Chapter 31 #2
He crosses his arms. “I’m to take responsibility for all of them. I shall be teacher, mentor, protector until they’re ready to strike out on their own. I’ll assist as they integrate with the community at large, as I will for you, Sully, as my fledgling.”
“I haven’t decided if I want your help or not.” He shifts closer to me. “I have Ru.”
“Indeed, you do. And he’s rather loyal, isn’t he? But should you desire my assistance, it’s yours. If the two of you decide Ru should be turned, I offer that as well. So you may be equals going forward rather than sire and fledgling.”
We both freeze.
Slowly, we lock eyes with each other.
It hadn’t occurred to me I could… become a vampire.
Immortal. Like Sully. Or, not exactly like Sully. I’ll never be a hybrid like him. But close enough. And if the bewildered look on his face is anything to go by, the possibility hadn’t occurred to him either. But his mossy green eyes go soft. He calms. And that helps me to calm.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” says Sully to Voijin but without taking his gaze off me. “Thank you for the offer.”
Voijin leans in. “What of II Tech’s records?”
“Ashes. I burned everything,” says Sully with a hint of glee threaded into his voice.
“Records are kept online these days. On external servers. In the cloud”—Voijin gestures with flaring fingers to the sky—“whatever that means.”
Weirdly, this is my domain. “I thought of that and had Malachi take care of it. He’s crazy good at tech. Should have been a hacker. I had him wipe everything before leaving his shift.”
Sully gazes at me with awe in his eyes. “You did?”
Voijin casts me a look of approval. Even Samira looks pleased.
“It occurred to me you might not realize it had to be done. So I did it.” Not gonna lie, the pride I feel in this moment is absurd. I’m just glad I could do something to help. That I didn’t leave him all alone.
If it’s up to me, Sully will never be alone again.
Sully
One by one, Voijin answers every uncomfortable question I’ve been pondering since childhood.
How was I made? Test-tube, I knew that much, but how? Particularly, did I ever have a mother?
Turns out the answer is no. No mother. The lab had access to anonymous donor eggs, and I was incubated like a damn chicken. Donor egg, donor sperm, vat of goo, and Voijin’s blood. I’ll probably never be done freaking out about this. But now isn’t the time.
How many of us were there?
Including the failed attempts, hundreds. That blows my mind, and not in a good way.
Only those who survived beyond infancy got numbers. Of us numbered Specimens, there were twenty-six in total, most of whom I grew up with. Many of whom are currently taking refuge in Ru’s house. Several of whom have since passed.
One was put down.
I almost ask about that, then decide I don’t want to know.
That’s enough for one night, and I’m not in the mood to be melancholy. No, I’m in the mood to be happy. To be grateful. I choose grateful.
I can hardly believe everything is going to be okay. Ru’s right next to me. II Tech is gone. Hayworth is safe inside and so are the others. Voijin is slightly less awful than he was a few hours ago. And it turns out, Samira isn’t evil after all.
Though I kind of hope she goes about her merry way sooner than later.
The power oozing from her in waves is off-putting. So much so, Twenty-Four is hiding in the sleeve of my sweater. I think he likes the extra room now that it’s a bit torn. And he doesn’t want to face her either.
“Oh!” I remember. “I had another question.”
The two older vampires wait with twin amused expression on their faces. Yup, still creepy.
“Can vampires puke?”
They look at each other, then back to me. Ru’s chuckles vibrate where we’re pressed together.
“Not that I know of,” says Voijin, then he turns to his sire.
“I never have,” she says as though the mere thought is revolting.
“Cool. Just curious.”
Gracefully, Samira rises from her chair. “If that’s all for now, Voijy and I have much to do.”
Voijy? I decide I do not want to know. “Sounds good. I want Ru to myself anyway.”
They leave.
I cuddle closer to Ru’s side, and Twenty-Four pokes his little snoot out from my sleeve. “Come on out, buddy. They’re gone now.” He crawls up my arm and from my shoulder to Ru’s. “Oh, I see how it is. You like him too, huh?”
Ru smiles and pets Twenty-Four on his favorite spot behind his ears. “He’s got good taste.”
“He does.” I run my tongue over my teeth. “Not to mention, you taste good.”
“Hungry?” he asks. He doesn’t seem to be bothered. Or worried. No, he seems open. Maybe even eager.
“Not hungry so much as greedy. And I want to get Voijin’s blood out of my system as soon as possible.”
“On that we agree.” Ru tilts his neck, exposing his throat in a gesture of offering. “Go for it.”
How? How in the whole wide world, of which I’ve seen next to nothing of, did I get so lucky as to make the acquaintance of this incredibly wonderful man? This brave, generous, kind, funny man. Who’s sexy as hell and mine to claim?
Fuck, I want him. His savory scent fills the air between us. His pulse quickens, thumping under tan skin.
My mouth waters.
I lean in and caress the sensitive column of his throat with my tongue. Irresistible. Our chests brush. Gently, I bite.
His breath hitches. His hand comes to rest against my nape, pulling me in. I hold his waist and go slowly. I want it to last. Blood slides smooth and bright over my tongue, rich, salty and perfect.
Heat builds between us. His hand tightens in my hair. We shift closer. I take one deliberate swallow. Two. Then I carefully retreat and seal the wounds with my tongue.
My cock is hard, stuck uncomfortably in my pants, where it will have to stay because we’re on the stupid porch.
Ru shifts his hips, indicating he’s in a similar condition. He chuckles warmly, chin against my forehead.
I mouth a kiss over the place where I bit. “I can’t believe you still let me drink from you after what I did.” Blood and lust and shame heat my cheeks.
Mostly shame.
“You mean taking enough to make me sleep?”
“Yeah. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve forgiven you for it.” He kisses me, a quick, gentle slide of his lips over mine. “I was never mad. Zoe thought I should be, and I get her point. But we’re smarter now, aren't we? We won’t let something like that happen again.”
“No. We won’t. I promise I’ll talk to you. I won’t be such a coward in the future.”
“And I promise to be a much better listener. I won’t make you feel like you can’t say what’s on your mind. Not if I can help it. And as long as we’re both trying, whatever comes, we’ll figure it out together.”
“Together.”