Chapter 15 Lazriel #4
I stood there staring at him and taking his words in.
“What happened with the wolf at the tail end of the battle is promising. I wish it hadn’t come about from the trauma of the memories associated with that bastard’s despicable attack on you, but let us focus on the fact that it did.
You were drawing fully on the vampire. Actually, even on the Ancient blood running through your veins, which was demonstrated through your surge of strength and speed.
Yet, you also called the wolf. Now that you are growing comfortable with the side you have denied too much of, we will work on melding the wolf as well without restraining the vampire again.
” He regarded me intently. “What do you say?”
“I say that sounds like a tall order, but I’m game.”
“Excellent.” He wrapped his arm around me and I tensed for a moment before actually relaxing into it. “I need to scent-wipe this area after burning the evidence, and then we will feed. Are you game for that?”
“Yeah,” I said. “That sounds really good.”
The Vermillion Chamber.
That was what they called the feeding area here down in the Shadow Tunnels.
Well, at this particular site.
I’d found out now that there were actually several locations across the supernatural world.
My dad had told me that this was his favorite location.
Something to do with it being the first one he’d built.
Although, I suspected there was more to it than that with the way his eyes had shone when he’d mentioned it.
Maybe something to do with my mom? Had he brought her down to this one and spent time with her here?
I took in the space as I waited for him to arrive. He’d been detained giving a briefing to his top agents regarding the Puritas cell takedown and the fact that Lucas Graylyn, who had been a major player in that twisted organization, had been taken out.
The room wasn’t a sterile blood-harvesting facility like I’d imagined. Or worse, a dungeon sort of setup. It was a controlled feeding lounge with a relaxing ambience. A really chill place, especially considering its purpose.
Velvet-lined alcoves were built into the walls, the gold fabric softly illuminated by dimmed recessed lights. There were couches and armchairs within each that were a rich crimson and thickly upholstered to give maximum comfort.
The first time Remnant had shown me the room, there had been humans lounging on the chairs or draped over them, necks and wrists exposed, many wrapped in the arms of the vampires feeding on them, fangs deep in their flesh.
Other vampires had moved like shadows between the alcoves, some gentle and others more dominant.
But all fed at the agreement with the feeders.
At the center of the room was a long onyx bar covered with decanters and fine crystal glasses for those who preferred to sustain themselves with blood without feeding.
As Remnant had put it, that option was mostly for those in a rush—the ones about to deploy, heading out on missions, who had to drink and run.
I smiled as that familiar feeling rolled through me.
Well, what had become familiar over the last couple of weeks. The one I’d first felt at the tail end of Victor Halrow’s attack.
My dad.
Blood calls to blood.
A few moments later, the door creaked open, and I turned as he entered with two humans trailing in his wake.
One was a powerhouse of a guy who looked to be in his thirties, all bulk and muscle. He stood in a white tank that matched his buzz cut and a pair of black lounge pants.
The other had spiky blue hair and seemed about a decade younger.
He had the sleeves of an open-collared pink shirt rolled up and revealing a whole lot of ink covering both arms. He wasn’t as big as the other guy, but he was built like a boxer.
He slapped his hand to the hip of his black jeans as he regarded me.
“Matthew,” he told me simply. “Nice meeting you, Lazriel.”
“You too,” I said, my gaze flicking between him, my dad, and the other guy.
“This is Eric. My feeder,” he told me, as Matthew walked over to one of the armchairs and settled down comfortably.
I started. “You feed from men? I thought—”
“Fresh blood is fresh blood, is it not?”
I smiled. He was doing this for me. But he was also clearly not wanting to make a big thing out of it, wanting to normalize it for me instead. Shit, this was such a far cry from the repressed pack environment I’d grown up in.
“Besides,” he said, as his feeder settled onto one of the chairs a couple over from Matthew, “Eric, here, is one of my favorite feeders. He enjoys my bite and his blood is delectably potent.”
“So I’ve heard,” Eric said, grinning out at me.
He wasn’t just a thing to him, even to an Ancient Vampire of my dad’s caliber. He was a person, one clearly respected. These feeders were protected, rewarded and even revered. This arrangement down here was nothing like I’d worried it would be.
It was actually… really nice.
Comforting, really.
My dad came to me and grasped my shoulder.
“Now, be mindful that Matthew is human. When you feed from Cassius, he can withstand a great deal due to his Immortal durability. That will not be the case for Matthew. You must stop and withdraw your fangs the moment you feel his pulse start to slow.”
“Got it,” I said, swallowing hard as the stakes slammed into me.
But they didn’t outweigh the desire flooding through me to actually do this.
It wasn’t sexual at all in nature, it was pure bloodlust and vampiric need.
To feed, to be sustained, in a way I’d avoided before.
In a fully empowering way, not tampered down by processed blood bags that couldn’t compare as I’d come to realize from drinking fresh blood from glasses lately since I’d been down here.
As my dad headed over to Eric, I settled onto an ornate-looking gold-leaf stool to the side of Matthew, his eyes gleaming at me with anticipation.
At the same time, I looked over at Remnant again, watching as he dropped his fangs and cradled Eric’s head as he sank them deep. Eric jolted at the initial penetration, but then sank further into the comfy chair and let out a groan.
The scent of fresh blood permeated the air.
I breathed it in and dropped my fangs.
I gestured at the right side of Matthew’s neck. I mean, he was tilting it toward me and he’d even eased the collar of his pink shirt aside too, but I wanted to be extra sure. “Here is all right?”
His lip curled. “Wherever you like, honestly. I figured this would be best. Remnant mentioned you’re new to feeding from humans.”
“Sure am.”
“Take your time, whatever you need.”
“And you like this?”
“Fucking love it. It’s thrilling from an adrenaline junkie standpoint.
But it’s also thrilling to be able to give somebody something they need so vitally, and to feel that need as they feed.
The sensation is out of this world. And being around the supernatural of it all… it’s mythic. A real heady thing.”
Wow.
Shifting my weight on the ornate stall, I leaned in, pressing my hand to his shoulder for both of our stability, then I leaned in and slicked my tongue over his throat.
I caught my dad’s eye as I did and his lips lifted, while he continued feeding.
I knew it was because that was how newbie vamps fed in their early days.
While I wasn’t technically a newbie, I was when it came to feeding from the vein. Especially from humans.
He returned his attention to getting his sustenance from Eric, then I marked Matthew once more with another lick, before then scraping my fangs over the slicked area.
His breath hitched and I could hear his pulse jumping, wanting this really badly. It definitely wasn’t fear, that had a different rhythm. And different other reactions that went along with it, many micro-reactions that only beings with intense intuition like vampires could pick up on.
I bit down, my fangs sinking into the soft flesh of his throat.
A groan reverberated through me from him and it was all-consuming.
Just like his sweet blood was as it hit my tongue.
Fuck. Me.
I could feel every beat of his thundering heart through the draw, pounding and pulsing so powerfully. It was… beyond exhilarating. It was… perfect.
I smiled to myself. Velra’s word.
I drew more of his blood into my mouth, finding myself cradling him closer as I deepened the draw, needing the grounding of the contact.
There was nothing carnal or sexual about it like it had been with Cassius. Or how I’d fantasized a few times about it being with Velra or Sylas.
That wasn’t what this was about.
It was sustenance.
Drawing in power.
Lifeblood.
A deeper facet of my nature that I’d always veered away from.
But now, in this moment, I saw how wrong I’d been.
Groans escaped me as I swallowed the warm coppery liquid down.
Over and over.
Savoring.
Reveling.
Losing myself to it so completely.
Until a warning sparked in my brain.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heartbeat was slowing.
It was all I needed to know, all I needed to hear.
I eased my fangs free, licking my lips as I went.
I looked at Matthew and his eyes were glazed but he was smiling.
I must have looked concerned, because he raised a heavy hand and gave me a thumbs up. “All good, blood virgin.”
A chuckle burst from me, which sounded like a cross between a snarl and something else with my fangs still down.
“Pretty sure I’ve just been cured of virgin status there.”
“Too right. Sweet bite you’ve got, by the way.”
“Well, he’s very respectful of all beings,” my dad’s voice sounded, and I turned to see him now standing right beside me.
I was in a bit of a daze from the feed. Not high, but just… still immersed in it.
“I’m getting that, yeah,” Matthew said, before resting his head back against the comfy chair and closing his eyes.
I looked over at Eric to see him doing the same.