Page 32 of Feeding Frenzy (Crimson Coven #3)

THIRTY-TWO

catalina

I finished typing out my email to Peter, asking him to call me on Asher’s phone as soon as possible. He had a life back in Mexico, but at the very least, I merited a call. I puffed out my cheeks. That wasn’t fair of me. He had classes, and his girlfriend, and things kids his age did.

Things I didn’t have a chance at experiencing, because I’d been too busy worrying about him. Worrying about my aunt getting angry at one of us and sending us away. As hard as all of that had been, I wouldn’t trade it because if we’d gone to the system after our parents passed, there was no assurance that we would have been able to stay together.

It was sad how much I spent my life worrying and in fight or flight mode. No wonder I’d needed so many little routines for myself. Baths, skin care, painting my nails, all of it allowed me to shut my brain off and focus on myself.

It was difficult to break the habit though. My brain kept swirling around the idea of one of the visiting vampires killing me. I didn’t know how, and I knew my vampires would never allow it, but it was a worry, nonetheless. So, I’d stashed a stake under my mattress. Just in case.

I clicked send on the email and leaned back. The cushioned chair reclined. I smoothed my palms along the soft fabric of the arm rests. I’d taken a moment to look up some of the stuff they’d set up in here, and when I saw the price tag of the chair, I stopped looking.

I rubbed my hands over my face. I would blame my scrambled brain on my sleeping situation, but to be completely honest, once the sun rose, I knew and felt nothing until sundown, when I woke up. My body no longer felt the effects of sleep, good or otherwise.

A creak caused my eyes to fling open. Tobias studied me from near the door. I’d not paid any of them a thought when I woke up this morning, I’d headed directly to my new office.

“How are you, Love?” He slowly approached. I leaned forward and slumped against the desk, dropping my cheek on my arm. He perched on the desk a few inches from me. He slowly reached out. I followed the progression of his hand coming toward my head. He was giving me time to back away from his touch.

I didn’t move and he gently tucked my hair behind my ear.

“You don’t have to be so cautious,” I said, half-muffled from how I laid against my arm. His lips twitched.

“We do not deserve you.” He sighed, sounding almost sad. “But you will be taken care of for eternity.”

“Don’t promise something you can’t be sure about,” I mumbled.

He chuckled.

“You don’t understand, Catalina. You’ve earned us and you will never be rid of us.”

A hot flush flooded my chest, forcing me to take a breath. The sweet scent of his blood filled my nose, and I stiffened, holding my breath. But it was too late, the damage was done. My fangs stretched from my gums and a burn pulsated my throat. I straightened, smiling sheepishly.

“I am your meal for the day, Love.”

I blinked up at him as he tugged the sweater off, leaving him half naked.

“Do you guys have some ‘feeding Cat’ rotation going on?” I snorted. The idea was ridiculous.

“Yes, we do.” He folded the sweater and carefully set it behind him.

I scoffed, but everything except his lean muscle faded from my mind. He was compact strength to the point that I could see the dips and curves of his torso. A line cut the edges of his stomach and with him curved, I could make out the faint outline of his abdomen.

He pressed a finger under my chin and forced my face up. I looked into his gray eyes. “Are you okay with me feeding you?” He went silent and a little dent formed between his eyebrows.

In answer, I stood and slid my arms around his neck. He was so smooth and taut. His carefully parted hair sat in place. He never applied product in it. He was blessed with silky, perfect hair. I ran my fingers over the moles littering his shoulder. My eyes fastened on his throat. The smooth column called my name. Unlike humans, his pulse didn’t jump under his skin. Too much time between each beat of his heart.

I pushed to my toes to reach his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his skin on one of his moles. A shudder worked over his shoulders. He slid off the edge of the desk. His arm lashed around my waist, and he pressed me flush against him. I craned my head to look into his gray eyes, tracing a path to his upturned nose. The arm banded around me tightened and he lifted me, turning me to perch me on the edge of the desk. It allowed me to reach him without straining so much, especially since he leaned down and pressed his palms into the desk, corralling me.

I sank my teeth into his shoulder. Blood flowed to the surface. The sweet taste spilled into my mouth. My fingers tightened into his back, and I pressed myself to him, stretching my mouth to cover the puncture wounds. I moaned, licking every drop of blood he offered me. I widened my legs, pressing my inner thighs against his hips.

Tobias ground forward, rubbing his hardness into the apex of my thighs. I slid my hands higher, until I slipped them into his hair. I speared them into the neat strands. He tasted so good. I moaned and he jolted against me with a guttural grunt.

Pulling back from his neck, I licked the punctures so they would heal faster and pressed kisses to his shoulder, up his jaw and to his lips. I slid my tongue against his and he matched my energy. I turned my head to twine my tongue around his, while I dropped my hands down to his waistband. The slacks were easy to unlatch.

His cock bobbed free, bouncing against my hand. I clasped onto the shaft and squeezed. He groaned, hips gyrating forward. I forced my fangs back into my gums.

Lust had taken hold of me, along with the furious need to see him lose control. Them losing it was an image I’d become addicted to. I slid off the edge of the desk and dropped to my knees.

I peeked up at him. His mouth was parted as he watched me with hungry eyes. I gripped the base of his cock. The tip beaded with liquid and my throat burned. I took him into my mouth. The salty taste coated my tongue, and I lapped the silky underside. Tobias gasped, his head falling back. I repeated the motion and with each one, he jolted on my tongue. I breathed in to smell his sweet blood.

My fangs burst free and pierced the side of his cock. He shouted, sagging forward, his palms slamming onto the desk to prop him up. I sucked blood from his cock and Tobias hissed, his hand bunching my hair. I couldn’t stop if I wanted. His sweet blood filled my mouth. I sucked again and he throbbed in my mouth. I forced my fangs back in and flicked my tongue against the puncture wounds.

“For God’s sake, Catalina,” he said, breathless. “I-I can not stop?—”

His hand stiffened in my hair, and I could tell he had tried to pull me away from his straining cock, but I didn’t let him pull me away. His shaft jolted and cum pooled in my mouth, mingling with blood. I closed my eyes, swallowing every drop of his release.

I was so into licking his shaft, that it took me a moment to register how he panted. I slowly lifted off him. He watched me with wide eyes. I smiled sheepishly, dropping my hands to my lap. He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath. His blood warmed my veins, and I studied Tobias still leaned over, with his palms propped on the desk.

“Tobias?” I said, concerned.

He straightened and staggered back a step. I hopped to my feet to grab his arm.

“Are you okay?”

He huffed out a laugh.

I studied his pale features, and the pinched aspect to his lips.

“Have you fed?”

“Not yet, I will get a blood bag—” I lifted my wrist to my mouth and sank my fangs into the thin skin. I offered it to Tobias. Blood trickled down to my elbow in the seconds he stared.

“Hurry or it will close—” I stopped with a grunt. He took my wrist and covered it with his mouth. As soon as his lick flicked across the bleeding wounds, his eyes flashed red, and he took hold of me with both hands. He grunted against my arm, sucking hard. The ticklish sensation warmed my belly. His eyelids lowered and he moaned. My eyes dropped to his hardening cock. On the third slurp, he squeezed my arm and pulled back abruptly. His shoulders moved with harsh breaths.

“Your taste has only enhanced,” he said, voice roughened.

“I feel like I should say thank you.”

He snorted and my eyebrows flew up. I’d never heard him make that sound. He cleared his throat and yanked his pants closed then plucked the sweater off the desk. With a quick jerk, he was dressed.

“Right, well.” He cleared his throat. “Come down, so I can introduce you to our temporary inhabitants.”

I leaned forward and pecked his lips.

“Yes, Priest,” I said cheekily.

The corner of his lips twitched.

“Ex—” I mouthed the word at the same time he did. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head, exasperation all over his face.

He caught my hand, and I swung our arms between us as we walked through the halls and down the stairs. Once on the first level, we crossed to the right of the foyer and entered the kitchen.

Three vampires sat at the tall dining table, staring at the red liquid in the wine glasses. A smiling Baron stood across from them, her arms crossed. All of their eyes flung in our direction as we entered. They looked at my face, dropped to our clasped hands, then to Tobias. They seemed especially focused. I followed their gaze.

The front of his hair stuck straight up. He looked recently fucked. I pursed my lips and reached up to smooth the hair sticking up.

“Catalina,” Baron said, sounding pleased. She flowed over to me. “Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Damien, Violet,” she said, motioning to the vampire with blonde stripes in her hair. “And Laney.” She pointed at the last girl. The girls wore very pink clothes, while Damien had on a too big shirt.

“Hi—”

“Thank you so much.” Laney stood so fast the chair scratched the ground. She laced her hands together and cleared her throat. “For letting us stay.”

“Kiss ass,” Violet muttered. She lounged in her chair. I caught Damien’s wince.

“I am so sorry about her.” Laney glared at Violet. “We won’t be a problem at all.”

“Sit down,” Violet hissed at her. “And you don’t need to apologize for me.” Laney’s lips twisted and she dropped on the chair.

“You know what Sire said,” Laney murmured at Violet.

“Sire?” I sighed. “Asher talked to you.” I didn’t need to ask him to know. I clicked my tongue. I looked up at Tobias. “He’s such a busy body.”

His lips twitched.

“That’s why he’s the contact person.”

“Well, then. As I was saying. We are not going to have feeders here. There are enough blood bags to satisfy your thirst.” Baron turned to me, but my attention was still on Violet scrunching her nose at the wine glass. “Your things should be delivered soon.”

“I thought you needed me to check the list?”

“Asher confirmed it already.” Her eyes widened. “Do you need me to cancel the order?”

“Not at all, he knows what I like.” And he had great taste.

“He knows what a lot of people like,” Talia said, standing near the fridge. I whipped to look at her, lips pressed together. My stomach dipped to the floor. I scanned the faces looking at me. They were all Asher’s Progeny.

Footsteps shut everyone up.

“Pet,” he exclaimed with a grin, walking toward me. I couldn’t relax my stiff posture. His hand on my shoulder slid off.

“Asher,” I said wryly, trying to keep my cool. Talia really did not like me. Baron glared at Talia and Laney had dropped her eyes, while the rest avoided looking at us.

I wasn’t stupid, I knew he had a large body count, but she didn’t need to be cruel about it.

“Pet.” His lips thinned, and he scanned my face. “What is it?” He sounded so serious.

I sidled close to him and slid my arms around his waist.

“You’re mine?”

He nuzzled the top of my hair. “For eternity, ?lskade. ”