“I thought you were the fucking Night Lord! Why can’t you stop them? This is your house!”
“It’s not that simple. It never is. This… these feeding frenzies. They happen when we are gathered. If this was not a gathering of Lords, I could have… my power might have been enough to stop them. But not now. If I tried to intervene, it would come to a fight. And I would lose.”
“So… you just want me to, what? Accept it? Pretend it isn’t happening?” I sniffed.
“It’s the only thing you can do, little one,” he said, and in his eyes I saw his regret. “The only solace I can offer is that no one will die tonight. That was in my power to stipulate, and I did so.”
I stared up at him through the tears and knew he was right. It wasn’t even like I could call the police. Without waiting for permission, I pressed my face against Warin’s chest and closed my eyes, letting his calming presence slow down my breathing.
Haltingly, he wrapped his arms around me, holding me so wonderfully close.
It was so easy to relax in his embrace—as if everything was just a little bit less terrible as long as he held me. For every slow breath laced with the scent of Warin’s crisp scent I sucked in through my nose, I regained some of my composure until I could finally think clearly again.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured into his shirt. “I’ve gotten so used to you. I’d forgotten… Isn’t that crazy? I’d forgotten why we fear vampires. I just… it was a shock.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you,” he said. “I didn’t want to scare you away—it was too important that they saw you take my blood.”
I shook my head, effectively rubbing my runny nose and undoubtedly smeared mascara on his shirt. “I totally would have chickened out if you’d described it. If it’s really so important for them to see us… then it’s all right.”
“It is,” he said softly. “You’re protected from other vampires now. The skinwalkers might not respect the bond, but whoever their master is will be forced to. Our laws are few, but unbreakable without attracting severe punishment.”
“I don’t like your world very much,” I murmured.
“I don’t, either,” he sighed.
“I don’t understand… why the rape? I thought it was dinner, but everyone… It clearly wasn’t just about the blood.” I frowned into Warin’s shirt at the memory of the many rocking bodies and moans.
Warin cleared his throat, and I felt his arms stiffen ever so slightly around me. “It’s part of the bloodlust, for many of us. The need to copulate is tied to the need to feed.”
And that’s when I remembered the hardness that’d pressed against my panties while I’d been straddling him. Goddess, how close had we been to joining the bloody orgy in that room? I sure hadn’t been thinking about stopping, until I saw the carnage behind us.
“Oh. Uh.” I awkwardly released my grip on his shirt, the sudden onset of flaming hot embarrassment making his embrace anything but comforting. He released me so swiftly I was sure he was feeling the awkwardness as keenly as I was, but he had the benefit of not lighting up like a tomato.
“I want you to sleep here tonight. It’s the most secure room in the house.” He indicated the door we’d stopped by, and a flash of recognition made me frown.
“It’s your room… right?”
“I’ll be sleeping elsewhere,” he said so quickly I could only assume he thought I expected him to suggest we continue what we’d started downstairs. “And I would prefer if you stay the day in my house. I will take you home tomorrow night once I rise, and we can talk more then.”
“Yeah, sure. Uh, I just didn’t pack any overnight stuff.”
“The bathroom should have everything you’ll need, and there is a set of clothes laid out on the bed for you for tomorrow.” Warin took a step back from me, putting more space between us and the awkward energy left behind once the subject of blood-fueled vampire urges came up. With a swift movement, he brought his thumb up to his mouth. When he removed it again, crimson blood pooled on the pad of it, though I hadn’t seen his fangs lengthening. He reached out and smeared the blood over my throat. Healing his bite marks, I realized. “I have to finish the meeting.”
“All right…” I grimaced and made a vague flapping motion toward the stairs. “You do that. I’ll be up here, trying not to vomit over your guests’ table manners.”
* * *
One thing Warin hadn’t supplied me with, amidst the absolute flood of luxurious body lotions, silk bathrobes, Egyptian cotton towels and high-end clothes left in his room for me, was a vibrator.
I woke up from a long night of uneasy dreams drenched in sweat and so fucking horny I wanted to die. My entire body was throbbing with need, and all I could think about was the way Warin’s cock had felt as it strained against his pants last night.
Fucking hell. I’d forgotten this little side-effect of drinking vampire blood.
* * *
Some four hours later, I sat curled in a sofa in a small study I’d found downstairs, munching on a huge bowl of cereal and nursing my still-cramping right hand. I’d eventually managed to get my rampant hormones under control enough that I could drag myself to a cold shower, and then downstairs to refuel. I’d been hungry enough to brave the fridge, and it turned out that amidst a stock of plastic-wrapped donor blood was a decent supply of unopened human food. He’d really thought of everything. Except warning me I’d be having a sleepover, of course.
“Hello! You must be Liv.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the unexpected, chipper voice that broke through my cereal-crunching.
“Jesus fuck!” I squeaked as I spun around. Aleric’s blonde pet stood in the doorway with a plate of leftover finger-foods and a bright smile.
“Did I startle you? Sorry.” She walked through and plopped down the other side of the couch I was sitting on. “I’m Diva.”
“Hi…” I said. “You don’t remember me from last night, then?”
“Oh, we met already? Sorry, Al must’ve Compelled me. I never remember a thing when we’ve been around other vamps.”
I blinked at her nonchalance. “And… you don’t mind?”
“God, no. Ugh, they’re always so boring when they’re together. So long as he doesn’t erase the sex!” She winked at me and stuffed a cocktail sausage in her mouth. “Gosh darn it, I’m hungry. He must’ve drank more of my blood than normal.”
It took me several moments to align Diva’s cheerful disposition with the mindless dolls and bloody orgy I’d witnessed last night. “I’m sorry, you… you’re the first other human companion I’ve met. I have so many questions.”
“Shoot!” She gave me a brilliant smile. “Al’s your master’s brother, so that practically makes us sisters. Al said you’re very new to this whole thing.”