The Sacrifice

by Evangeline Anderson

  And then he disappeared.

  I never saw his face. I never knew his name or even where he came from. But he saved me from running back into the fire and from the danger in the woods…Danger? What danger? Something about a man with horns…

  I try, but the dream is slipping away. The more I try to grasp at the details, the more they disintegrate to ashes, like paper in a fire.

  And then the pain starts, driving away every other thought in my head.

  Chapter Eighteen

  My period isn’t a regular, monthly occurrence, like it is for most women my age. It only comes on me three of four times a year—always presaged by The Dream.

  And it always makes me feel like I’m dying.

  The stabbing, grinding ache in my lower abdomen feels like someone is simultaneously poking me with a bayonet and driving over me with a tractor. Usually it comes on slowly, giving me time to get up and brew a cup of tea from the special herb mixture I’ve concocted, which makes it a bit more bearable. The herbs don’t take all the pain away—nothing short of death could do that. They do, however, make me feel a little less like I’m about to meet my maker.

  But this time the pain hits hard and fast, like a freight train of agony smashing straight into my body. It hurts so much I can barely breathe and even if I get up, it won’t do any good. My herb mixture is at home and I have no way to get it.

  I think of calling Lexy—it’s the middle of the night but she would understand. She was with me when I had my first few cycles—the ones where my aunt rushed me to the emergency room, certain I had been stricken with appendicitis or something equally deadly. It was only after having two or three periods that we realized the grinding agony was normal for me.

  So yes, I’ll call Lexy and ask her to get up, go to my apartment again, and bring me my herbs. But my phone is all the way across the room on the dresser. I’ll have to get up to get to it and right now, I’m not even sure if I can turn over, let alone get out of bed and walk across the room.

  Still, if I don’t get my special tea, the torture is only going to get worse. I know from painful experience that it can go on for up to twenty-four hours before my period finally runs its course. That, of course, is the only good thing about my cycle—it’s very short. It’s like my body saves up all the pain a normal woman has during her entire week long cycle, multiplies it by a factor of twenty, and dumps it on me all at once. All in all, I think I’d rather have a week of dull, achy cramps than one twenty-four hour time slot filled with unremitting agony. But it’s not up to me.

  Grimly, I force myself to roll over in bed and sit up. The effort leaves me shaking, my forehead damp with sweat. I can feel the wet, sticky warmth between my thighs and I’m afraid I’m ruining the crisp cotton sheets. I never have a very heavy flow but it’s enough that I need a tampon—which is something else I left at home. I’ll ask Lexy to bring them along with the herbal tea mixture.

  Now comes the hard part—standing up. I know that getting to my feet is going to feel like someone stabbing me with a thousand knives but I have to do it. I have to reach my phone. Why the hell didn’t I leave it on the nightstand instead of all the way across the room on the dresser? Ugh…this is going to really hurt…

  Pushing against the mattress with all my strength, I lever myself up into a shaky standing position. Okay, that wasn’t so bad. Then I take the first step and the knives hit me. The bright flare of agony in my lower belly brings me to my knees. I hit the carpeted floor with a thump and a low moan is drawn from my lips. For a minute, all I can think about is how much it hurts. The pain…the pain…Oh Goddess, please make it stop…

  And then someone is bending over me. In the darkness, I see a pale face, almost too perfect to be real. Luminous silver-gray eyes are staring anxiously into mine. Aiden…Master…

  “I’m here, darling.” He sounds worried—maybe on the edge of panic but somehow he’s holding it together. “What’s wrong? Where are you hurt?”

  “Not…hurt,” I manage to gasp.

  He frowns. “The hell you’re not—I can smell the blood. What have you done to yourself?” He lifts one of my arms and examines my wrist, maybe looking for slash marks.

  “I…I didn’t cut myself,” I say, trying to pull my wrist away.

  “Then what’s going on?” he demands.

  Absurdly, I’m embarrassed. Despite the raw pain still tearing through me, I don’t want to explain. This is a female matter—private. And I’ve yet to meet a man, human or supernatural, who didn’t shy away from discussing it. But Aiden is bending over me, his eyes filled with concern, clearly waiting for an answer.

  “It’s…” I gasp as another bolt of pain shoots through me.

  Aiden grips my shoulder tighter. “What? What is it?” he urges.

  “Just…just my period,” I whisper through gritted teeth.

  Aiden’s face fills with understanding. “Your monthly cycle. Is it always this bad?”

  “Always,” I whisper, grateful that he understands. “I need my herbal tea—it’s at home but I’ll get Lexy to bring it. That helps a little.”

  Aiden frowns. “It will take too much time for her to get here.” Gently, he scoops me into his arms and carries me back to the bed.

  “No, don’t.” I struggle weakly as he tries to slide me back under the covers. “The sheets—I’ll ruin them.”

  “Damn the sheets,” he says angrily. He puts me in bed and then crawls in beside me. He’s no longer wearing his expensive business suit, I realize hazily. He’s back to faded blue jeans and a t-shirt.

  The pain gets worse and I start to shiver. Aiden sits up a moment, rips his shirt off and holds me close, obviously trying to warm me with his body heat. I close my eyes and try not to think about the pain but it fills me, consumes me. It feels like someone is digging out my insides with a dull shovel.

  “Emma,” he whispers harshly in my ear. “This is too much for you to bear. I’m going to give you something to dull the pain.”

  “Drugs…don’t help,” I whisper, fighting to get the words out. “Nothing but the herbs. Call…Lexy.”

  “This will help,” he says with such certainty that I open my eyes to see what he’s talking about.

  I focus on him just in time to see him bring his wrist to his teeth and bite down hard, his white fangs sinking into his pale flesh. He pulls his mouth away and deep crimson blood, like liquid rubies, begins to flow down his wrist. The set of his eyes betrays the agony he’s feeling—if everything I’ve heard is true, Aiden has just inflicted pain equal to what I’m going through on himself. Losing blood is a traumatic and excruciating experience for vampires. As I explained before, their bodies don’t want to give it up.

  “No,” I whisper, my eyes going wide with horror. “You can’t…”

  “The hell I can’t,” he says fiercely. “Didn’t I tell you I’d give my blood if you needed it? Well, you need it now, Emma.” He presses his bleeding wrist to my lips. “Drink. It will make the pain less.”

  I open my mouth to protest but then his blood is filling my mouth. It’s hot and sweet like melted honey with a sharp, metallic tang at the end. Too weak to push him away, I let it fill my mouth and run down my throat like liquid sunshine. I know this must be hurting my master but he doesn’t make a sound or a sign, only watches anxiously as my throat moves, swallowing the sacrifice of blood he gives me.

  It only takes a minute or two before I feel a change. Something miraculous is happening—the stabbing, grinding pain in my lower abdomen is fading. Slowly, but surely it slides away, like a chain pulled crushingly tight around my belly is being loosened. At last, all that’s left is a dull ache, which, while not pleasant, is a hell of a lot better than what I felt before.

  Feeling stronger, I push Aiden’s wrist away. There’s no need for him to endure any more pain for me and anyway, the self-inflicted wounds on his pale flesh are already healing. His face is still anxious as he looks down at me. “Feeling better?”

  “Much,�
� I say and take a deep breath. “Thank you. I know how much that must have hurt.”

  “My pain doesn’t matter,” he says roughly. “It’s yours I’m concerned with. Is it gone—all the way gone?”

  “Almost completely,” I assure him. “There’s nothing but a few, uh, cramps left now.” I feel my cheeks getting hot as I say it. Now that the pain has dissipated, I’m embarrassed again.

  “Almost completely isn’t good enough.” Aiden strokes my cheek. “I want you well.”

  “I feel a lot better than I did,” I point out. “Not even my herbal tea helps this much. Honestly, I feel almost normal.”

  “You need a little pleasure to dispel the last of the pain,” Aiden decides. Cupping my cheek, he kisses me gently on the mouth. Despite my recent agony and the cramps I’m still feeling, his touch makes my heart pound and my blood race.

  “Master…” I whisper. “I don’t…”

  “You don’t have to worry about anything,” Aiden finishes for me, firmly. “Just relax, darling, and let me take care of you. First we’ll get you cleaned up.”

  Now I’m truly mortified. “Don’t bother,” I say hastily. “I’m feeling better—I can take care of myself.” I start to get up and go in the bathroom but Aiden pushes me back down, gently but firmly.

  “I know you can but I don’t want you to. I’m going to take care of you. Do you understand?”

  Biting my lip, I nod. “Yes, Master,” I whisper.

  I expect him to go get a wet washcloth to clean away the evidence of my cycle. As I said, I don’t have a heavy flow but my inner thighs are wet and sticky with blood and no doubt there are spots on the sheet beneath me.

  But instead of leaving, Aiden starts kissing me. He starts by nuzzling the sensitive side of my neck and then works his way down. He takes his time, drawing one aching nipple between his lips and sucking it slowly but deeply, taking as much of my breast into his mouth as he can until I cry out at the intensity of the sensation. Then he moves to the next one, being just as slow and tender and deliberate as he was with the first.

  By the time he finally finishes with my breasts and moves on down my trembling abdomen, the ache in my belly is no longer just cramps. I can feel sparks of pleasure moving inside me, the hot need growing in my pussy.

  But I’m still shocked when he gets between my thighs and bends down to kiss me there.

  “Aiden!” I gasp, trying to close my legs, to shut him out. “Master, no! You can’t.”

  “Why can’t I?” he asks, looking at me directly. His hands rest lightly on my knees, which are turned inward, trying desperately to keep him out. I know he could force them apart if he wanted to but he doesn’t—he just sits there looking at me as though what he wants to do is the most normal thing in the world.

  “Because I’m bleeding,” I say. “I mean, it’s disgusting.”

  “Not to me, darling.” He strokes my tightly closed thighs. “Did you forget I’m a vampire?”

  “But…but you really want to…you really don’t mind…?” I can barely get the words out, I’m still so embarrassed and incredulous that he would even consider this.

  The look in Aiden’s eyes is both hot and tender. “Very much,” he assures me, still stroking my cheek. “Blood is power and this is the time when a witch’s power is at its peak. I’ve been wanting to taste your blood again from the first night I claimed you as my own.”

  “But not like this.” I protest, still unable to believe it. “I mean, if you want to drink from my wrist again or my neck…”

  “I want to take what you’re giving so freely,” Aiden says. “You have difficulty letting me in, which makes it impossible for me to make my bite pleasurable for you. This way I can taste your blood without hurting you—while giving you pleasure.” He looks into my eyes and his voice becomes stern. “I’m through asking, Emma. Spread your thighs for me and let me in.”

  The sound of his Master voice makes my knees weak and my heart pound against my ribs. Goddess, he really wants to do this and there’s nothing I can do to stop him! Slowly, warily, I open my thighs for him.

  Aiden has kissed and tasted my pussy many times in the month I’ve been with him but tonight it’s different. He takes his time, lapping gently at my inner thighs first, his warm, wet tongue cleaning me as he promised. Then he moves on to my bare pussy.

  My naked pussy lips are swollen with need and my clit is already throbbing. But I can still feel the sticky wetness welling up from within. Is he really serious about this?

  He spreads me open, revealing everything and looks at me. I have no doubt his sharp vampire eyes can see much more clearly in the dim bedroom than mine and I have another mini-panic attack. How can he possibly—

  “Beautiful,” Aiden murmurs, looking up at me. “Always beautiful to me, Emma darling.” Then he lowers his head and licks me gently, from bottom to top.

  When he starts, I’m still clenched tight with embarrassment but as his warm, wet tongue slides over my sensitive clit, I moan and relax. He’s a vampire, I remind myself. He really does want to do this. It still seems weird but I’m rapidly losing my inhibitions. His mouth on me feels so good, so right and the slow, tender way he laps my pussy turns my insides to melted butter.

  He seems to go on forever, licking and tasting, circling my clit with the tip of his tongue until I moan and grasp at his thick, dark hair. His hands on my hips urge me on, pulling me up to him, guiding me to grind against his mouth and ride his tongue as he dips lower and presses it deep into my pussy in long, slow strokes. I can feel the pleasure building, rising toward an inevitable peak within me…but then, to my intense disappointment, Aiden stops.

  “I don’t want you to come this way,” he murmurs, before I can ask why he stopped. “I’m afraid an orgasm will intensify your pain.”

  I’m disappointed but not surprised. In the time I’ve been with him, Aiden has made holding off my orgasm into an art form. But he was being so sweet and tender I thought—hoped—that this time he would just let me come. “I guess you’re trying to build up my sexual tension again, huh?” I ask flatly.

  Aiden gives a low rumble of laughter. “Not at all, darling. There will be a time in the future when I will need you to be at your peak. But for tonight, I simply want to make you well.”

  “I was on the way to being well,” I point out. “I was really, really close.”

  “I know.” His voice has dropped and his eyes are half-lidded with lust. “I could feel your little pussy quivering, could sense you getting ready to come.”

  “Then why didn’t you let me?” I demand.

  “During orgasm your inner muscles tighten and contract—It’s your body’s effort to draw a male’s seed deep into your womb if you’re making love,” he murmurs. “I didn’t want that tightening to happen without something to counteract the pain.”

  “How can you possibly counteract it?” I ask, mystified. He seems much more knowledgeable about the female body than a centuries old vampire should. Actually, he’s more knowledgeable and interested than any man should be. At least, in my limited experience.

  Aiden looks at me calmly. “I’m going to come in you.”

  “What?” I look at him, thoroughly confused now. “But after last night and how angry you were, I didn’t think you were…were ever going to…”

  “I’m not going to fuck you.” Aiden looks at me sternly. “I’m simply going to slide my cock into your pussy and fill you with my cum.”

  “But…that’s fucking,” I say, feeling my cheeks get hot. “I mean, isn’t it?”

  Aiden’s eyes glow silver in the dim bedroom. “Not quite, my darling. Fucking is about motion—the slow grind of my body against yours as I cover you, as I pin you down and take you.” He strokes my cheek, his eyes lingering on my lips. “The helpless spread of your thighs as you open for me,” he continues. “Your soft moans as I thrust deep inside you, filling you completely, hitting bottom inside you, the head of my cock finding the mouth of your womb with each
hard, deliberate stroke.” He kisses my cheek softly, speaking in my ear. “The rhythm of my hips as I pump into you and the answering rhythm of yours as you rise to meet me, accepting me into your body, submitting to me completely. That is fucking.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you understand?”

  My breath falls out of me in a soft, longing sigh. “Yes,” I whisper at last. “Yes, Master.”

  “Good,” he murmurs. “Then you’ll understand that when this is over, I’ll still consider you a virgin. And I will not claim your virginity until the right time.”

  “All right,” I whisper.

  “Excellent.” He kisses my cheek. “Lie on your side, darling and let me fill you with my cum.”

  I do as he commands, lying back down on the bed on my side, but I’m still confused.

  “Master?” I ask softly as he gets into position behind me, spooning my smaller body with his much larger one. “I still don’t understand. How will, uh, coming in me, make me feel better?”

  “My blood isn’t the only thing that carries healing components.” Aiden’s breath is hot on the back of my neck. “When I flood your pussy with my cum, it will ease the tightness caused by your orgasm.” His arm wraps around me and his hand slides down between my thighs. “I’m going to be touching you while I’m inside you,” he murmurs. “When you come, I will too. After that, your pain should be gone completely.”

  I’m hardly noticing the cramps anymore but I’m not about to protest. I need his hands on me too badly, need to feel him filling me, even if he swears we won’t really be making love.

  Aiden lifts my leg, baring my pussy for him, and then I feel the blunt head of his cock sliding over my wet slit. “Easy, darling,” he murmurs, caressing my slick inner pussy with his shaft. “I promise I’ll go slowly.”