Feral Darlings

Chapter Three

Lucian

Desire flows through my veins, and I long to pierce the skin of the woman tossing and turning fitfully in her bed and sate my appetite for the red gold that flows through her body. The dim glow of the lamp beside her head illuminates her soft features, pale skin that’s almost luminous, even with the dark circles framing her closed eyes she is beautiful.

As I draw closer to her sleeping form, I feel a different kind of need begin to rear its head, and the two begin an internal fight for dominance. She is breathtaking, like an angel who has come to save my soul from the depths of hell.

I want to drain her of blood as I fuck her into the sweet oblivion of death. She isn’t even under my thrall yet, but I’m already contemplating all the ways I could ensnare her soul and convince her to willingly surrender everything to me. Failing that, I could simply take what I want… I am a monster, after all.

Fraternization with mortals has more than a few benefits, although it creates a weakness that can be exploited by those who are less than scrupulous—such as my brothers—but it’s never stopped me before.

Glancing around her sparsely decorated room, I debate briefly how I will do it. Eternal punishment has already been laid at my feet, and I care very little about the prospect of damning her soul alongside mine… especially when I’ll get exactly what I want in the end.

I grin wickedly as my incisors begin to ache, and I chuckle darkly as I move even closer to her. My breath on her face makes her shiver in her sleep, and blows the stray strands of her hair that have escaped her hair tie. Flexing my fingers as I reach out to stroke the smooth skin of her neck, I close the distance.

The moment my lips touch her flesh, I sense more than see her eyes open as her entire body stiffens beneath me. Before she can move, scream, or try to push me away I wrap my fingers around her throat and bite into her shoulder. Like a shark who has tasted blood in the water, I feel the frenzy begin the moment her blood hits my tongue. The explosion of flavor almost brings me to my knees, but I don’t stop yet… I can’t.

I drink deeply, satiating the ferocious appetite that has once again been awakened in me. The blurred edges of her panicked thoughts reach my mind, and I exert my will over her. Forcing her to submit, I send her into a deep slumber.

I take my life force into my mouth, swallowing every drop, my eyes not leaving her face as I continue to compel her. I continue to take my fill of her blood until the ache has dulled and I’ve regained enough of my composure to pull away.

She looks almost ethereal, sleeping peacefully as I gaze down at her, watching as the last droplets of blood slowly dry on her skin. She’s even paler than she was before, and if I didn’t know for certain that she was mortal, I could have almost convinced myself she was more akin to me than that of a human. The intoxicating scent of her blood betrays the truth, and the lingering taste of her on my lips is almost enough to reawaken the hunger.

I cock my head thoughtfully to the side and rub my chin with my hand. Another glance around her room, and the lack of any other presence in her home—aside from me—is enough to convince me to stake my claim. She won’t be missed, and if she is—too bad.

Brothers be damned, I’ll kill them myself if they lay anything more than their eyes on her. It’s been a while since I had a thrall to feast in my realm, and this one is too good to pass up. Who knows, maybe I’ll convince her to surrender more than just her blood to me.