Becoming a monster was a choice.
And no matter what Seamus did, he couldn’t force Zack to be like him.
Instead of picking the human who seemed like the worst person, Zack scanned their desires until he found the one most excited about getting bitten. When he held his hand out to the young man, the guy gleefully put his hand in Zack’s.
“This might hurt. I’m still new at this,” Zack told the young man, not giving a shit about the audience around them. “I can try to raise your desire, but I might overdo it.”
“I’m game for anything, master,” the guy said with a wink.
“All right.” Zack put his hand on the guy’s cheek and let out his breath. The man was an open book, the words written in big letters. Zack trailed his awareness across them until he found his lust. The guy was really wishing to get fucked, to be overpowered and pleasured. Instead of plunging into that want, Zack pictured that he was pouring paint into the crevices, to fill every aspect of the word.
The young man gasped, and his heart picked up speed.
Zack took a moment to study where his pulse was fiercest so he didn’t rip open a vital artery. Then he pulled him in and bit his neck.
Every feeding on mortal blood before had been like drinking pure water on a parched throat. It worked. It sated his hunger long enough to forget about it for a while.
The first drops of this young man’s blood were sweet as sugar. Zack swallowed, and the hollow place in his stomach quieted. With a groan, he drank another mouthful, and another. There was no elixir like it. Nothing compared to the satisfying warmth—except being in bed, safe with his lovers.
The sweetness became overbearing as the thirst in his throat and the pit in his stomach eased to a muffled whisper. Zack tried to pull away from the young man, but the guy held him tightly. That was when Zack noticed the guy was grinding against his leg, panting and moaning.
Before Zack could do more than blink at what was happening, the guy let out a long sigh of relief, and a wetness darkened his underwear. The smell of spunk was thick. The guy shot Zack a lazy smile; the bliss from coming was heavy in his gaze. He slurred, “Sorry, master. Too good to stop.”
Applause burst out in the room while Zack struggled to keep his panic under control. He’d just made a guy come in a crowded room. He … well, he hadn’t really done anything sexual.I wasn’t the one moaning. He was. And people weren’t being rude with their praise. The applause for Katie had sounded polite. The one for him sounded genuine. Felt real.
Zack backed away from the young man and glanced off to the side, not sure what to do with a living donor. Thankfully, Dryden stepped forward and escorted the guy out of the room. Still stunned, Zack managed a tight smile and a bow to the other vampires.
As he stepped out from the center of the room, Candide walked into the focal point. She started talking about how pleased she was that the two young vampires were so promising. She was doing some kind of speech to introduce Seamus.
Zack made a beeline for Takashi, who was practically hiding in a corner. “I did it. I fucking did it.”
“You did,” Takashi said with a smile. “You still have a little of him on your mouth.”
“Want to lick it off?”
“You are in a good mood.”
The carefulness in Takashi’s tone reminded Zack of all the reasons he shouldn’t be. Seamus’s threat hung in his mind. Telling Takashi to run wouldn’t work if Katie remained in the mansion. She’d be able to lead Anton or Seamus right to him. And Zack wouldn’t be able to stop them.
There was nothing he could do except stay in this moment. The monsters couldn’t win if he found even a second of happiness. They couldn’t taint his love.
“I don’t have to be a killer,” Zack whispered to Takashi while Seamus droned on. “I did mean it. Do you want a taste?”
Takashi kissed him. Their kiss lengthened, and for once, Zack didn’t give a damn if anyone saw them. He was a hot vampire kissing his sexy boyfriend. Anyone who thought otherwise didn’t fucking matter.
“No wonder that boy came,” Takashi said with a gentle chuckle. “You’re basically glowing.”
“The glowing happened after. Shit, you don’t mind that I made that guy come, do you?”
“Sex and our bite can go hand in hand. I don’t care. Roger won’t either. After all, we did have our fun with Carver.”
Carver. The memory of seeing him at the open door, throat torn out, and the fight that had claimed Zack’s life flooded through Zack. He held on to Takashi. Something just as terrible was on the way after the party.
Zack couldn’t say nothing. But maybe if he felt his fears hard enough, Takashi would understand him.
Takashi murmured, “You don’t need worry so much.”
“You don’t know what I know.”
