The First Touch (31 page)

She pulled the covers b
ack and slid her feet out waiting
for the men with the trays to enter. Seconds later
,
she grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down. Then she l
ay back for a moment smiling,
allowing her body to absorb the water. She sat up and picked up a piece of chicken sniffing it cautiously and then biting into it and spitting it back out.

The entire room watched eagerly for her next move. Autumn picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth and as Ivan had warned, it tasted like nothing. She swallowed it anyways and after a few more her body wracked with pain and then she vomited them back up into Ivan’s empty cup. She cursed a
nd Ivan handed her a napkin
as she wiped her mouth, asking for another glass of water. He handed it too her and she drank it and then drug herself back under the covers
, shaking miserably
.

Eat

Autumn
sat there sweating and shaking,
as Ivan moved in closer to her and said soft but firmly, “Now you will try the other.”

Autumn smiled and nodded twitchily, “Maybe it tastes better than it smells.” He nodded though he did not seem convinced by her words. She smiled weakly as she took the glass that he offered her and frowned, and then she sniffed and took a sip, spitting it back out her nose wrinkled, “Oh,
no,
that is
not
good. It tastes worse than it smells.” Ivan frowned at her disappointed, as Serena and Grayton walked in. Autumn gave them both a warm smile and handed the glass back to Ivan.

He took it
,
sniffing it
, before taking a sip, adding
, “It tastes fine to me.”

She shook her head and grumbled, “It’s cold, and bitter.”

Serena
,
seeing the dilemma
,
reached for the glass and sniffed it saying, “Three days old and from an older male.”

Then she said, “Perhaps something fresher?”

“And warmer,
”
she asked hopefully.

Serena smiled sadly understanding, “The only way we can get it warm is strait from the vein.”

She frowned and then sniffed the air suddenly lookin
g hungry, “What is that smell?”

Serena and Grayton began sniffing the air an
d Ivan watched as
Autumn’s
eyes
dilated again this time into the full
change.
It was a look that they were all familiar with, she was ready o hunt.

Flanagan noticed it as well
,
and he jumped to his haunches perched in the chair his eyes ready for the hunt. She pushed past them sniffing the air and saying, “It smells so sweet and hearty.” Autumn smiled a toothy grin and added in a strange voice, “And warm.” All of them were on the alert now.
Ivan grabbed her arm
,
and she jerked it back
,
hard. It seemed to
startle him and she stopped, sniffing
him mome
ntarily before registering what she was doing
, “Sorry it’s got me on edge.”

Ivan nodded
,
understanding her pain, “Do you feel strong enough to try a hunt?”

Autum
n nodded, “Yes
.”

She sniffed the air and ran to the window that Galen had jumped from earlier, and burst through it. The glass cut her face and arms but it healed just as quickly. As
Autumn
plummeted towards the ground
,
she felt her pre
y jump out the window behind her
,
along with eight other bodies. She vaguely thought she heard Henry yell at the staff as he jumped from the window as well, “Clear the island.” She felt the wind in her face as she heard the thumps on the ground behind her and the curse that broke from Ivan’s mouth as he landed.

Galen caught up to her quickly and asked happily
, as he swooped down next to her
, “Which way?”

Autumn sniffed the air again and smiled,
“I can’t tell which way
, it splits up ahead.”

“Any idea what it is
?” Galen asked.

Autumn shrugged
, and Galen looked at her seriously then, “Male or female?”

Autumn replied truthfully, “Male
,
” and she nearly growled then. Galen nodded seeming pleased and broke off from her splitting the group in half. She spoke in her head then and said,
Drake
I want you with me
. She felt him split off with her group of Ivan and
Grayton and Flanagan. The other group Serena, Flora and Henry followed Galen towards the dense forest.

Autumn felt the power surge through her and then she slowed as she reached the edge of a cave in a small clearing, she was in the right spot, at the exact moment from her dream. She stopped and stood very still, Ivan on her right and Flanagan on her left and Grayton directly behind her as
Drake
paced back and forth behind them all. Autumn felt it coming, the dream told h
er that it was now, and she
flex
ed
and whirled it around in her mind.

It was amazing,
t
he same as before, she felt a pull and h
eard the boat that hit the sand
near the far edge of the islan
d. A
large group of vessels
was
approachin
g the castle in the same direction as
Henry’s hunting party. It was if the planet had all aligned just for this moment, some master plan set in motion to aid her in her fi
r
st taste of blood. Autumn spoke softly then, “They are in danger Ivan.” All eyes turned towards her now, “There is a group of vessels coming in on the north corner towards Henry’s hunting party.” Flanagan headed off as soon as she spoke the words.

She continued sounding serious, “They are angry and strong
,”
Ivan nodded and was about to speak, then
Autumn
stopped him, “Ivan and Grayton, Serena is going to need you both. Can
Drake
stay with me instead?” He nodded and Ivan hesitated looking at
Autumn’s
expressionless face as she stared off into the distance with worry as she pleaded, “Hurry there is no time.” He nodded as the two of them ran from her side heading toward the northern shore.

Ivan called back to her sternly, “Stay with
Drake
.” Autumn nodded solemnly.

She waited until they were gone and then she smiled and looked at
Drake
her eyes still black coals. Her mind refocused on her original directive again
,
as she slid her hand out and pulled
Drake
into the cave. Her stomach growled silently and she smiled as she felt
the
fire in his chest.

He did not seem alarmed by her intention to be alone. But as the cave veered left
Autumn
felt the fire in his chest surge, and she slowed her pace
,
as not to spook him. She made out a ledge in the limited light and gestured for him to sit on it. He looked back out towards the opening in the cave that was barely visible from where he now stood. Autumn smiled sweetly and raised her eye brow and then answered his thought, “They will likely be a few hours
Drake
. And none of our side will be hurt.”

Drake
objected,
sitting, “You said there was danger.”

Aut
umn smiled admitting
, “There was, but with those three there, the other group will be out numbered now and they will not attack.”

Drake
asked still concerned for his friend’s safety, “Why have they come then?”

She shrugged
,
seeming unconcerned, “They want to see me.”

Drake
nodded understanding, “Why will they need Ivan and Grayton instead of me?”

Autumn answered truthfully, “If they are there, they will likely believe Serena when she lies and tells them that I am still sleeping.”

Drake
nodded, and stared at the ground thoughtful for a moment. Then h
e added catching her hungry gaze
, “Are you still hungry?”

Autumn nodded and
then she said guiltily, “Yes…a
nd I have a confession.”

Drake
raised his eye brow, “Yes?”

She smiled looking at the ground now, “I know where the smell came from.”

Drake
slid his hand out and pulled her closer his eyes softening, “From where
?
”

Autumn smiled
,
feeling less confident now,
“From you.”
Drake
tilted his head and pulled
Autumn
closer to his lap. She swallowed hard and tried breathing out of her mouth but it didn’t help. Then she said, “I think I am broken.”

Drake
smiled and then said a little huskier, “Or you could just be different.”

She looked concerned now, “How do you mean?”

Drake
replied truthfully,
assuring her,
“There are some of us who prefer blood from our own kind.”

Autumn blinked then and said, “So I am not broken?”

Drake
smiled a toothy grin, “No.” She smiled back and slid into
Drake
’s lap
, as if she where capturing him. He shifted a little then seemi
ng uncomfort
able, though his eyes
dance
d,
as if secretly
,
he was pleased
. Autumn smiled wider and slid her hand up his ches
t and then to his neck,
caress
ing it softly, feeling
his flame prancing for her
.

“Are you alright?”
Drake
nodded as his fingers began to smoke at his sides.

She replied skeptically, “You don’t look alright.”

Drake
admitted, “It will be your first meal you might loose control.”

Autumn nodded understanding then, “Like my blackout?”

“Although if we are careful and go slowly...
.
”

She beamed repeating his words, “Slowly.” She leaned down and kissed him softly on his warm neck and then stopped pulling away, “Will it hurt?”
Drake
nodded, and
Autumn
frowned looking at him for a moment and began to push herself off of him.

He slid his
arms out catching her, pulling
her back to him again
,
sucking in the air hard as
he did,
seductively
announcing
, “Not so fast.” She cocked her head and he replied, “I don’t mind the pain, it’s the control that I am truly concerned about.”

Autumn looked at him seriously and bit her lip, “I promise I will try very hard. I will run if I have to.”

Drake
admitted then
,
watching her closely, “I also might hurt you.”

She stopped and looked at him then
,
and replied seriously, “That... might set me off.”

Drake
nodded, “Do you still want to try?”

Autumn looked painfully at him
,
admitting, “I am so hungry.” He nodded his approval and slid her hands up his chest again. Her eyes dilated rapidly as
she kissed his neck softly once more
. He tightened his grip and she finally deepened her kisses until the skin finally broke under her pressure. To her surprise,
Drake
did not cry out in pain as she had expected.

Instead
,
he hissed softly and then
as her mouth turned hungry,
his hissing turned into a moan of ecstasy. As she tasted his warmth for the first time
,
she felt his desire for her well up inside of his chest. Then his desire became her desire and she felt him struggle with the impulse to bite her back. She ripped the buttons from the front of her shirt exposing her neck and breasts.

Drake
was obviously pleased by the turn of events
, as
he growled low and sexy
beginning
to kiss her neck
in return
. Minutes later
,
he sunk his teeth in and sent a sharp pain shooting through her neck. She gasped
as his grip tightened
involuntarily
, and she moaned at his forcefulness,
arching her back.
He was completely delicious, letting the moment wash through him.
She retracted
and coiled around him again, si
nk
ing
her teeth in for a second time. This time he gasped
,
and
Autumn
felt th
e warmth in his hands again. H
e was able to control his pain and he returned to her neck passionately suckling loudly.