Chapter 22
I’d experienced nothing like Harkin’s blood in my completed vampiric life.
Granted, I had also never fed on any shifter before him, but his blood was unique.
Consuming him, the blood traveling down my throat, was like liquid chocolate ecstasy.
It had been so long since I drank fresh blood, and I don’t think Harkin realized the depth of that offer to me, the meaning.
Especially considering what he was and who he was.
With his blood, my muscles seemed to flex and move effortlessly.
Distant sounds, like a woodpecker beating against a tree outside and the wind rustling through the branches, were no longer a strain to hear.
When I made the choice to ward off feeding directly from humans, it also meant giving up some of my strength.
I was a survivor. I’d figure it out. And I had.
The way Harkin reacted to my bite left me with dreamed memories throughout the day as I slept.
His moans, his growls, his cock growing hard no sooner had I plunged my fangs into him. Fuck. It was so hot.
When I woke up the following night, my chest ached without Harkin’s warm body pressed against mine.
His scent still hung thickly in the air, which meant he hadn’t been gone long, but his presence had become an entangled vice I never wanted to give up.
Groaning, I fished for a baggy shirt and slid it on, in case an elder was upstairs again or something.
I still said “screw it” to underwear, though.
As I headed upstairs, faint smells of brewing coffee leaked through the open door.
Waffles skidded across the floor to greet me, doing excited figure eights through my ankles.
Harkin stood in the kitchen in only a pair of black boxers.
He sipped from a mug while leaning on the counter.
He’d been typing something on his phone, but his attention immediately landed on me once he caught my scent, the phone discarded.
“Good evening,” I said with a groggy smile.
Harkin beamed at me as grabbed the coffeepot from the burner. “Evenin’, sugar. Wanna try something new?”
“I’m intrigued.” It didn’t matter what he meant. Something new sexually, new recreationally, sustenance. I was the submissive doe willing to do whatever he wanted.
“Come on over here, then,” he beckoned, grinning to himself like a sly, big wolf as he poured coffee into another mug.
Ever curious, I tilted my head and sauntered to his side.
“Serious question because I’ve no idea. Can you still taste things?” Harkin had stopped mid-pour, frowning as if my answer weighed heavily.
With a snicker, I urged him to keep pouring. “I can still taste things. They’re just not as delicious as they might be for you. As an example, I can still sense the flavor of coffee, but the caffeine does jack shit for me.”
Harkin snorted as he replaced the pot on the burner. “Me neither, but still like the taste and the steam on my nose.”
“The steam?” My brows shot up. “Really?”
Harkin gripped the counter behind me. He pressed his waist against me and kissed my cheek. “Not everything about me has to be rugged.”
I slapped his chest. “You’re killing me with anticipation. What are we trying?”
Harkin set his mug down. With the other in his hand, he caught my gaze with his before making his four canines grow, sharp, wide, and lethal. Biting the inside of his wrist, he tore a bit of flesh away, creating a bleeding wound. He held his wrist over the coffee, letting it collect in it.
My mouth gaped, fangs springing to attention. My fangs could puncture. His teeth could tear. Blood dripped from the wound, every ripple an echo in my ears, my stomach clenching at the rich iron scent and the pleased grin gracing the wolf’s lips.
When the mug filled, he murmured something about not thinking about that part. He scanned his surroundings, searching for something to stop the bleeding. I was too focused on the wound to hear all of it.
“Let me.” I gently took his arm, although I wanted to yank it to me. “It’ll heal faster.”
Tilting his head to one side, he turned it toward my mouth. I sunk my lips over it, lapping it up with my tongue. There was no need to use my fangs since the wound was still open. It allowed me simply to enjoy mending his wound while taking more of his delicious blood into my throat.
Harkin watched me intently, craning his head to the side when I licked the wound like a wolf. His eyelids grew heavy, and he dipped his mouth to my chin, lightly skimming the tip of his tongue along my jawline.
As the wound closed, I pulled away, running my thumb around the edge. “There you go, Kins. Your healing should do the rest.”
“Here you go.” He held the mug out to me.
Curling steam floated from it. I took it with two grabby, excited hands.
We stood in the kitchen sipping from our mugs as if we were a domestic, normal couple.
It should have felt far more absurd than it did.
With Harkin, my oddities, my particular needs, were so easily supported by him.
Not just the ones he chose to support, but even the ones where our bodies screamed, “Yes, this could work.”
“Was thinkin’—” Harkin started.
“Oh, boy, the wolf is thinking. Everyone hold your asses,” I teased, elbowing him in the ribs.
Harkin pinched my side. “Remember. There’s a perfectly good chair leg over there.” He pointed to the wood.
Reverting to the maturity of a child, I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Wanna take you to meet more of my pack. We’ll stay only in this part of the Falls.”
After consuming the blood coffee, ensuring no drop remained by beating the bottom, I looked at him with an arched brow. “Are you sure?”
“Anyone tries to fuck with you,” he said, the word “fuck” coming out in his were’s growl. “I’ll handle it, but reckon it won’t happen if we stay to my territory.”
“With your blood in my system, I might handle them right along with you.”
Harkin smiled, cocky and all too handsome. “That good, huh?”
“I reserve comment so as not to inflate your ego too soon.” I bit the inside of my cheek to hide a smile.
“Want more?” He held out his wrist. The wound was now a faint scar.
My fangs tingled as if to say, “Yes, girl, take it, take it now.”
Pushing his arm away with a laugh, I sprinted around the counter. “Harkin, don’t spoil me, or I might have you hooked to an IV. Make you walk around with a little bag on wheels and everything.”
“That could sincerely hurt my alpha image.” Harkin rubbed his chin as though contemplating which would be worse.
I lifted my arms in defeat. “I’m going to get dressed.”
Harkin hooked a finger in my shirt, cooly coaxing me back to him. His hand dipped under it, caressing my stomach before sliding up to my breasts. “You’ve always been gorgeous, but—” He rubbed his nose against my temple. “You’re extra gorgeous with my blood in you. Even got rosy cheeks.”
Moaning, I stretched for Harkin’s head behind me, tangling my fingers in his wavy brown locks. “I think it’s my shifter blood.”
“Ain’t it crazy?”
I nodded, biting my lip over him fondling my breasts. “Crazier that more and more of it has appeared since being around you.”
Harkin slid the same hand back to my stomach, splaying his fingers and holding me. He kissed the side of my head. “Wonder if there’s something to that.”
“Yeah,” I whispered, wistful and hopeful, but scared. “I wonder if there is.”
Waffles let out an incredibly loud, disapproving yip. We bolted to attention. My pug stood in front of an empty bowl, his front paws stomping near it.
“Whoops. Forgot to feed the rascal,” I said.
Harkin patted my belly before slipping his warm hand from my shirt. “I’ll handle it. Go on and get dressed, sugar.”
“Thanks.”
After throwing on a top, jeans, and boots, I met Harkin by the door.
He was grabbing his cowboy hat from the hook and turned to smile at me as he slipped it on.
He wore dark jeans, a brown leather motorcycle jacket, and a black shirt underneath.
I couldn’t understand how Harkin could make me feel more attracted.
“Can Waffles tag along?” I asked.
Harkin whistled for him. “Be disappointed if he didn’t.”
I stand corrected.
Apparently, Harkin planned to make me more attracted to him every day until the end of time.
Waffles bounded toward the front door. After slipping on his harness and leash, we headed outside.
Harkin opted to walk, staying close to me with our elbows brushing.
He reached out his hand twice as if he intended to hold mine, but pulled back at the last second, scratching his ribs instead.
It was quiet tonight, with only the faint hum of the streetlights and the occasional owl hooting from the tree branches.
Several bats flew overhead, and Harkin started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
Harkin rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead. “Nothin’. Was just thinkin’ how ironic it would’ve been if you’d been a bat shifter.”
Gasping, I swatted him, much harder this time.
“Ow,” he said, still laughing and rubbing his arm.
“Yeah? Well, why aren’t you a lion shifter or something? Wolves are so overrated. Lions are majestic, regal, and—”
Harkin cut me off by planting his mouth against mine, his thumbs swirling over my cheeks. Heat settled in my stomach, his blood in my veins tingling up my arms and into my skull.
“Lion, huh?” Harkin teased, all-knowing and smug.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket. Still tangled in Harkin’s limbs, I slipped it out, frowning when I saw it was a text from Ash. “Sorry, it’s Ash. Should check this really quick.”
Ash
I did some more digging about the blood shortage. Get this. People have been buying it up. Who the hells would do that?
My stare grew distant.
“Everything alright?” Harkin asked, rubbing the small of my back.
Quickly texting a thank you to Ash, I put my phone away. “I’m not sure. Remember my missed blood delivery?”
“Yeah.”
“Ash looked into blood bank records not only in the Cove, but the US and Europe too. They were all dry.”
Harkin’s gaze darkened, that deep crease forming in his forehead. “I don’t like it. Someone tryin’ to drive out vamps?”
“Just the ones that rely on blood bags, if that’s the case.”
The wolf matched my deepening frown.
“Hey ya, boss,” Phelan said from a lawn chair on his front lawn. A cooler with ice and a dozen beers rested beside him.
A tense rush coursed up my neck, making me feel as if we were caught doing something we shouldn’t. Should we be worried about that? He is their alpha and I’m—yeah.
Harkin kneaded my back as if to say, “We’ll look more into it,” before clearing his throat. “Phel, what the hells you up to?” Harkin asked, leading me and Waffles over to him.
Phelan peered into the cooler and shrugged. “About my third. Listen, Alpha, we all do not care, obviously, but you might not want the Elders catching you all. Traditions and blah blah.”
Waffles barked excitedly, tugging on the leash to get to Phel. I let it go, and he ran over, rubbing Phel’s calves.
A twitch formed in Harkin’s cheek, his brows drawing together. “Right.”
Not catch us? Would they ever accept us?
“Don’t let that be a downer. Want a cold one?” Phelan yanked one bottle from the ice, smiling, and holding it out.
Harkin shook his head. “Not this time, old friend. Wanna show Aurora our territory.”
Frowning, Phelan let the beer fall back into the cooler. “There isn’t much more to it than just further down the road.”
“Hey,” Harkin quipped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Phelan took a sip from his bottle and held his palms out. “I’m only saying our pack has doubled in the past year. We’re getting a bit like sardines if you get my drift. Wouldn’t hurt to expand.”
“I hear ya, Phel. Once we are more steadily funded, then we can look into expanding our territory.” Harkin rubbed two fingers together.
“How do you do that?” I asked.
Harkin pressed his hand to my lower back. “Teeth and claws.”
There was that whoosh in my stomach again.
“Why don’t you take her to Fenrir’s? Most of the pack is in there tonight.” Phelan grinned at my dog and ruffled his head.
“Good idea. Have fun moon-watchin’, Phel.” Harkin tipped his hat.
“Come on, boy.” I patted my leg at Waffles.
My pug didn’t budge. He sat by Phelan with a stick in his mouth, ready to play fetch.
“I’ll watch him,” Phel said with a wide, goofy smile.
“You sure?” I asked.
“Absolutely. Go have fun.”
“Alright.” I jostled Harkin. “Thanks.”
As we continued to walk, nearing the bar, I tugged on Harkin’s arm to stop him before going inside. “Harkin—”
Harkin’s brow cinched. “What’s shakin’?”
“Is this going to be a problem?”
Harkin looked from left to right. “Is what a problem?”
“Us being seen together in public like this? In your pack’s bar?”
Harkin sighed and wrapped a hand around the back of my neck. “Aurora, listen to me. The Elders don’t control me. They think they do, but who I decide I’m with is my choice. So, be yourself in there. Hear me?”
Nodding, still somewhat uneasy, I managed a smile. “Alright.”
Harkin turned toward the entrance, but I grabbed his hand, stopping him. “One more thing.”
With a patient swivel, the wolf turned to me and squeezed my hand.
“What’s all this about no funds for the pack? Seems like it’s a bit of a dire straits situation.”
Harkin’s gaze drifted to his boots. “It’s not great, but nothin’ I can’t handle. Not something you need to be worryin’ yourself over, sweetheart.”
“Sure, it is. If we do this, if we can get everyone to accept it, then this pack will be a concern of mine. I’d like to help, if I can.”
The wolf’s eyes brightened, and he trailed his knuckles over my cheek. “That’s mighty kind of you. We’ll talk more about it later, yeah?”
After I nodded, Harkin took my hand, and with a palm smacking into the door, led us inside.