Page 20 of Relic

TWENTY

I wake with a start, sucking desperately on Horatio’s wrist. Warm blood fills my mouth, sweet with only hints of a metallic taste. It’s amazing, but as memories rush my mind, my eyes shoot open, and I bolt upright, taking in my surroundings. Holy fuck. I’m a vampire now.

Horatio smiles. “Hello, darling. How do you feel?”

I consider his question for a moment. “Good. Amazing.” Reaching up, I touch the tips of sharp fangs in my mouth. “Wow.”

“You should see yourself, Emery. You are somehow even more beautiful.”

“I look different?”

“Healthy. Strong. Come look for yourself.”

He helps me off the chaise and walks me over to a large floor length mirror. I move a little clumsily, my legs not quite solid under me. When I see my reflection, I take a step back. I can’t believe it’s me. My skin is flawless, all signs of being tired erased. My eyes shine bright and clear. I touch my own face.

“Wow.”

“You will never have another ailment. Not a cold or an ache. You will never so much as sniffle. Your body is optimized now for health. You’ll sleep the right amount, feed enough, and overall experience everything as it should be.”

I pat my belly, no longer concave and slightly emaciated. It’s how I used to look years ago before I met Linx.

“Wow,” I mutter again, trying to find a more apt word. “Everything feels different. I can hear birds outside and water dripping from the sink in the kitchen.”

“Yes. What do you smell?”

“You.” I turn to face him. “Only you.”

“That makes us even then.”

I step into his arms, rising on my toes to kiss him. “Thank you.” My stomach grumbles so loudly, it shocks me. I pull my head back. “Whoa.”

Horatio chuckles. “Yes, we’ll get you fed right now.” Somehow Sven appears without being summoned, at least not audibly by me. “Please bring Emery some sustenance. Warmed please.”

“Right away, sir.” He smiles at me in a way I never expected to see from him.

He’s back mere seconds later, setting a tray in front of me. There’s a large soup bowl, and the aroma of blood wafts up, making my mouth water. I lift it to my lips, guzzling it down, and as it coats my inside, my desperation settles. It’s not as sweet as Horatio’s was, but it’s definitely tasty.

“Do I dare ask where you got this?” I ask, after I demolish that liquid and set the bowl down.

Horatio smiles. “A generous donor. I keep some on hand for times when hunting isn’t viable.”

“Thanks. I feel better.”

“For only a brief time. Let’s go out so you can experience your new body. We’ll find someone to donate to the cause.”

I scrunch my nose. “But no hurting people, right?”

“They won’t feel a thing, my sweet.”

A weird memory flashes through my mind. “When I met you at Relic, you were eating something. You said it was beef, but I don’t believe you.”

“I doubt you believed me even then.” He strokes his soft fingers over my palm. “It was indeed human remains. It was given to me by the local hospital. A young man had died in an accident, and after his viable organs were harvested for donation, his remains were bequeathed to me since he had no family to claim him otherwise.”

My stomach flutters with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. “You eat people?”

“Not the solids. It’s like…like chewing gum. You get a wonderful flavor before you spit it out.”

“I thought dead blood was bad.”

He chuckles. “Blood does spoil so you have a window when it’s best. After that, it doesn’t taste good and doesn’t fix your hunger so there’s really no point. You can partake of anything, animal to human. You can even drink from other vampires, although I don’t want you to. You’re mine.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“You must avoid feeding from an IDV. Their blood is infected. Drinking from them would make you one.”

“Yeah, can’t see that happening.” I find myself glancing longingly at the bowl, the tinge of blood still clinging to it. “How long did you say the bloodlust lasts?”

Horatio smiles. “Come. Let’s go upstairs where I can make you more comfortable.” I stand, stepping forward. Horatio cups my chin, gazing into my eyes. “I wish to make love to you and bathe in each other’s blood. How does that sound, my eternal morsel?”

I feel my fangs throb in my mouth. “Really fucking good.”

“You have no idea how good, but you will.”

Horatio scoops me into his arms, carrying me like a bride up the stairs while I still process the new sensations flowing through me. The world is loud and my fingers and toes tingle and buzz with electricity. My level of horniness is turned up too just thinking about seeing Horatio naked again.

He chuckles once we reach his bathroom. “Your thoughts are loud, my darling.”

“You can hear what I’m thinking?”

“Yes.” He sets me down and tickles my chin. “I had a strong connection to your emotions once I marked you, but now, what you think and feel is what I think and feel.”

“Does it work the opposite way?”

“In time, yes. You’ll learn more about your abilities and how to embrace them. Right now, you’ll hear everything until you learn to tune it out and focus on what you want to hear.”

I nod with my gaze locked on his face. “This is real.”

Horatio nods. “It is. Now sit on the bench while I make us a bath.”

I plop down on the velvet seat, watching him for a minute until my attention shifts back to my body. It’s the weirdest thing, like if you can feel light, I’m filled with it. Almost the way it feels to lie in the sun when the temperature is perfect, not too hot or too cool.

The tightness I’ve carried for years in my chest morphs into something else, blooming and stretching and filling me in new and wonderful ways. My fingertips tingle and my gums throb, but it’s not painful or uncomfortable. It’s like the feeling you have right before a big stretch.

“Let it out,” Horatio says, glancing up from the edge of the tub. “It’s the monster inside of you pushing through your human exterior.”

“But I didn’t make it go away before.”

“No.” He stands, unbuttoning his shirt. “In the beginning it’s hard to control. You’ll shift back and forth until you get a handle on it. Luckily for you, blending in around New Orleans is easy, whether vampire or mortal.”

I scratch my head with a soft laugh on my lips. “Regular people probably think it’s a costume.”

“Exactly.” He shrugs off his shirt and I gasp at the sight of his perfect flesh. “Other supes will know what you are.”

“Will anyone challenge me?”

“No, sweet bon bon. You are an apex predator now. The only creatures strong enough to fight us are the wolf shifters and werewolves and dragons, but they have no interest in an unnecessary war. Magic can temporarily slow us down which is very helpful when it comes to the IDVs, but I haven’t met the witch that can eradicate a vampire on magic alone.”

“Apex predator,” I repeat. “Wonder what it feels like to be the hunter instead of the prey.”

“You’re going to find out. No one can hurt you now.” A sexy smirk spreads across his lips as he flicks the button of his slacks open. “If you have any other shit boyfriends, we can hunt them.”

Surprised laughter bursts from my chest. “Luckily no. Linx was the worst of them. The others are just your typical losers, but don’t deserve to die.”

His eyes soften. “You understand then that Linx truly did deserve his fate?”

I nod, catching my bottom lip with my teeth until I realize I’ve impaled it with my fangs. Releasing it, I flick my tongue out to catch my own blood. “Oops.”

Horatio chuckles, dropping his slacks and kicking off his shoes and socks. “Learning curve.”

“Yeah.” My eyelids flutter as Horatio’s scent reaches me. It’s stronger than before, heady and rich like fancy wine or something.

In a flash, he’s at my feet removing my sneakers. “Anything you need or want is my responsibility to give you, do you understand, Emery?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m your maker and your lover. I’m your destiny and your eternity.” He pulls my socks off. “Clothing, a home, food, cars, jewels, art, a head on a platter, whatever it is, you only need to want it and it’s yours.”

“Oh.” My heart flutters with the strangest feeling, and I think it might be happiness. “Um, well, I don’t need much. A place to make art is good enough.”

Smiling, he taps my arms silently asking me to hold them up and then removes my t-shirt. “My sweet, humble beignet. My world and all that I have is now yours. You will have your space and any supplies you need.”

I nod as he gently pulls my wrist to get me to stand up. As he works on my faded jeans, another thought hits me. I hope it’s not too much.

“I could probably use some new clothes. I don’t have much that isn’t worn out.” I card my fingers through his hair. “I want to look good next to you.”

“You look perfect beside me, but if you want new clothes you’ll have them.” He presses his hand to my belly. “Now that you’ve been turned, you’ll develop new appetites and eccentricities.”

“I can’t eat po-boys anymore, can I?”

Horatio chuckles again. “Small bites of mortal food won’t hurt you. Our digestion system works very slowly, too slowly to digest food properly, but morsels here and there are okay.” He tugs my jeans off and hums happily. “Gods, you are beautiful.”

“Gods?”

“There are many. I don’t revere one over the other. Best to keep all of them in good graces.”

I snort a laugh. “Wild.”

“There’s an incredibly vibrant world just beyond the mortal veil. I think you’ll enjoy learning all about it once we get past this unpleasantry with Orson.”

His reminder almost kills the vibe until he leans in and drags his tongue along the length of my cock. It swells rapidly, leaving me lightheaded.

“Whoa. That’s never happened.”

“You’re about to experience what making love can really be like. It’s not even remotely the same as how a mortal feels.”

He guides me to the bath and helps me in before sliding in across from me. As we soak, he massages my feet and calves, sending vibrations rolling through me like waves. When his eyes start to glow, what minimal breath I have catches in my throat, and I quickly realize the urge to suck in air isn’t there anymore.

“Feel my desire for you, darling,” Horatio says. “Let it permeate your soul so you know in every part of you that I will always be with you.”

I gaze into his eyes, struck silent as images pass between us like a movie. The two of us in the streets of New Orleans, leaping across the tops of buildings or running so fast no one can see us. Laughter tumbles out of me. We look so happy.

The next scene is of the two of us surrounded by friends. Mattheus and Samson are there. Sven too. I spot Ares and even Morticia looks sort of happy.

The images end with me riding my sexy vampire, and my body heats like there’s a fire inside of me. When I blink it’s gone, but Horatio is there, stroking his thick cock. Unable to hold back, I crawl across the tiny space separating us and straddle his lap.

With zero prep, he guides his cock to my entrance and pushes inside me, but instead of a sting or pain I’m flooded with relief, like my body was just waiting for him again. He still feels big and thick, but everything else is different.

My libido explodes like a firecracker, and I ride his cock like my life depends on it. Every part of me is humming with electricity and colors swirl around us. My body seems to wrap around his, molding perfectly like the pottery clay I sometimes work with, and I’m instantly convinced that I was waiting my whole life for this man without even knowing it.

I turn my attention to his perfect face, another wave of warm heat hitting me when I see his expression. If I had to paint what desire and love look like it would be him right now. His eyes glow a soft white around the irises, his parted lips pinker than usual, and his fangs fully extended.

“Are you going to bite me?”

“Absolutely, but you first, my love. Feed. Taste your maker. Indulge in my unshakable love for you.”

As my mouth waters, my body shakes with sudden need, like a powerful earthquake. “How do I…?”

“Instinct. Let it guide you. Listen for my blood.”

Doing as he said, I try to push away the other noises competing for my attention, the slick wetness of our bodies slapping together, the ripples and splashing water, every tiny breath either of us make, but then…

Thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump.

Whoosh.

“I can hear your heartbeat.”

Horatio smiles as he drags his hands down my back before settling on my hips. “And?”

“Your pulse. The blood sounds like liquid sloshing back and forth.”

“Yes. Now follow it and bite me. I cannot wait to feel your teeth in my flesh. It has been centuries since I’ve fed a lover, and never have I offered my essence to one like you.”

Still shaking, I close my eyes, inhaling the musky scent of sex mixed with what I can only describe as Horatio. A new sensation takes over, guiding me, and I instinctively know it’s the vampire inside me.

My gums throb and my fangs descend even more as I open my mouth and finally plunge them into Horatio’s neck. Thick blood floods my mouth, sweet and decadent like drinking cream.

“Fuck,” Horatio moans, digging his sharp nails into my hips. “Love of mine. Feed. Take all you need from me.”

I’m overcome by insatiable hunger for his blood and his body, torn between them, so I end up rocking violently on his cock and desperately sucking his neck.

“Yes,” he says, bucking his hips to hit the deepest parts of me. Then his teeth pierce my flesh, and I cry out, and my orgasm explodes within me.

My blood rushing through my veins to his mouth, my cock swollen and gushing cum, the scents and sounds of our lovemaking, it’s all too much and yet so fucking perfect there are no words for it.

I don’t know what I did to deserve this after all the years of struggle, but thank fuck I came to New Orleans. Now I get to keep this forever.