Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Maggie turned her files and notes over to Lieutenant Martin before leaving the station and returning home for the morning. It had been a bitter moment, but bearable thanks to Anatoly’s presence through the whole process.
After comforting her in the bathroom, he had remained nearby, quiet but steadfast. She’d taken strength from him, using it to keep herself in control even if she handed over months of her life like it was nothing.
Just because they took her off the case didn’t mean she had to stop working it.
She had decided while calming down in Anatoly’s arms that she’d just come at it from a different angle this time.
Maggie let out a sigh as she mentally prodded the coffee pot, hoping that it might drip faster if she stood there staring at it with a cross expression long enough. It was her morning on the next night; she’d dropped Anatoly off at the church at his insistence and then gone back home.
Their conversation was scheduled to take place any minute and all she wanted was to get a few sips of hot coffee in her before facing him again.
Sure enough, she thought him into existence. A knock at the door alerted her and she just laughed out loud at his timing. Maggie didn’t even need to glance at the clock to know he was exactly on time.
So much for being put together for a change, she thought as she hurried into her bedroom while simultaneously calling, “It’s open!” She heard the front door creak open just as she shut hers. “I’ll be out in a minute!”
“Izvinite, am I early?” Anatoly’s deep voice came through the barrier between them, sounding delightful as ever.
“No, I’m behind,” she answered, dragging off her pajamas and picking out what to wear. She couldn’t resist the urge to put on her pink matching undergarments, remembering the time she’d worn them and he’d seen her bra.
It was only to amuse herself, especially as he had been clear that sex wasn’t on the table for now.
Maggie wasn’t even sure if they were even a real couple.
It’s not like they’d had that conversation, though they had certainly found plenty of time for kissing.
She hoped tonight to broach the subject, but her burning questions about vampires and the supernatural needed to come first.
Once she was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt, Maggie fixed her hair in the mirror above the dresser.
Though she decided after a few minutes that it wasn’t worth fussing too much over, it was going to look grungy short of a shower, so she threw it into a messy ponytail like a basic bitch and called it good.
Finally, she was ready to face Anatoly, at least appearance-wise, and so with a deep breath, she stepped out into the living room.
Anatoly was not standing there, however, and she stuttered out in confusion as she glanced around the small apartment.
He couldn’t have gone far… Sure enough, she found him a moment later in the kitchen standing over a bag of take-out bagels.
Not only was he on time, he’d left early so he could stop to get her breakfast.
A feeling of warmth blossomed to life in Maggie’s chest, making her smile as she swiped a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. Her stomach rumbled audibly and both of them laughed together.
Maggie crossed the distance between them and leaned up to plant a kiss on Anatoly’s beard before reaching for the bag. “Is there cream cheese?” she asked, rifling through it.
“Da,” he answered, his eyes twinkling as he gazed back at her.
Maggie tried not to read too much into it, but she rather liked the way he looked at her since they had kissed.
As she fixed herself breakfast and dressed up her coffee, Anatoly stood nearby, watching as he often did. Two scoops of sugar and a dash of milk in the scalding hot liquid was exactly what Maggie needed.
Of course, having Anatoly there was a mixed blessing. For some reason this morning she was feeling nervous in his presence, unsure, and that wasn’t a mindset Maggie was willing to tolerate from herself.
“So, vampires,” she started the conversation, hoping to assuage herself. “How often do you eat? Do you ever eat real food?” She didn’t bring up the case yet as this was supposed to be focused on the supernatural, but she was aching to discuss everything with him and get his honest take.
Maggie bit into her bagel and started to chew while she waited expectantly for the priest to answer.
“Nyet, no human food. Mostly by choice.” Standing tall in the doorway to the kitchen in a button-down shirt and slacks she had to admit he looked good enough to eat himself.
“It is varied, but personally I feed on blood every week or two only. Some might indulge more frequently, but I do not wish to tax the deacon by feeding too often.”
Maggie swallowed and watched him closely as she asked her next question. “You don’t feed on anyone but the deacon?”
Anatoly shook his head. “Not in long time.”
“Are you tempted to eat other people?” Maggie had forgotten the bagel by now and leaned forward to listen.
“Da, sometimes,” came the answer. “Is always temptation to indulge oneself, is it not?”
Maggie shrugged, not disagreeing but her mind had gone elsewhere. “Have… you ever been tempted to feed from me?” She hesitated only a fraction before blurting the next question and instantly wished she’d kept it to herself. This was a poor segue into talking about their relationship!
She watched Anatoly freeze in place, his jaw clenched and an eerie stillness settling over him. Then she saw the guilt spread across his face and she didn’t need him to speak the answer to know that yes he’d considered it and something had stopped him.
Saving him from verbalizing it, she followed up with yet another question. “Why didn’t you?”
Anatoly let out a small sigh and then chuckled nervously as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Was not expecting such exacting questions,” he remarked, but then he added quickly, “I do not wish to harm you, Maggie.”
“So, it does harm to feed? Even from a willing subject? But Deacon—” She didn’t know why but she started to argue and only stopped when he held up a hand.
“Nyet, it does not harm per say…” He was still nervous. She could hear it in his voice even if he wasn’t frowning with uncertainty anymore.
She mimicked the earlier expression, a line creasing her brow. “Then why not me? I don’t understand. You’ve had plenty of opportunities.”
Anatoly swallowed visibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the gesture. “Because, I long to,” he finally confessed. “And that desire frightens me.”
“Oh.” The word escaped her lips and suddenly all Maggie could think about was taking another sip of coffee. She refocused all her efforts on her breakfast then, eating until the bagel was gone and there was nothing left to stall a proper answer.
Maggie hadn’t been expecting such an admission.
She’d been preparing herself for the worst possible answer.
Maybe there was something wrong with her blood, maybe there was something wrong with her.
She hadn’t expected the blatant revelation of his desire and now that the moment was upon her to press about their relationship, she was entirely preoccupied with the new revelation instead.
Yet she had no idea how to respond to it. What did someone say to finding out your crush wanted to drink your blood? It’s not like there was a card at the supermarket for this sort of thing!
“Maggie?” The sound of Anatoly’s soft voice drew her gaze to him, and she realized he looked miserably guilty.
Setting her mug down on the counter, Maggie closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his waist. Just to let him know she wasn’t upset, she was only speechless. She felt him relax and then his hands were on her back, pressing her into his chest.
The hug made her feel better, too and after a few minutes, she pulled back just enough that she could look up at him. A lopsided grin slanted her mouth and she reached up to stroke his beard. “You can, you know…” she whispered. “I trust you, Anatoly.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth that Anatoly was suddenly moving. In a flash, she was being pressed backward until her body was pinned between the cold drywall and the cold vampire.
A surge of primal, instinctive fear coursed through Maggie, making her heart beat faster and her eyes widen. She knew a hundred ways to escape and yet she remained locked in his arms even as a low, predatory growl rumbled in his throat.
“Careful, Maggie,” he warned in a whisper of his own. “You should not tempt beast.” Then he placed a firm, hungry kiss to her lips that had her trembling with heady lust in an instant.
Without hesitation she eagerly returned the gesture, at least until he pulled away to trail kisses from her jaw down to her neck. Her body shuddered as his tongue flicked over her delicate, exposed skin.
“I can hear blood thrumming in your veins…” he groaned, his need so evident it was palpable.
“So, why resist?” Maggie urged, hardly recognizing her voice for how husky it was.
Anatoly growled again, sounding more animal than man in that moment, and for some reason, Maggie wasn’t frightened of him this time. Her initial fear, a fleeting involuntary emotion, had evaporated during their kiss and now all she wanted was to share this moment of intimacy with him.
“What if I cannot stop?” Anatoly grated the words out, nuzzling and kissing her neck.
“I’ll make you stop,” she answered with conviction. Maggie was certain that if she wanted to get away from him, she could manage it. She was trained in self-defense and the only reason she didn’t demonstrate her ability was so as not to ruin the mood.
“Maggie…” He sighed her name and his breath tickled her neck, making her shiver. “And if it hurts?”
Maggie tilted her head to the side, further exposing her neck and shoulder. “I’m no stranger to pain, Anatoly. Now stop stalling and—” She gasped as with another growl Anatoly bit into her tender flesh.