Summer Heat: Anthology

by Sonya Jesus

  She stops bouncing, instead switching to frenzied hip thrusts, then her head falls back as she wails, "Yes!" Her walls clench around me, pulling me that much closer to my own orgasm.

  "Look at me, Elly, I want to see you come!" Her head snaps up and her eyes lock on mine. I watch as her pupils expand, turning her eyes black, and her fangs descend. I've never seen anything so sexy in my life. I'll never have to wonder if she's faking her orgasms.

  With one hand on her hip, guiding her movements, I lift my other arm, wrist up. "Bite me, Elly." She stops moving for a moment, eyes locked on my wrist.

  I buck up against her, and she starts moving once more. As though in a daze, her arms reach for mine, pulling my hand up to her mouth. Her head dips, and just as her fangs touch my skin, her eyes flash to mine.

  I nod, knowing what she's asking. I want this. I'm ready for it. Her eyes drift shut as her fangs pierce my skin. There's a moment of complete stillness as she takes a drink, then my orgasm explodes through me with so much force that my vision darkens.

  Her pussy clenches around my dick as it twitches, making my entire body spasm. My toes curl and my back arches, and still she's riding me hard. The pleasure is slowly morphing into something akin to pain. "Please, Elly, stop!" I cry out as I grow increasingly more sensitive.

  Thankfully, she relaxes and stops moving. At some point she stopped drinking from me and has licked the wound closed. I gently lift her off me and tuck her into my side.

  "God damn, Elly, that was incredible." As her silence draws out, I start getting worried I've done something wrong. "Elly?"

  She rolls over to face me. Her eyes are wide and her face is so full of emotions, I can't pick them all out. "Selene, what's wrong?"

  She answers so quietly I can barely hear her. "I've never felt anything like that in my life."

  I pull her into my arms, trying to offer her safety and comfort. "In a good way or a bad way?"

  "Good. Incredible." She leans back to look me in the eyes. "I lost all control, and yet I feel as though my life is complete. But Shawn, this isn't normal and it scares me. I want to know what we are to each other."

  I squeeze her gently. "We're mates, Elly. What else matters?"

  She props herself up on her elbow, and I know the perfect experience we've just shared is over. "Shawn, I know you can't possibly understand, but titles are important in my world. Mate. Chosen. Sister. Brother. It is how we show our affection and respect. You are not my Chosen, but you are more than my mate. I don't have a term for you, for us. It appears we may be something new altogether. And that's incredibly disconcerting."

  I don't have the faintest idea what to say to her. I don't even know if there's anything that will make her feel better right now.

  "I'd like to speak to Aly. She has had a few conquests, so I think it's fair to assume she's drunk from a human. Do you mind if I leave you now to go see her?" She bites her lip, looking like she's worried about my response.

  "Elly, if talking to her will make you feel better, then go. I'll be ok by myself. We have all the time we could want."

  She slides out of bed with a pleased smile, and I take great joy in watching her dress.

  "Thank you for understanding, Shawn." She leans down and gives me a quick kiss. "I'll let myself out. You look very comfortable where you are."

  "Alright, Elly. I'll drop by your house after my class tomorrow."

  SELENE

  "Aly?" I knock on the door, hoping she's available.

  "Come in!" She calls lightly.

  I open the door and poke my head in. "May I speak to you? Are you busy?"

  "No, I have time." She looks up from her seat on the floor where she's painting her nails. "As long as you don't mind if I continue." She holds up the polish bottle.

  "Not at all." I sit next to her, leaning against the footboard. I sort through my thoughts, trying to come up with the best way of broaching the topic.

  "I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong, ma chatounette." Aly is looking at me with compassion. The use of her childhood nickname for me makes it easier to speak.

  "You have had several conquests, Aly. I'm assuming you've drunk from them."

  She nods. "Yes, of cour —" Her eyes widen and her eyebrows rise as she figures out the reason for my question. "You've drunk from Shawn?"

  My eyes fall to my hands. While I don't normally fidget, I can't seem to stop myself from worrying the hem of my dress. "Yes. But it was... very intense," I say, picking my words carefully. "I am curious if that is normal. I was not expecting it to be so."

  Aly nudges my shoulder. "Well, it's certainly different than the bags we have delivered."

  I sense there's something she's not telling me. "But...?"

  "But it's not earth-shattering. It's just a very intimate act. The men have always found it rather pleasurable. One compared it to finding release." There's a surprising amount of warmth in her voice for speaking of a past conquest. Perhaps she did not let them go as easily as I thought. But that is not why I am here.

  "You would not call it a life-changing event?"

  She shakes her head. "No, not at all. Was it for you?"

  I stare at her, trying to decide if I can trust her to keep my secret. "You will not tell Mother?"

  "No." Her eyes are wide and guileless as she shakes her head.

  "Promise?" Aly kisses her palm and holds it out to me. I used to make her promise with kisses when I was a little girl. She was always kind enough to indulge me. With a smile I kiss my palm and press it against hers.

  "The kiss will protect the secret," I say.

  "And no one can break the magic of a kiss." She finishes. "So tell me, what was the experience like for you?" She scoots closer to me, her bottle of polish forgotten for now.

  "I felt fulfilled." My voice fills with wonder as I relive the moment. "As though I was a puzzle, and all my life I've been missing a piece but didn't know it. Then when I tasted his blood, the last piece finally appeared and the puzzle was complete."

  Aly is silent for a few moments, and I swear I feel a tingle of magic in the air.

  "That is certainly different than what I have experienced," she says, breaking the spell. "I don't know what would cause that. Have there been any other odd occurrences between the two of you?"

  "Yes." I explain to her some of what has happened so far, but she has no further insight for me.

  "Perhaps we can do some research when we return home? There may be something in the archives."

  "Maybe." My thoughts are swirling through my mind at light speed. "I'll leave you to your nails, Aly. Thank you for your help."

  She gives me a one-armed hug before I stand. "Any time, ma chatounette." Her smile is warm, but I wish she'd had more information for me. I'm leaving her with more questions than when I came in.

  Deciding that a Cosm-O+, the vampire version of a Cosmopolitan, made with O+ blood, will help soothe my nerves, I venture to the kitchen. Violette makes the best drinks and will leave me to my thoughts.

  Unfortunately, once I have my favorite drink in front of me, it seems far less appetizing than usual. I sip at it absentmindedly, letting my thoughts swirl through my mind. I'm hoping that a miracle will happen, and they'll coalesce into a solid plan or idea.

  Instead, I become aware of a growing discomfort. My guts curdle, as though I have terrible gas. Several sudden sharp, stabbing pains have me doubling over.

  "Violette!" I gasp out, hoping she'll hear me.

  She appears almost instantly. "Would you like — Your Highness! Are you ill?" She has a hand on my shoulder, keeping me from falling off the bar stool.

  Gritting my teeth against the pain, I look over at her. Her eyes are wide with fear. "Get. Mother!"

  Her brow furrows. "Please, Your Highness, allow me to help — "

  "Now!" I scream at her.

  With a scared look, she races away, screaming for my mother.

  My guts feel as though they're tying themselves in knots. Doubled o
ver in pain, I drag myself over to the sink.

  "Passerotta!" My mother calls out sharply. "What's wrong?" Her hand rests gently on the crown of my head.

  "Had drink, stomach pain." I force out. Another twisting feeling in my abdomen has me vomiting into the sink, but it's far more blood than I just consumed. "What's happening?"

  My knees give out and I scream as another stabbing pain hits me. I'm nearly blinded by the intensity. Mother catches me before I hit the floor, her strong arms pulling me up.

  As she cradles me in her arms, Aly's anxious face appears at the edge of my blurring vision. I try to bring her into focus. "Get Shawn!"

  SHAWN

  I wake up to someone pounding on my front door. Feeling nervous, I grab my baseball bat and creep out of my room and down the hall.

  "Shawn open the door! Selene needs you!" Recognizing the voice, I drop the bat and race to the door. I wrench it open the moment I turn the lock.

  "Alyssa?" She looks panicked. "What's wrong with Selene?"

  "There's no time! Get dressed. We must get you to her now!" I race back to my room as she darts to her car. I have my clothes on and phone in hand in less than a minute. I don't bother to lock the deadbolt behind me. The door lock is enough for now.

  Alyssa drives like a bat out of hell. "Selene is suffering from gar ùri," she says, speaking quickly. "It means blood claim. It's what happens if, after drinking from their Chosen, a Destined drinks any other blood by their Chosen's. She spoke to me after drinking from you. She had questions about the feelings she experienced and decided to have her favorite blood cocktail as she gave our discussion some thought. Her body is rejecting the blood.

  "Based on her conversations with myself and Damien, we believe the two of you share a special relationship somewhere between regular mates and a Destined and Chosen. It appears that she will forever be unable to drink any other blood but yours.

  "We can't be certain, but we're hoping that if she drinks from you, it will relieve her symptoms enough for her body to heal itself. We don't know how much she'll need, so our doctor will have blood on hand in case you require a transfusion. What's your blood type?"

  My mind is racing, and it takes me a few moments to call up that seemingly trivial fact. "Um... AB positive."

  Alyssa breathes out a relieved sigh. "Thank our Goddesses. That makes things a little easier. One moment."

  She calls her mother to relay the information. There's no change to Selene's condition.

  "I hope you're not squeamish. Dr. Forester will cut your wrist to feed Selene. When she has received enough blood, one of us will lick your wound to heal it. If Selene is conscious, she can do it." Elly's unconscious? "Do you have any questions?" Aly darts a glance at me.

  "Yeah, how much longer until we get there?" She's driving way faster than I ever have, and I can't judge the time it'll take to complete our journey.

  "Two minutes."

  I'm out of the car before it's even completely stopped moving. Tzi is at my side instantly.

  "Please excuse me, Shawn." Before I can say a word, he picks me up and races through the house. I'd complain, but I'm at Selene's side in moments. She's lying motionless on her bed. Her skin is so pale it looks almost translucent, and there are dark circles under her eyes.

  Mrs. Delanciennes rushes to my side and grabs my hand as Tzi sets me down. She's disheveled and looks to be on the verge of tears. "Shawn, I am so glad you are here. Alyssa explained the situation to you?"

  "Yeah, where's the doctor?"

  A man I hadn't noticed steps out from behind Mrs. Delanciennes and offers me his hand. I shake it absentmindedly. "I am Dr. Forester. My assistant is on her way with some additional blood. I only brought a single bag of O- to start."

  "We don't have to wait for her. I'm guessing every minute is precious right now."

  He nods. "You are correct." He leads me over to a chair pulled up to the head of Selene's bed and pushes me into it. He pulls my left arm out, examining it as he continues speaking. "It is not wise for Her Highness to ingest any foreign chemicals at this point, so I won't be cleaning the incision area fully. We will need to monitor you over the next few days to insure it doesn't become infected."

  I grab his arm and pull him down to my level. "Doc, I appreciate you're trying to give me all the information, but it doesn't matter. I don't care what happens to me, just save my Elly!"

  The room goes silent after my outburst, but the doctor pulls away from me and starts his work. He pulls a couple of pills out of a medicine bottle and hands them to me with a cup of water. "Take these. They are ùrisei. They will temporarily increase your blood production." As I wash them down, he pulls my arm to him again and vigorously wipes my wrist with a piece of gauze dipped in bottled water.

  The scalpel stings as he slices into the largest blood vessel visible on my wrist. The blood wells then starts dripping, and he holds my hand over Selene's face.

  Mrs. Delanciennes stands on the other side of the bed, holding Selene's mouth open so that my blood drips on her fangs and tongue. We all stand mutely, watching my blood flow.

  Every tick of the clock drains our hope into a black void of dread. This is our only chance. If it doesn't cure her, we have nothing left; I have nothing left. This has to work. She has to be okay.

  "God damn it, Elly, we just won! Don't quit on me now, Baby. I need you."

  Over the next few minutes, my bleeding slows to a drip. Mrs. Delanciennes takes my hand and licks my wound closed. Dr. Forester takes my blood pressure, and, deciding it's safe to continue, slices into my wrist again.

  My eyes stay fixed on Elly, desperately looking for any sign of improvement. By the time the bleeding slows, I could swear the circles under her eyes are lighter.

  "We can safely do this once, maybe twice more, before we risk your health. The ùrisei can only help so much. They are more of a long-term aide." Dr. Forester tells us.

  My head snaps up. "But what about a transfusion?" Why did he bring blood if it's not going to help us?

  "That is an option," he says reluctantly.

  "But...?" I prod him.

  "But it means that blood that is not your own is running through your veins... "

  The problem hits me over the head like an anvil. "And that could make her worse. Shit!"

  "We will have to pray that what blood you can give her safely is sufficient," Mr. Delanciennes says, finally breaking his silence.

  Safely. That's the key word. "But what if we don't play it safe? How many times can we do this without killing me?"

  Dr. Forester gives my question some serious consideration. "I would estimate you're losing anywhere from two-thirds to three-quarters of a pint of blood with each procedure. If we air on the side of caution and say it's three-quarters, then by the fifth procedure you are in great danger of losing your life. At your size, you most likely have somewhere around ten pints of blood in your body. Losing forty percent of your blood would likely cause your death."

  That gives us an error margin of a quarter pint. It's not much, but if it saves Elly, it would be worth it. "But if you give me a transfusion, I can recover, right?" I'm pretty healthy overall.

  "Theoretically, but it's highly irresponsible," he says, shaking his head.

  "I don't care. If you want me to sign something waiving liability, I will. We go five rounds, or until Elly wakes up. Whichever happens first."

  "Very well. If the need arises, we can discuss this further. For now, allow me to check Her Highness' vital signs." I get out of his way, not wanting to delay Elly's treatment any longer than necessary.

  "Her heartbeat sounds a bit stronger, although her blood pressure remains dangerously low."

  I hold out my arm. "This is helping her. Cut me." I'm feeling a little light-headed by the time the bleeding slows, but I'm not willing to stop now. A little color is returning to her cheeks.

  "Again!"

  "Mr. Dooley, please, I must check your vital signs first." With a huff, I hold out my right arm
. My blood pressure is low, but I haven't quite reached the danger zone. "Are you certain you wish to continue?" I glare at him until he slices into me again.

  This time I feel drowsy when Mrs. Delanciennes licks my wound closed. But Elly no longer looks an inch from death. She just looks a bit pallid.

  I thrust my wrist out to Dr. Forester again, fighting to keep it still. "One more, just to be safe."

  "Mr. Dooley, I cannot condone another procedure. This last time was already risky."

  "Look, I'll sign a waiver. You won't be blamed if something happens. But look at her! This is working!"

  "Shawn," Mrs. Delanciennes says softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "She would not wish for you to put yourself in danger."

  I shake off her hand. "This is your daughter! Don't you want me to do anything possible to save her?" I'd stand, but I'm not sure my legs would support me right now.

  "Yes," she says earnestly. "My daughter is precious to me." Her voice gets thick and tears pool in her eyes. "But she would never forgive me if I allowed you to sacrifice yourself to save her."

  "I can't let her die when I can save her!" I yell at them.

  "Shawn?"

  With that one feeble word, the world stops. I whirl around to face Elly and my vision goes black. When it clears, she's looking up at me fearfully.

  "I'm here." I say, cradling her face with my hand. "What is it, Elly?"

  It's scary how small her voice is. "'m tired."

  My eyes don't leave her face. I'm too busy assuring myself she's still here. "Is it safe for her to sleep?"

  "Sleep will help her recover," Dr. Forester answers.

  "Get some sleep, Elly." I lean forward as much as possible to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right here."

  Her lips curl slightly. "'kay." Looking better, her eyes flutter closed and she turns on her side.

  Someone hands me a tissue for the tears of relief pouring down my face. My stomach slowly unclenches as I watch her sleep peacefully.

  "Mr. Dooley," Dr. Forester says softly. "Will you cooperate with me now? I'd like to administer two to three units of blood."