Aberdeen.”
Justin struggled and fought to get out of Demetri’s arms, to get to Aberdeen and his sweet-smelling blood. He was hungry. He needed to feed.
Suddenly, Justin went limp as Demetri carried him into the study. What was wrong with him? Why had he thought of attacking the assistant, of drinking from the man’s vein? Bile rose to the back of Justin’s throat.
Demetri slammed the door to the study before he deposited Justin on the couch. The man had never handled Justin so roughly before. Justin shrank back, afraid Demetri was going to strike him. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what got into me.”
The older man said nothing as he held out his thick arm and used his fingernail to slice his wrist. Justin gaped at the wound in horror. “Why did you do that?”
Demetri petted Justin’s hair as he shoved the wound under Justin’s nose. Justin scrambled to get off of the sofa. “What are you doing?” he shrieked. What kind of sickness was this that Justin craved blood? He landed on the floor and climbed to his feet, backing away. “I don’t understand.”
“Feed, and I’ll explain what I know.”
Justin shook his head as his eyes dropped to the bleeding wound. His stomach roared with hunger as Justin’s thoughts scattered like startled birds. He wanted that wrist. Justin wanted to suck that blood from Demetri. His mouth salivated at the thought as his stomach cramps worsened.
“No.” He shook his head. “That’s sick.”