Her skin was crawling and she rubbed her arms in an attempt to make it stop. The idea of Lohr taking her blood suddenly gave her a serious dose of the creeps. She couldn't believe she'd so recently considered it. His looks might be perfection but she was wrong about him. He was definitely not for her.
"Of course," she said with forced lightness. "I wouldn't miss it."
"Care to...join us?"
Did he really think she was going to jump into his blood orgy?
"I would," Melanie said brightly.
Kate stared at her friend. Melanie's dark eyes glittered brightly and the corners of her mouth were pulled up into a devious smirk.
When Kate noticed Lohr studying her, she tried to wipe the appall from her face. It wasn't her business to judge him or Melanie. She understood why Melanie would be attracted to him and to the blood orgy. Just because Kate wasn't into it didn't mean it was wrong.
"Of course, my dear," he said to Mel, sliding his long, slender fingers up her arm. Brushing the short hair away from her neck, he added, "It would be my pleasure to include you." Very gently he pressed his lips into the curve of her neck, his eyes lifting to Kate as he did. "Kate?"
"I'm afraid Kate has business with me," Angel said smoothly as she slid her perfectly toned arm around Kate's waist.
Kate couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw disappointment flash across Lohr's face. If there had actually been anything there, he'd quickly wiped it.
She turned to Angel and purposefully ran her fingers down Angel's arm. "Shall we then?"
Angel grinned. "Absolutely." She turned to the others. "Lohr. Melancholy," she said, inclining her head toward each in turn. Taking Kate's hand, Angel led her out of the room.
The moment they were back on the balcony, Kate slumped against the wall. "Thanks."
"Anytime. You should always be comfortable in your surroundings."
"I feel like such a pussy," Kate admitted.
"Unnecessarily. Not everyone's tastes are the same."
Kate glanced at Angel. She was such a perfect beauty. Her flawless pale skin was the color of cream and had the same rich luster. Intricate designs were painted around one of her almond eyes, and the feather tipped lashes she wore made them seem even larger and more dramatic than they already were. All the Human Vampires she'd met were gorgeous: Slade, Angel, Lohr…maybe it was one of the perks. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"You're a Living Vampire, right?" Angel nodded. "What exactly does that mean?"
"It's different for every Sang."
"So I'm discovering," Kate said with a sigh.
Angel smiled sympathetically. "It all comes down to energy. Essentially, the Human Vampire is deficient. Our Prana is damaged and in order to be well and healthy, we must borrow it from others."
"By consuming blood?"
"Blood is the most efficient method but it isn't the only one. A fully Awakened Vampire needs little or no blood, though many prefer and crave it."
"You mean, like a Psychic Vampire."
Angel crinkled her nose. "Unfortunately, there are negative connotations associated with that term."
"Is that what you are? Is that why you can control the energy around you? You did it at La Luxure last night and then just now."
"Yes and no. Manipulating energy is a skill anyone can master."
"I doubt it."
"Are you familiar with Reiki? It's very similar. Vampires are simply more attuned to the senses than regular people. We have to be. For example, most experienced Sangs can tell a person's blood type by their scent. You," bending close to Kate's neck, Angel inhaled deeply, "are A positive."
"Wow."
Angel just smiled. "Each blood type has a unique scent and taste. I have my preferences, so it helps to know what I'm getting."
"Is it sexual for you?"
"It can be. And for many it's preferable. After all, the energy produced during sexual activity is enormous."
"So, what about bagged blood? Can it sustain you?"
"Yes, but there is so little energy left in it a Sang would potentially need to consume enormous amounts to get what they need. For some it is sufficient. Not for me."
"Hail said it was dead," Kate told her.
"Hail is mistaken. But he is not a Sang." Just as Kate expected. "He is one of my Donors." Remembering all the marks on Hail, Kate wondered exactly how large Angel's blood lust was.
"You have multiple Donors?"
Angel smiled. "There is really only one Sang whose Craving you need to understand."
Kate's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You will find Slade at Luxure. He's the Sang you're truly interested in."
Kate felt air swirling around in her mouth and realized it was wide open. Slade was not the Sang she was interested in. Why would Angel think that? Kate was interested in all Human Vampires.
Wasn't she?
Angel leaned close. "Why don't you go to him and find out?" She smiled. "It was wonderful seeing you again, Kate. I hope to again soon."
Chapter Nine
Melanie stared at Lohr in awe as he took her hand and gently pulled her to him. He was breathtakingly beautiful. His hard, angular face looked like it had been carved out of marble by a god. His thick black hair was draped over one shoulder and looked so silky and sleek and soft she just wanted to rub her cheek against it.
"Come closer, my pet," he murmured quietly. "Let me smell you."
He leaned close to her neck and inhaled deeply. Melanie closed her eyes. His breath on her skin left a trail of goose bumps.
"Ah, O positive. Very common and very sweet." His sharp fingernails traveled down her neck. "Tell me Melanie, do you like to be bitten?"
She never had been, at least not in the manner he implied, but she couldn't imagine anything more exhilarating and sexy. "Yes."
"Good." He raked his sharp teeth along her collarbone.
She nearly collapsed into him. His teeth on her neck felt so good. The promise of pain and pleasure with such a gorgeous man nearly made her swoon.
"Melanie." She felt him reach across her, and when she opened her eyes, another woman's hand rested in his and he was bringing them together. She recognized the woman from La Luxure.
"This is Satin," he said. "She loves O positives."
Running a finger up Melanie's arm, Satin grinned. "You've been with girls right?"
"Sure." And Melanie had. Several times. She'd never be with a girl alone, but to hook the right guy, Mel had no problem fooling around with another chick.
Satin leaned in. "Lohr loves to watch me eat," she whispered into Melanie's ear, slipping her hand under Melanie's corset and dragging a nipple free. She squeezed and pinched it until the nipple was rock hard and throbbing. "If you're lucky, he'll join in and then we can both fuck him later."
Melanie couldn't help it and moaned a little. "I like the taste of blood best when my Donors are turned on," Satin told her. "It's one of Lohr's favorites too."
Satin lowered to the exposed nipple and covered it with her mouth, sucking the nipple in and biting it gently. Her fingers crawled under Melanie's skirt until they found her clit and then rubbed it roughly through the silk fabric until Melanie was squirming, and dying for something hard to fill her.
"Easy, Satin, don't make her come so fast." Lohr lifted Melanie's arm gently, slowly turning it and examining the length carefully. "I see you're a cutter."
"Not any more," Melanie whimpered. Satin's fingers were free from her skirt, but she was now pressed against Melanie's side. Satin was taller, and her slowly grinding hips and rolling thighs rubbed provocatively against Melanie's sex. The nipple was still wedged between Satin's thumb and forefinger, and she squeezed and pulled on it at regular intervals.
Melanie thought she was going to die. Not literally, of course, but to be the object and center of so much sexual attention made her feel on fire.
It was rare for Melanie to feel good about anything. Sex was one of the few
joys she had left. It was why she slept with so many different guys. When they were into her, when they were coming inside her, she actually felt loved instead of like the worthless piece of shit she knew she was.
"When you cut yourself, did it make you feel good?" Lohr wondered.
"It made me feel something," she replied quietly. Satin was kissing her neck, running her tongue up the side and then capturing Melanie's earlobe and sucking.
Lohr cocked his head. "Did it make you forget all the pain inside? Make you forget how insignificant you felt when your daddy touched you."
Lohr's voice was so quiet and soothing, yet his words were so troubling. Her brow knitted together and she nodded roughly. How did he know? Did Kate tell him? She couldn't believe Kate would divulge such information, but how else would he know?
With Satin rubbing her soft body against Melanie's, the rich power and sexuality of the man next to her and the old hurt building inside her, Melanie was wracked with a slew of conflicting emotions. She just wanted to disappear into the pleasure. Numb her mind with it.
"Did you like the pain, Melanie?" Lohr slid in close, his hard body pressing against her, his voice a breathless whisper. "Did you like the feel of your blood, your very life essence, seeping down your arm and dripping onto the ground?"
"We want to make you feel all of it," Satin said. "Ecstasy, pain, love...all at once. It's like a hurricane for the senses." She bit Melanie gently on the neck. "Wanna play?"
At this point, they could have come at her with knives and she would have happily let them carve her up. "God, yes," she breathed.
Lohr produced a small scalpel from the folds of his velvet coat. "Good."
* * * *
Kate didn't know what to think as she watched Angel gracefully slink away. What made her believe Kate was interested in Slade at all? So she'd fooled around with him in the blood room at La Luxure. She was pretty sure it was common practice.
After sending Melanie a text, Kate decided to find her way downstairs. She wanted to avoid Lohr and the blood orgy and would have left immediately, but wasn't comfortable abandoning Mel like that.
She was lucky to find an empty table near the dance floor. Ordering a Sprite from the waitress, she settled in to people watch. Hopefully, Melanie would be done soon and they could take off.
At least the sights were good. The hour was late and the alcohol free flowing, so the dancing was free flowing as well. Uninhibited dancing was by far the most fun to watch, especially when the uninhibited became uncoordinated.
Unfortunately, Kate could barely concentrate on her surroundings. Her thoughts kept bouncing between the orgy upstairs and La Luxure, or more specifically, Slade at La Luxure. Whenever the overly muscled bartender pushed his way into her mind, she tried to refocus but then her thoughts would invariably drift to the mess on the second floor and she'd slam right back to Slade. Seeing Lohr without admiration clouding her vision and as the creep he was made her wonder if she'd misjudged Slade as well.
She'd been a real bitch to him. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized he didn't deserve it. She was so hung up on the way he looked she couldn't see past it. Was she that shallow?
Maybe she owed Slade an apology. She'd really led him on. No one deserved that, not even a cocky bartender.
She sent another text to Melanie. Even with Angel's assurance, Kate still wasn't convinced all the blood sharing was safe. When Mel finally responded with, It's awesome. You should have stayed, Kate realized the worst that would probably happen was a little venereal disease sharing.
She left right after she received Melanie's text. It was clear she had unfinished business at La Luxure. Slade deserved an apology.
* * * *
"What a shitty night."
Luxure's minimal patrons had all left and Slade was left alone to clean up the bar. The night had been so slow, he'd sent the staff home hours ago. It wasn't necessarily the lack of customers or tips that made the evening so shitty, but the not being busy allowed his mind to wander.
And wander it did.
His thoughts liked to dance between two topics: Kate and his increasing blood lust.
First, the blood lust. It started as a familiar tingle deep in his gut, and then slowly spread until his mouth was parched and he felt like he hadn't had a drop of water in days. It hadn't developed into the shakes or any of the other more debilitating symptoms yet, but the tingle was irritating and undeniable.
And didn't make a bit of goddamn fucking sense. He'd just satisfied his damn Craving yesterday and with a little extra to spare. Not just from Nikki but from Kate as well. He should be good for at least a few more days.
Of course, thinking about the blood lust brought him right back to Kate. Talk about an unsatisfied craving. There wasn't a part of her he didn't want to explore with his hands, his tongue, his cock... It was beyond frustrating that the first woman to get him riled up in a while happened to be a complete flake.
Slade was busy restocking the beer cooler when he heard the door open. He really needed to start remembering to lock the door.
"We're closed," he called, his head still in the cooler. When whoever was standing out there didn't respond, he popped up. "Hey, are you deaf — oh."
Kaitlyn Rose Miller was standing awkwardly in the door. She was positively stunning. She was wearing a tight dress hugging her slender frame perfectly, a corset that was hot as shit, the kickass boots she wore last night and her hair partially pinned up with tendrils of those wild red curls cascading down to her ass.
Without taking his eyes off her, Slade set the bottles of beer in his hands into the cooler. "I was just getting ready to lock up. You mind?"
"Of course not." She fumbled with the lock before finally twisting it into place.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, um." She pulled on the door to test the lock. Slade leaned on the end of the bar and watched her carefully. When she turned and saw him staring her down, she threw her gaze to the floor and nervously twisted a piece of hair behind her ears. "I just...I, um, I wanted to explain why I freaked out last night. I mean, it wasn't your fault. I'm really not the kind of girl who does that sort of thing. I don't know why I got carried away. You're not my type at all. Actually, you just...you remind me of all my brother's asshole friends. And I know it's wrong to judge, but I can't help it, I — oh!" She'd apparently been so wrapped up in her flustered pseudo apology, she didn't notice him move from behind the bar, and startled when he stood before her.
He grinned. "That's a lame ass apology, Kaitlyn Miller."
Her eyes narrowed. "Seriously? I walk all the way down here and you chastise me because my apology isn't good enough? You are the biggest ass —"
Pulling her into his arms, he cut her off with a heady kiss. She hesitated for a second before throwing her arms around his neck and returning his kiss. The minute her tongue pushed its way into his mouth, his brain immediately turned off and lust took over. His hands fell, sliding all over her body, while his tongue sparred with hers. When she locked her fingers into his hair and pressed her hips into his, he reacted on pure instinct.
Tucking his hands under her perfect thighs, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She made this sexy little whimpering sound and rolled her hot core against the hard-on he'd sprung the moment she walked through the door. He carried her to the bar and carefully set her on a barstool. It was the perfect height and his cock pressed deliciously against her sex.
Groping at his shirt, she moaned, "Take this off."
He peeled his lips away from hers just long enough to rip the T-shirt over his head. She immediately ran her fingers over his chest and stomach and Slade had to resist the urge to flex for her.
She pulled back from the kiss to look at the trail her hands were following. "Holy fuck," she breathed, sucking her lower lip between her teeth and slowly lowering her hands to his belt. "I didn't think a man could look so good," she murmured. After peeking at him from beneath her lashes, sh
e grabbed his belt and pulled his hips into her.
He caught her mouth with his as he pressed her firmly against the back of the barstool. His hands found their way up her thighs just as her fingers nimbly released his belt and the fly of his slacks. Since Slade didn't believe in extra containment for his junk, when the zipper came down, his cock came out.
Kate was unfazed. Her smooth skin was cool as she slid her palm down the length of his cock and around his balls. "Do you have a condom?"
"I do." He pulled one from his pocket and she took it from him. He always kept condoms on hand. Not really for him, but he liked to pass them out to patrons who looked like they needed one.
As she slowly rolled the condom onto his length, she made another whimpering noise. It was all he could take.
Yanking her panties off, he hooked his arms under her knees and slid into her warm, slick depths.
* * * *
When Slade's thick cock filled her, Kate tried to turn her brain on, she really did. She'd been trying to wake the thing up since she stumbled through La Luxure's front door. But all she could focus on was the smooth, muscled chest in front of her, the glorious male aroma filling her nostrils and the way her body ignited with every thrust of Slade's hips.
Her brain was completely fried by the heat Slade was generating inside her. Nothing but ecstasy could penetrate it.
Her hips, however, had a mind of their own. They eagerly rolled against him, rocking and intensifying his rhythm. He moaned, pressing her legs higher and wider.
Her body exploded. Clutching at his hugely muscled arms, she cried out as the most intense orgasm of her life shattered what was left of her feeble brain. Slade gripped the back of the barstool and pushed deep inside her, his orgasm carrying hers just a little further until her head swooned and her legs tingled.
"Goddamn, girl," he panted, slumping against her.
She felt him ease from her and the warmth and wetness that followed were like a defibrillator for her brain. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd just had sex with a guy she barely knew. Not only did she barely know him, every thing she did know indicated he was a huge player. After all, he kept condoms in his pocket! Was she fucking insane?
de Sang: Embrace Your Blood Lust Page 10