It was amusing to see it all unfold. If only I had known that I could have done this sooner, maybe I would have had more fun with him by now. Taming beasts was easy if you dangled their reward just out of reach.
“If you’re going to compare your nasty impulses to the likes of dogs,” I purred, “then you better bark.”
To my surprise, his hands slid up my legs under my skirt, and he nipped tenderly at the skin of my abdomen. He rested his chin on my sternum as he looked up. “Please.” His words rolled off his tongue like honey, a toxic edge to his voice. The malice was building inside of him. I could feel it in sparks as I rubbed against his nerves like two pieces of flint.
What a sight to behold!
I lowered my bloodied hand over him, just above his face so he could see the droplets pooling on my palm before they threatened to fall.
He leaned up and dragged his long tongue across it.
I had not realized how long it was, which explained many sensations from previous encounters. The pain of the cut faded and tingled at the touch of his tongue, like there was some sort of numbing agent within his saliva.
His eyes turned black until only a crescent of silver blue peered up at me. My working theory was that these creatures’ bodies sent blood to their eyes when they were aroused by prey or other stimuli to aid their sight while hunting. Butterflies formed in my stomach thinking about every time it had happened when he laid his hands on me.
He cupped my hand with his own, holding it closer as if it were going to be taken away before he finished savoring it. He sucked on the wound greedily until that tingling reaction numbed my entire hand. When he pulled his bloodstained mouth away, I could see that his fangs were barred, unable to help themselves from reaching forward.
“Restraint looks good on you,” I said. His eyes flicked up at me in annoyance.
My bloodied hand swiped across my chest, the warmth dripping down between my breasts.
Silas lifted me by my hips as he stood, pinning me up against the wall. He dragged his tongue across my chest, teasing a nipple with his tongue as he cleaned away any trace of red.
A satisfied hum bloomed in my throat as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “See what happens when you say please?” I taunted, tugging his hair to make him look at me.
“Let me feed from you,” he whispered.
“You just did?—”
“No, I want to try here,” he said against the crook of my neck, leaving a soft bite on my skin.
“You haven’t earned that yet.”
“How cruel.” He let out an exasperated sigh as if to contemplate if it was worth edging himself on like this.
Our breathing began to synchronize as our bodies pressed tightly against one another. It was undeniable that we had been avoiding the tension that bloomed between us. It was intoxicating enough that we both needed a moment to collect our bearings.
I spoke after a long moment. “Why do we do this, Silas?”
“Why do we do anything?” he said against my neck, gripping me tightly as he rested his forehead against it.
Seeing any tenderness from a thing like him was strange, especiallyfor something like me.
23
THE POISONER
This evening I was meeting an old friend of my father’s, Dr. William Hayes. He was a professor at King’s College and consulted at nearby hospitals. A peculiar man, to say the least.
His tall and lanky figure could be seen from afar, resembling a scarecrow that deterred the park pigeons. He sat in the folding chair at one of the metal tables, carefully unwrapping a piece of hard candy.
“Dr. Hayes,” I greeted him.
“Alina! So nice to see you again!” He beamed, standing to hug me. “What has your little brain been working on lately?”
“A few things here and there.” I sat across from him.
“Butterscotch?” he asked, offering me a neatly wrapped candy. I shook my head. “I always keep some on me for the children at the clinic. Makes the bloodletting go a little easier.” He sighed.
