“I can give you more of my blood,” he offered.
Aida contemplated this as she ran her fingers down his chest to trace the ridges of his abs. Her skin tingled as her mouth went dry. Touching him was one of the greatest joys of her life. She would always belong in his arms, and she never wanted anything like what happened with Gerald to occur again.
If she were a vampire, she would recognize when someone else was. She wouldn’t be able to tell if someone was a Savage, but at least if she knew they were a vamp, they couldn’t surprise her as Gerald did. She’d also be stronger and more capable of defending herself.
“I have tomorrow off,” she said as her fingers played with the trail of hair leading toward his stiffening cock.
“That’s good,” Julian said as he raptly watched her hand.
“It would give me enough time to recover.”
“Uh-huh,” he murmured when her hand dipped toward his erection.
“Or at least I think it would. I’m not sure how well I’ll handle the transformation.”
“You’ll be…” His voice trailed off when her words sank in, and his eyes met hers. Hope thundered through his body with every beat of his heart. “The transformation?”
She gave him a mischievous smile as she leaned forward to kiss his neck. Her hair fell forward to tickle his chest when her tongue traced his flesh. His hands twisted in the blankets as he resisted grabbing her, flipping her over, and burying himself inside her.
“Yes,” she murmured in his ear. “I want to spend an eternity with you, and I don’t see any reason to put it off anymore.”
She pulled back and smiled at him when she cupped his cheek. She ran her thumb across the bristly hairs of his thickening beard.
“Unless you think there’s some reason to wait,” she said.
“None at all. There’s plenty of blood in the fridge for me to drink so you can feed afterward. Cassidy and Kyle are going to stay away for the day, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
“You talked to them?”
“Kyle texted me after you fell asleep. They rented rooms at a hotel and were checking in to make sure everything was okay.”
“I hope they don’t think they have to stay away.”
He cupped the back of her head and pulled her close to nibble at her lip. “I hope they do.”
She chuckled, but though she felt terrible they were staying away from their home, she liked having the place to themselves.
“Is this really what you want?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ve wanted nothing but you for the past four and a half years.”
“You’re all I’ve ever wanted too.”
When he kissed her, Aida melted into him before recalling Nicolette and pulling away. “I have to call out of work first.”
She reluctantly removed herself from his arms and walked over to retrieve her phone from her bureau. She braced herself while she listened to Nicolette’s phone ringing.
“Hello,” Nicolette answered brusquely.
Aida pitched her voice low so it sounded like she was dying while she told her boss she was sick… small cough… and would try to be to work on Tuesday when she was scheduled to return… sniffle. Nicolette did a lot of huffing and guilt-tripping, but in the end, there was nothing she could do, short of showing up here and dragging Aida into work.
“You better be there on Tuesday,” Nicolette snapped and hung up.
Aida set the phone down and turned to find Julian sitting on the edge of her bed. He’d tossed the sheets aside to reveal his naked form. Just looking at him made her wet. This powerful man was about to possess her in every way possible. A rational person would fear what they were about to become and the agony of the transformation, but she could only think about her future with him.
Those monsters on the island tore her innocence from her, but Julian and his family gave her a place to belong. They protected her, they became her family, and he would be her mate.
“You’re quite the actress,” Julian said and gave a small cough before sniffling. “And your boss has zero social skills.”
“She has tons of social skills; she could sell a painting to an elephant, but she has no empathy.”
“Very true. My bank account is still crying over her salesmanship.”
“Aw, you poor thing. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“You know there is.”
With a crook of his finger, he beckoned her forward. Aida lifted an eyebrow before sauntering toward him. When she was close enough, he grasped the belt on her robe and pulled her into his arms. Locking his thighs against her sides, he couldn’t control the tremble in his hands as he undid the belt. He pushed the robe back on her shoulders to reveal the old T-shirt she pulled on before passing out last night.
He slid the robe off and unlocked his thighs so it would fall to the floor. The simple, black shirt emphasized her creamy skin and curvy figure, and he took a minute to appreciate the wonder of her. Anticipation built within him as he clasped the bottom of her shirt and leisurely slid it up her thighs.
When his fingers skimmed her legs, he seemed to forget about removing the shirt as he held her gaze while stroking her skin. Aida’s throat went dry as impatience built within her; his hands were like heaven against her skin, but she couldn’t take his teasing right now.
Unwilling to wait, she grasped the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off before throwing back her shoulders to stand proudly before him. His gaze ran hungrily over her as he rested his hands on her hips. Pulling her closer, he tenderly kissed her belly. Aida threaded her hands through his hair as his tongue left a heated trail across her skin.
Every part of her became focused on him. All she felt was the warmth of his breath and his fingers on her hips. All she smelled was the pleasant aroma of allspice he exuded. Nothing else existed except for this moment and the two of them.
Her breath came faster, and her head tipped back when he released one hip to slide his hand between her legs. She was already wet with her need for him, and his fingers teased her entrance before one dipped inside her.
He caught her when her knees went weak, and she collapsed against him. When he settled her on his lap, his erection pressed against her thigh, but he didn’t turn her so she could straddle him.
His fangs scraped her flesh when his mouth rose toward her breasts, and his finger moved faster within her. The feel of his fangs didn’t bring any trepidation with them; instead, they made her more excited as she anticipated the thrill of his bite. Like one of Pavlov’s dogs, she was practically drooling when those fangs grazed her breast.
He pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked on it. When his fangs pierced her flesh, her hips moved faster, and his hand met the increasing demand of her body. She was on the verge of coming when he pulled his hand away.
“No,” she protested.
He caressed her nipple with his tongue and released her breast. “Don’t worry, love. I’m going to give you exactly what you want.”
He grasped her thigh and nudged her around until she was straddling him with her legs around his waist. Lifting her hips, she positioned herself over his erection and drew him into her. She sighed as she slid down the rigid length of him until he was buried deep inside her.
Not only was it just the two of them in the world, but now they were joined, and soon nothing would tear them apart. She smiled as she played with the hair at his nape and bent to kiss him. She belonged with him, and she was never going to let him go. Though she was close to the edge and her body yearned for release, she moved slowly while she rode him.
Julian kissed her neck, and when she turned it to offer her vein, he sank his fangs into her flesh. Her fingers dug into his skin; her head tipped back as she came with a loud cry. He tensed as he resisted following her over the edge.
Unwilling to take too much too soon, he retracted his fangs and flipped her over to pin her to the bed. She gave him a sultry smile while she wiggled her hips. He st
roked her silken cheek before kissing her. When she locked her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper into her, he broke the kiss to leave a trail of them across her jaw.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispered in her ear.
She’d never been more sure about anything in her life, but she still gulped back the lump of anxiety in her throat. This was what she wanted, but only an insane person wouldn’t be a little hesitant about having their blood drained until they lay on the brink of death. However, she would endure anything to be with him.
She must have hesitated too long as he leaned back to gaze questioningly at her. “I’m sure,” she told him.
She kissed him again before guiding his head to her neck. When he didn’t immediately bite her, she pulled him closer. “Please,” she pleaded.
This time, when Julian sank his fangs into her vein, he had no intention of releasing her again. She was his; she would always be his.
Aida clung to him as she battled her rising panic and focused on her endless love for him. She didn’t think about these being her last seconds as a human but instead gave herself over to the joy of nourishing him.
Not so long ago, she couldn’t trust him, but now, she had nothing but faith in how amazing their lives would be together. He was the love of her life, the future father of her children, and her mate. Her fingers entangled in his hair as she held him closer.
His hands stroked her until her body was begging for the release only he could give. When he plunged into her and moved his hips in just the right way, she gasped. “Do that again!”
Julian obeyed her and relished in the moan she issued as her body bowed beneath his and her nails bit into his flesh.
“Again,” she commanded.
And when he did, she arched as shivers of ecstasy spread from her core to her belly before shaking her legs as her toes dug into the mattress. He groaned against her throat, and she felt the pulse of his cock inside her when he came.
Gathering her in his arms, Julian rolled to the side and cradled her against him as her limbs grew weaker and her brain foggier. Trying to hold on to him, her fingers dug into his back, but numbness seeped into them until she couldn’t tell if she was touching him at all.
She tried to flail, but her body remained motionless on the bed. A scream lodged in her throat; she’d agreed to this, but she hadn’t expected this numbness or the cold icing her veins. She’d gladly welcome the pain of the transition if it meant she could feel something again.
A garbled noise issued from her, but it faded when Julian released his bite on her. “It’s going to be okay,” he assured her.
Letting go of her with one arm, he bit into his wrist and blood rolled forth. He nudged her lips apart before pressing his wrist to her mouth as he willed his blood into her faster. She was so weak, and her gorgeous eyes were shut against him.
A low growl slid up his throat and died there. There was no one to kill and only himself to blame for her condition, but he couldn’t stand seeing her like this. He steadied the tremor in his arm as he lifted it from her mouth to bite his wrist again.
“Drink, baby,” he coaxed as he returned his arm to her lips.
Aida swallowed the blood sliding down the back of her throat as she hovered in her numb state. I want to feel! Let me move!
But no matter how much she willed it, the only motion she made was swallowing. It was something at least, and as his powerful blood filled her empty veins, warmth spread through her frozen extremities. She remained unmoving, but as her chill eased, her certainty everything would be okay grew.
“Keep drinking,” Julian encouraged as he brushed the hair away from her face. “Stay with me.”
She tried to reassure him she wasn’t going anywhere, but her voice remained trapped in her throat. He pulled his wrist away from her mouth and bit into it again before returning it to her lips.
As more of his blood filled her, she felt the softness of the mattress beneath her hands again. She jerked and almost laughed when her fingers skittered across the surface, but a burst of fire searing through her veins burned away her relief.
A scream lodged in her chest. She tried to release it, but it remained stuck there until she was sure it would tear her ribs apart before bursting out of her like some malevolent alien.
She barely moved, but Julian sensed Aida’s rising distress as her body became as stiff as a board and her eyes moved rapidly behind her closed lids. Her breath came out in a way that sounded like she was forcing it from her lungs. When it rattled back in, he bent to kiss her forehead.
“I’m sorry, love. It will be over soon, and I’m here. I’ll always be here for you,” Julian promised.
He pulled his wrist away again and bit into it before returning it to her mouth. He’d done this to her. It didn’t matter she would make it through this; it didn’t matter this was the only way they could be together forever, he loathed every second of it.
He’d give anything to take away her suffering, but all he could do was hold her and give her more blood. As the seconds stretched into minutes, she still didn’t move.
Then, she whimpered and rose off the bed until only her head and toes touched the mattress. She collapsed onto the bed and curled in on herself as animalistic sounds issued from her. Rolling over, she buried her face in the pillow as she screamed.
Unsure of what to do, Julian gathered her in his arms and held her the best he could as her tears soaked his flesh and her muffled screams resonated against his chest.
CHAPTER 48
Aida didn’t know how long she was out before her eyes flew open to discover the sun’s rays seeping around the edges of her curtains and dancing across the ceiling. Her brow furrowed at the swirls and markings above her. She’d been staring at this same ceiling for two years, but she’d never noticed how many different details were in it.
Was that a face in the paint? Had it been watching her the entire time? Even if it was some trick of the light and paint, she shuddered at the possibility it was there the whole time. Then she wondered if the transformation fried her brain because it was a stupid thing to fixate on.
Outside her closed windows, the horns of the vehicles were louder than she’d ever heard them before. Children screamed and laughed as they raced down the street, and her ears twitched when something scratched loudly against her screen.
Was there a pterodactyl outside her window? But when a new shadow moved amid those on the ceiling, she realized it was only some kind of insect.
Turning her head, she discovered Julian sitting in a chair next to her bed. His hands were clasped before him, and his eyes were a vivid red. He didn’t wear a T-shirt, but at some point, he’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants.
When Julian saw she was awake, he dropped his hands and leaned toward her. “Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay, Aida.”
“I am…”
She swallowed so she could wet her parched mouth and throat. What was she?
Not human.
She could tell by the noise battering her ears and the fact everything was so much brighter and sharper. Waking up a vampire was like realizing she’d needed glasses her whole life and someone finally handed her a pair. The entire world was beautiful and amazing before, but with her vampire glasses, it became vibrant in a way she’d never dreamed possible.
His eyes were bluer than she’d ever seen them and such a pure shade of lapis she couldn’t detect any other hues within them. The black of his hair was absolute, but some shades of raven black mixed with the coal.
Behind him, the photos on her walls stood out in stark detail, and her fingers twitched as she was struck by the impulse to get her camera. She couldn’t wait to see the world through its lens as a vampire.
“Aida?”
The concern in his voice pulled her attention back to him, and she smiled. “I’m okay. Tired and sore, but okay.”
She sounded like she’d been lost in the Mojave Desert for the past month, but she was good. Julian rose to sit
beside her and clasped her hands in his. He moved as if afraid she might break, and she did feel a little breakable right now.
“I’m so… I’m so… I don’t know what I am,” she croaked.
“You have to feed,” he said. “You’ll feel better once you do. When the worst of the transformation was over and you settled down, I went to the kitchen and consumed enough blood to support you so you can feed on me now.”
His words caused nausea and hunger to twist in her gut as her eyes fell to his neck. “I don’t know how.”
“You didn’t know how to walk either, but you learned. Your instincts will lead you through this; let them guide you.” He tenderly brushed the hair back from her face. “You’ll feel a whole lot better after you feed.”
Still, her apprehension kept her immobile on the bed, but she couldn’t tear her gaze off his neck. The beat of his heart thudded in her ears as his blood pulsed through his veins. She’d never heard anything like it before.
Her eyes turned red as they remained latched on his throat, but she still didn’t move toward him. She had to feed, but her fingers twisted in the sheets as her anxiety grew.
“Here,” he said and bit into his wrist.
When the delicious aroma of something sweet and spicy filled the air, saliva rushed into her mouth and her canines lengthened. “Oh,” she breathed and slapped a hand over her mouth.
Julian smiled as he held his wrist out to her. “You’ll get used to the fangs.”
She lowered her hand from her mouth as she prodded her fangs with her tongue. “I can’t get them to retract.”
“That’s because you’re starving. Once you’ve fed, you’ll have better control over them and yourself. You have to feed; it’s the final step in completing your transformation.”
The vivid red beads of blood on his skin called to her, and the scent of it… well, the smell was pure ambrosia.
Gingerly clasping his wrist, she brought it toward her. She’d tasted his blood before, but this was different. Before, she hadn’t craved it the way she did chocolate during her period. Before, it hadn’t made her feel as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks while her stomach rumbled loudly and saliva filled her mouth.
Forsaken (Vampire Awakenings, Book 10) Page 26