"You won't let me kiss you." He pouted. "If he gets to kiss you then I should get to kiss you, too."
I rolled my eyes. "If we live through tonight I promise I'll kiss you!" He smiled.
What was getting myself into with these two?!
We went up the now familiar walkway and the door opened for us. It was William who greeted us. Well, greet might be an overstatement. He just held the door opened for us until we were inside. Then he closed it and walked away.
Tony didn't even acknowledge him. That's what it was to be a Third. I remembered suddenly why I was afraid. He led the way to the lower level but he did glance behind him, his eyes lingering on the dress.
"You're beautiful in that dress. It was a great choice." Tony glanced at my breasts. "There won't be a male in there not looking at your...you! Looking at you."
I smiled shakily. "Thank you." I think it was a compliment.
It was so quiet in the lower level. Instead of the thirty or forty people present the night before, there were a hundred or more! And they were eerily quiet.
There were wall to wall Vampires that parted to give us a path to the Council table. There wasn't even a murmur as we made our way through the crowd. Paul was so close to my back that I could feel his knees every time he took a step. It was reassuring to know that he was back there.
I looked at as many people as I could see. If I didn't know of the existence of Vampires I would have thought I was in a room full of Goths. Was that it? Were Goths actually Vampires?! If there was a later I was going to ask Tony.
Tony led us behind a long table. Again, it was sheathed in a white table cloth that looked pristine in the darkened basement. The table was completely bare except for goblets, each filled with a thick dark liquid.
"How nice of you to join us...half an hour late." The blonde Council woman said. Tonight she didn't look like the Goddess she had the first time I'd seen her. She was dressed in a black velvet evening gown. It looked like it was a hundred years old...and not in a good way.
The K.D. Lang look-a-like glanced at my dress then looked me up and down wordlessly. She had stark black hair cut in a short, boyish style. She was wearing a ruffled short waisted jacket and tight black pants.
Craggy face stared at me unabashed. He really did look like a Vampire. He was whiter than even the whitest Vampire in the room. His hair was black and lank. It ran long over his shoulders and appeared dirty. He was tall and thin and dressed in a black, satin duster that touched the floor and beneath it he had on some scary dominatrix exposed-nipple-thing. He smiled then showed me the tip of a really long tongue. I looked at something else.
Kaniji was next to him but she didn't bother to even look in my direction. She was dressed sharp in another kimono of black satin. Her face was made up like a Geisha. It was really striking against all the black. She even had the Geisha hair with beautiful ornaments dangling from it.
Next to her was the Elder. He watched me without expression. To him I nodded just a bit. He returned the acknowledgement. I couldn't help but shudder. I had the distinct feeling that something dead had traced its fingers down my spine.
Tony turned to the crowd. I was standing next to him with Paul at my back. He was still close enough that if I inhaled too deeply we'd have bumped into each other.
"Let the ceremony begin!" Tony's voice carried across the large room. He turned to me. "Kim Russell. You may pay homage to the Council."
I I froze for a moment before Tony's voice entered my head.
"You must make a small offering of your blood to each of the Council Members. They in turn will make a small offering to you."
My brow crinkled in alarm. Did he mention this before?! I did not want to put my mouth on that disgusting craggy man's neck. And Kaniji?!
"This is very important, Kim. This is how the Council will link with you...and you with them. Come to me first. I will show you."
We were already standing next to each other so I just turned to him. I leaned in to offer my neck but he took my wrist, turning it inward to expose the fine veins there. His teeth dropped and he pressed his lips to the skin there. I felt a slight nip that was more pleasurable then painful.
"I am Tony Yates. My command is over the Third Moon house. My Second is Tige Lafayette. As my house guest, as well as my liege..." At this point he gave a stern look to the crowd. "I offer you my patronage as well as my protection." There was a murmur within the crowd that was sweeping considering the number of people in the room.
Tony had told me that he'd had my back before. But somehow announcing it at this initiation was very significant.
"Now say something nice. Thank you will do." Tony spoke in my head.
"Tony." I said looking into his eyes deeply. "Thank you."
He held out his arm, wrist up. Under much pressure I tried thinking...food...food, blood...drop teeth. But within my mouth were only my normal teeth. Pressure. It was just too much pressure.
"Smell the blood beneath my skin..." Tony's voice floated in my head. This was so embarrassing…
I placed my lips against his wrist and the scent of him wrapped around me. I had taken his blood once before and instantly my body recognized him as food. My teeth lowered sluggishly, but they lowered. Behind me I felt Paul sigh slightly in relief.
Gently, mimicking Tony's move I allowed my teeth to scratch and break his skin lightly. Tony watched me intently as I enclosed the wound with my lips. My tongue briefly lapped at the salty liquid. Instantly I wanted more.
I felt him brace himself and that slight move caused me to lower his wrist reluctantly. Tony's eyes were tinged in gold now. I felt the goose pimples rise on my arms and my nipples tightened to my horror. In this dress it was like I was suddenly standing there nude. Tony swallowed the last traces of my blood...however, I really don't think there was much blood. I think he was just swallowing.
I reached behind me and gestured for Paul to follow me, then, in unison we turned to the Goddess Lady.
I offered her my wrist. Her lips were pressed tight in disapproval. I had never seen another Vampire feed, but she let me know that I was doing it all wrong, just by the expression on her face. There was so much happening to me at once, but this was essential--I had to learn to control my teeth and I had to learn to control the blood lust. Don't screw the food...don't kill the flood...
Ignoring my offered arm she thrust her wrist at me. Ok...she wanted me to bite her first. I took her arm with determination and gently nipped drawing beads of blood which I quickly swiped away with my tongue. Yum...different. Delicious, though. I released my hold on her.
She looked at me with her cold grey eyes. "I am Cyrene Asta. My rule is over the OUO of Hadrians Osunda or sector 6 as commonly called. My second is Perry Ullman." A very muscular man standing in the front of the audience took a slight step forward. He was wearing tight leather pants and a silk peasant shirt opened to expose his massive chest. He looked like he would have been some type of Viking or something with his blonde hair and steely eyes like Cyrene's. He inclined his head slightly in my general direction, not directly meeting my eyes. I inclined my head to him.
Cyrene finished her introduction. "I welcome you to the Council of the Neratomay."
I had long since lowered my wrist but she took it lightly held between two fingers. I felt the slightest scratch as she put her lips against my skin. She barely drew any blood and her tongue barely brushed me...still I felt something strange, not just the goose pimples, although she had definitely given me those. I couldn't put my fingers on exactly what it was.
"Cyrene Asta, thank you." She averted her eyes from mine but I could see her cheeks were flushed. She actually looked nice with the added color.
Paul and I moved to Miss K.D. Lange. Her dark eyes watched me curiously then she examined my breast with a lingering thoroughness that left me feeling like taking a shower.
"O-kay then." Paul was thinking. She thrust her arm at me. I took her hand and lightly pressed my teeth against her wrist. When blood bead
ed there I allowed my tongue to swiftly swipe it away. Mmmm. Sweet...very sweet.
She stared at me with her dark dark eyes but I would not squirm under her gaze. I expected her to make her introduction and then take blood as Cyrene had done, but she swiftly reached out and grasped my arm. She watched me closely as she raised my wrist to her lips. She flicked out her tongue; one long enough to make Gene Simmons proud, then she let it glide along the raw wounds left by Tony and Cyrene.
It felt fucking creepy and I couldn't control the shiver that ran up my spine. Her teeth were already dropped and she sank them firmly into my wrist.
I gasped and Paul made an almost step forward but I stayed him with my free hand, out of sight of the crowd. Miss K.D. Lange didn't miss the motion though and she eyed Paul over my wrist as she sucked on me firmly.
It was so sick the way she kept trying to draw the blood out of the bite, like she was sucking a thick shake through a straw!
"Damnit, what is she trying to do, suck your pussy out of your wrist?!" Paul thought angrily.
I couldn't help it. A burst of laughter slipped from my lips.
The Vampire's eyes fell back on me and her face grew dark. She dropped my arm unceremoniously and scowled at me showing bloody teeth and lips. She had bitten me hard enough to start the blood flowing slowly. Now it was trailing into the palm of my hand. It was such a waste of Paul's blood that it kinda pissed me off.
We stared at each other so long that I didn't think she would ever introduce herself, but finally she spoke. Her voice had a slight Russian accent.
"I am Keada Borejka. My reign is over the Dynasty of the Kipchaks and my bloodline runs directly from Peter the Great." She raised her head proudly. Keada didn't like being laughed at, apparently. "My second in command is Jo Jo Seck." She stared at my breasts again. "I offer you...succor in your time of transition."
"What the hell does succor mean?" I thought, resisting the urge to cross my arms over my chest.
"Aid, support," came Paul's response. I think she was offering me more than that.
A slight man had stepped out of the group. Happily I took that opportunity to look elsewhere.
OH Hell! That wasn't a man...it was a jacked up female! She looked straight up like a man; flat chested and rippling muscles. She was spray tanned and blonde with long hair that was completely out of place on her man's body.
"Thank you Keada Borejka." I said preferring to look at her rather than Jo Jo. I quickly walked past her still feeling a creepy shiver down my back.
Next was the craggy faced Vamp. He was smiling at me...but somehow I didn't think he was offering me greeting. His smile was more on the leering side. Oh please let this end...
My wrist was definitely throbbing now after the sucking that Keada had done on it. I didn't even want to know what the guy in the HELL RAISER outfit was going to do to me.
He politely offered me his arm, wrist poised out. Ugh. I didn't think he'd washed with soap in a long time. He still had that smirk on his face. These damned council members sure had a lot to learn about hospitality. No matter how unpleasant they were trying to be I wasn't allowing them to intimidate me. I was a Council member, too; equally.
I nipped him sharply and felt him blow out a breath. It took a moment for the blood to bead up but when it did I barely tasted it. It could have been Krystal and I wouldn't have enjoyed the taste he creeped me out so much.
Now I was confused about the order of things. Did I offer the wrist or wait for the introduction?
I gave him the wrist. He leaped on it. My eyes about jumped out of my head and I'm surprised that I didn't flash myself out the door. Paul put his hand on my waist in response to the movement.
He lapped at the spilled blood on my palm and fingers. I held back a gag. When it finally came, his bite was uncomfortable but evidently bites from vampires weren't the same as bites from animals or humans. To be bitten by a Vampire brought a euphoria. I could now identify that it was the feeling I hadn't initially understand. I had felt that with each bite, but with this man there was also pain. I think there was pain because he wanted there to be.
I felt his tongue worm its way into the wound in a vaguely sexual way that made me want to squirm. I didn't dare pull away though. He was making grunting noises now that reminded me of a rutting animal.
"Hang in there..." This from Tony.
I felt Paul's fingertips digging into my hips. I don't think he knew he was doing it. I didn't know how much he would be able to take before he blew up.
"We get through this Paul and you're going to get a big...French kiss..." I thought to him. I could feel him turn his attention to me and that was a weird sensation. I didn't just sense thoughts, but actions, too.
"A kiss...And you'll need to feed again."
"Stand closer to me. I want to feel you against me." I heard Paul gasp.
He took the half a step that brought him flush against me. I could feel his breathing, I could feel his blood rushing through his veins.
"Tonight..." he was thinking, more to himself than to me.
The craggy face man was watching me now and he knew that he no longer had my attention. Spitefully I gave him an apologetic half smile as if to say, 'Oh, I'm sorry. Weren't you finished yet?'
He looked at me in disgust that his attempts to disturb me had been thwarted. He pushed my wrist away from him. I resisted the urge to rub it.
"Frank Kaplan." He said in a surprisingly normal voice. All American name and he sounded like he was from Jersey! "Nice to meet you. I'm the big boss of Casa del Sensational...or sector 8." He gave me a bored look. "My second is the beautiful, sensational, Boom Boom Goldberg. Welcome to the Council of Bourgeoisie Bullshit Artist." He bowed low and peeked at my breasts.
"Thanks." I said and walked away from him. Thank goodness Paul was at my back or I think Frank would have pinched my ass. If Miss Boom Boom Goldberg stepped forward from the crowd I missed it because next was Kaniji.
I faced her. This is what I feared. She looked at me for what might have been the first time that night. Her face was calm.
She held out the stub. How did I know she was going to do that? It was ugly and raw and I truly didn't want to look at it, touch it and especially not put my mouth on it. I hid a grimace and gripped her elbow to bring what was left of her wrist to me. But she was being uncooperative and made sure the stump was pointing straight at my face so that I would be forced touch it in order to position her properly.
Bitch! I was thinking as I bit the tender skin. The blood came faster than I had expected and we both gasped. I'm sure there had been pain since I had not used my tongue to soothe it. I couldn't let my tongue touch her, I just couldn't. I formed a seal with my lips and allowed her hot liquid to flood my mouth on its own.
I sighed again. Not so bad when I could concentrate on the taste of her. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation her blood caused within my body. I was getting really warm. I stopped suddenly disgusted when I realized that I had been sucking on her stump. Still, I respectfully lowered her arm instead of dropping it distatestefully.
Kaniji watched me blankly but I thought I could see a slight tremor about her lips.
I offered her my wrist. It was punctured and bloody and I refused to even look at it because it brought the pain back to life.
Kaniji turned her head away from the wrist in rejection.
Okay. What now?
"I would prefer your neck." She spoke calmly.
"Tony?!" I thought frantically.
"Damnit! She can request your neck. Most don't because it is more personal, between close friends or lovers. But she is within her rights to request it. Thing is, you don't have to let her. But it's about politics right now, Baby. If you don't offer her your neck then it can be construed as a weakness; like you're afraid. And if you do it means that you are stronger than her. If she hurts you at this point she comes out looking bad; opportunistic as if the only way that she could get you is to take a cheap shot."
"Fuc
king politics, Paul." I explained to him because I could feel his question. "I'm going to give her my neck."
"Oh shit..." was his response.
I let my head fall back and to the side.
Kaniji seemed surprised. She was smaller than me so she had to stretch to get into position. I braced myself.
But surprisingly what she did was quite delicate. Her lips were light on my neck. The bite was swift and painless. I couldn't remember how the actual bite had felt with Tige, but what I did remember is the emotion that came with being bitten. I almost swooned. The pleasure that washed over me was instantaneous. I felt Kaniji suckling gently and the sensation made me tighten down low in a way that I had never experienced with a woman. Through the wave of pleasure was also a panic far back in my mind.
Kaniji placed her hand gently on my waist, the other on my shoulder and she pressed her body against me.