Page 65 of Taste of Blood

“No. I think I’ll just head home for the night.”

Where I can drink in peace.

Since it’s only about fourteen blocks, I decide to walk home rather than grab a cab. It’s a nice night, clear and brisk, and the thought of sitting alone in my apartment worrying about Cord doesn’t appeal to me.

I’ve gone about two blocks when I become aware of a presence behind me. Is someone actually following me? I refuse to give them the satisfaction of turning around, and instead duck down the first alley I pass and flatten myself against the wall to see if they go past.

Imagine my surprise when Sam turns into the alley.

He looks around then stops when he spots me, a slow smile curling his lip. Like this is a victory for him.

While we’re not the formidable beings fiction would have you believe, we’re still stronger and faster than humans and have a presence about us when we’re provoked. I call upon that presence now, letting a spark of rage bleed into my eyes.

“Were you following me?” I demand.

He frowns as the first wash of uncertainty clouds his face. “I just thought you might give me another chance, you know, away from the bar.”

I advance on him, pulling on that ancient call to hunger that lives in the heart of all vamps. Despite his superior size, I could easily kill him here, and I let that fact reflect in my expression.

“What part of I’m not interested did you not understand,human?”

I haven’t flexed my baser instincts in a long time, possibly not since my early days after transition, but I have to say I’m finding the rush of power intoxicating. I could see how it would become addictive.

Sam stiffens, looking a lot less confident than he was a few minutes ago. In fact, he’s starting to look like someone in over his head.

I decide to play on that. In a move too quick for him to track, I reach out and snatch his throat, pulling him close as my blood teeth extend.

“Is this what you’re looking for? Did your fantasies include being food for monsters?”

I smile then, letting him see the real me.

I can feel his pulse speed up under my hand. Hear the pounding of his frightened heart. I should stop, let him go and continue on my way, but I’m having way too much fun.

Is this what it was like to hunt for your food in the old days?

Definitely addictive.

Sam swallows against my hand and tries to push me away. “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you.”

It takes all my control to release my grip and let my hand drop. “No, you shouldn’t have. Next time I won’t be so forgiving. Now get out of here.”

I watch him scurry out of the alley and smile to myself. That was just what I needed.

The rest of the walk home is disappointingly uneventful. While the flirtation with my inner darkness was a satisfying distraction, it unfortunately awakened another appetite in me.

One only Cord can satisfy.

I have to do something about the fact that he’s never here when I need him.

23: Cord

SINCE WE WERE up all night on the stakeout, Dante sends reinforcements to replace Eli and Snipes on the roof, then tells the rest of us to go home and get some sleep, with instructions to meet back at the warehouse at sundown.

I grab a quick shower when I get home and fall into bed, ready to surrender to unconsciousness and forget all this Python drama for a few hours. As soon as I lay down, however, my phone rings. I glance at the screen; Asher. The last person I want to talk to, and yet, my dick disagrees.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“Just checking in to see how it went last night. Was the intel good?”