Love Bites

Chapter 1

“Would you like that rare or well done?” the waiter asks with a polite smile, his pen poised and ready to take my order.

Stomach growling in anticipation, I close the menu and hand it back to him. “Rare please.”

The restaurant is packed, every table full of people dressed in their finest clothes for the evening. This restaurant is more than a little different to my usual choice of a casual burger chain or Chinese takeaway, but tonight, it was my turn to choose where we eat, and this place has some of the best steak in the city.

“That’s unusual for you,” Colin, my boyfriend, comments with raised brows. “Usually you have your steak well done.”

“I felt like a change,” I reply chirpily, shrugging my shoulders lightly as though it’s no big deal. To me, it really isn’t, but I know that Colin will think otherwise. He doesn’t like change, and as we didn’t discuss this beforehand, he will say that I’m being impulsive—something he regularly accuses me of being.

“You can’t even look at beef when you cook it without gagging, and now you want to eat it rare?” He snorts and shakes his head like he doesn’t understand me. “I know it’s your birthday, and I said you could have whatever you wanted, but I’m not going to pay for the steak if you don’t eat it. That’s just a waste of money.”

Colin has always been frugal with his money, so much so that I was surprised he was willing to bring me here and pay for my meal this evening. I suppose it’s not every day that you turn twenty-one, so I am going to enjoy my steak and eat every last piece. My jaw and gums ache just thinking about my food, a sense of impatience growing in my gut. I’ve been so hungry recently, yet nothing I eat seems to fill me like it used to. In fact, I’ve been losingweight even though my portion sizes have increased.

“Don’t worry, Colin, I won’t let it go to waste.” I smile brightly, not wanting to let his negativity drag me down tonight.

We have been dating for just over a year now, and although he can be pretty critical about everything I do, he is amazing in bed. He can be sweet and thoughtful sometimes too, but unfortunately, that is occurring less often. That just helps me appreciate his kind gestures more. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Tina, my best friend and roommate, has been telling me to dump him for months. She thinks he’s boring and snobby, and she doesn’t like the way he speaks to me. Plus, he once made an insulting comment about her cat, Raggs, and she’s never forgiven him. That’s one thing about Tina you learn immediately—you don’t mess with her cat. She is obsessed with the ball of fluff, claws, and anger issues.

While I don’t disagree with Tina and her perception of Colin, I’m comfortable in the relationship and don’t want to go through the break-up process, especially since my physical needs are being met.

A waitress appears with the bottle of wine. Colin goes through the process of sniffing and tasting it before nodding his acceptance and gesturing for the waitress to pour us full glasses.

Copying what he did, I lift the glass to my nose and take a small inhale. It’s acidic and burns my nose, smelling more like vinegar than wine, and I have to attempt to hide my wince. Colin chose the wine for us. He likes to think he’s a connoisseur who has an exemplary palate and therefore should make all decisions regarding our drinks. I’m usually much better at hiding my dislike of his wine choices, but tonight, the smell makes my stomach turn.

The last thing I want to do is have an argument on my birthday, though, so I grit my teeth and take a sip. Raising his glass in a toast, Colin gives me one of his rare, dazzling smiles. “To you, Emily. Happy twenty-first birthday.”

Smiling, I clink my glass against his. Everyone else calls me Emmy, but Colin has always called me by my full name. Does it bug me? Yes, although I have just come to expect it from him now. He’s a stubborn man, and convincing him that he’s wrong about anything is a herculean task.

“Tell me about your day. Did you do anything nice?”

Surprised he asked, I let my smile widen and brush my long, curly blonde hair over my shoulder. “Yes, actually. Tina and I went shopping this morning, and we stopped at the flower market on the way home. I found the most unusual roses today. The petals looked like they had been doused in blood!” Excitement flares within me as I remember the gorgeous flowers with the black and red petals.

He scrunches his nose. “They sound awful. Why on earth would you want something like that in your house?”

Colin has never understood my obsession with plants and flowers. However, as a florist, it’s part of my job. New and unusual flowers are a passion of mine, and I try to incorporate something different into every bouquet I create.

“I’m probably not explaining it right, but…” I trail off, seeing that the light in his eyes has dimmed and I’ve lost his attention. In fact, he’s not even looking at me anymore. As I follow his gaze, I spot the curvaceous ass of the waitress who has captured his attention. Anger bubbles up inside me, but I push it down and hide it away. Not today, not on my birthday. “Anyway” —I clear my throat— “tell me about your day.”

This brings his attention back to me, excitement flaring in his eyes, and I know I asked the right thing. He immediately starts talking about his latest projects at work and how important he is at his job. Honestly, I don’t know what he actuallydoes, but what I do know is that it has something to do with data analysis. It’s deathly boring, yet I plaster a smile on my face, and as long as I hum and nod in the appropriate places, it keeps him happy.

Meanwhile, my mind is free to wander. I’ve always been one to get lost in my thoughts easily, and it doesn’t take much to distract me. Tonight, however, all I can seem to think about is the steak I ordered. I’m salivating just thinking about it, my gums itching to bite into something.

I’ve never experienced issues with my mouth like this. Perhaps my wisdom teeth are growing in or something. That would explain the heavy, aching sensations I’ve been feeling in my mouth and jaw.

“Are you ready for your gift?” he asks suddenly, reaching into the pocket of his jacket.

Surprised by the sudden change of topic, I sit upright in my seat and smile. I have no idea what he would have picked for me. Perhaps he spoke to Tina about what I would like and coordinated with her. A low buzz of excitement fills my veins as I wait with anticipation. Although what he’s able to fit in his jacket pocket, I’m not sure. It must be a small gift, which is fine, I’m just pleased he got me something.

“It’s something special that I thought you might like,” he explains, his smile smug like he knows he’s gifting me something amazing. He once told me that his family had dubbed him the “gifting king,” thanks to his perfect gifting skills. I have yet to witness this, so I’m excited to see what he picked. Finally pulling it from his pocket, he places a small, flat item on the table.

Confused but masking it with curiosity, I lean forward and lift up my gift to examine it better. It’s an unwrapped packet of seeds—poppies, to be precise.

“Oh, seeds. How lovely.” I smile brightly to hide my disappointment, hoping he doesn’t see through it. I’m an open book when it comes to my reactions, no matter how hard I try to mask them.

Colin’s smile drops, his smugness quickly replaced with irritation. “You don’t like it.”

“They are lovely,” I respond quickly, not wanting to annoy him further. “But I live in a flat. I have nowhere to grow them. Poppies need outside space and recently turned soil.”

He’s not listening to my explanation, clearly indignant that I’m not over the moon with his gifting choice. “Fine, if you don’t want them, I’ll take it back.”

This is going to end up in an argument, and I really don’t want to fight in a posh restaurant on my birthday. Swallowing my pride, I take a deep breath and shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll find somewhere to plant them.” Smiling, I reach out and touch his hand gently. “Thank you.”

Beaming, he squeezes my hand and leans back in his chair. “You’re welcome. I searched for ages to find ones I thought you would like. It took me hours. I hope you appreciate them, as they were very expensive.”

Disappointment floods me at his words. I don’t expect gifts, and certainly not expensive ones, yet I can tell that despite his claims, these seeds are actually a free packet that came with a newspaper thanks to the sticker on the front. Not only did he put in minimal effort and not remove the proof, but he then tried to lie about it and make me feel bad when I mentioned I can’t use them. I don’t know what to say to him, because anything I do say will only start an argument.

Thankfully, the waiter arrives at the table with our food, saving me from having to reply. All other thoughts flee my mind when my eyes lock on the steak. It’s been seared on the top and bottom, but the rest of the meat is red and bloody. Usually this would turn my stomach and make me gag. Now, though, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it. If we weren’t in a restaurant, I’d pick it up with my hands and tear into it, licking the blood off the plate.

Grabbing my knife and fork, I start cutting into the meat, stuffing a large piece in my mouth as soon as it’s free. My eyes roll into the back of my head as the meat lands on my tongue, the flavour rich and oh so good. Groaning with pleasure, I dive in, fully aware of Colin staring at me in horror like I just sprouted a second head.

Walking from the restaurant, we make our way down the residential street, heading to my flat. I’m comfortably full, and I feel sated in a way I haven’t for a long time. Perhaps I should splurge on steak more often.

We’ve been walking in companionable silence. The restaurant is only ten minutes away from where I live, and the walk is giving us a chance to digest our food. As another part of my birthday, Colin is going to spend the night, something he’s never done before. I don’t know why, but he always makes excuses to leave in the early hours of the morning. If he wasn’t so insistent that we were in a relationship, I might think he was just using me for sex. Even so, it’s finally happening tonight, and I’m looking forward to waking up in the morning and having him next to me.

My mind returns to our meal. Colin was quiet throughout, and I know he was watching me as I ate, but I was too busy remembering to chew to really pay attention. Now that I look back though, I recognise he was unhappy. Even now, what I thought was comfortable silence feels more rigid, and he seems distant.

“Thank you for taking me to dinner. That steak was sogood,” I say in an attempt to bring him out of his funk.

“Yes, you’ve said so. Many times.” His voice is harsh as he turns his gaze onto me. “You looked like a rabid animal.” He shakes his head with revulsion. He’s obviously been holding this back, and now the words are bursting out of him without restraint. Colin doesn’t care whether or not he wounds me.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I shrug my shoulders and shrink in on myself with embarrassment. Was I that bad? “I was hungry.” My voice is quiet, and it makes me sound weak as I try to defend myself.

I glance up, and relief floods through me as I see the entrance to my flat just ahead. I want to get inside, forget this conversation, and snuggle up in front of the TV with him.

“You’re still coming in, right?” I don’t know why I’m asking when this is what we already decided on, but his strange mood makes me feel hesitant.

“Yes, although I can’t stay for long.” Brushing it off as though it’s nothing, he strides over to the entrance and waits for me with a raised brow.

Disappointment fills me again. He was supposed to spend the night, that was all I asked for—not to mention he already agreed to it—and now he changed his mind. Have I put him off with my eating habits, or had he already decided he wasn’t going to stay?

“Oh, okay.” My head hangs, and I’m unable to hide my disappointment. Needing an excuse to look away, I search my bag for my keys so he can’t see the full extent of my sadness.

He leans against the doorframe, watching me as I climb up the stairs to the entrance. “Don’t sound like that. You know I have to get back for work.”

Work. Everything with him is about his work, and I can never seem to escape it. While I do believe that he loves his job, part of me also wonders if he uses it as an excuse to get out of doing things with me he doesn’t want to do.

“Okay, let’s not waste any of our time outside discussing it then,” I say, gesturing for him to follow me.

Pushing the door open, I climb the flight of stairs and unlock the door that leads to my flat. When I step inside, I see that the living room is empty, but from the quiet music I hear coming through Tina’s closed door, I know she’s home.

Our two-bedroom flat is small but cosy. We’ve made it a safe space for the two of us, with large comfortable sofas and bookshelves lining the walls. We have lots of lamps to light up the area and banish the darkness, along with an open-plan kitchen.

Colin’s hands land on my waist as soon as we step through the door, his fingers sliding down to my waistband as he caresses me. Desire and something that feels like hunger breaks free, taking over my body. Spinning, I take his hand in mine and practically drag him to my room, needing to feel his body against mine. He laughs and follows eagerly. This is what we are good at, the physical side of things, and honestly, I think it’s the only thing that keeps us together.

I slam the door to my room behind us and push him towards my bed. To my surprise, he stumbles and falls back onto the mattress with a grunt. I must have pushed him harder than I thought. Not giving it much thought, I close the space between us in the blink of an eye and push him back so he’s leaning against the headboard, and I’m able to climb onto his lap.

He grips my hips and grins up at me, knowing what is about to happen. We meet in the middle for a kiss, but as soon as our lips touch, I turn ravenous, kissing him like my life depends on it. I run my tongue along the ridge of his teeth before pressing it against the points of his incisors. He jerks back and raises a hand to his lip. “You just cut me with your teeth.”

A bead of blood wells on his lower lip, but I don’t care about his accusation—my full attention is on his blood. Why am I so attracted to it? I want to coat myself in it and roll around, tasting him in my mouth. The tangy, almost metallic smell of it fills the air, and before I know it, I’m leaning in to kiss him again, my tongue flicking across the tiny wound.

As soon as the blood hits my tongue, something strange happens. My body starts to… change. My back arches, and I gasp as every muscle in my body suddenly seems to shift into something different. My skin stretches and tingles, smoothing out and removing all blemishes. My jaw aches like never before, and the pain is enough to bring tears to my eyes. It feels like something is pushing against the gums at the front of my mouth, forcing them to split. A blinding pain shocks me, but within seconds, the agony is gone, as is the ache in my mouth. Instead, all I feel is hunger. I just ate, so I shouldn’t feel so empty, yet I do, and I’m ravenous.

Colin stares at me with a frown, a small smear of blood across his lips. Blood. I focus once more on his blood, tracking it like a tiger would stalk its prey. A slow thumping noise catches my attention, and my eyes land on Colin’s neck, right over his jugular. I’m hearing his heart, the slow thump-thump of his heartbeat moving all that blood around his body.

Allowing my instincts to take over, I lean down and latch onto his neck, sinking my teeth into his artery. Colin gasps and stills under my touch, but after a few gulps of his blood, everything else fades away until it’s only me and the pulse under my tongue. I’ve never tasted anything as good as this. The steak was like cheap fast food in comparison to this. I’m starving, and I’m blinded by that need.

As the blood trickles to nothing, I’m finally able to break from the bloodlust and release Colin from my grip.

What the hell was that about? I’ve never drunk blood before, it’s creepy and weird, but Colin didn’t try to stop me, so perhaps he enjoyed it too. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I start to untangle myself from him. At some point, we must have fallen back onto the bed, so it takes effort for me to climb off him, especially with how full I feel now.

Colin looks strange. His face is set in a mask of pleasure, but his skin is grey. I reach out to touch his hand, then I jerk it back when I feel how cold he is. Everything comes crashing down in a horrifying rush. Oh no, what have I done?

With my heart in my throat and terror in my gut, I touch him again and feel for his pulse.

Nothing. I just killed my boyfriend.

Worst birthday ever.