by Mary Abshire
"Okay, lover." I planted a quick kiss on his lips. "But maybe I want to get you something. Can you help a demon girl out?"
"I can help a half-demon girl." He pressed his lips over mine.
Desire stirred within me as our kiss took on life. How easily I could stay and indulge my fantasy, and his. That gift would have to wait for Christmas.
I pressed my hands onto his bare chest, then nudged him away. "I need to shower and get ready."
"Do you want me to fix you something to eat?" he asked.
I took a step back. "Yes, please."
"What would you like?"
As I thought about food options, nothing appealed to me. Yet, I knew I was hungry. "Something small. A sandwich perhaps."
"I'll see what I can come up with," he said with a smile.
We kissed one more time before going our separate ways.
Feeling sluggish, I took my time in the shower and dressing. I picked out a pair of jeans and a thin, long-sleeved shirt that fit snugly around my chest. As I stared in the mirror and smoothed a touch of makeup over my cheeks, I noticed my blue eyes seemed darker, more navy blue. Maybe the transfusion had altered the color. What other little side effects did I have yet to discover? Maybe Drake was right and the changes would be temporary. After a final check, I pressed my lips together and headed upstairs.
In the kitchen, Drake's back faced Dani and Alan, who were sitting on stools at the center island. Dani played with a strand of her blonde hair while she talked to Alan. If the smile on her face and her innocent yet charming tone were anything to go by, I'd say her interest in the Alpha exceeded friendly. Alan looked at me as I drew near and smiled. Dani shifted her gaze to me also.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked.
I took a seat on the stool next to her. "Better. Much better."
Drake set a dish on the counter in front of me.
"Thanks," I said, then glanced at the food. He'd piled two types of meat, maybe more, on wheat bread. Oddly, the sandwich didn't appeal to my hunger. Yet, I knew I craved something. I lifted half and took a bite.
"Are you sure you feel up to shopping? I bet the malls are going to be jam-packed," Dani said.
I nodded while I finished chewing. Drake set a glass of water on the counter next to my dish.
"Yeah, but I haven't bought a single gift, and Christmas is tomorrow. We'll just have to push our way through the crowd," I said.
"And fight for our gifts? Sounds like the men might be able to help." She smiled at Alan.
"What's the weather like outside?" I asked before I took another bite. The sandwich tasted delicious, but it did little to appease me.
"Flurries. The usual," Drake replied.
"I understand why you settled here. But if the chance comes up for us to move, can we go somewhere warmer?" Dani asked.
Alan chuckled. "You can come visit me. It's always warm in Arizona."
Dani's eyes lit up. "Don't tempt me. I may take you up on that offer."
“And if I do, I will rock your world, big guy. I bet you have a really big guy hiding inside those pants. I'd love to find out.”
I choked and dropped my sandwich. No way had I hear my best friend talking dirty. Holy shit! I quickly reached for the water.
Drake rushed to my side. "Are you okay?" He patted my back.
"Yeah, I…" I said, voice hoarse. I cleared my throat. "I, um, choked."
I turned to Dani and Alan. Both stared at me with concern in their eyes.
“Maybe we should stay here. I wouldn't mind spending more time with Alan,” Dani thought.
“If I were Drake, I'd chain you to the bed, feed you and take care of your every need until you were one hundred and ten percent better,” Alan silently said.
Amusement touched my heart and I smiled. I wondered if Drake would approve of Alan's idea.
"You're supposed to chew and swallow, not choke," Dani said.
Ah, Dani. Back to her normal, smart-alecky self. I loved it. Grinning, I picked up the sandwich, then bit off another piece.
Drake stood beside me and glided his hand down my back. With a tilt of his head and twitch of his brows, he gazed at me.
"I'll tell you later," I mumbled with food in my mouth.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I have a good idea what I'd like to buy for gifts," Dani said.
"Nothing too expensive, I hope," I said to her.
She smiled. "For you, only the best."
"Well, since we'll be spending Drake's money, I suggest we shop on the conservative side," I said before I took another bite.
"Spending my money?" He crossed his arms and raised a brow.
After I finished chewing, I said, "Uh…yeah. I hope you don't mind. We won't spend much."
Alan laughed. "I hope you don't believe them. They're women. Shopping is in their blood."
"Hey!" Dani lightly slapped Alan's arm. "We can shop conservatively."
"I can, but you, girlfriend, can go through a paycheck within minutes," I said.
Laughter rolled from Alan. Even Drake chuckled.
"Looks like I will have to set limits until you two find jobs," Drake said.
I nodded. Drake's idea seemed good to me. I rarely asked for money, but knowing Dani, she wouldn't be happy without some kind of spending fund. Lucky for her, Drake had plenty to spare.
While Dani defended her spending habits and flirted with Alan, I finished eating the last part of the half sandwich. I pushed the other half away even though I still felt unsatisfied. I longed for something, but as I stared at the food, I knew my hunger was for something else. I just didn't know what it was my body thought it needed to be satisfied.
"Are you going to finish that?" Alan asked.
"No," I said, sliding the dish toward him. "You can have it."
"Dani?" he asked.
"Oh no, I already ate earlier," she replied.
Alan took the sandwich and, with one bite, a quarter of it disappeared.
I turned to Drake and inhaled a deep breath. The niggling feeling in my body bothered me. I wondered if the feeling was anything like what drug addicts felt when they needed a fix. What did my body think it wanted? I’d eaten. I’d slept. I’d had great sex. What else could I possibly need?
Drake tucked my hair behind my ear, then glided his fingers down the side of my neck. "What's on your mind?"
His cool energy tickled my skin as it crawled along my back and arm. His touch soothed and invigorated me. I'd miss it when I became a vampire.
Wait a second! Oh no. I couldn't be. No. Oh, no-no-no. I scooted my stool back, then rose.
“Jessie, what's wrong?” Drake asked silently.
"I, uh, need to brush my teeth before we leave," I said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."
Before he could stop me, I hurried past him to the stairs. Fear and worry quickened my pace. As I descended the steps, I pressed a hand to my chest. Underneath my palm, my heart thumped with life. Life! I couldn't be one of them. Vampires didn't have beating hearts.
I strolled into the bedroom in the basement, then sat on the bed. Leaning over with my elbows on my knees, I threaded my fingers through my hair. I had to be delusional. How could I think I was a vampire if my heart pumped? How could I be a vampire if I ate food and breathed air? No, I couldn't be one of them. Impossible.
But how could I hear thoughts? How could I communicate with Drake without speaking a word? Why did I feel unsatisfied, as if my body needed something to boost my energy? Maybe my odd feeling stemmed from ingesting too much of his blood. Yes, the abnormality was another side effect.
"Jessie?" Drake walked into the room.
I lifted my head and straightened.
"What's wrong?" He kneeled in front of me, then placed his hands on my knees. "I want to help. Tell me what is bothering you."
I gazed into his dark eyes and found strength, adoration, and devotion, everything I wanted and needed. Fear didn't exist. How lucky I was to find such a creature, such an honorab
le man.
"I feel…off," I said.
He scrunched his brows. "Off? Such as dizzy?"
"No, not dizzy." I shook my head once. "Food doesn't appeal to me. I need something else to satisfy me. To give me a boost."
He tilted his to the side. "What do you think will help?"
"I think…" I hesitated, not wanting to say the words. "I think I need your blood."
The tightness in his face disappeared as if he understood my need.
"I don't understand what is happening to me," I said with a touch of frustration in my tone. "How can I hear thoughts? Why do I have an unusual craving for something that isn't food? I know I'm not a vampire. My heart beats. I breathe and I just ate some food—"
"But you feel different," Drake said.
I gave a jittery nod. "After Alexander bit me and you gave me your blood, I recall feeling weak and sleeping. That was it."
"I remember you lost quite a bit of blood, but I didn't give you much to recover. You drank two glasses and a few sips of a third."
Two glasses compared to three large bags was a huge difference. I had more of his vampire blood in me than ever before.
I let out a heavy sigh. "This feeling I have now, this need in my body…I can't explain it. I'm hoping it will pass."
"I have an idea." Drake rose. "Let's conduct a test and see if my blood is what you need." He pushed the sleeve of his sweater up his arm.
"What kind of test?"
"I give you some of my blood and we see what happens." He took a step back.
"How are you going to do that? We don't have any syringes here."
He backpedaled. "You will have to drink it."
I slightly wrinkled my nose. "Drink it? I just ate food." The thought of mixing the two made me queasy. "Won't it make me sick?"
"Your system will absorb the fluid before it reaches your stomach. Not to worry, I'm not giving you much. This is a test."
As much as I disliked putting any blood in my mouth, I needed to find out what would happen. I needed to confirm I wasn't turning into a vampire thirsting for blood. "All right."
After he disappeared into the bathroom, I paced in the room. If I drank his blood and gagged, I'd know for sure I wasn't a vampire, or becoming one. Problem solved. Maybe my unusual craving originated from my loss of blood and I simply needed a vitamin. Or maybe I needed a sugar fix. Whatever prompted the feeling, I hoped it would eventually go away.
But, if Drake's blood gave me the satisfaction my body wanted, or if by some chance, I thirsted for more…what would I do?
Drank strolled into the bedroom carrying a glass. He stopped in front of me. "Here."
Dark fluid filled over half the glass he handed to me. I swirled the liquid around. It looked as thick as melted chocolate.
"Well, bottoms up." I gave a toast to him before pressing the rim to my lips.
My stomach tightened as the dark fluid flowed onto my tongue. The metallic taste almost made my stomach retch. I lifted the glass, pushing more into me. I swallowed and waited for my gag reflex to kick in. But it never did. The cool liquid traveled down, into my body, soothing and enlivening me. My accelerated heart calmed and I felt as if I had more energy. The coolness of his blood branched out from my throat and chest, titillating me. I downed more of Drake's elixir and every cell in my body seemed to awaken. I felt stronger, healthier, more alive and alert.
And I wanted more.
Head back and glass pressed to my bottom lip, I sucked every drop of his blood from the glass. When I finished, I licked my lips and handed the glass back to him. "Got any more to spare?"
Chapter Twenty-Five
Drake took the empty glass from my hand. "How do you feel?" His brows were a little scrunched as he gazed at me curiously.
"A whole lot better, and more alert." I rolled my tongue along my lip and sucked on it. The coppery taste lingered and tingled on my tongue, making me want just a little more of the cool fluid to appease the rest of my body. "Actually, I still feel a bit thirsty."
"Do your teeth hurt?"
"No. Why would they…" I stopped, realizing his reason for asking. He must have thought I had fangs. I rubbed my thumb along my upper teeth. They felt the same, flat. I pushed on them, checking for soreness. "No, nothing."
"And you still thirst?" he asked, his eyes narrowed at me.
"Yeah."
Drake's puzzlement bothered me. If an eight-hundred and forty-two year old vampire lacked understanding of my situation, then I was in deep shit.
I placed my hands on my hips. "I don't understand. I can't be a vampire if my heart still beats." I couldn't be one, damn it. Our bodies were completely different.
What the fuck was wrong with me? Why did the crazy shit always happen to me?
"It might be possible I gave you too much of my blood in the hospital," Drake said. "But I don't understand why you want more. You're still human. Your body shouldn't desire more."
Addicted to vampire blood? Where did I sign up for help to control such an addiction?
Bewildered, I sat on the bed. Drake had a valid point. His blood healed and that was the extent of his magic. My body shouldn't yearn for more. Shouldn't thirst for it. Shouldn't crave the cooling energy that excited every nerve within me. But I did, and my body did long for more of his powerful elixir.
"I'm so confused. If I want blood, shouldn't that make me a vampire?" I asked.
Once again, I felt like one big freak of nature. My half-demon attributes had made me special enough. Now I could hear thoughts and I thirsted for blood—granted, it was vampire blood, but still. Why couldn't my body just return to normal? After all, I was still part human.
Drake set the glass on the dresser. "Technically, yes, your thirst would suggest you are a vampire, but we both know you didn't die." The bed jiggled slightly as he sat next to me.
So, death was an important step in the process. Was it possible I had died when I visited the devil?
"I went to Hell and chatted with the devil. Maybe I did die," I said.
Drake wrapped his fingers around my hand. "No, I read your chart. Your heart never stopped beating. Your visit could be a result from your brush with death, but you didn't die."
"Have you ever known someone to go to Hell and come back?"
"No."
"Then how do we know that I'm not…" I swallowed the word.
"Let's think about this. You're half-demon. Do you really believe you can be half-vampire and half-demon?"
Considering vampires craved demon blood, no, I didn't believe a creature could be both. And I had difficulty believing the devil would give his stamp of approval. Then again, I wasn't about to ask him.
But what if the transfusion screwed up my body and tricked it into thinking it needed blood? And not just any blood, but cool, refreshing vampire blood to calm the demon side of me. My mouth watered thinking about the dark, thick fluid in Drake's veins. A chill ran down my spine, fearing I might be right.
"Okay, so I doubt it's possible for someone to be both. Then maybe what I'm experiencing will pass and I will return to normal. But if not…"
He squeezed my hand gently. "We should conduct another test in a day or so to see if your craving is for me, or humans."
My heart skipped a beat. A taste test of human blood? The thought made my stomach protest.
"What if I like it? What if I don't like human blood, but I still want your blood? What if—"
Drake cupped my face in his hands. "Then we work on a solution together. It doesn't change who you are."
I swallowed hard. No, it wouldn't, but it changed what I was. I would be half-vamp and half-demon—the biggest freak-a-zoid to walk the Earth. Merry fucking Christmas to me.
A tap on the door jolted my attention. Drake slipped his hands from my cheeks.
"Excuse me," Dani said softly as she took one step into the room. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just about ready," I replied. "Give me two minutes and I'll meet you in the garage
."
"Do you have a coat I can barrow?" she asked.
I stepped toward her. "My vest jacket is upstairs."
"A vest?" She curled her upper lip. "Please tell me you haven't been wearing one. That's a fashion mistake."
Drake made a throaty noise that sounded like he cleared his throat. I ignored him.
Hands on my hips, I said, "I don't get cold much. And wouldn't you rather have something than nothing to keep you warm?"
"Glad to hear you're feeling better, sweetheart."
“And what an awesome bedroom. That bed could hold at least two guys.”
She grinned. "I'll meet you in the garage." She left, her long hair swinging behind her.
I chuckled as I turned to Drake.
"What's so funny?"
I pointed my thumb toward the door. "She has some really dirty thoughts in her head."
Drake kissed my forehead. "Most people do. The best thing is to shut it out. Focus on what you're thinking."
Good advice. I'd have to remember it next time.
"I'm going to rinse my mouth," I said as I took a step back. "Then I'll be ready to go."
"I will meet you upstairs," he said.
After a nod, I grabbed the glass on the dresser, then headed for the bathroom. While I brushed my teeth, I thought about my predicament. Maybe having extra abilities wasn't such a bad thing. By hearing the thoughts from others, I could determine if they were truthful or up to no good. All the other crap I could block out, per Drake's suggestion. As for drinking blood…I dreaded the thought, especially the human kind. If I were solely addicted to Drake's elixir, he would help me tame my dependence. But if I wanted other… A quiver rolled through me. How would I sustain a human blood craving?
I shook the questions from my mind. I didn't want to think about the matter anymore. The love of my life was alive, my best friend was with me, and we had plans to shop for Christmas. All worries could take a seat on the back burner for a while. After rinsing my mouth and the glass, I headed upstairs.
Drake was buttoning his long leather jacket when I entered the living room. The dark cap on his head flattened his hair, but he still had a damn sexy look with his brown locks sticking out underneath. Smiling, I passed him and walked toward Dani. She stood in the open doorway to the garage and she didn't have my jacket on. No surprise there.