Fang and Claw: Nocturne Academy, Book 2

by Anderson, Evangeline

  “So you say you want to help Kaitlyn,” he mused, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes.” I nodded firmly. “As I said, I heard everything you were saying before—about the difficulty of finding someone to act as Kaitlyn’s donor. I wish to offer myself for the position.” I looked at Kaitlyn. “If she will have me, of course.”

  Griffin frowned.

  “I don’t know what drinking from an Other might do to her.”

  “You think it might hurt her in some way?” Megan asked anxiously.

  Griffin shook his head.

  “Not hurt her, exactly. But it might change her in some way we can’t predict. When a Nocturne drinks blood that is other than animal, human is the usual choice with Sister or Witch being a close second.” He looked at Megan. “Mainly because you are simply humans who possess magical powers.”

  “Well doesn’t that go for Drakes and Faes too?” Emma objected.

  It was Avery who answered her.

  “No, Drakes and Faes might look human, but they’re not. They’re completely different species from us and they come from different realms.” He looked at Griffin. “I can understand why you’re reluctant to let Kaitlyn drink from a Drake, but really, what choice do we have? What can we do if she doesn’t drink from Ari?”

  “Nothing but tell Headmistress Nightworthy exactly what is going on and hope she shows us mercy,” Griffin said grimly. “My guess, though, is that she might think it necessary to expel Kaitlyn or else have her transported to a Colony.”

  “Transported to a Colony? What kind of Colony?” Kaitlyn’s soft voice was faint and my heart squeezed in my chest when I saw the fear in her eyes.

  “A Colony for Made Nocturnes,” Griffin said. “A place where humans who have been turned to vampires spend the rest of their lives in solitude.” He shook his head. “I am afraid that would be very bad for you, Kaitlyn, since the only blood offered there is bagged. No uninfected humans are allowed so no fresh blood is to be found.”

  “That’s a death sentence!” Megan sounded aghast. “Why would they do that to the Made Nocturnes? That’s not fair!”

  “They do it because the repeated bite of a Made Vampire is very contagious—to humans, anyway,” Griffin said. “While it might take months or years to turn someone into a Made Nocturne if a regular Born Nocturne is biting them, it can take only weeks or days when the one doing the biting is a Made Nocturne himself.”

  “What? But that means I can’t bite anybody!” Kaitlyn exclaimed. “I shouldn’t have bitten Avery.” She looked at her friend with worry in her eyes. “Oh Avery—I’m so sorry!”

  “You don’t need to worry about infecting Avery or any Other for that matter,” Griffin said quickly. “Or I wouldn’t have let you bite him to make your little experiment earlier. Others are immune to a Made Nocturne’s bite, because of their magic.”

  “Which makes my offer all the stronger,” I said, jumping into the conversation. “Because I am a Drake, I cannot be turned into a Nocturne by Kaitlyn’s bite.”

  “This does kind of make the whole ‘should she bite an Other instead of a human question’ a moot point,” Avery pointed out. “It sounds to me like Kaitlyn has no choice.”

  “There is always a choice,” Griffin said, frowning. He turned to me. “Ari Reyes, do you offer your blood for this female’s consumption willingly?”

  Recognizing an oath of fealty when I heard one, I clenched my right fist and placed it over my heart.

  “I do,” I said formally.

  “And you do understand that this is not a duty you can shirk or pass to another?” Griffin asked me. “Kaitlyn’s very life will be in your hands. If you fail to nourish her, she will die and her death will be on your head.”

  “I understand.” I nodded firmly. “I will never abandon or forsake her. I will nourish, protect, and shield Kaitlyn with my life if necessary.”

  Griffin nodded.

  “Then, as the Senior Nocturne in this situation, I release her into your care.”

  “Thank you.” I bowed my head. “I will not fail.”

  Kaitlyn had been sitting silently on the couch, watching with wide eyes as I took my oath. She seemed to be struggling to find words to express herself but at last she burst out,

  “Wait a minute—wait a minute!” She looked at me. “This is crazy. You don’t even know me! Why would you want to promise to give me your blood for who knows how long?”

  My Drake roared within me, shaking me to my core. I wanted to tell her I longed to care for her because my Drake had chosen her and my heart had followed his. Because she was dear to me, even though we had barely spoken.

  But I sensed that saying any of that would frighten her. In the Sky Lands, the instant attraction and devotion of a male for a female is understood and accepted. Once a male’s Drake fixes on a particular female, it’s rarely possible to break the bond that forms. But here in the human world, where males had no Drakes to guide them, the courting process seemed to be a much longer and more convoluted one.

  I tried to think of how to voice my feelings for her without going too far—without scaring her off—but it was hard to know how far was too far to go.

  “Is this still about the way Pedro Sanchez hit me with that football during our PE class a few months back?” Kaitlyn demanded, and I realized I had taken too long to answer. “Is this some kind of an honor thing? You feel like you have to help me because your countryman hurt me?”

  Of course, that wasn’t it at all. But her words made me realize that this might be the easiest explanation for her to understand. The simplest way to get her to accept my help.

  Though I disliked lying, I couldn’t think what else to do—how else to show her my regard for her without frightening her away.

  “Yes,” I said, nodding my head. “My countryman brought great shame upon my people and my house that day. I must atone for his error and pay back the evil he did with good or I can never hold my head up in the Sky Lands again.”

  Griffin and Avery both looked at me sharply, but the expression on Kaitlyn’s face—the part of it I could see past her ever-present curtain of hair anyway—relaxed somewhat. Here was an explanation she could understand and accept. I was grateful she did, though I longed to tell her what was truly in my heart and the heart of my Drake.

  “And you swear you’re not up to anything with Nancy?” she asked me at last.

  “Never!” I spat the word harshly, not trying to hide my disgust. “I have named her vrota and I will never have anything to do with her. You are the only one I wish to serve.”

  Then I could no longer help myself. I fell to one knee beside her and took her small hands in mine.

  “Kaitlyn, please—let me help you,” I said earnestly. “Let me nourish and protect you. My honor demands it.”

  My Drake demanded it too—as did my heart. But even as he spread his wings, eager to declare our devotion, I had to keep him contained and simply hope that Kaitlyn would take what I was offering.

  She looked at me uncertainly, her one visible eye wide.

  “It…it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to make up for the awful things Pedro Sanchez did and said,” she said after a moment.

  I shrugged.

  “It is the Drake way. My wings fly higher than his—I should have curbed his shameful behavior and not allowed it to escalate as it did. Besides,” I added in a softer voice. “I don’t mind. I want to be of service to you, Kaitlyn. Please—let me.”

  Within me, my Drake roared in agreement.

  Kaitlyn shifted uneasily, almost as though she could hear my other half and he made her nervous.

  “Well,” she said at last, in that soft, musical voice of hers. “It’s really not completely up to me, you know. I think it kind of depends on how we both feel when I, er, bite you. I mean, I tried to bite Avery just now and it was awful.” She looked up at her friend and Coven-mate. “No offense, Avery. It was really sweet of you to let me try.”

  “None taken, Katydid.”
He smiled at her tenderly and I felt my Drake rumble jealously at the exchange.

  “Be still,” I told him sternly. “They’re only friends and he has no interest in females—that’s why she couldn’t bite him and drink from his vein.”

  Speaking of which, I very much wanted my little human to bite me. Not for any effect it might have on me, but to nourish her. She looked pale and sick and so weak I felt a surge of concern as I looked at her. My Drake and I both agreed that we must feed her—the sooner, the better.

  I held out my wrist to her—though I would have preferred to let her drink from my throat.

  “Just try,” I said softly. “It’s the only way to know.”

  “Well…I suppose so.”

  She looked at me shyly, as she took my wrist in both small hands. Just touching her skin again sent an electrical tingle though my entire body and my Drake rumbled with approval. Finally, the female we had both fixed on as our fated-mate was within reach.

  I had never expected to get near her again after Nancy had done her best to ruin my chances. And letting Kaitlyn bite me and drink from my vein was certainly the last way I had imagined getting another chance.

  But at this point, I didn’t give a damn. Anything that brought her close to me—even accidental vampirism—was a good thing, as far as I was concerned. Of course, my mother and father most certainly wouldn’t see it that way. They would be most concerned that I had tied myself not only to a non-Drake but to a Nocturne—and a Made Nocturne at that.

  I pushed the worry away as Kaitlyn bared her sharp little fangs. I told myself that I would make them understand—that I would never allow myself to be parted from her.

  And then she bit me and everything else flew out of my mind.

  36

  Kaitlyn

  I still couldn’t understand why Ari was doing this. Couldn’t understand why such a big, handsome, muscular guy would want to let me bite him. But he seemed completely in earnest when he told me he had to restore his honor so I figured it was probably just a Drake thing—a custom I didn’t understand.

  At any rate, I could feel my body crying out for blood. My mouth was parched, as though I’d been walking through a desert all day and my whole body felt completely dehydrated. Griffin was right—I needed blood and I needed the right kind of blood. Fresh blood, right from the vein.

  The thought of sinking my teeth—fangs—into another person’s skin and slurping out their blood would have been completely alien to me just a few hours before. But now it felt natural—almost normal—as I contemplated Ari’s thick wrist, which he was holding out to me.

  Delicately, I took his large hand in both of my much smaller ones and brought it to my lips. His skin was darker than Avery’s—though not quite as dark as my own creamy brown—so it was a bit more difficult to make out the veins. But I could still somehow see them, pulsing just under the surface, almost as though they were calling me to pick one and sink my fangs in.

  My mouth watered and my heart sped up as I settled on the one I wanted. It seemed to pulse just for me, calling me to bite it.

  Taking a deep breath, which brought Ari’s warm, spicy scent with it, I closed my eyes and sank my fangs into his wrist.

  37

  Ari

  I can’t describe the feelings that flooded me when her little fangs pierced my flesh. The electrical tingle I felt when she touched me of her own volition for the first time seemed to grow into a full-fledged lightning bolt that zapped through me, carrying a charge of pure pleasure.

  “Dios!” I groaned and threw back my head as my Drake roared within me. He felt the pleasure too—felt the incredible rightness of giving our blood and nourishing Kaitlyn this way.

  The sensation grew and grew and spread throughout my entire body—most notably my crotch, I’m ashamed to say. I told myself this was inappropriate and wrong, but my body disagreed. The pleasure of her fangs in me intensified until I honestly thought I was going to shame myself or else burst.

  Within me my Drake roared that she was ours…ours and we would never let her go! And still the pleasure grew until I thought I would be unable to contain it.

  Dios, so good…too good, I thought, dazedly. If she doesn’t stop soon, I won’t be able to stand it! I’m going to explode!

  I looked at Kaitlyn and saw that she was also feeling some intense emotions. When she finally withdrew her fangs, her eyes were wide and her breathing was short and breathy. She licked her lips and whispered,

  “Wow.” Her voice was shaky.

  “Well,” I said at last, my own voice hoarse and raspy. “That appears to answer the question as to whether you can drink from me or not.”

  “Looked like an unequivocal yes from over here,” Avery murmured, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. “So I guess that’s settled, then.”

  “I…I guess so.” Kaitlyn looked at me. “If…do you really want to, uh, keep letting me drink from you, Ari?”

  It was the first time she had said my name, and it gave me a warm feeling deep inside.

  “Nothing would bring me more pleasure, Kaitlyn,” I told her softly. And I meant it—every word.

  “Thank you.” She dropped her eyes shyly. “Um, I’d like to go clean up now and maybe get some rest. I was dunked in the lake and then I got all kinds of blood all over me.” She looked down at her stained blouse and made a face.

  “Of course.” Though I wanted nothing more after the intense experience than to take her in my lap and hold her close, I recognized that this wasn’t possible right now—and might not be for some time. She still didn’t know me, after all—not really. And I would need to get to know her better as well.

  Inside, my Drake pointed out that she was our fated-mate—what else did we need to know?

  “You wouldn’t understand,” I told him. “It’s a human thing—they don’t understand instant attraction and devotion—they need more than that to feel comfortable with their fated-mate.”

  Though of course Kaitlyn didn’t know she was my fated-mate yet, or that I was hers. That revelation would come in time.

  For now, I would let her go, knowing that I would see her again soon. Very soon, I hoped.

  38

  Ari

  But I didn’t see Kaitlyn again the whole rest of that weekend.

  Though I came by her dormitory several times on both Saturday and Sunday, I was told by her Coven-mates that she was indisposed.

  “Look, Ari—I appreciate that you want to help and it means more to us than you could possibly know,” Megan said, when she and Avery invited me to sit in their common area for a chat that Sunday night. “But you have to understand that Kaitlyn is really torn up right now.”

  Avery nodded. “Megan’s right. Kaitlyn lost her first family in a terrible fire and now she’s lost her second family—the Breedloves—through no fault of her own.”

  “She loved their little girl,” Megan went on. “Allegra was almost like a daughter to her—it’s killing her knowing she’ll never get to see her again.” She glared angrily. “Thanks to that idiotic Alastair Breedlove. What a jerk, cutting Kaitlyn off from Allegra that way!”

  Avery sighed and shook his head.

  “I don’t think you understand what a stigma it is in the Nocturne community to have turned a human into a Made Vampire. He’s right—it could ruin his daughter’s life if anyone found out.”

  “But it wasn’t Kaitlyn’s fault and yet she’s getting punished for it,” Megan snapped. “He could at least have let her say goodbye!”

  “I understand that Kaitlyn is grieving,” I said as patiently as I could, cutting into their conversation. “But it isn’t her emotional health I am most concerned about now but her physical well being. She has only just become a Nocturne—can she really afford to fast for days at a time like this? She hasn’t fed from me since Friday—isn’t she hungry? Or thirsty?”

  Megan frowned and shifted uncomfortably on the worn blue couch she was seated on.

  “I don’t
know—I don’t think so. I tried to get her to come out to see you, Ari but well…she just won’t. I think she’s still trying to get through everything that happened to her all at once.”

  “It did happen really suddenly,” Avery remarked. “I mean, first she almost gets eaten by the Guardian—which is not supposed to want to eat any humans or Others—and then she finds out she’s a vampire and then she finds out she’ll never see the people she considered her family again for the rest of her life. I mean, give the poor girl room to breathe!”

  “I am trying to,” I said, struggling to control both my own impatience and the impatience of my Drake, who was demanding that we see our chosen female. “But I am also responsible for her well-being. I swore an oath to protect her and provide for her—how can I do that if I never see her?”

  “You’ll see her again tomorrow,” Megan said, obviously trying to soothe me. “In your History of Magic class, right?”

  “That isn’t the same as seeing her in a place where I can give her my vein and you know it,” I said tightly. I must nourish her! Or do Made Nocturnes not need to drink blood as often as the Born ones?”

  “You know, I don’t know about that.” Avery looked thoughtful.

  “I’ll ask Griffin the next time I see him,” Megan promised. “Though you know, it’s possible that your blood is really, um, strong since you’re such a high-ranking Drake. Maybe a little bit goes a long way and Kaitlyn really isn’t hungry right now because of it.”

  I didn’t know if I believed that or not.

  “If that’s the truth then I won’t worry,” I told her. “But until I hear from Kaitlyn that she’s truly not hungry or thirsty, I will be concerned for her. Will you please go ask her one more time if she would like to take my vein? If not, I’ll leave you all alone and I won’t come back until she asks me to.”