Page 4 of Absolution
No, the real issue was my ability to amplify other people’s powers. Proximity to me could make even a null’s expanse of power triple. After an incident where a guy doing a trick with his lighter set the bar on fire, I avoided clubs like this on general principle.
“Sam?” a voice broke me out of my brooding.
I glanced up at a handsome man. He was probably only a few years older than me—human years—with dark, bed-head messy hair, and dark brown eyes. His faded blue jeans hugged his hips instead of hanging off his ass as was the style, and a snug T-shirt outlined strong shoulders and a lean waist. The stubble at his jaw was more arty than natural. He probably spent a lot of time trimming it to be just perfect which annoyed me because I couldn’t grow facial hair if I wanted too. Overall, he was good looking, the kind of guy who would never have looked my way twice before I’d been turned. It instantly irritated me.
Was this mycibo? Had I been played and he was just some sort of junky looking for his next vampire fix? But that was sort of the point right? I sighed. Maybe I could use that to my advantage. Keep from getting attached.
“Yeah?”
He held out his hand. “I’m Luca Depacio.”
I took his hand, waiting for the touch to amplify his internal dialogue or emotions so I could read him better. But there was nothing. Just a vague hum of energy more intense than with other vampires and less annoying than humans. He also smelled heavenly. I don’t mean his cologne—his blood. Did that mean he had some sort of power? Seiran smelled good, so did Kelly. Hell, even Con smelled like a steak dinner with a slice of New York cheesecake at the end. Luca’s scent was mouthwatering. Maybe I was just that hungry. I took a deep breath and let go of his hand to keep from attacking him where he stood.
He slid into the booth beside me. All I could see was the sun-kissed skin at his neck pulsing in time to his heartbeat. The vein stood out like a sign in the desert pointing to a spring. Were allciboslike this? If they were then shit, sign me up for a dozen of them.
“God,” I whispered unable to focus on his face, words, or anything but that jumping little river of life. I’d waited too long and he smelled too good.
He dragged me into his lap and pressed my face to his neck. “Feed, then we’ll talk.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I latched on, sinking my sharp fangs into his tender flesh, sliding into the vein with a practiced ease and let the heat of him fill my mouth. He tasted like a thick red wine flavored with a hint of strawberries and chili peppers. Each swallow I drew from him poured through my body and straight to my groin. I had to shift away from him to keep my erection from pressing into his stomach. Feeding had become a turn-on the second I woke up from the death that completed my transition. Survival instinct Gabe had told me, because really who gets off on blood other than serial killers? Only I did now. And God did I want Luca bad.
I had to yank myself away and take a deep calming breath before I drained him dry while humping his corpse. Crap, he tasted good.
“You don’t have to stop. I can handle you taking more.”
I shook my head. No need to get addicted, and he tasted so damn good I was sure that had already happened.
“I can take care of your other need as well,” Luca’s softly accented words breezed by my ear. He pressed his palm to my cock, squeezing me through my pants. “A full feeding often makes the young very horny.”
I let his touch linger a moment as I debated with myself on the pros and cons of taking him to the bathroom and letting him have his way with me or better yet bending him over a sink and filling him. He smelled so good. Slightly of blood and sweat—a shower, and vaguely wet dog. Shit, he’d been the guy in the ring with the shifter. I hadn’t been close enough to see his face then, but the body type was right. His reason for taking so long made sense. Oddly enough there was no smell of injury on him. Had he won?
I sighed to myself. In the end, the choice was easy. I licked his wound willing it to shut and hoping it wouldn’t look like more than a hickey since my healing skills weren’t all that great yet and leaned away from him. His hand fell away from my traitorous dick. “I didn’t ask you here for sex.”
“No, you asked for acibowith experience. I have cared for several new vampires.”
The guy looked all of twenty. He couldn’t have cared for that many vampires. My doubt must have shown on my face because he said, “We didn’t discuss trivial things like this online because you find feeding and sex uncomfortable, but I’m not inexperienced with either.”
And I was? “I have no problem with feeding or sex.”
“Unless they go together?” He raised a brow in question.
I didn’t need some stranger analyzing me. “This was a bad idea.” I slid around him to the edge of the seat.
“Have I offended you? I didn’t mean to. I’m only trying to be what you need.”
“A blood bag? How is that good for either of us?” I shook my head. “You should go back to Italy or whatever. I’ll figure something out. This was stupid.” Even if I had to keep stalking the bowels of the west side to eat. The last thing I needed was another man I didn’t want to say no to.
He put his hand on my arm. “Sam, your hunger won’t be fulfilled by any normal human. In the old days new vampires slaughtered entire towns just to quiet the need. How will you continue without someone like me to help? Perhaps if one of your witch friends would let you feed from them…”
“Sei or Kelly? Fuck no.” And I was pretty sure Jamie would rip my head off if he could. I’d hurt his kid brother, and nothing anyone said could make him like me. I got that, but I wasn’t about to play hard up vampire just to suck on him a bit. And Con would freak.
“Then let me help you.”
I stared at him. His words sounded genuine. He hadn’t been a groupie like the others. But sadly, I hadn’t known a lot of good people in my life. Trusting a stranger sent to me by the royal pains-in-the-ass of the Tri-Mega didn’t sound smart the first time I heard the idea. Gabe told me food was food. And willing food even better. But he had donors lined up out the door with just the snap of his fingers.
I pulled out my phone. “I’ll text you.”
“I’m glad you changed your mind. But maybe you’d let me take you home tonight? Be sure you’ve fed properly?”