Page 17 of Feeding Frenzy (Crimson Coven #3)

SEVENTEEN

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A feverish burn coated my flesh, narrowing in on my gums. It hurt as much as the pit in my stomach.

I jolted upright with a scream, slapping at the fire ants stinging my flesh.

“Cat?”

I whipped my head toward Ren. Everything burned. It felt like I was crawling out of my skin. I whimpered. Ren stared at me from a foot away. He was the only one in . . . I was in Tobias’s bedroom.

“It burns.” As soon as I focused on the ache, it flared painfully. My eyes watered and I whimpered. “Ren, help me.” I clasped my face like rubbing my jaw would abate it, but it did the opposite.

His eyes widened, but he still hadn’t moved.

I huddled into myself, hugging my stomach. Every inch of me burned as if fire ran through my veins. He was suddenly leaning over me, his face near mine. His brown eyes were wider than I’d ever seen them as they scanned mine.

He smelled so good. I licked my lips and narrowed in on Ren’s throat. That was where the scent radiated pungently. Such warmth. I wanted it inside me.

Once I had the thought, I lunged at him, wrapping my arms around his shoulder, clinging to him like a monkey. My gums stung and I attached my mouth to his throat. Liquid aphrodisiac burst onto my tongue.

“Argh!” Ren grunted, stiffening. He tasted so good. I moaned, squeezing my thighs around his waist as he straightened. He jolted back, taking me with him. The burn subsided to the sweet taste traveling down my throat. I gulped again, savoring his blood.

What was I doing? I was conscious of my actions, but I didn’t want to stop. I just wanted to drink. It was the only way to soothe the agony in my throat.

My fingers speared through his hair, and he moaned, hands flexing on my hips.

Yes. Yes. Give in.

He stopped trying to shove me back and his hands settled, squeezing as he moaned. That same fire flared to my sex, blazing a path down. I arched my hips, grinding on his abdomen.

“Catalina?” The gasp yanked my eyes open. Asher gawked at me, and it was enough to pull back the cobwebs masking my will power. I ripped through them, focusing on Asher’s shock. What was I doing? Sweetness spread on my tongue, but it came from Ren’s throat. I reeled and ripped my mouth away from his neck.

I dropped to my feet, agilely, and stumbled back until I fell on the bed and crawled until I huddled against the headboard.

“What was that?” I gasped with horror. “I am so sorry, Ren.” I didn’t know what came over me. Red painted the sides of his neck, along with the deep imprints of all my teeth.

“Catalina?” Asher repeated but this time with awe. He slowly approached, stopping a few feet away. I put my hand up, as if I could stay him. The bed bounced under my cringing body. I kept trying to sink into the headboard like it could hide me away.

“Asher?” I rubbed my finger above the skin covering my aching gums. The area felt sensitive.

Asher wore silk lounging pants. I looked down at my night gown. We matched.

“Did you do this,” I muttered, disgruntled as I waved a hand from my clothes to his. I caught a peek at red staining my fingertips and I gawked at the blood that had come away from my mouth. I looked back at Ren and the bite marks under a thin layer of blood. “W-why did I bite you?”

Ren seemed to have become a statue. He only stared.

My thoughts raced. What was happening? Why had I bit him? Why had I liked the taste? Asher moved forward again.

“Stay back,” I shouted, choked. “What’s happening to me?”

“Your eyes didn’t stay red.” So, we’re ignoring my question?

“Why would my eyes stay red?” The burn had been assuaged the slightest bit, but that wasn’t the only pain. I pursed my lips and something sharp stung the inside of my mouth. I curled my lip up and gingerly touched my teeth. Why was my tooth sharp? I gasped and slid my finger to the other side. Another slight protrusion. The pad of my finger stung suddenly. I flinched, drawing it away from my mouth. Using my tongue, I felt my teeth. I’d felt this sharpness. It was an awful lot like fangs before they extended. My stomach dropped and I lifted my wide eyes to Asher.

His shoulders moved with a breath. He grinned so wide it looked like it hurt.

“Tobias,” Asher shouted.

He appeared moments later. “He’s still not responding . . . Catalina?” He scanned my face, devouring my features. He was suddenly leaning over me. On instinct, I flinched, and when I peeked through my lashes, I was off the bed and cringing against the wall. I seemed to have flown to the other side of the room.

My knees became weak, and I used the wall as a perch. Slowly sliding down, I sank onto the floor.

What happened? Although a haziness coated my memories, they slammed into me full force. Imogen had killed me. I scoffed, shaking my head. Jax begging was the last I remembered. She killed me and I turned. Wasn’t I supposed to be blood-mad?

“I’ll get blood bags and order a feeder,” Tobias announced abruptly, hurrying away.

“I changed?”

Jax had managed to get me to drink his blood? But I’d been throwing up. I couldn’t have swallowed. Blood— mmmmm . A burn in my gums intensified and my mouth was suddenly crowded.

Asher knelt before me, awe in his widened eyes.

“H-how?” I thought I was supposed to be blood-mad. “You th-aid I couldn’t be a vampire. This makes no th-ense?—”

“Calm down, Pet,”

Calm down? Calm down !?

I shoved my fingers through my hair, pushing it back from my cheeks. I’d turned into a vampire. I pressed my hand to my chest. What happened to my heart? My heart didn’t beat at the normal rhythm. It felt sluggish under my palm, giving one pump every minute or so.

“Did you guys lie?” I threw out accusingly. Ren stepped beside Asher. They stared at me with as much confusion as I felt. “If you didn’t want me to be a vampire, you could have just said so.”

My body felt different—and I hadn’t breathed?

I sucked in a breath and the plume of sweetness entered my nostrils, wrenching a moan from my mouth. That burning returned with a vengeance. With my next blink, I had Asher flat on the ground with my legs wrapped around his waist as I bit into his throat. I sucked down another mouthful of that sweetness I couldn’t get enough of. He moaned, his body jerking under me. My hips ground down, applying pressure to the need between my legs. My eyes slowly closed, and I drank more.

His taste spread on my tongue, assuaging the burn. I whined against his throat, rubbing myself over the hardness under me. I took another drag from Asher. A sharp shout left him, and his body jerked so hard he bucked like a horse.

I breathed in again and a tart, salty smell, just as good as the one in my mouth filled my nose. The warmth in my belly allowed me to pull back.

Asher panted under me, unmoving as he watched me make my way down his body until I pressed my nose over the waist of his pj pants. I yanked the hem down. His cock bounced free. A fine layer of slightly pink cum coated his cock. That was what smelled so good.

I flicked my tongue across the bobbing, wet tip.

Asher groaned, his hips jolting up and forcing his tip between my lips. My fang sliced the side of his cock. Blood touched my tongue. I gasped around him and fitted my mouth lower, until the piercings on the top of his cock knocked against my teeth. I sucked, tasting both the salty and sweetness of his essence.

He choked on a cry.

I rubbed the flat of my tongue against the bottom side of his shaft. I sucked again, dragging blood from the small cut.

So suddenly, his cock pulsed and then he exploded on my tongue, giving me more of him. I moaned, swallowing every drop he offered. He continued to pulse, filling my mouth again, until it overflowed and spilled from the corner of my lips. I bobbed down to collect what escaped. His tip shoved against the back of my throat and his piercing clinked against the back of my front teeth.

Asher’s hips bucked and he shouted. I slowly lifted my head, studying his flushed face and his heaving chest.

“Fuck,” he grunted, gripping the base of his cock and squeezing. His eyes cinched shut and he gritted his teeth. I dropped my attention to his straining cock. More beaded at his tip.

Then I was attached to it, licking it away.

Asher hissed out a breath and the salty, delicious smell ratcheted up another notch. I wrapped my mouth around the tip and another jut of release coated my tongue. My eyelids lowered and I hummed. He tasted so good.

Asher whimpered, yanking my eyes up to his slack features.

“Holy, ffff uck.” He almost seemed in pain.

I pulled up so fast he jerked. I hovered my hand over my mouth.

“I’m th-orry,” I croaked. Fortunately, my palm hovering over my mouth covered how I couldn’t stop licking my lips.

“I brought the blood bags,” Tobias announced, entering with his arms hugging a sleek container with bags in it. He slowed and scanned my position over Asher’s drained cock. Ren watched us with utter shock. He’d watched all of that. My eyes dropped to the bulge in his pants.

I ripped my eyes away before I went mad and attacked him too. Clearing my throat, I tugged the front of Asher’s pants over his cock.

“Th-orry,” I repeated and fell back on my ass.

“Oh, ?lskade , you never have to apologize,” he croaked, his arm flopping over his face. Asher remained laying on the floor, taking a few breaths every other few seconds. Practically panting by vampire standards.

I gingerly touched my fangs. A slice opened on the tip of my finger.

“How do I make th em go away?” My face warmed. I pressed my palm to my cheek.

Ren knelt beside me and cupped the back of my neck, guiding my face up to look at him.

“Stop clenching your jaw like that. It’s like turning your head. Think it and do it.” I glared at him. Very helpful. Still, I focused on my teeth so much that my face ended up scrunching.

“It- th not working,” I cried. “And I can’t th-top li-th-ping.”

The corner of Ren’s lips quirked. I glared up at him and he quickly smoothed his expression.

“It’s fucking adorable,” Asher remarked unhelpfully from his sprawl on the floor. He folded his arms under his head, watching me hungrily. I took a breath. That sweet scent emanated from all of them. Focusing on Asher, my gaze dropped to his growing bulge.

“You’re going to be the end of me,” Asher hissed and his cock throbbed under his pants. I licked my lips, cutting my tongue on a fang while I was at it. The sting was enough to distract me from his blood.

“Close your eyes and think about how it’d feel for them to go back into your gums,” Tobias offered.

I closed my eyes, imagining and imagining. If I took a breath, maybe it would help ground me, like when I was human. I sniffed again and the delicious scent filled my nose, flaring the burn to life. I lunged at Ren. Tobias pressed his finger against my forehead, stopping me an inch from Ren’s throat. He slowly pushed me back. The moment was enough to force me to hold my breath.

“I don’t mind,” Ren glared at Tobias.

I curled my legs up and hugged them.

Tobias crouched and pulled one of those bags out. Blood sloshed inside the clear bag. Using his teeth, he ripped the edge off the bag and held it out to me. My hand trembled and I pinched the spot next to the hole. It was so weird the way it swished in the bag. Licking my lips, I brought it to them.

It was just like drinking prune juice.

Before I gave it more thought, I fit the ripped edge against my mouth and gulped it down. The taste hit me. I recoiled and spat it out. My eyes widened. Blood spattered all three of them. They looked shell shocked as they gawked at me. Except for Asher, he wouldn’t stop chortling.

My mouth flopped opened and closed. I looked back down at the bag. What was wrong with me? Why did it taste so gross?

My mind was a mess. I clenched my eyes shut.

“Love?”

Gray eyes hovered so close. The color of the one that hurt me. I flinched, ending up against the wall, feet from him. My hands flattened against the wall, and I slid down it until I was on my butt again.

Tobias’s eyebrows were furrowed, his hand still outstretched.

“I . . .” He looked a lot like Imogen. His jaw flexed, seeming to understand my unsaid words. His hand dropped to his side, and he took a step back. I ran my tongue against the back of my teeth. Shoving to my feet, I stalked from one end of the room, to the other. Their heads comically followed my path.

I stretched my jaw side to side. My teeth felt bigger, but that was an illusion, it was just my brand-new fangs.

“Why did you lie to me?” I took care with my tongue and enunciated my words.

“No one lied to you.”

“You thh— ss aid no female could be turned. That if they somehow managed, they’d end up blood-mad.” I pointed at myself. “Explain this?”

“We are just as shocked as you.” Asher sat up, stretching his arms up.

They’d cleaned me up, and by the matching set, I would bet everything that Asher dressed me in the silk night gown. Honestly, I was surprised he’d put underwear on me.

“If you all thought I would turn and be blood-mad, then what?” My eyes widened and I whirled on them accusingly. “You were going to keep me here, trapped and contained like Bastien.” I scoffed. “What? Just let me sit on the sidelines as you found a different?—”

“No,” Asher and Ren said at the same time. Tobias remained quiet and in the background with his expression stiff.

“We would try to search for the cure again.”

“Right,” I snorted. “You could have done the same with Bastien.”

“Bastien called me.” Asher was off the floor and approaching me. The urgency in his tone . . . Right, they hadn’t heard him talk like I had.

Asher frowned.

“You’re not shocked?”

“He spoke to her,” Ren said so sure, coming to the right conclusion.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Asher questioned.

“Like you guys tell me everything.” I shrugged. Bastien didn’t come searching for me because he’d been trapped. When vampires shared their blood, they could find the human that drank from them. It had never been because I was somehow immune to their ability. It was because Bastien had been locked up.

But now as a vampire, no one would find me. Not even the three in front of me.

I rubbed the back of my neck. Pounds kept compounding on my shoulders. They dropped under the weight.

“My body feels heavy,” I stretched my arms experimentally. It felt like weights were attached to my wrists.

“It’s the sun, Love.” As if on cue, the shutters clicked with their decent. I swayed, then nothing?—