people all the time, humanity would hunt us down and exterminate us. Besides, we dislike killing. Yes, we feed on people; but they give themselves to us freely for that purpose.”
“Like who?” she demanded.
Andrei drew himself up. “Would it surprise you to know that entire races of people have made themselves our slaves and minions, just for the honor of serving us and giving us the blood we need to survive? And they’ve done it happily and willingly.”
“Then why don’t you go get one of them?” she sobbed. “Why do you have to pick on me.”
Andrei dropped to his knees in front of her. She stared into his eyes, something changed in how she saw him. The way he spoke was completely different from the way he looked at her. He longed for her. Maybe she had him at a disadvantage after all. Maybe she wasn’t as helpless as she thought.
“Isn’t it obvious why I want you, Dara?” He spoke in a low voice, so she had to strain to hear him. Some of her fear left her, and her pulse slowed. “I chose you because I want you. You, Dara, not some craven piece of meat.”
He placed both his hands on her knees. A lightning bolt shot up her legs into her gut, and what blood she had left in her body roared to life.
“I can’t resist you, Dara,” he murmured. “I have to have you, and only you. I’ve fed from thousands, but none of them hold a candle to you. I can’t live without you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I want you for all eternity,” he told her, “and not just for feeding. I want you, Dara. I want to join my life to yours, so we can be together always. You’re mine, aren’t you, Dara?”
Did he want her body or her blood? She couldn’t think straight anymore.
He pleaded. “Don’t you want me, too?”
“Maybe,” she said after a time.
“I know you do.” He moved closer.
Dara struggled against the gravity of his presence.
She said, “You sway you want me to be one of your companions. But I’m not like all those others that give themselves away.” She couldn’t stop the buzzing in her head. It traveled to the far corners of her body and changed every cell of her being into something different.
“I know,” Andrei said. “That’s why I don’t want you to be just my companion; I want you to be my consort. I can’t keep my hands off you. My body aches for you. You wouldn’t turn me away, would you, Dara?”
He leaned down and rested his head against the inside of her thigh. Dara fought, but she couldn’t keep her thoughts clear. Was he going to bleed her again, or was he planning to take her to bed? She couldn’t say yes, and she couldn’t say no.
His hand ran up her sides to her ribs. Dara couldn’t resist. She had to have him. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and he fell into her arms.
He smiled, and the lamplight gleaming on his white teeth sent a shiver up her spine.
She dropped her hands, but Andrei took over where she left off. His lips hovered over her.
She threw her head back to meet his kiss, but he veered off at the last moment. He lowered his head and nuzzled the side of her neck. He stroked her sensitive skin with his rough cheek, and he breathed her in.
“So good,” he murmured. “So sweet and strong and good. You don’t know.”
At the last moment, he pulled back. “I can’t. You’re too weak.”
But Dara wanted it. “I can handle it. Take me.”
“No, I won’t bite you tonight,” he said, then he kissed the marks on her throat. “But soon.”
Chapter Five
Dara rested her head on Andrei’s chest. His hand caressed her cheek and brushed the hair back from her forehead.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” he told her. “I’ve been around for a very long time.”
“Have you had many other…?” She struggled to remember their conversation. “What did you call them? Companions?”
Andrei smiled. “Yes. Many. I hope that doesn’t make you jealous.”
“I don’t envy anybody who has to
“Like who?” she demanded.
Andrei drew himself up. “Would it surprise you to know that entire races of people have made themselves our slaves and minions, just for the honor of serving us and giving us the blood we need to survive? And they’ve done it happily and willingly.”
“Then why don’t you go get one of them?” she sobbed. “Why do you have to pick on me.”
Andrei dropped to his knees in front of her. She stared into his eyes, something changed in how she saw him. The way he spoke was completely different from the way he looked at her. He longed for her. Maybe she had him at a disadvantage after all. Maybe she wasn’t as helpless as she thought.
“Isn’t it obvious why I want you, Dara?” He spoke in a low voice, so she had to strain to hear him. Some of her fear left her, and her pulse slowed. “I chose you because I want you. You, Dara, not some craven piece of meat.”
He placed both his hands on her knees. A lightning bolt shot up her legs into her gut, and what blood she had left in her body roared to life.
“I can’t resist you, Dara,” he murmured. “I have to have you, and only you. I’ve fed from thousands, but none of them hold a candle to you. I can’t live without you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I want you for all eternity,” he told her, “and not just for feeding. I want you, Dara. I want to join my life to yours, so we can be together always. You’re mine, aren’t you, Dara?”
Did he want her body or her blood? She couldn’t think straight anymore.
He pleaded. “Don’t you want me, too?”
“Maybe,” she said after a time.
“I know you do.” He moved closer.
Dara struggled against the gravity of his presence.
She said, “You sway you want me to be one of your companions. But I’m not like all those others that give themselves away.” She couldn’t stop the buzzing in her head. It traveled to the far corners of her body and changed every cell of her being into something different.
“I know,” Andrei said. “That’s why I don’t want you to be just my companion; I want you to be my consort. I can’t keep my hands off you. My body aches for you. You wouldn’t turn me away, would you, Dara?”
He leaned down and rested his head against the inside of her thigh. Dara fought, but she couldn’t keep her thoughts clear. Was he going to bleed her again, or was he planning to take her to bed? She couldn’t say yes, and she couldn’t say no.
His hand ran up her sides to her ribs. Dara couldn’t resist. She had to have him. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and he fell into her arms.
He smiled, and the lamplight gleaming on his white teeth sent a shiver up her spine.
She dropped her hands, but Andrei took over where she left off. His lips hovered over her.
She threw her head back to meet his kiss, but he veered off at the last moment. He lowered his head and nuzzled the side of her neck. He stroked her sensitive skin with his rough cheek, and he breathed her in.
“So good,” he murmured. “So sweet and strong and good. You don’t know.”
At the last moment, he pulled back. “I can’t. You’re too weak.”
But Dara wanted it. “I can handle it. Take me.”
“No, I won’t bite you tonight,” he said, then he kissed the marks on her throat. “But soon.”
Chapter Five
Dara rested her head on Andrei’s chest. His hand caressed her cheek and brushed the hair back from her forehead.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” he told her. “I’ve been around for a very long time.”
“Have you had many other…?” She struggled to remember their conversation. “What did you call them? Companions?”
Andrei smiled. “Yes. Many. I hope that doesn’t make you jealous.”
“I don’t envy anybody who has to
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