Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Chapter
Nineteen
“No way! I can’t drink that,” Carina said, horrified by the thick blood in the cup he’d set in front of her.
Everything inside her screamed for the nourishment, but her mind struggled with drinking blood. She’d throw up if she even got it close to her face. As her need grew, Carina locked her muscles to keep from grabbing it and chugging it.
Marcus slid into her mind. You’re thinking too hard. Let’s figure out what we are going to do today. Perhaps you should call in sick so we can make plans. The sun is bright today. Immediately, it will prickle at your skin like a bad sunburn when the rays touch you. He continued talking to her, holding her attention away from the thick liquid that eased her discomfort. When the cup clicked down on the table, she stared at the empty container.
“You tricked me.”
“And I’ll do it again. The first time is the hardest. How do you feel?”
“Less shaky,” she admitted.
“Good. That’s B-negative blood. You’ll have to remember that one and compare to see what you like better.”
“Blood types taste differently?” she asked, staring at him in fascination.
“They do. You’ll see. They also vary between warm and cold. The best is direct from a human, but that won’t happen for a while.”
That idea rattled her a bit. Confused, she asked, “Why, Daddy?”
“Seeing you drink from someone else may take me a thousand years to permit. I’m guessing you’d rather I didn’t rip someone’s throat out because you were so intimate with them.”
“No. I don’t want you to do that. Well, unless they’re a bad guy. Then I really don’t wish to be close to them.”
“Your fangs serve two purposes. Drinking and killing.” He stopped and smiled at her. “Fangs up, Little girl.”
“Darn it. I’m having a tough time remembering not to let them down. Especially when we’re talking about B-L-O-O-D,” she spelled, hoping not saying the word would help her control herself.
“Elevator,” Marcus whispered. “Fixed.”
Carina’s tongue traced over her normal teeth. “That worked. I only have to picture something I hate?”
“I don’t know. Let’s experiment.” Marcus swatted her bottom.
“Hey! I’m being good.”
“Fangs.”
“Shit! Again. Ouch!” she yelped when her tongue whisked over her sharp canines. “Fucking elevator!”
“No fangs. I believe we’ve found a solution for you,” Marcus said with a fond smile.
“I can understand dealing with them when I’m around… red stuff, but why when you spanked me?”
“When I caress you, your teeth descend. Feeding and making love are both arousing activities. Spanking and sex appear to be linked in your mind.”
“Nuh, uh,” she protested vigorously, shaking her head as she avoided his knowing gaze. “Let’s focus on the real problem. I can’t fang out at the hospital. Someone will try to stake me.”
“There is a solution to that,” he suggested.
“What?”
“You never return. Is your job rewarding?”
“I detest it. Every minute I’m there, I hate it. I deal with the worst of the tangled messes. The employees are awful. They’re afraid I’m going to find out it’s their screwup. Meanwhile, the patients are struggling to pay sky-high bills.”
“Then you don’t go back.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “I have to earn money.”
“You don’t, really. You’re my mate and my Little girl. Taking care of you makes me happy.”
“I don’t want to be a leech. I like working.”
“Then, you can start with Darius. He needs help. He’s already impressed by your skills. If you flash your teeth at Nightfall, it’s no big deal. And you won’t have to wake up at five during the week.”
“I do hate to get up in the morning,” she agreed.
“You would need to quit your job at the hospital within the next ten years anyway. Remember, people tend to notice we don’t age after a while.”
“Oh, yeah. You warned me about that”
“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror today, Carina?” Marcus asked, smiling at her.
“No, why? Don’t tell me I have blood smeared on my face.” Carina groaned at the sensation of her teeth descending again. “Fucking ele.…” She stopped when Marcus pressed his finger to her lips.
“No more cussing. My Little girl will not talk like an uncivilized barbarian.”
Carina wasn’t sure what a talking barbarian sounded like, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. She opened her eyes wide in shock when her butt tingled. He was showing her exactly what the consequences of continuing to use bad words would be.
“Go check yourself out in the hall mirror.”
Whirling on her heel, Carina walked to the ornate gilt mirror. The ornate suspended chandelier above flickered to life, illuminating her reflection. She stared at herself. Oh, my god. Who is that? She was beautiful. Radiant even. Her skin glowed with vitality. The points of her teeth poking out of her mouth were adorable. Her sparkling brown eyes radiated happiness and secrets.
“What’s going on? I don’t even have makeup on. Is this a trick mirror?”