“It wears off eventually,” Alec assured him. “Be grateful you live in a time where you can avail yourself of shades and noise-cancelling headphones. Some of us,” he waved his hand at the other vampires then indicated himself, “were not so fortunate.”
Gethin winced in sympathy. Then narrowed his eyes at Alec. “You are so full of shit. You didn’t have shopping centres and fluorescent lighting back then,” he whispered. “Nicely done though, you nearly had me.”
They split up to shop. Gethin fought Sorley over every item he picked up, but it was mostly good-natured, and although he flinched at the total, he handed over his card with a resigned sigh. If this was the worst that happened as a result of his turning—
Oh my God, what is that smell?Every atom of his body suddenly on high alert, his throat dried instantly to a ferocious burning. All he could think, feel, was,I need it.
“Gethin?Gethin!”Sorley’s frantic tone got his attention, but only just. “Follow me, we’re leaving.” Sorley took his wrist in a grip that Gethin knew instinctively he’d never be able to break free of and dragged him at speed through the maze of shops, away from the tantalising aroma that called to him like a lover.
“Sorley…” he whined, “wrong way.” But he couldn’t prevent Sorley heaving him through what looked like a fire door and out into a deserted part of the centre that smelled strongly of rubbish bins and urine.
Gethin, his throat still on fire, wrinkled his nose at the stink and gave Sorley his best angry look. “The fuck? Did you just remove me from that place like a naughty toddler? I was about to fee—”
The realisation struck him hard. Oh God! His fangs were down, aching with the compulsion to sink through flesh, to tear, maim.Feed.He moaned. “Sorley, do something.”
Sorley, his expression one of barely-contained horror, was already on the phone to someone. Edwin? “Yes, we’re heading to the car park on the north side. Aye, you’ll find it as hardly anyone parks on level three due to half the lights not working. Uh huh, sure, I’ve got him. He’s strong, but he’s not three centuries’ strong. Of course I’d take him down if he ran! What the fuck do you take me for? Just hurry.”
Gethin blinked stupidly at his mate. What was he talking about, ‘take him down’? Gethin wasn’t some kind of wild, out of control animal—Oh.
“Sorley? I’m really,reallythirsty.”
“I know, darling, and you will feed, very soon. I’msosorry! Come with me, we need to be somewhere more private.” His fingers in Gethin’s were once again an iron grip, utterly unbreakable, as he darted down alleyways, flung them both over a short wall, then finally through a doorway Gethin wasn’t sure was supposed to be accessible to the public. “Up these stairs,” he urged him. Gethin took them two at a time. Sorley had a plan and it appeared to involve blood. Gethin would follow him anywhere.
The car park was half deserted, one end shrouded in gloom, and it was to this part that Sorley took Gethin, pulling him into the shadows in a particularly tucked-away corner. “It won’t be long.” He tugged Gethin against him, cradling the back of his head. Gethin obediently laid his head on Sorley’s shoulder and inhaled his heady, comforting aroma. Which was tinged with…fear?
“Whassa matter?” he slurred, his thirst making clarity difficult. “Don’ be scared, I gotcha.”
Sorley muttered something that sounded like ‘The fuck are you, Wiggle?’ but it made no sense to Gethin, so he ignored it. Sorley smelled so good. Delicious. Some dark recess of his memory tickled his mind, reminding him of something Dalziel had said.
“Could feed off you. Be nice. You’re tasty.” He knew this for a fact. He didn’t question how he knew, but it was the truth.
Sorley, however, had different ideas. “It’ll be better for you to feed off a human,” he soothed. “They won’t be long.”
Edwin, Alec and Marlowe came into view, the two vampires each with a human male in tow. Gethin’s thirst intensified to inferno levels. He whimpered.
“Oh no you don’t.” He realised Sorley had him in an arm lock, preventing him from running to his dinner. “You can be civilised about this, pet. We don’t scare the humans unless we have no choice.” He swivelled to stand between Gethin and his approaching meals, grabbing his jaw to force eye contact. “Stay with me, love.”
Edwin gave Gethin a sassy wink. “We got ever so lucky tonight. Guys, this is Mark. He was very keen to let us know he’s a top, so I might take him off for some fun when you’ve finished with him.” He shoved the man forward. “Mark, this is Gethin. He just needs to borrow you for a little while, all right, then you can bugger me senseless somewhere nice and private.”
Gethin eyed Mark. He was of a similar height to him, and fairly jacked. Nice enough to look at if you were interested, which Gethin wasn’t. Mark also looked absolutely bombed out of his skull.
Gethin hesitated. He couldn’t smell booze, but surely there were limits, although, hang on. “Is he enthralled?”
“Oh yeah,” Edwin confirmed. “But also off his tits on the need to please. Seems our Mark here has a bit of a praise kink going. C’mon, Hughes, I have needs too.” He gave the hapless Mark a quick kiss, aiming his hand down for a lightning squeeze of his groin for good measure, then helped him roll up one sleeve of his top, baring his wrist to Gethin. “Hop to it, lad. We don’t have all night.”
Gethin was on him in a flash, mouth bared, fangs extended. Before Sorley could guide him, he shoved Edwin out of the way and brought Mark’s wrist to his lips. He paused for a second, eyeing, hearing,feeling,the way Mark’s blood whooshed, before he bit down, tearing cleanly through the skin in one go.
There was no comparison with a blood bag. That was like the cheapest coffee powder, the weird dust-like substance he vaguely recalled from the 70s when non-coffee drinkers offered you a cup, thinking they were being hospitable, but you might as well have drunk water for the effect it had. A small part of him acknowledged this was a slightly harsh judgment, because the blood bag at least did its job. This blood though, fresh from the vein, was the most delectable rich roast, freshly ground and with the tiniest hint of bitterness to give it an extra kick. The blood roared through Gethin’s system like nothing he’d ever known, hot, sweet, bursting with life and colour, dazzling his senses.
Almost before he’d started, Sorley was yelling in his ear, then a sudden punch to his kidneys brought him up short. “Mnnfff?” He still didn’t release his hold. Fuck that. This wasdelicious.
“Gethin.” Alec’s calm tone. “Stop drinking, seal the wound with your saliva. Step back. Now please.”
As if in a trance he did as he was told, then licked his lips and fangs and gazed at the human. “That was lovely, thank you.”
Edwin chuckled. “Such a nice polite young man, aren’t you?” He slung one of Mark’s brawny arms around his shoulder. “I’m going to find this hunk of beef a drink and some grub before I let him ravish me like he promised. Somebody,” he raised his brows at Gethin with a grin, “was a bit eager.” He nodded at the others. “Give us a call when you’re done with number two there and we’ll reunite them.” He managed a one-shouldered shrug. “I think they’re boyfriends, but they seem to have an open relationship.” His grin widened. “Well, they do tonight anyway.”
The second man was shorter than his companion, slim and brown-skinned, with massive luminous dark eyes. Definitely more aware than Mark, he’d stood motionless while Gethin fed from his friend, giving off a potent aroma of fear and sexual desire that had registered with Gethin even when he’d thought his entire focus had been on the first guy. Now, sated enough to take his time, he took a second to pass his tongue over his fangs again, then smiled at the young man.
