A Taste for Blood (5 page)

He nodded, clearly pleased with my response.

“Where did they die?”

“One in each of the three territories.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “After leaving Horizons, we came straight here. We haven’t left since.”

“So you’ve been asleep then?”

“Yes.”

“Then how do you know she’s been here the entire time?”

“Because she’s here.” I lowered my voice. “And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a light sleeper. You were able to wake me from a blood-induced coma, yet she still sleeps. I swear, we’ve been here since right after I turned her.”

“Make sure it stays that way. If she wasn’t the one killing last night, there must be another new blood walking around. With any luck, it won’t be one of our own. I’ve called a meeting with the other covens. Whoever this rogue is, we’ll sniff him out.”

“And Kassy?”

“She stays with you. You’re not to leave this building.”

“But we’ll need to feed soon.”

“Then make use of the blood den in the basement since you couldn’t be bothered to add your little treat to the donors list. I’ll return before daylight.” He turned to leave. “Oh, and Alex?”

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“We aren’t done here yet. You went against protocol, and this imbalance between covens cannot continue.” With that, he left, assigning a pair of guards outside to watch—and hear—our every move.

It’s going to be a long day.

Chapter Five

After I’d convinced Kassy that drinking from a donor was a lot better than trading blood with me, we got dressed and headed down to the basement. Much like our fully furnished room, the basement was covered in hardwood floors with lights hanging from the ceiling. My stomach turned, the stench of stale blood entering my system well before we’d got down the stairs.

Kassy wrinkled her nose and looked at me, her eyes full of questions I wasn’t sure I could answer. I squeezed her hand, which must’ve offered enough reassurance to get her down the rest of the steps.

“You get used to it,” I explained as we approached a brunette behind the booth.

To a human, it might have resembled a bar of some kind with private rooms all along the hall. To us? We weren’t here for the booze. I released Kassy’s hand and nodded to the brunette protected by glass walls.

“Tell her who you are,” I instructed when Kassy gave me a questioning glance. “Think of it as if you were going to the bar. You’ll have a running tab and a daily limit of how much you can drink.”

“How do I pay?” Kassy whispered, just loud enough for the brunette and me to hear.

I smiled at her innocence. “You don’t. We vampires own all of Boston. The humans who work in this territory work for us. Money isn’t an issue. The donors are here to keep vampires from killing those who work for us. Understand?”

She furrowed her brow, gave it some thought, then nodded. “She just needs my name?”

“Yes. And she or one of the other humans will sign you in anytime you arrive.”

“And if I reach a daily limit?”

“They’ll let you know at the end of each visit how many more times you can come down during a given twenty-four-hour cycle. If you return once you’ve reached your limit, you won’t be given a key and either Corvis or myself will be called down to take you back to your room.”

She let out a sigh. “Sounds like prison.”

“Damage control,” I corrected her. “If we were ever to bleed Boston dry, we’d have to find a new place to feed, and with that comes great risk. We’ve set our mark here. We’re respected here.” I shrugged. “Not so much in the other states.”

Kassy squared her shoulders and looked down at the brunette. “Kassy Blake.”

The brunette turned in her chair and pulled a key off the wall behind her, handing it to Kassy. “This will be your first visit for the day.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “I assume you’ll be joining her?”

“That’s correct.”

“Okay then, I have you both down for this morning. You’re allowed five visits per day, so you have four remaining once you leave here.” She handed Kassy the key but didn’t let go. “There are rules you must follow when you’re with a donor. You’re only here to drink—not to have sex. Bite only the wrists and neck. Don’t let them bleed out. If you’re going to drink here, you need to take care of those you use. This means bandages, ointment and anything your donor might need after you’ve had your fill. Also, one donor is equal to one visit. Should you need to drink more, come back to me and I’ll set you up with a fresh one. Any questions?”

“I think that about covers it,” I said, inclining my head. Once the clerk let go of the key, I turned to Kassy and pulled a thick leather collar and chain from my back pocket. “Remember this?”

Her eyes went wide, and she bowed her head.

“While this collar is on, you’ll do exactly as I say. This is just until you get the hang of how things work around here. I’ll join you for your first couple of times, but then you’re on your own. Do you understand?” I clipped the collar behind her neck and lifted her chin. “Kassy, do you understand?”

She swallowed. “Yes, Master.”

“Good girl. Now, come with me. Our room is down near the end of the hall to our left.”

Tightening the chain from Kassy’s collar in my hand, I guided her down the long hall, pausing whenever she tensed up. Every now and again she’d lift her head and inhale. I did the same, smiling at the tell-tale scent of one of our younger vampires feeding on a fresh donor. Their blood might not have been as good as drinking wild or from a club like Kassy’s, but it was convenient. Especially for those who couldn’t leave the hotel.

“Got a live one, Alex?” a younger vampire asked as he strode towards us. He walked into line beside Kassy and looked from me to her. “Are you willing to share?”

I rolled my eyes and drew Kassy to my other side. ”I don’t share my meals—or my subs, Kyle.” I covered my nose. “And by the smell of it, you’ve had way too much to drink for one day. Get out of here before I get Corvis involved.”

Kyle lifted his arms and backed away. “Okay, okay. I meant no offence. But if you ever do want—”

“Kyle. Go.”

He bowed his head and let his shoulders slump before heading back to the reception area. Kassy drew in a deep breath, and as she released it, the tension in her body dissipated.

“Doing okay?” I asked, nodding at the filth that had just left us. “Don’t pay him any mind. He’s always like that.”

She lifted her gaze when I stopped in front of our donor’s room. “Are they all like that? The other vampires?”

I shrugged and shoved our key in the door. “Vampires are just like any other drunk. Some of us get happy. Some get depressed, and Kyle… He gets extremely clingy. But don’t worry—one quick kick to the groin will send him running. Here we go.” I ushered her inside the room before locking the door behind us. “Welcome to your first drinking lesson.”

Kassy’s vision swept from one side of the room to the other as I released the chain hanging from her collar. Aside from the bed covered in dark sheets and a handful of supplies used for cleaning up a donor, the room was pretty bland. But then again, we weren’t here for our honeymoon. The real prize had yet to come in through the door opposite us.

“See that door?” I nodded in its direction. “Donors come in on the other side of the room and can use their door as an escape if a vampire gets too aggressive. The doors are programmed to only open for a certain string of DNA, a string we vampires no longer have. It’s complicated, but it works and usually keeps everyone safe.”

“Usually?”

I licked my lips. “It doesn’t happen very often, but there are times when a vampire will drink too much. Those that do usually have a strong hold on a donor, which means they can’t escape.”

Kassy’s vision snapped back at me. “So…what? They die?”

“Like I said, it usually works, but nothing in this world—human or vampire—is perfect.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She padded over to the bed and sat down. “When is this donor supposed to arrive anyway?”

“When I feel you’re ready.” I double-checked to make sure the door was locked before joining her. ”It’s going to take time for you to get used to the taste, but the donors really are the safest bet for a new vampire. You might not think so now, but if I let you out into the streets, you’d have no way to resist the blood that passes you by. Young, old, healthy, sick… You’d drink from them all. Until you find your taste, that is.”

“Taste?”

“Like any other food. For example—Pepsi or Coke?”

“What?”

“Sorry, it’s the best analogy I can think of right now. So, what will it be? Pepsi or Coke?”

“Coke, I guess?” She shrugged.

“Their tastes are very similar, and yet we still prefer one over the other. Blood works the same way. Depending on what a human has in their bloodstream at any given time, they can taste sweet, sour or bitter. Things such as narcotics, drugs, alcohol and caffeine enhance these effects even more. Same thing goes for drinking live, drinking from a donor or drinking blood that’s been stored. Blood from blood banks will seem stale because it isn’t fresh.” I smirked when she wrinkled her nose. “You didn’t even notice the taste last night, did you?”

“Not that I can remember. It’s kind of a blur.”

I inclined my head. “You were high as soon as you took your first sip. I wouldn’t expect you to. But now that you’re sober, you’ll get to experience the different tastes first-hand. If I may offer a word of advice—savour them. Treat the blood like a fine wine. Swirl it around in your mouth to get acquainted before going to town on your donor. It truly is an experience you’ll want to see for yourself.”

She stared down at her lap. “What happens if I don’t like the taste?”

“Then we try another.”

“After that?”

“Like it or not, eventually you’ll have to eat. The longer you wait, the hungrier and less picky you’ll become. But don’t you worry—we’ll find what you like, and once we do, you won’t have to taste test so much.” I roused myself from the bed and hit a small button beside the donor’s door. “This button will let the donor know we’re ready, but there’s something you should know first. Donors are the junk food in a world of vampires. It’s a quick fix, but it won’t last for long. The reason for this is because of how little we’re allowed to drink from each donor. But, again, this keeps everyone healthy and safe.”

“Which explains the five donors a day.”

“Exactly. Now, most donors are female.”

“Most vampires are male.”

“Ahh, you’re catching on. Good. So, don’t be surprised by your donor’s gender. It won’t change how they taste or how well they submit to your bite.”

“And the bed’s for…?”

“Relaxing. It’s akin to sitting on the couch with a cold beer. Or so I’ve been told. It keeps you both comfortable and focused on each other rather than having to stand on shaky legs.”

Jingling on the other side of the door caught my attention, and I quickly backed away. My stomach turned with anticipation, and I bit my bottom lip. This donor was all Kassy’s. I’d get my drink later, after I’d made sure she didn’t kill this one first.

“And before I forget,” I said, clearing my throat. “You don’t ever want to chase a human down.”

“Why is that?” Kassy asked. “Are we not fast enough?”

“Oh, we are. But in the time it takes for a human to recognise what you are and for you to reach them, the adrenaline will already be in their system.” I winced at the remembered flavour. “Adrenaline makes the blood bitter. Unusable. That’s why, when I bit you for the very first time, I made sure you were calm. That is the same reason why some vampires compel their prey to remain still. The mood can ruin the meal, unless it’s tended to. Carefully.”

More noise on the other side of the wall. We both froze. I inhaled and closed my eyes, able to recognise the sweet scent anywhere.
Zee.

I hadn’t even bothered to check the door or where I was walking before we’d come in, but if I had, I would’ve realised how observant the clerk back at the desk was. On nights when I wasn’t with Kassy, I could be found here. And more often than not, my first long drink of the evening was with Zee. I smiled.

This is going to be one hell of a day.

Crossing my arms behind my back, I stared at the door, at the space above it. I listened to Kassy shift nervously on the bed, likely to see whatever it was I’d been looking at. Licking my lips, I resisted the urge to glance back at her. In the time it took for the door to open, I’d gone from the protective creator of a newborn vampire to the Dom she’d known the night before.

I swallowed and dropped my gaze just long enough to give Zee a single head-to-toe glance. When our eyes met, she turned away to close the door. Per her usual, she wore a black silken robe. I didn’t have to imagine what little she had on underneath. I’d seen it all before and chances were, I was about to see it again.

Damn tease.

When she faced me again, I’d almost forgotten about Kassy being in the same room. If a succubus were to ever find its way into the coven, it would’ve been Zee. Red hair fell to her shoulders, causing her green contacts to stand out even more. Pulling her hair back, she lowered her head in submission, leaving her neck clearly visible.

The best kind of greeting if there ever was one.

When I didn’t move, she spoke. “Alex, I didn’t expect to see you in the middle of the day.” She turned towards the bed and froze. “And with a visitor, too.”

“I’m just here to watch,” I assured her, leaning with my back against the wall.

“Pity. We used to have so much fun together.”

Kassy’s gaze flew up at me, her posture rigid.

“Not like that, Kassy. I promise.”

“Oh, so this is the one you’ve been drinking behind my back, isn’t it?”

I smirked. “Only a little.”

“And no wonder!” Zee tossed me a devilish grin.
Damn that woman and her smile!
“When did you turn her?”

I cleared my throat. “Last evening, so go easy on her, will you?”

“No promises there.” Adjusting the tie around her waist, Zee padded towards the bed, gently caressing Kassy’s chin with a fingernail. “Oh, you’ll be a fun one, won’t you?” Then to me she said, “What did you do to her, Alex? Poor thing’s tense as hell.”