“Who is this doctor? You said he knew your mother?”
“He was an old friend of hers and she only trusted him. My mom was really protective of us. She didn’t want her daughters to be treated by some careless doctor who might mess up. She read the news a lot and would point out malpractice lawsuits as reasons why we needed to go to Dr. Brent for everything, so he’s always taken care of me. He kept seeing me even though I couldn’t afford to pay him after our parents died, for the visits to refill my prescriptions. Bat and I would drive to see him once a month until we moved back to California after she got her law degree. He said we were like family to him.”
“Your mother knew of your Vampire needs, and this doctor knows what you really are too. That’s why you can’t get your prescriptions filled by a pharmacy. Your doctor gets it from the Vampires. It’s not iron you’ve been dosed with. I tasted what I suspect is blood, mixed with a little bit of a sedative, plus a light chemical…something that probably keeps it from clotting.”
It put a new spin on things. “Are you sure? You just said you know the taste of blood, but you don’t seem sure.”
“It’s almost like a synthetic of blood, or maybe mixed. It was odd but had the same metallic taste. The sedative was probably added to prevent you from feeling a blood high. You would have felt that otherwise.”
“A blood high?”
“It can range from feeling aroused to experiencing a sense of being intoxicated. Dr. Brent isn’t human. I’d bet on that. He either makes up your shots himself or, as I said, he gets it from Vampires.”
“You expect me to believe Dr. Brent steals blood from different people to put in my shots?” She scoffed. “No. He’s a nice man.”
“He could have taken the blood from other patients he has, or some Vampires own blood banks. They pay money to those who donate.”
“Why? Can’t they just grab someone and take it?”
“They can but some Vampires have been known to inject blood when they travel or need to go into hiding. I’m not sure what they add to it so it doesn’t coagulate but we’ve been aware of the practice for some years.”
“But Dr. Brent seems so normal.”
“Most of the non-humans do in the cities. They’ve had to learn to hide what they are. I’m guessing your doctor is a sympathetic Lycan or Vampire who helped your mother out when she had children.”
“You mean a VampLycan.”
“No. It’s extremely rare for one of us to move to a city. Your mother is the only exception I’ve ever heard of. You’ve seen one of us changed. There’s no way anyone could mistake us for a wolf or a coyote in a park if they ever caught sight of us shifted. Lycans live in wooded areas if possible, or near big parks so they can shift and run from time to time. They need to shift or, as I said, they can get sick after a while. Vampires prefer big cities. Tons of feeding options, it’s easy to blend in, and they are a lot more social with humans than Lycans are. Your doctor has to live in the city if he’s been treating you all of your life. VampLycans can visit cities, even stay there for a few months if they have business to attend to, but never more than that.”
“I’ve seen Dr. Brent during the day.” She paused. “But none of the rooms have windows. I never realized that until now. His offices are set up in a basement of a large building.” She wondered suddenly if the man she’d always known could really be a Vampire or a werewolf. “Is it true that Vampires sleep during the day? I’ve been to his office plenty of times during daylight hours.”
“He’s probably a sympathetic Lycan. Old Vampires can move around whenever they want but younger ones lapse into comas when the sun rises, until it sets.”
“Do you transform every full moon?”
He snorted. “That’s bullshit movie stuff. I admit it calls to us but we don’t have to shift. It’s more a case of better hunting, since most animals tend to let their guard down when the lighting is better.” He took a deep breath. “You need blood, Dusti. Face it. We lost your shots. I’m going to have to bleed so you get better.”
“Tag, huh? You’re it?” She winced. “I don’t think I can do it. Even if I were willing—and I’m so glad I’m blind with how dark it is because I’d faint at seeing blood—that’s just so gross.”
“I’ll distract you.”
“I don’t think—”
His lips closed over hers. The kiss stunned her but when his tongue invaded her mouth, it quickly snapped her out of it. She kissed him back. Just the taste of him, the feel of his tongue exploring hers, sent desire shooting throughout her body. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, pulled him closer, and he unwound his arms from behind her. He reached between them.
She heard his zipper moving, knew when he lifted them both that he’d tugged down his jeans enough to free his cock, but she wanted him to. Her hand slid lower over his chest to explore his tight abs until her fingers curled around hot, aroused flesh. His cock felt thick, velvety, but also reminded her of steel from how hard it was.
He growled into their kiss, tearing his mouth away from hers. Dusti protested.
“Don’t stop.”
“Lean back for me. Arch your hips so I can reach you.” His voice came out harsh, deep, and sexy as hell.
She released his cock to lean away from him a bit. Her hands reached back to curve around the tops of his thighs just below the knee to brace her body. She raised her hips a little off his lap until a few inches of space separated them. He delved his hand between her parted thighs, found her clit and massaged it. He used his other hand to shove the material of the shirt she wore out of his way. His calloused palm surfed up her stomach until he teased her nipple with his fingers.
Dusti threw her head back and moaned. She wiggled against his talented fingers, knowing it wouldn’t take long for her to come. Drantos’s touch made her hotter than hell. Everything he did seemed amplified a hundred times from what lesser men had made her feel when they put their hands or mouths on her.
“You’re getting so damn wet,” he rasped in that harsh tone. “You smell so incredibly good that I want you over my face again but now isn’t the time.”
She disagreed but only managed to moan instead of getting the words out. Her hips rocked against his fingers. He pinched her nipple, jolting her passion to a higher level, and made her ache painfully to come.
He released her nipple with one hand and pulled the other away from her pussy. “Lift up and take me.”
She didn’t know what he meant until he took over. He gripped her hips, lifted them with his strong hands, and she had no choice but to sit up. She blindly found his shoulders, clutched the tops of them to keep her balance, while he slowly eased her down on top of his cock. The broad head of it pressed against her pussy, slid a little in the slickness of her need, and then he eased her weight down.
Dusti’s nails bit into his skin as she moaned. Her face fell forward until her forehead rested on the curve of his shoulder. He tortured her with the unhurried way he eased inside her. The thickness of his cock stretched her vaginal walls until he was all she could feel.
A soft snarl tore from Drantos. His grip on her made her entire body shake slightly when he seemed to tremble too. He froze there to keep her suspended over him.
“Wrap your arms around me,” he ordered.
His deep, passion-rough voice made her hotter. He didn’t even sound human but she sure hoped he wouldn’t change into a beast under her. She ran her hands over hot skin, not feeling any hair. She relaxed from the tension the thought of him shifting had caused.
She wound her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. He lowered her more, until her ass rested on his bared thighs. He was all the way inside her. She moaned, adjusted her knees to brace on the moss next to his hips, and lifted her weight up. She sank down, moaning again at the wonderful sensation of him inside her. She started to slowly ride him.
Ecstasy had her crying out against his skin with her parted mouth. Every nerve ending seemed focused on the slide of his cock whi
le she moved. Drantos growled softly, his hands cupping and squeezing her ass. It helped her glide up and down on him until he tightened his hold, halting her.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded. “I’m so close.”
“You need blood. Trust me. I don’t want to stop either but you need to take from me. I’m going to reach up to scratch my skin.” He took a ragged breath. “Then I’m going to fuck you until you come, sweetheart. Trust me on that. Just take my blood while I do it.”
“I don’t know if—”
He lowered her fast on his cock, making her cry out in rapture. He held her still with his strength.
“You’ll do it for me—for us. I’m not going to allow you to stop me from caring for you. You’re mine.”
His words didn’t make sense but the flames of burning desire inside her body could only make her concentrate on her lust. He released her ass with one hand, reaching up. His entire body stiffened for a second, and then he gasped.
“Drink, Dusti. Do it for me.”
The irony scent of his blood filled her nose. She felt wetness against the side of her lip, a little to her left on his neck. His hand returned to grip her ass and he lifted her, nearly withdrew totally from her body, and pulled her down again. She cried out in pleasure.
He froze. “Drink.”
She turned her head, opened her mouth, and tasted the coppery wetness found there. She hesitated but Drantos started to move, his hips bucking under her thighs, driving in and out of her pussy in deep strokes that stole her breath from the raw intensity of sexual hunger. She licked at him, not caring anymore that she was drinking blood, as long as he didn’t stop. The climax built, her vaginal walls gripping him tighter and upping her pleasure. She sucked on his neck as frantically as she wanted to come.
Drantos snarled. “That’s it, sweetheart. Damn, you’re perfect.”
His hands lifted her hips and slammed her on his pumping hips faster. She cried out, released his skin, and started to climax hard. Her entire body jerked from the blinding pleasure. She seized, shook violently, and clung to him for dear life.
Drantos suddenly turned his head, nudged her, and she felt a sharp bite of pain where shoulder met neck. She cried out as another climax tore through her, the second time as violent as the first. Drantos shook with her, his hips bucking under her, and she felt it when he came. Hot jets of his semen warmed her insides.
They stilled, both panting, until Drantos released her neck. His tongue lapped at where he’d bitten her. The pain eased until she only felt the rasp of his tongue on her skin. She lay against him limply, her body too tired to even attempt to move.
He softly growled. “You’re mine, Dusti.”
“I felt you.”
“I bit your neck. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to but I couldn’t resist. I just needed to taste you again.”
“I meant when you got off too. I’ve never felt a guy come inside me before.”
He nuzzled her neck again. “There are going to be a lot of new things we’ll experience together.”
He tipped his head back and Dusti startled when he licked her along her jawline. She pulled back.
“What are you doing?”
“Cleaning my blood off you.”
She grimaced, realizing she’d actually taken his blood. “Seriously?”
“Do you want to scare your sister when she sees you in the morning? There’s no doubt she heard us.” He chuckled, his voice not as deep as when they’d had sex. “You’ve got blood all over your face. Turn toward me. You know you like my tongue.”
She hesitated. “I guess some handy wet wipes would be great to have right now.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t here. I am. Allow me to clean you.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and held still while he slowly licked the blood away. It felt weird but not unpleasant, especially when he sealed his lips over hers to brush a tender kiss there. She parted her mouth to deepen it but he pulled back.
“If I kiss you, I’m going to fuck you again. You’re exhausted.”
She realized his cock remained rock hard inside her. “I know you came so why aren’t you softening?”
“I’m not human.”
“Right.” She rested her cheek against the curve of his shoulder. “I don’t feel weak or dizzy anymore. I guess taking your blood worked. I don’t want to believe this but I can’t dispute the fact that the blood is affecting me the way the shots do.” She actually felt better faster than she normally did. “Thank you.”
“Never thank me for giving you what you need. It’s my privilege and honor to care for you.”
She chewed on her lip. He sounded sincere. Part of her felt uncomfortable with the situation. She hadn’t known him that long but they’d just had sex. It was a first for her. She normally dated someone for months before taking that step. Drantos was different. It wasn’t just because of how they’d met or the fact that they’d gone through so much together in such a short time. There was a strong attraction Dusti hoped they shared. She wondered if he felt the same way.
“Was this just sex to you?”
“No.” He held her tighter.
“Okay.” She relaxed a little.
“I’ve never felt this way about someone else.”
She liked hearing that. “Me either.” She was warm now, no longer cold, and felt comfortable in his arms. They were still physically joined since he kept her on his lap. It was the most intimate after-sex time she’d spent with a man. The silence bothered her, though; made her feel like the emotional connection was missing. She just wanted to hear his voice so she said the first thing that came to mind.
“Talk about firsts. I’ve never jumped into bed with someone this fast—and I drank some of your blood. Are you a little freaked-out too because you bit me during sex?”
He didn’t say anything.
“Did you fall asleep already? I know guys conk out after sex but I thought you were different.”
“What do you mean by freaked-out?”
“You know, the whole being bitten and having sex thing.”
He cleared his throat. “You’ll get used to it.”
He spoke so quietly she barely heard the words, but she had. Uneasiness slowly sank into her. “You’ve done this before then? You bite women during sex?” Does he do this often?
She’d thought what they did was special. She was feeling things for him. Did that mean he’d just walk away in the end? What they’d shared had felt so exceptional to her.
He cleared his throat again and he massaged her with his hands. She thought he would lift her off him but instead he settled her more firmly against him. “Neither of us were virgins.”
“What does one have to do with the other?”
He held her just a little tighter. “You know how you don’t want to know my actual age? I believe this is another subject you don’t want to discuss tonight.”
Confusion had her lifting her head away from him. She wished she could see his face. “What are you not saying? Now I’m going to imagine all kinds of bad stuff. Just tell me. Do you drink blood from all the women you have sex with? Is what we just did together your normal?”
He took a deep breath. “Fine. Sometimes during sex, VampLycans draw blood. It’s foreplay if they are into rough sex, or if they want to test to see if the woman could be their mate. One will bite, but we don’t bite each other at the same time.”
She let that sink in. The image of Drantos with other women, allowing them to fuck and suck on him, wasn’t one she enjoyed at all. She forced her body to relax and rested her head against his shoulder again. It’s not as if we’re engaged or even dating, she reasoned, trying not to feel jealous but failing. Pain surfaced too. What they’d done was way out of her comfort zone and she’d mistaken it for a lot more than he seemed to.
“Dusti? I can feel your heart pounding. I told you that you didn’t want to know.”
“It’s no biggie,” she lied.
He remained silent. She held st
ill for a full minute.
“I should get off you. I can’t sleep with you inside me.”
He softly cursed. “I shouldn’t have told you. You’re angry.”
“No. I just don’t sleep straddling a guy’s lap with his dick buried inside me.”
He growled. “You will with me.”
“I still plan to curl up on your lap. You’re keeping me warm.”
“You’ll stay where you belong.”
That had her eyebrows lifting. “What does that mean?”
“Sleep. You need to rest. You’re comfortable and warm where you are. You’re right where I want you.”
“Just because I fucked you doesn’t mean you can order me around.”
His body tensed. “Sleep, Dusti. We’ll finish this argument in the morning if you want to have one. We need to rest. It’s been a long day.”
She relaxed. “Fine. We’ll fight in the morning. If I wasn’t exhausted, you’d be in a world of shit though for acting all caveman with me.”
His hands roamed her body, massaging where he touched. “None of them mattered, sweetheart. You’re special to me. You and I exchanged blood together during sex. That’s a first for me.”
Some of her anger eased. He probably said that to all the women he had sex with but she wanted to believe it. She allowed the exhaustion to take hold. She didn’t want to deal with the fact that she might be falling in love with someone who wasn’t human and that her entire world had turned upside down.
I’m not totally human either. Tears filled her eyes but his massaging hands on her body soothed her into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Eight
Drantos woke before dawn. He knew he’d messed up the night before. He never wanted to lie to Dusti but admitting that some biting during sex wasn’t rare with VampLycans had angered her. It was possible it even hurt her feelings.
Her slow breathing assured him that she still slept. His own anger stirred when he remembered the shape she’d been in when he’d found her curled into a ball, near death.
His pure hatred for Decker burned inside his chest. The clan leader had forced his only daughter to flee into the human world to escape a horrible fate of being sent to the cliffs to live with a GarLycan. Dusti’s mother, Antina, had either told the human she’d lived with the truth about her being a VampLycan, to actually form a mating bond with him, or she’d bypassed her instincts. It would have been difficult to get pregnant but not impossible if she snuck his blood, taking hold of his mind to make him forget afterward. It was a depressing thought to have to live with someone that way.