Page 27 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

His jaw ticked. “You’ll find your tastes adapting here on the farm. Your needs can no longer be met by vegetables alone.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why does every carnivore think meat is the only source of protein? Trust me, my diet’s just fine. I just need something to—” A cramp grabbed hold of her stomach and she doubled over in pain.

Christian was by her side in a second, rubbing her back.

“Ew!” She shouldered him off. “Don’t touch me.”

“Delilah, you must feed. Your body’s been through a lot in the last eight hours. You need to feed in order to sustain your energy.”

She gritted her teeth and breathed through the overwhelming pain twisting her stomach, fearing she would retch from the discomfort. On an empty stomach, puking would only bring more pain. She fucking hated throwing up so she swallowed back the urge.

Grumbling, she glared up at him. “What did you give me?”

“This is all part of it. You need to feed.”

A ceaseless thumping came from his chest. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

She rolled to her side and moaned in agony, hand clamping over her mouth as her gums and face radiated with a sharp ache she couldn’t fathom. What was happening to her?

He continued to stroke her hair. “Your body’s changing, pintura.”

She swatted his hand away, but he swatted back, pulling her onto his lap. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. “You must listen to your instincts. What are they telling you?”

“Stranger danger,” she groaned, doubling over with an agonizing moan. “Let go of me, you psycho.”

“I cannot help you if you refuse to take this seriously.” Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

“Oh, believe me,” she gritted. “I’m taking this very, serious—ah!” The sharp cramp overwhelmed her.

“Enough.” He pulled her close, turning her face to his shoulder. Her vision blurred as though she were looking through someone else’s prescription glasses. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. God, he smelled good.

The pain in her mouth returned and she whimpered miserably. Unable to take any more, she snapped, “What the fuck is that thumping?”

Christian growled and cradled her head, turning her face toward his neck. “Open your mouth.”

She didn’t understand why it was so easy to obey his command when everything inside of her wanted to do the opposite. Her lips parted and her eyes zeroed in on the thin flutter below his jaw.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. His flesh skipped with every jump of his pulse. The tempo doubled. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

In a gravelly voice, Christian whispered, “That’s it, pintura, take what you need from your mate.”

His fingers tangled in her hair, not pulling but guiding, urging her closer. The press of her nose to his skin awoke something inside of her. It was a fire, all-consuming and impossible to resist. A guttural moan, almost sexual, broke through the pain as she dragged her tongue over his pulse.

Her mouth yawned wide and there was a snap. She struck like a snake and he twitched slightly, forcing himself to remain still.

Warm and satisfying, hot nectar flowed over her tongue and she drank deeply. A strange purring came from deep within her chest. It trailed down her throat and hit her belly like the first rain over the desert.

Her body shifted and her lashes lowered, as her mind fell into a dreamlike state where she no longer existed. Instinct took over. Angling to take more, she climbed fully onto Christian’s lap and his strong hands gripped her hips.

Her body rocked as sensations filled her. Having never done drugs heavier than weed and some magic mushrooms, she had nothing to compare it to. But she imagined the effect might be similar to amphetamines or crack cocaine. She could feel everything, the follicles of her hair growing, the beds of her nails strengthening, the heavy pounding of her heart, the delicious contraction of her sex. It was all connected.

She moaned and he echoed her pleasure, pulling her closer so her knees fit perfectly to either side of his hips. The bulge of his arousal pressed against her heated core, right where she needed pressure most. His hand fisted in her hair and she rode him, her orgasm building—

Her brain screeched to a sudden halt as self-awareness doused her like a frigid bucket of ice water. She ripped her mouth away, flinging her body off of his. Her back hit the wall and she stared in wide-eyed horror.

He grunted and cupped his neck. Blood seeped through his fingers and she screamed.

“Do not panic,” he shouted over her screams.

She swiped a hand over her glossy mouth and pulled her fingers away with a horrified whimper. Crimson blood stained her flesh. She bolted for the door, but he reached it first.

“No!”

She dodged his grasp, ran to the corner, and caught her reflection in the glass of the window. Her chin and lips were smeared with his blood and she had fangs. Fucking fangs! She screamed and raced to the window, wanting to shatter the image and escape before someone died, fully prepared to hurl herself through the glass.