Blood & Honey #1

*Chapter Seventeen*

Somewhere in my tasting of Kinley's honey blood, something goes wrong because I find my tongue in her mouth where there is no blood to be had. There is no revulsion or hesitation within me, just an intense ache for more as I claim her mouth in the same feverish manner I do her blood. It isn't until I catch sight of my arm as I slip my hand underneath Kinley's hair to pull her closer to me that I realize what has gone wrong.

Black veins.

Black veins are spiraling down my arm, swirling in strange patterns as they pulse in time with Kinley's heartbeat.

It is the most painful and pleasurable frustration I've ever experienced. It feels like I'm being wrapped in a cloud that's on fire as the slow-burning, gentle pulsations continue to spread throughout me. It's almost like Kinley is claiming me rather than me claiming her. That doesn't even make sense because I can feel her small hands pushing against my powerful chest as she tries to pull away from me.

Despite the fact I am more than ready to toss this human on the bed and give in to the madness within these black veins that cover me, I release my suffocating hold on Kinley's lips.

She steps away from me, confusion and disgust written in her expression as she touches her swollen and raw mouth. The place where I bit her is healed over, yet I imagine it is still tender.

With distance between us, the black veins die back to whatever place they reside in me. I can still feel them lurking within me, waiting for their next chance to surface.

Can this mortal's blood be so strong that even a taste is dangerous? It's like the more I have of Kinley, the more reactive I am to her blood.

What would happen now if I fed on her like I did in the bookstore and the alleyway? Would he rise...this other beast inside me that is different than my thirst?

Perhaps he holds the key to the answers I seek. Maybe I should let him out. But then why does it feel like, if I did, I would be unleashing something that has the power to turn this sunlit world into one of eternal darkness?

Am I destined to become a beast bathed in blood like my ancestors?

"Tristan?" Sabrina says, stopping in the open doorway to my room as she knows I don't like it when she enters without permission first. "Kalista has finished her meal, and you might want to come before Dorian gives our new meirru a stroke from the mind games he is playing."

The mention of Maya is all Kinley needs to hear. I follow on Kinley's heels, unsure what it is she might be walking in on. There is no telling when Dorian is involved.

Kinley's feet halt when she reaches the living room and sees Maya sitting on Dorian's lap, blushing cherry tomato red. Dorian is all seductive smiles and low talking purrs as he plays with the ends of Maya's long brown hair. It's classic Dorian. He likes to make his prey feel wanted by him. He thinks it's funny, and it is funny, but Kinley doesn't think so.

She marches straight up to Dorian and rips Maya right off his lap. "She may be the house blood slave, but she will not be your any other thing." She thins her eyes at him.

I get the feeling those last words were aimed at me. She may be my prisoner but I am not allowed to cross that line I did in the bedroom. Kinley doesn't know vampires don't lay with humans. Why would she when I have given her every reason to believe we do?

Dorian chuckles and before Kinley can react, he has her pulled into his lap where Maya just was. "Is that because you want to be my any other thing?" He taps the tip of Kinley's nose before dragging his finger slowly across her lips, over the curve of her chin and down the center of her body as he has her splayed across his lap.