Page 40 of Bullets and Blood (Hunting Hearts #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Everything was too loud and too bright, and his skin was too tight. The sheets were made of sandpaper and he was hungry, but it seemed to come from a different place than he’d ever felt before. A deeper gnawing that chewed on his bones. Lance groaned, not sure if he was hungover or sick.

Or drugged.

The shootout in the warehouse came back, making him jerk, which made his leg twinge and his arm throb.

“Just rest,” Nix murmured.

He groaned. The words were soft but hurt his ears. He tried to burrow under the blankets even though they hurt his skin.

A hand touched his hair and then pulled away. He risked opening one eye, squinting against the brightness of the room.

“Nith?” He cut his tongue on his teeth. His mouth a different shape to what he was used to.

“Yeah. This bit is much easier if you sleep.” Nix sat on the edge of the bed. One arm across his stomach and looking like hell. He had dark circles under his eyes and a gauntness to his cheeks that added years that didn’t belong.

“What bit?”

“You were turned by the Reids two days ago. Your body had some healing to do as well as taking on the change. The Reids took two silver bullets out of you. All your senses need to adjust; you need to learn how to retract your fangs—you slept through the growing of them.”

Lance ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth. It felt different. There were grooves where his fangs would lie, and the base of his fangs felt swollen. “I didn’t get a last meal.”

“You were dying. Do you need anything? Water? Blood?”

His mouth was dry, but his stomach didn’t feel stable. The thought of blood was both repulsive and delicious. “I don’t know.”

“You’ve got about another five days of this before your body settles.

Tomorrow you should be well enough to get up and walk around, day four is the worst because of the hunger…

and other drives.” Nix managed a ghost of a smile.

“Day five you’ll probably hate yourself and everyone who did this to you.

By day seven you should feel as normal as you ever will. ”

Lance closed his eyes. He snuck his hand out from under the blanket so he could hold Nix’s hand. “And you?”

“I’m fine. Almost fully healed, though still a bit raw. Turns out when the doctor says don’t look under the bandage, it’s good advice to take.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“Hard to kill.” He looked away. “You should know it was me who took your blood so you could be turned. I’m sure they would’ve told you anyway, but I wanted you to know so you can curse me out properly on day five.”

“I wanted this. I’ve wanted this for years. I won’t blame you.”

Nix nodded. “We’ll see.”

* * *

Nix peeled the bandage off. There was skin there now, pink and thin enough that he was sure he could see his insides.

That was a big improvement over yesterday when he could definitely see his insides.

The muscle would take longer to regrow. He made the effort to shave but stayed in the pajamas given to him.

Aside from walking to Lance’s room and back to his own, he hadn’t been up to doing anything else but eat and sleep and heal.

But it was day four, and he needed to make the effort to be there because he knew how bad day four was, and it shouldn’t be gone through alone.

The hunger took over, and he didn’t want Lance to be alone or with someone else.

He’d done this.

He should be the one.

For the first time since being shot, he didn’t hold his stomach as he walked down the corridor.

The house seemed large, with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams in the ceiling, but he hadn’t had a chance to see much of it and wasn’t sure he’d be allowed to, even if he did have the spare energy for a guided tour.

A man sat guard at the door. He looked up from his book, but instead of nodding like he usually did, he stood. Nix sighed. He’d lose this fight if it came to blows.

“You don’t have to go in.”

“Yeah, I do.” Lance was his boyfriend, and he’d been the one to kill him.

“You aren’t well enough. Garrick is returning with a volunteer.”

Nix jerked his chin at the door. “He’s asking for blood then.”

“They weren’t the words he used, but yes.”

“I’m going in.”

The man put a hand on Nix’s shoulder. If his guts weren’t held in by about two layers of skin, he’d have sat the man in his chair. He stared at the hand and then looked at the man. “Would you let someone else fuck your boyfriend?”

“He’s not your boyfriend at the moment. He’s just hungry.”

As much as that was true. It was still Lance and as well as owing him, he wanted to be there. He lifted the man’s hand off his shoulder. “I’m going in.”

“If you’re well enough for that. You’re well enough to talk to Ann.”

Nix turned at Garrick’s voice. Another man was with him. Nix narrowed his eyes. That was about the only threat he’d be making, but if they dragged him away, he was going fight them, paper-thin skin or not. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

And she’d tear the truth out of him with a glimmer that would shatter his carefully built walls. It didn’t matter if it happened tomorrow or in a week’s time; he’d have to let the Reid matriarch into his head, or they wouldn’t let him be inked into the family.

Garrick considered him for a moment, then gave a single nod. “There’s lube in the bedside table. Make sure you leave before the rage kicks in. The doctor won’t want you undoing all his hard work.”

“I’m not suicidal.” No one ever stayed for day five. It didn’t matter how much he loved Lance, he wasn’t going to be in the same room as him when his body flooded with unfamiliar hormones activated by his first blood feed.

Garrick nodded to the guard.

The guard stepped aside. “Don’t get killed. I’ll miss our chats.”

Nix flicked him a smile. He’d spent so much time sitting outside the door, he’d gotten to know the man well enough to know that he liked fantasy novels and cryptic crosswords.

Nix drew in a breath, then opened the door and slipped into the dark room. The curtains were drawn, but a crack of light slipped through, cutting the room in half. Lance got off the bed, fluid like a cat scenting prey. Nix licked his lip and kept the door at his back.

He tried to remember what it had been like for him. Some distant cousin that he’d mucked around with in biting class had volunteered, but aside from the gnawing hunger in his bones and a lust that couldn’t be sated, he didn’t remember the details.

Lance put his hands on either side of Nix’s head. He pressed his cheek against Nix’s and breathed him in before his lips brushed Nix’s neck.

His heart beating too fast, Nix leaned away. “No biting the neck. You’ve never been taught.”

For a moment, Nix didn’t think Lance had heard through the roar of his hunger, then Lance’s head snapped up, and he stared at Nix, fangs down. “You don’t like to be bitten.”

“And you don’t know how to bite safely. I’ll teach you if you make me remember why it’s nice to be bitten.”

Lance’s lips brushed over his. “I want to eat you and fuck you.”

They’d be more equally matched this time, but he wasn’t afraid. Not today…tomorrow Lance would be a danger to everyone including himself. “You can bite my upper arm.” Nix turned, offering his arm and shoulder. It was the same place he’d learned to bite on.

Lance bit hard and deep, and Nix’s stomach turned. His toes left the ground as Lance lifted him against the door. He winced as Lance sucked, trying to get more blood faster. He’d killed him; the pain was penance for that. Would he ever like to be bitten again?

“I’m so hungry.” Lance let Nix’s feet touch the ground and then pressed against him, naked and hard.

Nix breathed a sigh of relief that Lance was at least talking to him. “I know, honey. But we’ve got all day.”

“How do I make you like it again?” Lance licked Nix’s cheek.

He didn’t know. But it had been fun once, before his blooding. It could be fun again. “Start slow.” He nipped Lance’s lip and let his fingers wander over Lance’s chest and lower.

Lance copied. Their blood mingled on Nix’s tongue, and he wanted more than just a kiss, even though he wasn’t sure how his body would handle it.

Lance undid the buttons on the pajama top and traced over the new scar. “You’re still wounded.”

“I want to be here.” While he’d checked on Lance, he had, for the most part, stayed away so they could both heal. “Just be gentle.”

“I will.” He smiled, the tips of his new fangs visible.

Nix’s heart did a little swoop and drop. He could teach Lance to bite safely.

Lance leaned in and nipped along Nix’s jaw, trying to get closer to Nix’s pulse.

He pushed Lance back. “Take it easy. Shoulder, chest, or ass. Somewhere with muscle and no big arteries or veins.” He knew where to bite to get a good feed without taking too much, but for a new vampire, it was too dangerous.

He should’ve taught him before he was turned, and if he’d known this was where they’d end up, he’d have made more of an effort.

“The hunger hurts.” Lance bit the muscle of Nix’s shoulder—more carefully this time, but it was still like being back in the bite class refresher after being turned. Not something he’d do for fun.

Lance’s hand pushed into the pajama pants, and his fingers wrapped around Nix’s soft dick as he sucked on the bite.

Nix closed his eyes as Lance stroked his length, and for a heartbeat, he liked the way Lance’s mouth and teeth moved.

He started to harden. Then Lance pulled his fangs free and started working his way lower with little nips and scratches before shoving down Nix’s pajama pants.

Nix watched for a moment, wanting to feel Lance’s tongue on his dick before common sense and survival won out.

He pulled him up. “No. There are places that I never want to be bitten.” And there were far too many arteries in the thighs and groin that could be fatal if the bite was even slightly misplaced.

“Besides, until you get control of your fangs you won’t be able to get my dick in your mouth. ”

“I could lick it?”

As tempting as that was, the risk was too high. Nix shook his head.

Lance pressed him against the door. Their hips connected in all the right places. His fangs raked along Nix’s jaw, drawing a shiver from him that wasn’t all revulsion, and then Lance kissed the scratches better. “Did you like that?”

Nix put his arms around Lance’s shoulders and let his own lust take over. “A little.”

So Lance did it again, making little scratches instead of bites, sucking on each one, on his collarbone, and then chest and back up the other side.

His hand wrapped around their dicks and stroked.

Nix didn’t stop him. Lance nipped and licked and kissed and sucked, and Nix gave in and let lust unravel.

He rocked his hips, thrusting into Lance’s hand.

Lance bit his other shoulder and sucked hard.

Nix tipped his head back. His stomach tightened painfully, but he came anyway, spilling over Lance’s hand with a gasp.

Lance switched hands without looking. He licked his fingers clean, then kissed Nix, cutting his lip as he rutted against him.

His mouth filled with the taste of blood and cum, and he groaned, wanting more.

“I want you to bite me,” Lance murmured.

Nix cupped Lance’s jaw and tilted his head, then he bit. Lance grunted as he came, his body shuddering as though at war with itself. He pressed Nix to the door and kissed him as though he didn’t need to breathe.

“Why wasn’t that enough?” Lance licked the scratches and bites that he’d made, and his cock was already hardening against Nix’s thigh.

“Welcome to day four. There’s lube in the bedside table.”

* * *

It was dark when Lance fell asleep. Nix wanted to pass out beside him but couldn’t.

It wasn’t safe. He forced himself out of the bed, his body lethargic and aching from too much biting and sex.

By the door, he retrieved his pajamas and dressed, careful not to wake Lance, knowing that now he was fed and sated, his body would finish processing the change.

He paused before opening the door, stealing a last look at his lover, wishing he could spend the night and wake up in Lance’s arms. The bite marks that hadn’t healed throbbed, and he smiled. Another night.

He slipped out of the room and closed the door. He nodded, and the guard locked it, ready for day five. Nix stumbled into his own bed, too tired for any nightmare to intrude.