Page 41 of Taste of Forever (Vampires of Sanguine #3)

Heather

“ L aith.”

“Mm.” His voice was a gentle rumble and a puff of air on the back of my neck.

I tried to slide out from under the heavy arm around my waist, but he clamped down tighter.

An easy smile pulled at my lips as I looked over my shoulder and brushed a kiss over his cheek and the bridge of his nose.

“Let me go just for a minute.”

“Never.” His arm locked around me tighter and he even threw a leg over mine.

It would have been annoying if it wasn’t so sweet.

“Laith, I really need to pee.”

“Just pee on me. It’s fine.”

“Eww!” The sound of disgust became laughter as I smacked his arm, which finally loosened its hold around my waist.

“Hurry back.” Laith’s fingers trailed along my skin until the last possible moment as I climbed out of bed. “I miss you already.”

I couldn’t stop grinning as I did my business in the bathroom and washed my hands. How had I upgraded from a guy like Justin to a gorgeous vampire who was obsessed with me?

When I returned to the bedroom, Laith was a sight that stopped me in my tracks.

He was stretched out, lithe muscles relaxed and pale skin unmarred, except for the scarification on his chest. His magenta eyes were hooded with sleep.

He smiled when he saw me, and a fang glinted in the dim bedroom light.

“Come back here.” He reached an arm out, inviting me back to the cocoon of warmth and sleep we’d made.

Tempting as it was, I was starving and getting a little cabin fever after days in this room.

“You got any more of that chicken soup left?”

Laith’s hand dropped to the mattress as he sat up, feet swinging to the floor. “Yes, plenty. I’ll bring you some.”

“Let me come up with you,” I suggested. “I’d love to stretch my legs, see the rest of where you live. Maybe meet some of your clan if they’re around.”

Laith looked surprised and then pleased. “I would love that. But are you sure you’re up for it?”

“I’m hungry enough to eat a horse, but I feel great besides that.” I raised my arms and did a little spin on the balls of my feet. “See? Balance is back and I’ve been standing on my own for a whole minute.”

“You sure have.” Laith’s grin widened after I completed my twirl. “We should go dancing again when you’re feeling a hundred percent.”

Joy sparked in me like fireworks. “That would be amazing. I can’t wait.”

“Soon enough, Science Barbie.” He rose from bed and started to get dressed.

“Speaking of hunger,” I said, my pulse elevating slightly. “How are you doing? Do you need to feed from me?”

Laith’s gaze immediately went to my neck while he secured his jeans with a belt.

The raw want in his eyes made my heart beat faster.

It would be different from now on. We no longer had to fight any urges.

When the desire came, we could just let those feelings take over us.

I couldn’t wait to feel him drink from me with no reservations.

“Not yet.” Laith jerked his gaze away, searching for a T-shirt. “You should eat another meal. Maybe have another day of rest to be safe. I know you feel fine, but I don’t want to cause your body any undue stress.”

“Are you sure?” I moved closer, taking advantage of his temporary blindness as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. “Maybe just a little taste?”

His smile grew vicious, fangs raking over his bottom lip as he drew me against his chest. “As if I could stop at just a little taste of you.” He kissed me, sharp enough for his fangs to poke me without piercing.

“When I have you, I’m taking my fill. So I need my blood mate in prime health.

” He swatted my ass. “Now, let me feed you and introduce you to the assholes I live with.”

The apartment outside his bedroom was modest and simple.

It was mostly an open living area with couches and a small table.

A TV took over nearly one entire wall with gaming consoles and controllers set neatly in the cubbies of the TV stand.

The kitchenette was little more than a small refrigerator, a counter and a sink.

“You didn’t make that soup in here, did you?”

“Nah, I don’t think that fridge is even plugged in.” Laith grabbed my hand, leading me toward the front door. “The main kitchen upstairs is a shared space. Only Tavia and Bea actually use it to make food. We mostly use the island for meetings.”

There was that name again, Tavia. Where had I heard it before?

Outside Laith’s front door was a industrial-looking hallway with concrete floors and a tall ceiling stretching at least two stories up.

More doors lined the hall, with some hanging framed photos and console tables lining the walls between doors.

The air was cool and dry, reminding me of a wine cellar.

“Are those other apartments?” I nodded at the doors. “For your clan members?”

“Yeah, everyone’s got their own place. Mated couples live together, obviously.”

“How many couples are there?”

“Aside from you and me?” He kissed my temple. “One. Cyan and Tavia live there.” He pointed at one door, then led me toward the end of the hall, where a metal staircase rose up to meet a set of two carved wooden doors. “The greatroom is up there. Where everyone gathers.”

“Are we underground?” I asked as we started to climb.

“The apartments are, yes. It’s an instinctual thing for vampires. We’re better able to rest the further away from sunlight we are. That tends to be below the surface.”

“Makes sense.”

We reached the top landing and Laith pushed open one of the doors to reveal an open, brightly lit space. A luxurious kitchen with marbled counters and a massive center island took up nearly half the space. The other half looked to be a living area with couches arranged around a…

“Is that a stripper pole?” I blurted out.

“Sure is,” answered a vampire lounging on one of the couches with his legs dangling over the arm. “You should see your mate turning tricks on it.”

“Oh, really?” I looked at Laith behind me.

“I’m out of practice but I know you’ve been putting in work, Des. Did you win your bet with Irina?”

“Ugh, no.” The other vampire’s head flopped back in disappointment. “Couldn’t get the leg squeeze right. Just about landed on my face and had to buy drinks for all the dancers.”

“Well, maybe don’t quit your night job.” Laith cupped my nape and massaged. “Des, this is Heather. Heather, Des.”

“Hi.” I waved, which Des returned.

“You’re looking way better than when we pulled you out of that alley.” Des’s grin was friendly, with one blunt fang adding some rogueish charm. His eyes were a darker red closer to brown, the color of aged bricks.

“Thanks. I would hope so.”

“Have a seat.” Laith steered me to the island. “I’ll heat up your soup.”

I just settled into a stool when more people came through the same doors we had. A huge, musclebound vampire so tall that he had to duck through the doorway scowled at me as he entered the room. Or maybe that was just his normal face.

He was followed by a more slender vampire.

He was closer to Laith’s build, but that was where the similarities ended.

This vampire had dark hair and there was a coldness to his blood-red eyes.

Something about him seemed aged, a kind of jaded weariness.

He also had neck tattoos, which was surprising to see.

How was that possible when vampires healed so quickly? Silver ink?

Behind him came one more vampire, one with his dark hair buzzed close to his scalp and more youthfulness and energy behind his red eyes. He also looked familiar. Our gazes met as he closed the door behind him and a smile of recognition lit up his face.

“So, she lives,” he declared, coming toward me. “Hi, Heather. I’m Cyan. I don’t know if you remember me.”

“Were you also there when I was pulled out of the alley?” Maybe I was semi-conscious then but had forgotten.

“Yes, but we also met before then. I’m Tavia’s mate. She’s from Sapien, the human settlement.”

“The human settlement,” I repeated. “You mean the weird prepper village?”

“That’s the one,” he said with a laugh before glancing at his phone. “The girls are on their way up. Tavia and Amy will be glad to see you.”

A memory hit me, one that had gotten lost in the chaotic mess of events since.

During my first accidental stumble into Sanguine, when I was held at the human village for a couple of days, they had been trying to convince me that vampires were real.

That this was a vampire territory and they were only all-human settlement left.

I didn’t believe them back then, because why would I?

Two of the women I’d talked to had been Tavia and Amy.

Tavia had been visiting her old home and Cyan was due to pick her up that night.

I waited with them, ready to debunk this so-called vampire that rolled up on a motorcycle.

But, as Cyan pulled up, every one of my instincts of danger and predator had fired warning signs.

He was clearly not some guy with red contacts and fake fangs.

My central nervous system knew before my eyes did that he was definitely not human.

“That’s right,” I said, the clarity dawning on me. “You were the first real vampire I saw with my own eyes.”

“Should’ve been me,” Laith muttered irritably from the stove.

“Oh, relax. You’re the only one who's fed from me.”

Consensually, anyway. I forced back the shudder at the thought of that monster in the alley. That was the last thing I needed occupying my mind right now.

“Welcome to vampire jealousy.” Cyan leaned one hip against the counter. “We’re ridiculous when it comes to our mates. I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

I returned his grin. “I have some idea.”

“Stop smiling at her.” Laith placed a steaming bowl of soup, spoon, napkin, and glass of water in front of me, then made a shooing motion at Cyan. “Go away. She needs to eat.”

Cyan gave me a pointed look, fangs digging into his lower lip to suppress his laugh, then pushed away from the counter to join the others across the room.