Taste For Blood: Stir (Nephil-Vamp Series Book 1)

by Jenna Bernel

  I was finally a senior, so close to being free, and making my own decisions about my future, and what would become of my life. Now, I felt like I didn't have any control over what happened next, and the frustration of that reality made my head hurt.

  I walked into the guest room and threw my purse on the floral comforter of the four-poster bed. I dug around in it to retrieve my cell to text Eli that I couldn't come over to his apartment tonight. I felt bad that Eli was stuck with researching alone, especially when it was to help me, but with Alec's uncanny ability to be everywhere at once, I didn't think it was a good idea for me to go to his place. I wished I could be a shadow like him, but that was a ridiculous notion now, since apparently, I was an open book. The idea that I could get away with messing with Stella, the 7th Circle, and their powerful vampire world was a joke, and it was on me.

  After texting Eli, I tossed my purse onto the chair by the bed and plucked off my heels, almost groaning with relief from the dull throb. Between the restaurant shift, running down the hard sidewalk, and kicking some thug butt, the cool wooden floor under my soles was like a little ice pack of happy. I walked into the bathroom and clicked on the light, seeing that even in here, they managed to stay true to the style of the historical home with ornate wall sconces, vintage tile, and a carved wooden vanity with a sunken wash basin. I was delighted to see the big shower, anxious to wash the grime of the night off my skin. When I looked in the mirror, I flushed, realizing how much thigh I'd been showing to Alec. He was right, the fitted pencil skirt I was wearing had ripped up the side when I kicked a gun out of the carjacker’s hand, and the slit went so high, it offered a glimpse of my underwear. I stripped down, and tied my long hair into its own knot so I wouldn't get it wet before hopping in the shower to rinse off.

  The hot water did wonders to relax the tension in my muscles, and I loved the soothing lavender smell of the soap. Closing my eyes, I almost felt transported to a spa. I thought I heard something as I scrubbed the makeup off my face, and I quickly cleaned off the soapy residue before grabbing a towel to wrap around me. Alec said no peeking, but he could just as easily lie about that as everything else.

  I opened the door just a sliver with my towel tightly secured to check it out, but the room was empty, and nothing looked out of place. Upon opening the bathroom door, the lavender scent faded behind me, and I was instantly struck by the smell of tropical fruit and the salty sea drifting up into the bedroom.

  I heard a faint clanging downstairs and realized Alec was cooking. My stomach growled at the thought since I was too busy to eat dinner at the restaurant. Now that all the adrenaline had worn off, I was free to address my ravenous hunger.

  I closed the bathroom door and tried to piece together a presentable outfit, but I didn't want to put on my ripped and stained clothes. Instead, I settled for the cropped camisole that I wore under my top and the pair of shorts Alec lent me. The camisole hit just above my belly button and in order to keep the men's stretchy athletic shorts from falling off, I had to roll the waistband three times so they'd stay on my hips. Between the short tank and low-rise shorts, my entire bare midriff was exposed, including the signature mark of a vampire just inside my hip. I scrunched up my face as I scrutinized the ten-pointed star in the mirror. For the most part, I kept it covered, and the few times my friends saw it while hanging in a swim suit at the beach, they just assumed I got an illegal tattoo and had it inked where my parents wouldn't notice. But for some reason, walking downstairs now and having Alec see my mark, knowing exactly what it meant, made me nervous.

  I spent so much time hiding who I was from the people closest to me, that it felt strange to suddenly have someone in my daily human life who knew so much about me. It made me feel so raw and exposed. I think that was the reason I was having so much trouble being cool and collected with Alec. I wasn't used to having my secrets out in the open, and he spoke of them so freely, it was totally throwing me off my game. I squared my shoulders and pressed my palm into my mark, almost feeling the power radiating from its black ink as I watched my eyes glow with amethyst light. It was as if I were Trancing myself to be strong. I gave myself a reassuring nod before I let the glow from my eyes fade, and shook out my hair from the knot, eager to seek out the delectable, aromatic cuisine.

  As I walked down the stairs, following the delicious smell, I noticed the steam from the shower had turned my fallen waves back into loopy iron curls, and I spun a tendril around my finger absentmindedly as the kitchen came into view. Alec's back was to me as he hovered over the stove. I could see he changed out of his bloodied t-shirt into a clean one, and I wondered if he showered too. He turned his head over his shoulder to acknowledge my presence, doing a double-take when he saw me. His eyes locked onto mine, and he dropped the spatula that he was holding on the ground.

  "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, releasing the curl from my finger. I stood in the doorway awkwardly, suddenly wondering if my company was unwanted. Alec cleared his throat and blinked several times before grabbing another spatula out of the drawer next to the stove.

  "No, it’s nothing. You just look so beautiful," he said almost shyly, and I looked over my outfit in disbelief.

  "They’re your shorts," I pointed out, not getting it. He'd seen me much more put together than this.

  "Yes, and seeing you in them is a beautiful thing," he said, recovering from his moment of shyness, and sounding much more like the Alec I'd come to know. I rolled my eyes. He turned his attention back to the stove, and I took a seat at the large, antique-white island, right behind him.

  "It's not every day you see a vampire cook," I commented, finding it peculiar, and I wondered if, like me, he could sustain himself on normal human food because of his strange Gifts. When I turn vamp, I can still appreciate the smells, textures, and tastes of regular food, but somehow, it doesn't give me the satisfaction of real sustenance. Only blood can do that, which is all vamps crave. That’s another reason I prefer eating in my human state, where a steak is much more satisfying than sipping on a live cow.

  "It's been a long night. I thought you might be hungry, and I like to eat when I… drink. It makes for a more fulfilling mealtime," he explained, and a hot flash of steam rose up from one of the pans. I looked at our surroundings now, anxious that some Tranced blood whore might be waiting in the wings to be summoned. I should have thought through what Alec considered food in the ‘burbs.

  "And what will you be drinking this evening?" I asked nervously.

  "There's some Red Champagne chilling in the fridge. You're welcome to help yourself," Alec said, pulling two plates from the cupboard after turning off the stove. He seemed distracted by his task.

  I've never tried Red Champagne out of my vamp state, and I actually didn't even know how my body would respond to it. Wasn't that like feeding a chicken, ground chicken? Something about it was so morbidly gross. Alec was busy plating, and I hesitantly walked over to the fridge, now curious. When I opened it, the whole middle shelf was stuffed with wine bottles, and I immediately closed the fridge door, feeling like I stumbled into the back room of a butcher shop. Alec laughed at my reaction.

  "It must be tough to live life as a walking contradiction," he said, smiling, and I actually thought that was a good way of putting it.

  "It's a constant battle," I admitted, sagging my shoulders in a sigh, and he picked up the two plates with a towel slung over his forearm, as if he were a trained waiter, before exiting the kitchen to set them in the dining room. I followed him there, and saw him putting the food down at two already made up spots, arranged right next to each other at this table for ten.

  "Am I that predictable?" I asked, shaking my head.

  "After seeing you come down here in that," he said, flitting his eyes over my makeshift pajamas, "I'd have to say you are absolutely unpredictable." He smiled, gesturing for me to take a seat, and returned to the kitchen to get himself some food that would actually satisfy him. I looked down at my outfit and held m
y arm across my bare stomach, suddenly feeling self-conscious. This was pretty much a version of what anyone might wear to bed, so I didn't see what the big deal was. Blood whores at The Basement showed much more skin than this, but I wondered if I was somehow making him uncomfortable.

  Alec walked past me, still standing at the dining room entrance, and holding my arm over my stomach. He set two bottles of Red Champagne down, along with two wine glasses, before turning to me.

  He tugged my hand away from my waist, lacing our fingers, as if it were a travesty that I concealed it. "Don't cover that up. It's the best part of your outfit," he said, pulling out my chair while guiding me by the hand.

  "The naked part?" I asked, taking a seat.

  "Precisely." His voice sounded borderline naughty as he dipped down to my ear, scooching in my chair, and I reflexively tilted my chin into my shoulder to breathe him in. I could smell the fresh soap on his showered skin as he took the seat next to me. I guess that answered both questions, and if it were up to Alec, he'd prefer I eat our meal in the buff. If only his thoughts could be as clean as his zesty, fresh skin.

  I turned my attention to the delicious plate before me, rotating the white porcelain circle with blue-flowered trim to inspect its contents. As I turned it, I sensed the hint of tropical sweetness. The perfectly seared scallops smelled as fresh as the ocean, just like Alec.

  "I can't remember the last time someone cooked for me. What are we having? It smells incredible," I said, holding my hair back to dip down closer and take in the aroma.

  "Herb seared scallops, over a sweet corn and mango salsa with just a hint of red chilies and crispy scallions for texture," Alec explained, and I twisted my head to look at him, wide-eyed.

  "Were you a chef in another life, Alec?" I asked, smiling, completely dumbfounded by the idea that a vampire would be so creative and thoughtful with human food when cooking in the kitchen.

  "I waited tables after school once upon a time, and I picked a few things up," he said casually, as if it were nothing, before taking his fork to dig in.

  "Where?" I asked, preparing for my first bite with all the components together.

  "In Cali," he said, following my lead. The moment the food hit my tongue, I actually had to close my eyes, it was so mouthwatering, and I involuntarily made a soft “yum” sound. My palette was taken with the perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy, but not too bitter, all at once, and it felt like I just dove into the refreshing sea. This was just as delicious, if not better than the finest meals I've ever had in restaurants. I opened my eyes again, when I realized they were still closed, and saw that Alec was smiling from ear-to-ear at my reaction.

  "Wow, that is… you should open a restaurant. You've never had any training?" I asked, still in disbelief, taking another bite. He shook his head.

  "I always thought I might… " Alec's words trailed in a far off way, like that path in life was a distant dream, and he was unable to finish the thought because it was too painful. Probably something he thought about as a human before he was turned, and I could relate to his sentiment, although at least, I could age and remain near those I love. What would it be like to be a vampire with human emotion, and watch your whole family slowly die off around you? Could you even bear to stay? Was it fair to them? It didn't matter, because it was forbidden, but I thought Alec could be the first vampire who cared.

  Again, there was something brewing in his eyes that made me want to believe he was telling the truth about his human-hearted Gifts. If Alec had the same culinary assignment as Evan and was asked to create a dish that represented him, this would be it. A balance of sweet, salty, spicy, but not too bitter, that tasted like you just leapt into the ocean. You wouldn't think the intriguing combination would work together, but somehow, it had a remarkable harmony, as if the mixture was the miracle of nature at work.

  "Alec… " I said in amazement, watching his far off expression.

  "Yes?" He said, his voice sounding thick as he blinked back to the present, and looked at me. I set my fork down and faced him in my chair.

  "You're telling the truth, aren't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer, as if my heart accepted this days ago and my head had finally caught up. I was now ready, willing to listen to his answer. I could see it, and understand it even, when looking into his eyes.

  He faced me in his chair. Taking up my hands from my lap, he clasped them gently in his, and my stomach did a soft roll of pleasure from his touch. He swallowed like he was nervous, and the arrogance was stripped from his face with nothing but raw venerability behind it, as if that was how he hid it from me all along. His full lips parted, then closed again, as he struggled for the right words, his jawline flexing at the muscles with stress. I squeezed his hands, urging him to say it, suddenly desperate to know what he was thinking.

  "Daniella, even before I met you I knew you'd be extraordinary, but nothing could have prepared me for this. And now, finally seeing you again, being here with you, trying to make you laugh in hopes of seeing your smile, there's… a connection I can't deny, and it pulls me in deeper every time I look at you. It's like I knew you in another life, like I've touched this cheek a thousand times before, and I respond to it before my brain can stop me," he said softly, putting his palm to my cheek, and I dipped into the touch, inadvertently agreeing with his words.

  Everything he said was exactly what I'd been struggling with since the moment he walked into my life. He found my eyes, and his golden ringed irises blazed with such beaming fire, the sun could revel in their light. It felt as though, with every touch we shared, his human side churned like an inferno from within. It was no wonder his skin felt so warm against mine.

  "I'm telling you the truth about my Gifts, Dani. The feelings you stir in me have nothing to do with blood. I ache for you in a way that I've never experienced, that I never even knew possible, and I'll always protect you, not just because of who you are anymore, but because of who you've become to me…" he dipped his head, afraid to meet my eyes as he continued, “the only girl I've ever cared about." He dropped his hand from my cheek, and I was so stunned, I forgot how to breathe.

  My chest swelled, my lungs burned, begging me to take in the air around me, and all I could manage was a shallow staccato rhythm, terrified that if I moved, the moment would become real because it finally sunk in that this wasn't a game. Every moment we shared, all the smiles, lingering looks, the twirls, and woven hands, I had convinced myself were all part of our tango, that it was just one innocent dance. I was naive, naive to think I hadn't fallen in deeper with every step. Alec raked his hands through his hair, his head still dipped to the ground, and tension built within him as if his confession complicated everything. How could things get more complicated than this?

  He slowly raised his head, and when his eyes met mine, it was as though all my senses got turned off at once. I couldn't see anything, I couldn't hear a word if he was speaking. Nothing else existed in the room, except the feeling of my heart, pounding so hard against my chest, you'd think it was trying to reach out and touch him.

  "Dani?" Alec’s voice sounded alarmed, hearing my rapid heartbeat about to explode from the inside out, and he grabbed my shoulders, trying to bring my focus back, as my blurry vision cleared on his face. We both stared at each other. Even his chest was heaving in response to my pounding beat.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out," Alec said, looking over my face to make sure the blood returned to my head. It wasn't his words that freaked me out, but the fact that I agreed with them, and the undeniable… connection. My whole body buzzed with electrified butterflies, fluttering around in my stomach, trying to find their way out. Alec swallowed nervously, unsure of my silence.

  "Alec… I can't." The words choked out of my throat, like heavy stones scraping against my esophagus, refusing to come free. How could it be that this vampire, whom I'd only known a week was the first one who ever made those words feel like agony?

  "I know, Dani. I wasn't asking you
to." Alec moved his hands to cup my face, and tipped my forehead just enough so I could sense the heat coming off his lips, before pulling back. I swallowed down the emotion in my throat. My heart rate was making me dizzy. He held my face for a moment longer, giving me the tiniest hint of an adoring smile before dropping his warm palms from my cheeks. But I didn't let them fall, I held them against me, not wanting our moment to end just yet. I smiled at his smile, thinking I'd never seen anything so illuminant, and his steel blue eyes searched my own, as he tried to extract my thoughts from their purple wells.

  "I should go to bed." My words came out parched and rough, my throat felt so dry. Alec nodded in response, and I slowly got up, backing away from the table, still staring at him.

  "You’re delicious. I mean your food is delicious. Thank you for making it," I said, stumbling and awkward. His cheek tugged up slightly at my slip-up, and he nodded once again, remaining silent.

  I made it to the spindled staircase, holding onto the railing for dear life, begging my heart rate to slow, and my mind to think of anything else but Alec, and his flawless, curved mouth. I reached the open catwalk at the top of the stairs, and abruptly stopped, turning slowly to look down at the entry hall. Alec was standing there under the waterfall chandelier dripping with crystals, and the dimmed candle lights reflected rainbows off his sun-kissed skin. He looked as if he was nervous I'd actually leave after what he said, and was checking to make sure I hadn't. I suddenly felt like Juliet looking at him down below from my balcony, standing under that vintage chandelier, in this beautiful historic home.

  "Goodnight, Alec," I whispered, leaning ever so slightly over the railing, and he leapt into the air, stepping off the wall midway up to angle himself, and landing over the railing to stand beside me. His scaling move jingled the crystals in the chandelier, and their soft glow twinkled like stars as they bounced off our surroundings. I faced Alec next to me, and he picked up my hand, brushing his thumb over the top.