by Ginna Moran
I turn to grab my tray from Berkeley and see that he already arranges my dinner at the empty table behind the group. He smirks and motions for me to join him without even looking at the table of my new classmates gawking at me.
“Fiona?” Rylie asks, drawing my attention to her. “Come on. Sit.”
The guy next to her, Patrick, leans in and says, “Maybe she shouldn’t.”
“Yeah, there’s a space rule when it comes to personal donors, and it looks like it already applies to her,” Elliot says.
Rylie huffs. “But that’s not even—”
I touch Rylie’s shoulder. “It’s fine. I’ll just sit behind you.”
She frowns but relents, obviously not wanting to make a scene in front of her new friends. I pat her shoulder and join Berkeley, who sits right next to the place he set up for me. I slump onto the bench seat and rest my elbow on the table, trying not to let the whole situation get to me. I’m not exactly used to being treated like this. In Mount Light Haven, no one would have ever suggested it would be better if I didn’t include myself.
“You should start with the spinach salad,” Berkeley says, forking the lightly dressed leaves for me. He holds it up, and I just stare at the fork.
“Uh, I can feed myself,” I say, swiping a piece of melon with my fingers from my pile of fruit instead of accepting his offering.
He blinks, his brows furrowing, and then he sets the fork down. “I guess you can.”
“I’ve been doing it since I was a toddler.” I grab a piece of tangerine next and nibble a bite, the juice splashing my chin.
He smirks and offers me a napkin. “That explains a lot.”
Narrowing my eyes, I pick up a strawberry next and chuck it at him. I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand as it splats against the middle of his forehead. He didn’t even move, allowing me to throw my food at him.
I rush to wipe the glob off his forehead with my napkin, shifting in my seat to check to see if anyone noticed. People did. Silence falls over the room, the other donors probably anticipating my punishment.
Berkeley ignores everyone and graces me with the best smile, even with his fangs. Offering me the forkful of spinach salad again, he waits until I relent and let him feed it to me.
“Throwing food is also a tendency of young donors, besides the lack of using utensils,” he teases, his smile widening even more with my glare.
I grab the fork from him to feed myself, the stares of the other donors making me nervous. I know Berkeley probably doesn’t intend for his gesture to seem like he’s feeding a pet, but from the look of the one of three other females besides Rylie and me in the dining hall, it’s misconstrued as such.
“I didn’t expect you to let me hit you.” I lower my voice, hoping if people can’t hear us, they might stop paying attention.
“Now what would be the fun in teasing you if I didn’t let you tease me back? You’re cute when you get your way.” He bumps his shoulder to mine. “Plus, I realize my presence caused you some inconvenience with the others.”
I lick my lips, making sure I don’t have dressing on my mouth. “I’ve never felt so rejected in my life. How stupid, right? Not like anything can ever come of it.”
Something indecipherable flickers in his eyes, and he scoots a bit closer until I can barely manage to eat without elbowing him. His sugary scent fragrances my breathing space, and I can’t stop myself from shifting toward him until I can meet his hazel eyes. Our knees brush together, the subtlety of our bodies touching eliciting tingles through me.
“You’re far from rejected, Fi,” Berkeley murmurs.
I tighten my lips. “They’re afraid of me.”
He shakes his head. “No, they’re afraid of me. They’re fearful that I’ll notice how the male population can’t take their eyes off you. How they shift closer to hear the melody of your voice. How they wish you’ll grace them with your enchanting smile.”
I raise my eyebrows and laugh. “Yeah, sure.” I motion my hand to the table across from us. “Look at that guy’s hand. He’s shaking.”
“Because he realized I heard him whisper something inappropriate about you to his friend.” Berkeley’s eyes flash silver with his words.
The guy hops up from the table and trips over his own feet, clearly hearing our conversation. Berkeley vanishes from beside me, and I tense at the sight of him now standing over the guy. I clench my fork in my hand, fully prepared to throw it if I have to, but Berkeley only helps the guy to his feet.
“So you know, Mr. Sampson, I agree with you,” Berkeley says, flicking his gaze to me.
Everyone watches the guy go without looking back at us. Murmurs whisper through the room, and I hear my name a couple of times. I don’t even have to hear to know that Berkeley’s presence is unwanted here, and they’re silently blaming me.
Setting down my fork, I slide off the bench and grab my bag from the floor. I step the couple of feet it takes to reach Rylie and rest my hands on her shoulders. She startles, dropping her fork onto her plate. It’s enough for me to realize that coming here was a mistake. Eating with the King Coven in the vampire dining hall might have been awkward and agitating with Culver’s presence, but at least people didn’t look like they were going to make a run for it.
“I don’t think I’m up to go to the library. I’m not feeling well,” I say, meeting her gaze. “I didn’t get much sleep.”
She tightens her lips. “Want me to come with you? I’m nearly finished.” Her gaze darts to the guy, Patrick, and I can tell she doesn’t actually want to come with me.
So despite wanting to talk to my best friend in the privacy of our dorm, I wag my head, sending my dark purple hair sweeping back and forth. “It’s okay. We’ll talk later.”
This way, I’ll have time to think things through. I wanted nothing more than to escape the fate the elders wanted for me, but this wasn’t the life I imagined, feeling like an outcast among people who would’ve treated me like a gift to humanity if they weren’t subjected to serve vampires.
“Okay, I won’t be too late,” Rylie says, giving me a half hug.
Turning away from her, I meet Berkeley’s frown. I don’t say anything as I stroll past him and to the arched doorway that exits into the hallway I think will take me to the path back to the dorms.
“You okay, Fi?” Berkeley asks, falling into step beside me.
I don’t respond to him. I don’t even look at him. Instead, I keep my eyes trained on the floor and let him follow me outside and into the night.
Chapter 9
Blood Source
I PACE AROUND MY ROOM, staring at the sun shining through the tinted window. The special tint is meant to protect vampires, but it really gets on my nerves. I’m not used to things being so dim all the time, even if I should sleep. But I can’t. Not alone like this.
Rylie came in a few hours ago only to peek her head in to check on me. I could hear Patrick’s murmur of an invitation to his dorm room, so I pretended to be asleep. She should at least enjoy herself in this prison of a school, and Patrick seems just like her type.
A soft knock on the door draws my attention from the window. I frown and cross the room, flinging it open, expecting to see Rylie finally returning. Berkeley stands in the hallway with his hands hidden in the pockets of a hoodie. His dark brown hair hangs in a damp wave to the side. I can’t help drinking in how sexy he looks in casual clothes, his face flushed from what I can only assume is the heat of his recent shower.
“I hope I didn’t wake you,” he whispers, rocking on his heels. “I know it’s late...or early. I couldn’t sleep.”
I open the door wider and step back. Berkeley straightens his shoulders, glancing over my head and into my dorm room as he checks for Rylie.
“She decided to spend the night with someone else,” I say, answering his silent question. “I hope that’s okay. I didn’t see anything against it in the code of conduct for donors.”
He smirks at me. “We’re all adults here. There
is nothing against spending the day with someone...except for you. You are only permitted to join Culver in our coven’s suite.”
I grimace at the thought. “Maybe if he were you I’d consider it.” I cringe as I accidentally say my thought out loud. “I mean, you don’t seem like you want to murder me in my sleep.”
His eyes flash silver. “If I could claim your contract and you chose to room with me, the one thing I can promise is that. But in all honesty, I doubt either of us would be sleeping.”
Fuck. Me.
Blush crawls up my chest and to my neck, and I shift my weight from one foot to the other. Berkeley reaches up and traces my jaw without touching me like he can somehow absorb the warmth of my skin.
“I’m sorry, Fi. I shouldn’t have said that,” he murmurs.
I rub my lips together. “Probably not.” Because now my damn mind wants nothing more than to turn this unexpected encounter into a full-blown fantasy. “But I don’t mind. I prefer you to speak freely, because I can’t read you.”
He chuckles, his voice nearly breathless. “That’s probably for the best. I do hope you know that I don’t agree with the situation my brother forced on you at all. While you technically broke a couple of laws in Nocturnal Crown, you do not deserve to be the victim of his unwarranted cruelty.”
“Thanks for saying that.” Waving my hand, I motion to my room. “Would it be inappropriate to invite you in? I kind of don’t want anyone seeing you in the hall. I still haven’t recovered from dinner.”
His face hardens into a frown. “I am sorry about that. Next time I’ll mind your space. I just...” He doesn’t finish his thought and accepts my invite into the room, looking once behind him before closing the door.
The room suddenly shrinks with his presence, Berkeley’s muscular form dominating the space in front of me. He silently looks around, taking notice of the two made beds, my pile of laundry on the floor, and my unfinished assignments on the single desk.
“This is quite inadequate,” he says, mostly to himself.
I swipe my bra from the chair and stuff it under my comforter. “It’s fine.” I roll it out for him and take the spot on my bed. “So what brings you here? They don’t make you guys babysit me all day too, do they?”
“That’s the daytime security’s responsibility since you’re not exactly wandering.” Straightening his shoulders, he reaches into the front pocket of his hoodie and brings out what looks identical to the thermos I watched Culver pour my blood from.
“Please don’t tell me I have to fill that up. I know the limitations of the human body, and with how much the phlebotomist took the last time, any more will put my health in jeopardy.” I scoot down on my bed to put space between us. “As a health keeper, you should know that.”
Untwisting the thermos, he shows me its contents. I nearly snatch the cup away to chug it, smelling the scent that I’m certain is his blood. I inhale a shuddering breath, meeting his gaze. His features harden but not in a bad way. He swallows and licks his lips, his anticipation nearly as palpable as mine. And after the Personal Donor Support Group, I realize that him offering me his blood without me asking him is a huge deal.
“I do know that, Fi,” he says, keeping his voice low. I love how he shortens my name, calling me something different than everyone else. “And while the information you might have learned probably contains back-world medical science that doesn’t apply much now with our blood production enhancers, I do fear for your health under Culver’s desire to push you to your limit.”
“So you want me to drink your blood?” It’s obvious from the thermos, but I have to ask. My desire to hear him say it prods at my very nature as a dhampir.
He clears his throat. “Vampire blood carries regenerative qualities that will assure you can handle the blood loss without having to go through a blood transfusion. After speaking with Aspen—”
I frown, twisting my lips. “He told you?”
Berkeley rolls the thermos between his hands. “Yes, as a precaution in case you experienced any side effects from his blood apart from the mild lust he said you experienced.”
I groan and comb my fingers through my hair. “That wasn’t all because of the blood.” I regret saying the words immediately. I just can’t seem to control sharing my thoughts. Berkeley makes it far too easy to talk to.
“You don’t have to explain anything. I’m not here to talk about your encounter with my brother. I just want to assure your safety against Culver’s undeserved wrath.” He extends his arm to hand me the cup. “So will you please drink this?”
I frown without taking the thermos. I had no idea I’d be so disappointed by the fact that he’s solely here because he’s my health keeper. And it’s utterly crazy for me to be upset. I mean, what the hell? I kissed his brother. I nearly kissed his other one. Now, I’m sitting here, thinking about what it would be like to kiss him too. I shouldn’t want to kiss him or any vampire. I’ve never desired something so much, at least, not when it came to the suitors the elders have sent my way. All of this makes me wonder if there is a reason for my lack of...interest in the humans. This makes me think so, but I can’t be sure.
“Fiona...” His soft voice draws my attention to him. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I’m sure Aspen would be willing to give you some of his if you want. I can call him.”
“No, don’t,” I’m quick to say. “I’ll drink yours, if that’s what you want.”
He makes a whispery, sexy noise and licks his lips. “I do.”
Berkeley shifts from the chair to sit in the space on the bed that I put between us. I don’t grab for the thermos right away and instead meet his gaze again. The way he devours me with his eyes, trailing them from my lips and to my breasts showing cleavage from my tank top, continuing down to my bare legs on display because I chose a pair of cotton shorts to sleep in—he makes me feel so sexy even though I’m not trying to be.
“You know, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted me to drink from your arm.” I bite my lip with a smile, loving how he reacts with a moan at even the idea.
He shifts, pressing his leg into mine. “I might regret this, but I don’t trust myself enough with you to do that. I...” He chuckles and shakes his head.
“You what? I told you I like when you speak your mind,” I say.
He combs his fingers through his hair. “I shouldn’t. Things are complicated enough.” Caressing his finger to my shoulder, he pushes my long hair to my back and looks at my throat. “I shouldn’t even be this close to you.”
“But you are,” I say, my voice coming out as a whisper.
“I am.”
Before I realize what I’m doing, I find myself closing the space to Berkeley to kiss him. He reacts with such passion that I don’t get the chance to straddle him before he’s pushing me back onto the bed to deepen our kiss. His elbows cage my head as he keeps the weight of his body off me while resting his legs between mine.
I slip my tongue into his mouth, tasting the sugariness of his kiss that sends tingles through me, turning me on. Breaking his mouth from mine, he trails his lips to my jaw and works his mouth over my neck. I moan as his weight shifts, and he slides his hand down my stomach, testing me to see if I let him continue, his hunger to explore my body too prominent that I want to take this wherever it happens to lead.
I give him silent permission by guiding his hand to the waistband of my shorts and arching my hips up a bit. He glides his fingers down my pelvis and between my legs, releasing a moan just feeling exactly what he does to me.
Gasping as he rubs my slick, sensitive skin, I reach down to graze my fingers over the zipper of his pants, pretty intent on feeling for myself what I do to him as well. His breathing quickens as I manage to unhook his button with one hand and trail my fingers lower to lace my fingers around his erection.
“I want you to be mine,” he whispers into my ear, his finger putting more pressure on my clit, creating a far better sensation than I’ve ever done myself.
I hum under my breath, pulling his cock free from his pants to stroke my hand over it. I might not have a lot of sexual experience when it comes to going all the way, but I’ve at least been this far a couple of times, just never to completion. If I were caught with one of my blood sources, they’d have been put in the daylight cages. They were nice enough that I hated the idea. But now? I don’t have any elders to worry about.
I squirm under Berkeley’s touch, the blood hunger he elicits inside me with his offering quickly turning into an uncontrollable lust I want to explore. He does too, his mouth returning to mine as he draws his finger over my body in such a way that I can’t stop the short bursts of gasps escaping my lips that he continues to steal away with his kisses.
“Fiona,” he murmurs, going further to slip his finger inside me. “I want to taste you.”
The subtle click of his fangs extending turns me on even more that I almost agree to a bite. I tilt my head to expose my throat and shoulder to him. But he doesn’t ask and just slowly eases his body next to me so he can link our free hands together to bring my finger to his lips. He kisses the pad of my index finger, watching my reaction.
“Just a prick,” he whispers, his breath tickling my palm.
I nod my consent, and he sucks my finger into his mouth and pierces his fang deep enough to draw blood. He hums under his breath, the vibration of his desire building my own until I feel like I’m going to explode.
His lips meet mine once again, sweeter than ever, and I gasp at the taste of his blood from him biting his lip for me to taste him. I suck his bottom lip into my mouth, the sugary flavor setting off my dhampir side. I nearly lose control and bite him, but my body has other plans as my muscles tighten, and I arch my back and grab my pillow to muffle the moan of pleasure escaping me way too loudly.
My chest rises and falls as I catch my breath. Berkeley shifts the pillow from my face and smiles at me before kissing me again. He pulls me closer to wrap his arms around me, just hugging me by the waist as we lie on our sides on the tiny bed, facing each other.