Love Bites

Chapter 5

The next morning, I skip over to my door, pulling it open without checking who’s on the other side. It only occurs to me now that I probably should have checked. I am surrounded by criminals, after all. Thankfully, it’s just Zane leaning against the doorframe, looking like he just strolled off a runway.

I’ve not met any of the others on the unit yet, but I know it’s going to happen eventually, so I’ve mentally prepared myself. Even so, I’m glad it’s my mentor, because I have many questions about the other supernaturals and don’t want to make a fool of myself due to my lack of knowledge.

My golden curls are wrangled into a messy bun, although a few strands hang down and frame my face. Something about being a vampire seems to suit me, and my skin is glowing. It’s as though all of my pores have smoothed out, and my cheeks are flawless. I thought I’d be washed out and look dead like the vampires in movies, but the opposite seems to be true. I’m never going to need to spend money on makeup again.

The clothes I was given are basic—a loose pair of black cotton trousers and several long, soft T-shirts—but I’ve done my best to make them more my style, layering a grey shirt on top of a white one and tying a knot at my waist to reveal the shirt beneath. Again, it’s basic, but beggars can’t be choosers. I’m just happy to be out of my dirty clothes.

Zane does a slow perusal of my body, and I get the strangest feeling, as though I can actually feel everywhere his eyes touch. It’s obvious that he likes what he sees from the smile pulling at his lips, and arousal floods my body. I’m so reactive around him, every cell in my body alive and overreacting. I desperately need to get my raging hormones under control before I do something to embarrass myself.

As though the gods wanted to punish me out of spite, my fangs choose that moment to shoot out of my gums. Slapping my hand over my mouth, I back away and hurry into the little bathroom, not wanting to see his amusement.

Thankfully they return to their normal position after only a few moments, so I take a deep breath and return to the door. Zane is still leaning against the doorframe, his eyes on me.

“You look… perky. Did you sleep well?” His voice sounds strange, and I can’t quite place why. When I look at his face, his expression seems normal, so I shrug it off.

“Nope, I was up most of the night. It’s noisy in here. I made the most of my time though.” I gesture around the room, noticing his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he looks around and takes in the changes I made.

Chuckling, he shakes his head and finally steps into the room. “Well, this looks cosy.”

As soon as he crosses the threshold, I become aware of the space between us. It’s a small room, but it feels even smaller with his large body filling a large portion of it. I feel drawn to him, like we are both opposite ends of a magnet that can’t help but be pulled together.

Suddenly, I become very cognisant of my bed and how close we both are to it, and I have to force myself to focus on anything but him. If I think of him and my bed, then I’ll think of him in my bed, and if I think of him in my bed, then I’ll think of him being in me.

No, nope, not going there. I murdered my boyfriend two days ago. I will not be jumping into bed with the first hot vampire I meet.

Taking a step back from him, I try to shrug casually, hoping to disguise my flustered state. “Just because I’m locked up, it doesn’t mean I can’t have a few homey touches.”

I turned several of the blankets into curtains, tying them back with strips of fabric I tore from the bottom of a sheet. Even just putting those up made it look so much better. While the window has something on it to block out the sunlight, the curtains gave it a more lived-in feel.

I managed to sweet talk several more sheets and blankets from one of the guards, folding one and using it as a tablecloth on the desk. When I was sure no one was about, I snuck out of my room and wandered around until a guard found me and gave me directions to the garden. Apparently I’m allowed out of my unit whenever I like, but I didn’t want to bump into anyone yet. Once I was out in the fresh air, I managed to pick several flowers from the beautiful garden. It’s a little overgrown and unkempt, but there were still some wonderful plants in bloom.

After I returned to my room, I used a glass to hold the flowers, giving the air a fresh scent and bringing some much needed colour to the space. My bed is made, the blankets folded neatly, and overall, I think it looks so much better than it did before.

“If I had more access to fabrics and a sewing machine, I could have done so much more,” I ramble, rubbing the back of my neck.

He just shakes his head, his expression amused. I’m pretty sure he can see right through my feeble attempts of hiding my attraction, but thankfully he changes the subject anyway. “Are you ready for your first lesson?”

Clapping my hands together, I bounce on the balls of my feet, eager to get out of my room. “What are we covering today?”

According to my timetable, Zane and I get two hours together to go through questions, issues, and vampire 101. This is also supposed to prepare me for my assessment. I’ll have further classes with other instructors later down the line, but for now, this is going to be my introduction.

Leading me from the room, Zane walks ahead of me, seeming to know his way around the centre pretty well. He did say that he’s only mentoring because it was his penance. Does that mean he’s been here as a rehabilitated criminal? Scanning him from behind, I can’t deny that he gives off bad boy vibes. Hell, he’s a walking red flag, maybe that’s why I feel so attracted to him. Even now, I can’t help but watch his ass as he walks, his tight jeans hugging it perfectly. I wonder what it would be like to bite into those perfect peachy globes…

Fangs shoot from my mouth, and I snap out of my new obsession of staring at his ass. Why the hell does this keep happening? I don’t feel particularly hungry, so I don’t understand why I can’t keep my teeth in my mouth. It’s awkward, feels strange in my gums, and honestly, it makes me drool.

“You’re drooling,” Zane calls out, amusement lacing his tone.

How the hell did he know that when he’s not even facing in my direction? He glances over his shoulder and smirks at me, taking in my hand over my mouth. He doesn’t comment further, just shakes his head, that infuriating smile still firmly in place.

We leave the unit, and I see several people hanging out on the landing in front of the staircase. Well, I say people, but I can honestly say I have no idea what some of those creatures are.

A dark male with large, feathered wings catches my eye. The pure size of him is enough to stop me in my tracks. He doesn’t speak, but he takes in everything around him with a predatory grace. Of course he notices me straight away, his amber eyes locking on me. A slow, dark smile stretches his lips, sending shivers down my spine, and I can’t decide if my body is turned on or trying to warn me that this male is dangerous—both, perhaps.

The rest of the group is made up of one male and three females, two of which look remarkably similar—sisters, I’m sure of it. They look like humans, but they carry an electric energy with them that my instincts tell me is unearthly and dangerous. Next to them is another female in human form, only she has a pair of beautiful antlers that extend from her forehead. I glance down and see she has hooves instead of feet. She also seems to be the most talkative of the group.

I shift my gaze to the final creature in the group, whom I can only describe as an orc. He’s greenish grey in colour, and his skin looks thick and scarred. He’s only wearing a loincloth, and he grunts out words in a voice that sounds like someone chewing gravel. The others seem to understand him, listening intently. The thing that takes me back about him, though, is that he’s tiny. He would probably be around chest height on me. Perhaps all the movies had it wrong, and orcs are smaller creatures. I certainly wouldn’t want to go against him, no matter what size he is.

Zane realises that I’ve stopped and follows my gaze to the group of supernaturals. He seems to stiffen, appearing at my side in the blink of an eye, and presses his hand to the small of my back. The tension in the air suddenly rises as the group turns their attention towards me. Before I can begin to assess their reactions, Zane is moving me along, steering me towards the stairs.

I don’t protest, following his instincts, yet as I start to descend the steps, I glance over my shoulder. Everyone has gone back to talking, all except the male with the wings, whose eyes are still firmly locked on me.

When we reach the bottom of the staircase, Zane pulls his hand away and lets out a breath. I instantly feel the loss of his touch, but I’m not going to tell him that. He would lovethat and probably rub the fact in my face. How I know this about him when we’ve only known each other for less than twenty-four hours, I have no idea.

He takes me down a long corridor and gestures to an open door. Inside is a small meeting space that contains two armchairs, a low wooden table, and a shelf with a single potted plant perched atop it. As with the rest of the building, there are no personal touches, the windowless room is plain and has no character. The grey walls match the grey carpet, and the flash of green from the plant is the only colour in the dreary space.

Zane enters the room behind me, closing the door and striding towards the armchair farthest away from me. Taking the hint, I drop into the one by the door and wait for him to begin whatever lesson he has for me.

He frowns and presses a hand to his forehead. I don’t know what’s happening here. Does he have a headache? Does he want some paracetamol? I’m sure there has to be some around here somewhere. I am about to hop up from my chair and go on a pain relief hunt when he sighs and looks up to meet my eyes.

“Before we get started, I have a word of caution for you.” He leans forward, his expression tense, and I realise this is what was causing him pain a moment ago. Whatever he’s about to say must be important. “Gabriel, the winged male upstairs… Stay away from him. He’s dangerous.”

I want to point out that everyone here is dangerous, including him, but I keep my mouth shut. All of this is new to me, and I have no idea how the politics between species works, whereas Zane has the experience I need. If he says Gabriel is dangerous, then I will take his warning seriously.

Sensing that I understand the weight of his words, he nods slowly to himself and sits back in his chair. He glances around the dingy room and cringes as he notices a strange, whitish stain on the arm of the chair he’s sitting in.

“Okay, let’s get this over with so I can get out of this awful room.” Smiling ruefully, he looks at me, the twinkle back in his eyes. “How much do you know about vampires? Don’t you dare bring Twilight into this.”

I quickly shut my mouth and clear my throat, rethinking my answer. I wish I knew more, but all I know is what I learned from popular fiction. With nothing else to give him, I decide to tell him a condensed version of my life up until now to demonstrate how much I know. “I’m an orphan and never knew my parents, so I never knew I was any different to the other kids in the homes. A few weeks ago, I started craving red meat, and on my birthday two days ago, I bit my boyfriend and killed him.”

He looks at me expectantly, as though waiting for more. I stare back, unsure what he wants from me. Did he not understand something I said? While I thought I was fairly clear, perhaps I’m not acting like a vampire usually would. That would explain his reaction as his face shifts, and he looks completely dumbfounded.

“Wait, that’s it?”

Frowning, I gesture to myself as though that would be answer enough. “You knew that I was a baby vampire.”

Scoffing, he pushes himself to the edge of the chair, bracing his hands on the ends of the arms as though he’s ready to spring to his feet. “Yeah, but I thought you knew at least a little about our kind.”

I wish he was right. It would have made all this much less shocking. Not only did I learn that I’m not a human, but that the world is filled with supernatural creatures. Are all myths and legends true? Perhaps there was more truth in them than any human had ever realised.

I’m starting to panic, my thoughts going in circles as I dig myself further and further into my spiral. When I do speak again, my voice is tight and croaky. “Sorry to disappoint.”

Zane watches me for a moment, his dark eyes locked on me, probably scenting my panic or something weird like that. Clicking his tongue, he narrows his eyes as he thinks over what I told him. I know it’s not much, but with my childhood as it was, I am lucky that I am able to read and write, never mind learning about creatures that I thought were fictional until a few days ago.

“Okay, let’s start from the beginning.” He appears much calmer now, having accepted his mammoth task of teaching me everything. “Vampires are born, not changed. On our twenty-first birthday, we mature, shedding our human form and reaching our full potential as we are reborn as a vampire.”

He makes it sound as though we’re snakes shedding our skin. Just the mental image makes me shudder, and I have to take a deep breath to steady myself. Zane doesn’t stop though, continuing his explanation.

“You’re not dead. You will still age, and your heart will still beat, just at a much slower rate. We don’t need to sleep, but most of us like to for a few hours, usually in the day. Sunlight doesn’t kill us, but it does weaken us, so we tend to be more active in the evening. Our primary source of food is…” Trailing off, he looks down at my lap where I’m frantically scribbling notes. “Are you using a notepad?”

Looking up from my page, I smile wanly and lift it so he’s able to see. He gives me a strange look, arching an eyebrow as though I just told him I eat dog biscuits for breakfast.

I clutch my notebook and pen to my chest. “Yes, I don’t want to forget anything.”

“I—” He snorts and shakes his head like whatever he was going to say wasn’t worth it. “Blood is what keeps us alive and fed. Without it, we will die. Our fangs extend when we feed, making it easier to bite our victim.”

I raise my hand, and I realise what I’ve done when he looks at me with amusement. Quickly jerking it down, I rush to tell him my observation in the hopes that he will forget I just acted like a schoolgirl in class.

“My fangs keep appearing at random times, and I can’t get them to go away.” Reaching into my mouth, I poke the sharp tips of my fangs. They are currently in their normal, dormant place, but the gum feels tender at the light prod of my finger. “Is there something wrong with them? Am I defective?”

He smirks and shakes his head. “You’re new to all this, your body is adjusting. At first, controlling your fangs is difficult, but as you learn to control your urges, that will become easier.”

“Urges? You mean for blood?” I still feel a little queasy at the thought. Where do you even get blood from? It’s not as though I can go to the grocery shop and pick up a couple pints for the fridge.

“Yes, but there are other urges too, all of which will feel enhanced now that you are in your true form.” There’s a gleam in his eye and a half smile on his lips that make the butterflies in my stomach riot. I’m not sure what expression I’m pulling, but it causes him to laugh and continue with his explanation. “Our fangs also react when we are turned on. It will be like going through puberty again.”

Is he serious? I stare at him a moment longer, hoping he’s going to say it was a joke, but he doesn’t, simply continuing to smirk like this is the most entertaining thing he’s ever witnessed. Throwing my hands up in the air, I get up from the chair and start to pace. “Great, so I’m going to get some weird vampy boner in my mouth. How long until it calms down?”

Lazily crossing one leg over the other, he shrugs. “It’s different for everyone. I remember that I spent most of my first year as a vampire with my fangs out. All I had to do was look at a woman, and they would shoot out.” His laugh is low and deep. “It was embarrassing at first, but you learn to control it.”

Geez. I might struggle with this for a year? He’s trying to reassure me, but he’s failing miserably. A year might not seem long when you can live forever, but for me, it’s a hell of a long time. Focusing on my other issue, I purse my lips as I think over what I know so far. He watches me as I ruminate, his eyes trailing down my simple clothes with a suggestive smile.

“How do I, you know…” Using my hands, I make a gesture of fangs and biting, hoping he will understand what I’m trying to ask—not to mention it gives him something else to do rather than look at me like I’m his next meal.

He raises that brow again, and I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment. Instead of looking at me like I’m crazy, though, he’s smiling. I was never any good at charades, but this time it seems like he understands my gestures.

“Feed?” he finishes for me.

“Yeah. How do I feed?” I’m pacing the small space again, very aware of his gaze on me. “How often will I feel hungry? I mean, thirsty?” My use of the terminology is probably all wrong, but I figure he can cut me a break after the last two days I’ve had.

“Thirst varies from vampire to vampire, but generally most feed every two to three days. You will know when you need to. The sensation is not pleasant, and it only gets worse the longer you leave it.” He must sense my stress, because he takes it easy on me as he explains, not ribbing me for my poorly phrased questions or lack of knowledge. “I am obliged to tell you that according to law, we are supposed to get our blood from donors at one of the centres. Drinking from a normal human without their consent is illegal.”

It sounds like he’s reading off a script, becoming monotone and crossing his eyes. Obviously he thinks this part of the lesson is dull, or perhaps he doesn’t agree. Zane does seem like the kind of guy who not only doesn’t follow the rules, but who also goes out of his way to break them.

“Wait.” My head tilts to one side. “There is a supernatural law on this?”

“Of course. How do you think we managed to keep everything from the humans for so long?” He drops his head onto the back of his armchair, an air of boredom surrounding him. I suppose all of this would be boring for someone who enjoys breaking rules.

“That makes sense.” Musing over that fact, I realise that it’s not just the existence of vampires or supernatural creatures that they have managed to keep from the humans, but a whole world that is right in front of their faces. “So who are the donors and what is this centre you mentioned?”

His head pops up in surprise, and his expression shifts to understanding a second later. “I forget how little you know.” Sitting upright, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “The centre is the place vampires can go if they have any issues. I’m sure you will be sent there at some point now that you’ve been registered. They can get you set up. They also provide feeding banks. The donors are all humans who have learned about us and want to give their blood.” His eyes seem to have darkened as he speaks, and something about him seems more alert, predatory almost, as he watches me pace.

It’s terrifying. It’s also hot as hell. Something about him turns on that carnal part of me that I have always carried. My fangs slide out of my mouth, betraying my feelings.

Zane stands and prowls towards me. I freeze on the spot—not out of fear, but excitement. Suddenly, all I can think about is feeling his fangs against my neck. What would it feel like if he bit me? When I drained Colin, he had a look of ecstasy on his face, and I’m sure I remember Office Hart saying something about vampire bites feeling good.

“Our bite is addictive, you see,” Zane explains, his voice hypnotic, and I feel drawn in by it.

He stops just in front of me, and it would be so easy for me to lean forward. I find myself running my tongue over my aching fangs. My jaw feels heavy, and the urge to bite his exposed neck builds until it is almost impossible for me to hold myself back.

Embarrassingly, a little whine escapes me, and I have to shift my weight from foot to foot to stop myself from doing something stupid. I need to bite him or fuck him—at this point, I don’t really care. All I know is that I need him. To my eternal surprise, he doesn’t make fun of me for my strange little noises, and instead, sympathy colours his face.

“It will get easier, little one. You will learn to manage this,” he promises with a whisper. Reaching up, he gently brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. “In the meantime, though, would you like me to teach you how to feed?”

Hell yes.