Once a Chosen got to be about two hundred, their behavior grew erratic. Sexual appetites grew increasingly bizarre as they looked for new and different ways to amuse themselves. Some of them became sociopaths and serial killers. Still others took the path of monks and disappeared into the mountains of Darpong to become spiritual gurus.
Daria had heard the most common cause of death for the Chosen was suicide. Immortality wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
“Maybe you'll never pop, like Sante.”
“Maybe he still will.” She glanced at him. Sante was four hundred and hadn't gone insane yet. “What's your take on that?”
Alejandro shrugged. “I don't know how he's managed to retain his sanity. He's one of the few. However, his blood mother has not, and he remains unhealthily loyal to her.”
Her hand fisted. “Personally, I don't care if he's sane or not. Either way, he's going down.” She drew a shaky breath, calming herself before asking, “How do you think you'll handle immortality?”
He shrugged. “We'll see, I guess.”
She chewed her lip, suddenly immersed in thought. “Yes, I will see, won't I? I might actually still be around three hundred years from now.”
In that moment, Daria went just a little crazy herself.
She rubbed her eyes. “You have a shower in this sand trap? I need to bathe and change my clothes.” Not to mention brush her teeth. It felt like she'd sleepwalked into the desert and gargled with sand.
“Hey, Daria, you know you're going to have to feed soon.”
She suppressed a shudder at the thought. “Yeah, well, I'm going to put it off for as long as I can.”
Alejandro shook his head. “It's dangerous for a new vampire to ignore blood hunger. You feel it, don't you?”
“Oh, you mean that persistent gnawing sensation in my stomach?” she shot back. “Yeah, I feel it.” She started to stand, more carefully this time. “That was in the handbook, too.”
Alejandro's hand clamped over her wrist like an iron band.
“Hey! Let go!”
Inexorably, he pulled her toward him, back onto the bed. “You have to feed
now
, Daria. I can't let you do anything else. It's very important. The Chosen who deny satisfaction of their blood hunger for too long can go into bloodlust. It's like going insane. Those vamps must be hunted down and killed by the GBC's peacekeepers. Was
that
in the handbook?”
Of its own accord, her gaze sought and fixed on the pulse in Alejandro's throat. The throbbing sensation in her stomach seemed to keep time with the beat of it. “You talk like the hunger is a beast within you that will devour you from the inside out if you don't keep it sated.”
Even though she knew it was necessary for the fully Chosen, a part of her rebelled at the thought of taking blood. After all, this time it would be all her. She wouldn't have Alejandro's veil mischiefing her mind, making it sweet and irresistible.
The other part of her, the baby vampire part, she assumed, wanted it like nothing else. She tore her gaze away, but probably not quick enough to prevent Alejandro from recognizing her hunger.
“Your blood hunger
is
like a being that lives within you. One you must keep happy. If you don't, bad things can happen, especially to a brand-new vampire. Come on, Daria. Just give in to it. Stop fighting for once and take what you need from me.” He drew her closer to him. “I'm willing to give.”
“What about the synthetic blood in your fridge? Can't I drink that?”
He shook his head. “You're a new vamp, Daria. You need it straight from the vein, it's more powerful that way.”
She looked back at his throat and the hunger roared through her body. Her head pounded with it. Hunger curled in her stomach and tightened like a fist. She'd been hungry before, but this was like nothing she'd ever experienced.
As much as she wanted to delay this initial encounter, she wouldn't be able to manage it. She licked her lips. The vampire part of her had won.
“Okay, but nothing sexual. Don't think of this as an invitation.”
“As much as I might be tempted, I promise, Daria.”
Another hunger pang pierced her stomach and she shifted on the mattress, her palm pressing against her abdomen. Alejandro took her hand and guided her to sit on his lap, straddling him. The position felt seriously intimate. She could feel the hard stab of his cock against her cunt. Suddenly, she was very thankful for the clothing that separated them.
Because he was
really
happy to have her in his lap.
And,
damn
. She was happy to be there, too.
He arched his neck, showing his jugular. Her canines lengthened into little points, as the manual said they would, at the mere sight of a feeding possibility. The sensation surprised her even though she'd been expecting it. “What do I do?”
“It's very simple. Bite me.”
She blinked. “Then what?”
He let out a little laugh. “Uh, you start sucking. Trust me, instinct will do the rest.”
The blood hunger bit into her stomach again and her vision swam. She had to feed, and she had to do it now. Daria took his head in her hands and lowered her mouth to his throat. She raked her teeth against his skin and felt him tense.
Her tongue stole out and licked the length of the vein, savoring the salty taste of him and feeling the prick of the stubble he needed to shave. Anticipation and arousal flushed her body and tingled between her thighs.
“What will it feel like for you?” she murmured, positioning her mouth over his vein. She didn't know how to control her veil yet, so there was no way for her to lessen the pain. “Will it hurt?”
“No, it will feel like sex.” His voice was low, scratchy, and betrayed his arousal. “It will feel like sex, Daria, but without a climax. Just a tease.”
She bit. Her fangs slid into his skin and found his vein like a heat-seeking missile. Sweet, hot blood coursed into her mouth, the combination of all the humans and succubare he'd fed from since he'd been Chosen.
It was ambrosia to her.
Alejandro's hands tightened on her waist and he let out a long, low groan. The sound of it went straight to her cunt, making her throb and grow slick. Alejandro's blood flowed into her, plumping her veins and satisfying her blood hunger.
Her eyelids fluttered closed at the ecstasy of it. Involuntarily, she thrust her hips forward, grinding herself against Alejandro's cock.
He gripped her waist, forcing her to cease the movement. “You're going to drive me insane,” he bit off after he'd let out a stream of Spanish. “Stop that.”
The ache in her stomach from the blood hunger eased little by little until it was completely gone. She released her hold on his throat and tipped her head back on a satisfied sigh. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt much better. Stronger.
She pushed off of him and stood. This time there was no wooziness at all. A hard flush enveloped her body as she glanced at Alejandro, who still reclined on the bed. Again she'd lost her control, and this time she didn't have the Choosing to blame.
“Next time try and unfurl your veil. You have one. You just need to learn how to use it.”
She glanced at him. “I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?”
He shook his head and grinned. “You didn't
hurt
me, no.”
“Can you tell if there's anything special about mine? I read that some vamps have different veil abilities.”
“It's true different vamps have different flavorings to their veil. Your specialized abilities probably won't develop for several years, though certain aptitudes may show themselves immediately.”
“What are your secret ingredients?”
His fangs flashed as he grinned. “Pleasure. My bite gives more than the average amount.”
Daria rolled her eyes.
“I also have the ability to tear down people's inhibitions with my veil. I don't advertise that skill.”
“What do you mean?”
“My veil acts like a drug, or like alcohol on a human system. It frees the id, makes the receiver do exactly what they want to do, without the rational thought that would ordinarily hold them back.”
“You can compel people? I see how you'd want to keep that on the lowdown.”
He shook his head. “Not compel people. I can only free them of their inhibitions and make them do what
they
truly want to do. It's a rare ability, and only a handful of people know I possess it.”
She considered him for a long moment. “Do not ever use that on me, Alejandro. I mean it.”
“Most people get nervous when they find out I can do that. I felt you needed to know everything. I won't ever use it on you, Daria. Not without your permission. You have my word.”
“Where's the shower?” she bit off.
“In the back.”
“Thanks.”
Daria gingerly made her way to the back of the tent and into the small bathroom. Catching her reflection in the mirror over the small travel sink, she stared. A small drop of blood dotted the corner of her mouth. Right before she licked it away, she caught herself. Her eyes widened as she realized that she had done it. She'd actually gone through with it. The blood drained from her cheeks.
She was a vampire. Immortality, whether she wanted it or not, was hers.
For a long moment, she gazed into her pale face in shock. Tears pricked her eyes. She ducked her head quickly and slammed on the tap to splash her face with water. She'd seen the tank at the back of the tent when they'd flown in. She didn't know how much water was in there and she didn't want to waste it.
After cupping her hands under the flow and taking a couple of gulps, she shut it off. Then she leaned her arms on the edge of the sink and listened to the
plink
,
plink
of water droplets dripping off her nose and hitting the porcelain. To her newly minted preternatural hearing, it sounded really loud. She closed her eyes.
What the hell had she done?
Even though she'd planned for this and had even fought for it, it seemed unreal to her now. Her thirst for revenge against Sante had been so much stronger than her will to live out her life as she'd been meant to. Her desire to take vengeance on him had eclipsed everything else, had driven her without thought or consideration. That was a frightening revelation.
How could she be capable of so much hatred?
She straightened and stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering who it was she truly blamed, who it was she truly hated. Was it Sante?
Or was it herself?
5
DARIA stepped out of her very short shower. The stupid thing had given her just a trickle of cold water. She stumbled on the canvas floor and caught herself on the edge of the sink. Gripping the rim of the cool porcelain, she closed her eyes for a moment. Her body felt weak, like she'd just recovered from a bad illness.
When she stepped away from the sink, she avoided catching her reflection in the mirror. Right now, she had to keep her mind on the job. The ABI had sent her to bring Ari Templeton home. That's what she had to concentrate on. When this was over, she could visit a psychiatrist for the rest.
Grumbling, she pulled a large white towel from the bar and dried herself. Voices from the room beyond the bathroom door made her fumble when she tucked in the flap of the towel over her left breast.
She padded to the door and pitched her new hearing outward past it. Alejandro's laughter boomed, and the sound of another other male laugh joined it.
Did they have neighbors way out here? She doubted it. She pushed the door open and stepped outside, really wishing she'd had the forethought to bring fresh clothing into the bathroom with her. Thinking straight hadn't been on her agenda after she'd taken Alejandro's blood. It probably hadn't been on her agenda for a while.
When she emerged from the bathroom, a man she didn't know stood from where he reclined in the jumble of oversized pillows on the floor. The man had shoulder length, wheat-colored hair and green eyes. He was as solidly built across the shoulders and chest as Alejandro, not someone she'd want to take on in a fight.
He was vampire. She could feel it with her shiny new vampire senses. Not only that, he felt old and strong. Apparently, this ability of sensing someone from afar had come with her new set of fangs.
She glanced at Alejandro. He still reclined on the bed, looking all shirtless and luscious. It was an eye-candy festival in here. Experimentally, she pitched her awareness toward him. He felt as strong as the other man to her, but not as old.
She wondered how she felt to them. Weak as a mewling kitten, maybe? Scowling at the thought, she narrowed her eyes at Alejandro.
Alejandro sat up when he saw her approach. An apprehensive look crossed his face.
Uh oh.
She didn't like surprises, and it looked like she was about be socked in the gut with one that had light hair.
“Daria, this is Brandon Nichols.” Alejandro motioned to the green-eyed man, who nodded slightly.
“Hey, Brandon.” She cocked her head to the side and tried to look commanding, but that was hard to do when you were barefoot and wearing a towel. “What are you doing way out here?” She suspected strongly that she knew the answer to that.
Alejandro rolled off the side of the mattress and to his feet in a gesture that reminded her of a large cat. “I didn't tell you this last night because I didn't want to add to your stress, but the GBC has required he accompany us on this mission. He has a connection to Sante, so it wasn't that hard to work out. The GBC thought we could use some extra muscle and the knowledge of an older vampire. Brandon is over one hundred and fifty years old.”