Chapter 14 #2
I straightened up and tried not to look like I’d been interested in his blood. “It’s not that I want to put my mouth on you, but why are you bleeding if I’m not supposed to drink?” The scent was still wafting around, tantalizing me, making me wobbly and bleary.
“My blood is for a lot of things. Drinking is not one of them. I’m the Grand Master. I drink others, I’m not drunk.”
I snickered. “Maybe you should be drunk. Your blood smells…” I shivered and scooted away from him.
He held out his wrist and smeared his blood over the bites on my arm. They burned. I could literally watch my flesh bubble up and split apart as whatever evil yet delicious thing in his blood ate away the tainted flesh.
“Now the leg. Put it up here, on my lap.”
Laps indicated some kind of availability for sitting. There was nothing available about the Grand Master. I put my ankle on the edge of the seat and he promptly ripped the pants open and rubbed his blood in the wound. It also burned.
The pain made breathing difficult. In fact, I may have passed out for a few seconds from the blinding pain. When it faded, my skin was pink, clearly healing, and the Grand Master was staring at me without blinking.
I could barely hold my head up, and I was so hungry. Maybe he could give me some money, so I could buy one of those gas station hot dogs that looked so unappetizing.
“Why did you want to drink my blood?”
“It smelled delicious, and I’m really hungry.”
“Do you still want my blood? I haven’t personally turned someone in a very long time, but perhaps I would make an exception for you.”
I shuddered and pressed myself against the door, as far away from him as I could get. His blood was still incredibly appetizing, but the idea of becoming a vampire was not. “That would turn me? Good to know.”
“It would only turn you if I reciprocated by draining you of all blood, killing you, and raising you with a fresh infusion of mine. It’s a tedious process, which you are clearly less than excited about.
Is mortality so precious? Peculiar. Most humans I know would leap at the chance to have immortality, perfect skin, and power that humans could never have. ”
“I just want to go home.”
“We’re almost there.” He patted my knee, and I realized that my leg was still stretched over him.
I pulled it down and frowned at the wound. It was definitely healing, actually almost completely healed, like my stomach wound had been when I woke up after that disastrous dinner dance. “Did you put your blood in my other wound, the one with the…” I couldn’t say it.
“Saliva. I have a very soothing tongue.”
I glanced at his mouth. It was a perfectly nice shape, but when he smiled and I saw fangs, I flinched back. “Sure you do.”
“I apologize for the mess on the docks. I didn’t think that they’d take them out from underneath you.”
“Weird. Tom totally saw that coming. Did I lose my car? My phone was in my car. I need to call Hazen.”
“I’m sure that you can use other phones to contact your husband.”
“True, but he might not answer from an unknown caller.”
“If you leave a message, I’m sure he’ll get back to you.”
I sighed heavily. “You’re sure about a lot of things.”
“And you are sure that I’m a vicious monster.”
“Aren’t you?”
He smiled. Those fangs. Shudder. “Of course. Still, vampires are preferable to zombies. If you turn zombie, do you have a preference as to how I kill you? Perhaps you’d like to join the Queen and not be killed at all.”
“I’d definitely like a nice, quick, clean death, thank you.”
“Not at all. It will be my pleasure.”
“Of course it will be.” I scowled at him.
He laughed and patted my knee in spite of it not being on his lap anymore. “Or I could turn you now.” His eyes brightened, light reflecting in those dark depths.
“Just because I have an official title as your exterminator doesn’t mean I want to be a vampire.”
“Oh, I am aware. You’ve made your position on the subject very clear several times. I like watching you flinch when I suggest it. It’s a subtle sort of torture, don’t you think?”
“No, just annoying.”
He took my face in his hand and leaned close to me, head cocked slightly as he stared into my eyes. Was he going to kiss me? I gripped his fingers and tried to pull them off my skin.
“I’m married!” I warned.
He raised a brow. “Did I say that you weren’t? He wishes to meet with me. Do you think that he’s one of those rare humans who doesn’t want immortality and power?”
I swallowed hard. “Don’t you dare turn him.”
“Don’t I dare? You are so precious, so foolish, so delightfully full of her own importance. How dare you speak to the Grand Master in demands?” He squeezed my cheeks like I was a child and dropped his fingers. They were terrifying, clawed, very scary, but I wasn’t as scared as I should be.
He was right. He was a terrifying monster, so I should be quaking in my boots instead of wanting to defy him. “Please don’t turn him. I would be very miserable without him.”
“Would you? I thought you were always trying to leave him.”
“Yes, but it would be okay for me to be miserable if I knew that he was happy.”
“You think he wouldn’t be happy as a vampire?”
“Not to be rude, but you lot don’t seem to do a lot of tap dancing, or smiling, or anything really other than snarling and trying to eat me.”
“If you weren’t food, you would have a different opinion of us.”
I shook my head. How could I respond to that? “Sure. Please, don’t turn my husband. He’s going through a rough patch right now, but vampirism isn’t the answer.” Why did I have to say that? It was so painfully obvious.
“Why is it so obvious?” he asked, curious.
“What?”
“Why is it so—”
“I didn’t say that out loud.”
He tapped my forehead. “You don’t have to.
We’re very close right now, my blood burning your flesh, my blood sunk into you from the antidote, and of course, your blood from your wound in my mouth, my fangs in your neck while we danced…
” His voice got lower, more melodious and soothing until I was completely relaxed.
He brushed my hair with his fingers and skimmed my cheek with his lips.
The limo door opened and a small hand gripped my wrist, yanking me away from the monster.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Wat screamed, eyes bright and almost glowing while he faced off against the Grand Master.