Bite The Hand That Bleeds

by Megan Erickson

  “Do you—” My throat went dry. “Do you need to feed?”

  His head tilted slightly, and then he reached out and wrapped his long fingers around my forearm. I held back a gasp at his grip as he studied the underside of my wrist. His thumb brushed the skin before dropping my arm. I shuddered at the brief touch.

  “First time?” he asked. I nodded as I nibbled my lip. His gaze dipped again then rose back to meet my eyes. “I don’t need to feed from you.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what to think about the pang of disappointment that streaked through my chest. I was terrified of this guy. He’d probably rip out an entire vein with that massive mouth. He cleared this throat, and I realized I’d been staring at his lips.

  I shook my head, wondering what was wrong with me. I relied on my wits, and here I was caught staring at this vampire’s lips, wondering what it would be like to feel them on my neck.

  The vampire rose to standing, and gestured for me to stand up. It took me a bit to scramble to my feet and I wobbled slightly on my heels. He steadied me with a hand on my elbow. “I’ll escort you through the club and set you up in a private room until it’s midnight.”

  Well, that was nice. He wasn’t giving me the option of staying here in my dark hallway, but what he suggested couldn’t be bad. Except… “I’m sorry but who are you? Do you have ID or a business card or something?”

  He stared at me like I had three heads. “Dru.”

  “Is that your name or some vampire title?”

  Again with the stare like I was fucking crazy. “My name.”

  “And—”

  “I’m head of security.”

  Head of—Oh. Oh. He was a big shot. “Nice to meet you. I’m Roxy.”

  His lips moved, like he was sounding out my name, but he didn’t make a sound. He dropped his hand on my elbow, jerked his head in an indication for me to follow him, and walked into the club. I did my best to keep up with his long strides.

  We skirted the dance floor, and I kept my head down, eyes on my feet. When a husky moan reached my ears, louder than the base of the music, I assumed we’d moved into the couch orgy portion of the club.

  The moans were plentiful, and the obscene noises coming from the couches had my head coming up, my gaze sweeping the area. Because really? Who wouldn’t stop to look at this?

  Three female vampires were topless, writhing on a couch in a mass of limbs…wait was there a fourth? I counted off the legs I saw, but got lost at five and had to start over.

  My head whipped to the side at the sound of some filthy words, and I saw Cassie on the couch, head back, legs spread, her skirt pushed up around her waist. A male vampire flicked a nipple on her pale breast, his white fangs flashing in the eerie light of the club. A shudder ran through her entire body as his lips grazed the underside of her other breast and he made his way down, down…

  Cassie’s head fell forward, she opened her eyes, and locked gazes with me. Fuck, I was a voyeur, spying on my friend. But damn, she looked so happy, face flushed with pleasure. I shot her a thumbs up, which was geeky as hell, but the only thing my hands wanted to do. Her shoulders shook with a silent laugh, and then she winked at me just as the vampire did something between her legs that had her eyes squeezing shut again.

  Okay I needed to look away now. My friend was happy and clearly being take care of. So, yeah. She was getting hers. I was being led to a private room where I could be by myself. At least one of us was getting the full vampire club experience.

  A shadow fell over me, and I realized that I’d been planted in one place, staring at Cassie. Dru was probably not pleased. I glanced up, an apology on the tip of my tongue, only to look into the eyes of a vampire who was decidedly not Dru.

  This one wasn’t quite as big as Dru but still bigger than a human. His lips were pulled back, fangs massive in his slick grin. His hair was long, brushing the top of his shoulders. His nostrils flared as he peered down, and his gaze settled on me like a rain of icicles. My hands instinctively came up and I wrapped them around my middle, glancing around for Dru. Fuck, how did I lose the biggest damn vampire in the place?

  “Ah, pretty human,” he said, his raspy voice like a swarm of bees. “No need to hide. I see how you’re intrigued by what’s happening around you.” He took a step closer and alarm bells rang in my ears. I should step back, get away… “I can make you feel so good, better than you’ve ever felt in your life.”

  I opened my mouth but with a quick movement, he had me backed up against a wall. I couldn’t see Cassie from behind the male’s big body, and I wasn’t sure she’d hear me anyway if I yelled for help, not with the loud music.

  My stomach dropped as the vampire lifted his hand, a single finger brushing a strand of hair off the top of my breast. He licked his lips as he stared at my flesh. I was just a network of veins, and while this was what I signed up for, being pressed against a wall with this vampire at my front was not my idea of a fun time.

  My voice was failing me. Every time I opened my mouth, only a series of clicks came out. The vampire pressed his thigh was between my legs, and the scent of him clogged my senses. Panic set in, and my heart pounded, my palms sweating as I raised them to half-heartedly push him away…

  His body disappeared.

  The heat of him was gone, his scent, everything and in his place was the massive hulking form of Dru.

  The vampire who’d pressed me against the wall was on the ground, Dru’s boot on his throat. Dru hissed something at him, words I couldn’t hear because my heart was still pounding a drum beat in my skull. I placed my hand on my chest, confirming the organ was still there, that I was still alive and breathing, that my blood was still in my body.

  The vampire was hauled to his feet by two other massive vampires and dragged away. Dru finally turned to me, his face like thunder. “Where the fuck did you go?”

  “I didn’t go anywhere!” Now my voice worked.

  “Then why weren’t you behind me?”

  Oh so this was my fault? Rape culture was a thing in vampire world too? “I stopped to say hi to my friend. I didn’t expect a freaking vampire to come out of nowhere and press me up against the wall and threaten me with a good time, okay? Is this my fault?”

  Dru growled—honest to God growled—and a tingle raced down my spine. I shouldn’t be turned on by that, and especially after what just happened. But I was. Goddamnit, I was. Did they pump aphrodisiacs through the air vents in this place or something?

  Dru leaned in, placing a hand flat by my head, and bent down to speak inches from my face. He sighed heavily before he spoke. “This is not your fault. And I’m sorry. Volmer will be punished for what he did. He’s been…a little aggressive lately, and he went too far this time.”

  All the fight went out of me, and I slumped against the wall. “Okay.”

  Dru’s hand rose slowly, and then curled around my neck. He lifted my chin with his thumb, and the heat of his palm spread over my chest, tightening my nipples. I bit my lip to cut off a moan, and Dru’s eyes shifted. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded, unsure I could speak. I was aroused; there was no other explanation. I rubbed my thighs together, trying to ease the ache and the pooling heat in my stomach.

  His hand tightened, fingers digging into the back of my neck, and I arched into it, pressing my breasts against him, not knowing what was wrong with me, but unable to stop it.

  He dropped his hand, lurching away from me, and running his hands into his hair and then down his face. I stumbled a bit at the loss of his body against mine. Had I done something wrong? Was there some sort of vampire make-out etiquette I didn’t know? Cassie seemed to be doing just fine.

  “I thought—”

  “Do you want me to leave you here or do you still want to go to a private room to wait?” His voice was strained, but I didn’t miss his meaning. Leave you here.

  I blinked at him. “Would you stay with me, or—”

  “No, I have to work. You pick. Stay here o
r private room?”

  That stung a bit, but what did I expect? I hadn’t exactly been charming since I’d met Dru. If my options were to stay here alone or in a private room, I wanted the private room. When I told him, he nodded at me curtly.

  This time he took no chances. He wrapped long fingers around my wrist and didn’t let go, even as I had to jog to keep up with him. My heels were killing me, and I focused all my energy on staying upright and not twisting an ankle.

  We sped by the couches, and I didn’t look up. I kept my gaze on the way his T-shirt stretched across his muscular back and broad shoulders. He pushed open a door and then we were in a long hallway. I didn’t have time to look around because seconds later, we were through another door which opened up into some sort of lobby.

  He didn’t drop my wrist, but I dragged my feet to slow us down, because I wanted to get a look at this. Also because my feet felt like they were going to fall off. The lobby was a semi-circle, and a large staircase was in front of us, leading up several stories. The floors gleamed and for a second, I imagined I was in some fancy hotel I’d only ever seen in the movies.

  We walked around to the back of the staircase, where a female vampire sat behind a desk. She smiled at Dru, and her gaze drifted to me briefly before snapping back to him. “Hello, Dru. Would you like a room?”

  “Yes,” he said shortly and snatched the key from her outstretched hand. “Block it out all night, please.”

  She nodded with a polite smile, and then Dru was once again tugging on my wrist, pulling me toward one of several hallways lining the outside of the circle. Except this time, my feet were done. My right ankle said, fuck this shit, and collapsed like a drunk at an open bar wedding. I cried out as the pain shot through my leg. I would have hit the floor in a lump of tired of human, but I had a vampire companion who could move at the speed of lightning. He scooped me up into his arms, his dark eyes smoldering as they took in my body.

  “What happened?” He demanded, his brows a straight line of anger. “Are you in pain? Was it from Volmer?”

  I shook my head and pointed at my feet. “These heels…I’m not used to walking in them. My ankle rolled.”

  He stared at my foot, then back at my face as he continued to walk down a hallway lined with doors. “Why would you wear shoes you can’t walk in?”

  “They’re sexy,” I muttered.

  He stopped at a door and unlocked it quickly, despite my weight in his arms. He didn’t set me down inside the door. Instead he kicked it shut with his foot, and then carried me to the bed, where he placed me down gently. He knelt at my feet and removed my heels, his warms hands caressing my ankles. “Which one?” he asked.

  I pointed to my right.

  He gripped it and rotated the joint, watching my face as he did. “That hurt?”

  “A bit.” To be honest, his touch was making me forget about the pain. I hadn’t expected him to be gentle, but he held my foot like it was precious.

  “Forgot how fragile humans can be,” he said, almost to himself.

  “Hey,” I said. “We’re not that fragile.”

  He raised an eyebrow, just one, and I got Jason Momoa vibes that made my blood heat. “We’re not,” I insisted. “It’s just those stupid shoes which I only wore because the dress code had made it clear we should come looking hot as fuck. And those shoes are definitely hot as fuck.”

  He wasn’t looking at my shoes on the floor. He was looking at me. My face. “You don’t need the heels, Roxy.”

  I swallowed, wanting to yell at him to let go of my foot, which barely hurt anymore. His touch was confusing me, arousing me. He lifted his hand and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “You’ll have your pick when it’s time to head to the Feeding Room. I’m sure they’ll be plenty lined up, eager to get a taste of you.”

  Don’t you want a taste of me? That was the first thought that flashed through my head. I bit my lip to prevent the words from flying out of my mouth, and his gaze immediately dropped. My pulse raced and I gripped the sheets of the bed, wondering why my body was lighting up, why I couldn’t stop staring at his lips and wishing his hands would travel up my calf higher and higher…

  He stood up abruptly, dropping my leg like it was on fire. I stared at his back as he faced the door. “Dru?”

  “I need to go,” he said. He didn’t even glance over his shoulder at me. “You’ll be fine here, I’ll have someone come get you when it’s time.”

  No, he couldn’t leave. I wasn’t sure why yet, but I was in a panic. “Dru—”

  “Bye, Roxy.” He turned the doorknob and opened the door.

  “Dru!” I said, standing up quickly, which was a bad idea. As soon as I put weight on my ankle, pain shot up my leg. “Shit, fuck, ouch.”

  The door slammed shut and Dru was back in my face, placing me back on the bed, his hands once again massaging my ankle. “Damnit, Roxy.” He sat down beside me on the bed, intent on his task.

  I didn’t care about my ankle. “Why are you so eager to leave?” I asked. “Can’t you stay?”

  He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I can’t. I have work to do…and I can’t.”

  Fine, he was making me come right out and say it. “Why won’t you feed from me?”

  His hands paused on my ankle, and he lifted his head slowly. “Did someone explain to you what it’s like when a vampire feeds from you?”

  Zeb had told us when we were walking in, but I might have zoned out a couple of times. “A little bit.”

  He sighed heavily. “First of all, we need to feed right from the vein every few days. The rest of the time, we drink stored blood. Our saliva is an aphrodisiac. You’ll want to fuck. Some humans are used to it, and it doesn’t affect them much anymore, and that’s who I usually feed from. But this is your first time, and…”

  I still didn’t understand. “So what, you don’t want to have sex with me so you won’t feed from me?”

  He met my gaze squarely. “I don’t fuck humans.”

  Oh. Oh. Should I be offended? “Do you think we’re dirty or—?”

  He shook his head. “No, I just don’t do it.”

  I was nosy as fuck. “Why?”

  He blinked at me. “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, it’s my flaw, sue me. So…why?”

  This time his hand settled on my thigh, and the heat from his palm seeped through the denim. He rubbed his forehead with his other hand. “If I tell you, will you let me leave and quit trying to walk on this ankle?”

  I pursed my lips together and nodded.

  “About ten years ago, I fed from a human the first time she ever came to Bite. Blood virgins are…a bit of a novelty here. At the time, I was cocky and everything was a competition. So I fed from her and fucked her, and then went back to high-five my friends.”

  “But it didn’t end there. She came back the next week. And the next. She became obsessed with me. With our culture.”

  “Did she want to be with you? Are human-vampire relationships allowed?”

  “It’s…allowed in special cases. Anything that puts us at risk for detection must be approved by our clan’s Council, like us traveling street-side frequently or allowing a human down here for anything other than blood transfer. But I don’t think she wanted anything from me other than to be turned to a vampire.”

  “Is that possible?” I asked.

  “We don’t just turn humans,” he said. “That has to be approved by our Council too. And it’s a process. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Every time I saw her, she seemed more out of her mind than before.

  “I…didn’t know what to do. I finally told her she couldn’t come back, that she had to forget about us. She didn’t like that, and somehow found out information about the other clan in the area. Unlike us, that clan is more than happy to use humans as blood slaves. They didn’t turn her. They sucked her dry. Killed her.”

  “Jesus, Dru,” I breathed out. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry. For her and you.”
<
br />   “I feel responsible, and although it’s never happened again with humans we invite, I can’t bring myself to get too close to humans. So I don’t.” The sadness in his eyes made my heart ache. “I won’t. Even if you tempt me like I’ve never felt before.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “But surely you’ve been tempted by a human before. In the last ten years.”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t. Even with her all those years ago, it was about the competition.”

  “So…” Heat rose up my neck. “What do you mean I tempt you?”

  His hand left my thigh and he rubbed his chest. “Around you, I feel…” He let his voice drop, and didn’t finish.

  “What? You feel what?”

  “I don’t know the word, okay?” His frustration was visible in the lines around his mouth, the piercing way his dark eyes studied my face. “I don’t know the word for this burning in my chest, this pull toward you and this need to be in your presence. I don’t know what it is, just that the feeling terrifies me as much as I crave it.”

  I stared at him, unsure what to say, because I was fitting his words together in my head like a puzzle. I still didn’t have the larger picture when he stood up. “That’s why I have to go,” he said.

  “Dru,” I pleaded.

  “You promised,” he said softly. “I told you, and now you let me leave.”

  I stared at him helplessly. How had I only met this vampire a mere ten minutes ago and now I was devastated to watch him walk out that door. But he was right. I’d promised. And who was I to make him go against his personal convictions? So I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Okay,” I said hoarsely. “Will I—will I see you again?”

  He reached down, his large hand resting on my cheek and his thumb caressing my lip. “No.”

  I appreciated his honesty. I gripped his wrist and pressed a kiss to his thumb. “Okay. I…thank you. For everything. Out there. This room. Your kindness. And your heart.” His lips parted, and the tips of his fangs gleamed. He’s a vampire, Roxy. What the fuck is wrong with you?