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“Oh.” That’s a huge relief. If it had been longer, there is a pretty good chance I would have gone completely feral on her sooner than later, and whether she kidnapped me or not, we don’t need to go there. I’d prefer we don’t, anyway, but I need to get some coconut water or else I won’t be able to control that.

“What’s wrong?” Zia turns to face me completely just as my stomach screeches. “Felix? You don’t look so good.”

“I just told you I’m not feeling very well.”

“Did I hurt you? I did, didn’t I?” Suddenly, I’m shoved back onto the bed, my head bouncing off the mattress as my hands are smashed underneath me, and knees settle on either side of my waist. “I didn’t see any wounds, nothing that was obvious at least, but maybe I had you in the sleeper hold too long.”

Zia’s breath is hot on my neck as her dainty fingers turn my head, my eyes sliding closed while she pokes and prods under my chin and along my throat.

If I wasn’t so damn hungry, I’d be ridiculously turned on by this.

She’s straddling my waist, touching me all over, and now that she’s this close, I can smell Zia’s natural scent.

It’s spicy yet sweet, heady but light. It isn’t strong, but it’s overpowering at the same time, and I need to stop breathing it in or else hunger isn’t going to be the only thing I’m feeling.

And that can't happen.

Zia kidnapped me.

She choked me out on the way home from work, after she had been stalking me for at least last night.

She’s been mildly obsessed with me for a while, and I saw that obsession growing with each email she sent.

Zia is clearly unhinged and capable of doing quite a bit of damage despite her size, and that’s without proof that the smell of death somewhere in this house was caused by her.

I need to keep reminding myself of all those things because fucking my captor, no matter how pretty she is, how dirty her mind can be, or how lonely I am, is a one-way ticket to six feet under.

Thankfully for me, my stomach growls loud enough for Zia to hear, and she immediately stops poking around my body. “Was that you?”

I nod the best I can. “I’m hungry.”

“You need to feed?” She shivers slightly, but it was enough for me to feel in this position. “Is that it?”

“Yeah,” I whisper as my body goes lax. “It’s been too long since… since I had coconut water. I’m—I’m going to pass out.”

And just before I do, I feel Zia jump off my body and the bed, then hear her rush toward the door as she says, “I don’t know why you’re talking about coconuts, but I’m going to feed you. It’s my job to take care of you now, Felix. And I’m going to take care of you forever.”

Oh shit.

Chapter Seven

Azizia

I run to the kitchen for a knife, or scissors, or something else to cut myself with. I’d love nothing more than for Felix to sink those sexy fangs into my throat or the inside of my thigh, but he’s too weak right now. If I hadn’t already made him pass out once, I’d consider sitting on his face and asking him to tear my skin open with his teeth, but that’s too risky.

This is the next best thing.

But as I run back to the bedroom with the knife, I stop in the doorway and look down at the sharp blade.

I’m fine with knives. Fine with blood. Hell, I’m fine with using knives on people to cause blood. But the thought of running this blade across my own skin…

My head spins and I reach a hand out to press against the wall so I don’t fall. I shake out of it, but as I look at the blade again, the thought of it going across my skin has the dizziness coming back tenfold. It falls from my hand, dropping to the hardwood floor with a clatter.

I press my back to the wall and slide down, wrapping my arms around myself as I think.

What am I going to do?

Felix needs to eat. I need to feed him.