Page 20 of Craving Her Vampire

“Where do you get your blood?” I ask, forgetting about my annoyance.

“At home. Climb on,” he says, opening his arms.

I reach for his neck, fold my hands, and jump. He cradles my ass, and I think it’s quickly becoming his favorite part of my body. I wrap around him and we are moving. I am fucking tired. I sigh, close my eyes, and rest my head in the crook of his neck. My legs are grateful to be carried again, and the pressure releases.

I have never felt so secure being carried by a man. Micah is tall enough that I feel short. He doesn’t have to bend down much to kiss me, as my forehead is even with his mouth. My curves fit against him perfectly. He’s right; I have a round ass that jiggles. My breasts will overflow his hands. I have extra on my tummy and thighs. Shifters are naturally fit, but my body stays the same size no matter what I eat or how much I run. I don’t care what society deems the perfect body; I embrace mine. I was given a gift. Being a shifter is magic; I figured I was meant to be curvy.

The men I have been with haven’t had any complaints, but what matters is the way I feel about myself. The size of my body is the least of my worries. The guilt that eats at me for being happy for the first time in years is at the top of the list. I know my brother wouldn’t want me to feel that way. I have put pleasure on hold my whole life. Every day has been about survival, pain, and anger. Is it so wrong to revel in some good for a minute?

I wonder what it will feel like to be a coyote-vampire. I’ve never met anyone who is one, so I have no idea what will happen. When should we complete the bond? I’m not ready to do it yet. The heat will continue to amp up if we wait too long. I already need him so desperately. What we did in the closet is still fresh in my mind and body, yet I am ready for him again. It can become painful for shifters if the heat is not tamed; your body demands release.

Micah is a contradiction. He’s firm in some moments and soft in others. He called me “pet,” yet he calls me “love.” I decided I liked both. No one has ever cared enough to give me a name, an endearment. He could kill me with his finger, but I have never felt safer. He was brutal in the woods. He didn’t think anything of kissing me while his hand was around a man's neck. He is the most powerful being I have ever encountered. It’s alluring, the thought that no one would fuck with me ever again with him as my bonded mate. To hold such power is difficult to imagine.

I believe, if I tried to run away, he would follow. He’s been without a mate for so many years; finding the one meant to be yours must be euphoric.

I want to be his mate. I want to be valued, loved, and accepted by him. I have heard the wordsdirty coyotesince I was old enough to understand. I have walked down the street and been sneered at by other shifters. I have been grouped in with all of the breed, and it’s not fair. Yes, I steal, but I did it because I had to. I don’t think I am a terrible person. I was trapped in thecircumstances of my birth and the pack who owned me. I am grateful for them in some ways. Their actions taught me to fight and to fight dirty, to value the good when you find it, and to love the good people around you when you find them.

Turner is out there somewhere. He’s planning something, waiting for my guard to be down. Is he more scared of me than I thought? He has expressed his distrust of Lace and her spells. Maybe he thinks I’ve been lying about her level of power. He knows something happened in the woods because he would have expected Henry to check in, but I can only guess his thoughts. He is twenty-five years older than I am and much stronger. I was scared of him, but not anymore. I refuse to allow him to control me any longer.

I will do anything to find my brother.

I will do anything to keep the vampire who holds me so tenderly.

I will not hesitate to kill anyone who tries to take him away from me.

Chapter Seven

Micah

Ilay my mate in the middle of my bed. I took the long way home, allowing Daisy to process everything and eventually fall asleep. I need to take care of her and then my food. My instinct is correct; her legs hurt her. I don’t want to make her angry by removing her jeans, even though sleeping in them must be uncomfortable. I have to be patient and wait until she reveals her story in detail. Hearing a fraction of the things she went through in her pack infuriates me, and I have to stop myself from going back to kill the men at the club. She won’t get the answers she needs if I tear their heads off like I want to.

I take off her shoes and slide her legs under the covers. She turns on her side, pulling the pillow tight to her chest. My mate is mouth-watering. I want to get lost inside her for months, years, never letting her get more than an arm's length away. It pisses me off that I can’t yet. I have to solve her mysteries first.

I turn away from the bed and walk to the fridge. I need a drink. I haven’t let myself get so depleted in a long time. Of course, Ihaven’t used so much power all at once. Reading minds, digging into their memories is what causes the draining. I am out of practice since I rarely use that gift anymore. I would do it again and again for her, but I have limits on how much I can handle.

I sneer at the bagged blood as I drain it into a cup and put it in the microwave. I remember when the world didn’t have the conveniences of today. A time when everything was fucking hard. I have learned to adapt, but sometimes I miss it. The days when I could drink from anyone without a care of being caught. As a vampire, I was freer to do what I liked. People were more judgmental, though; if you didn’t fit the mold, you were cast aside as an oddity.

The blood is even less appetizing now that I found my mate. Her blood teases me with its scent. Once we complete the bond, I will only drink from her. As much as I want to bite her, turn her, and fuck her tonight, I need to give her time. I have to leave it up to her when she decides she is ready.

I may not be deserving, but I don’t give a fuck. She’s mine.

I shake my head, taking the cup out as the timer goes off. There was a time when I wouldn’t have given her a choice. I was a brutal bastard at the beginning of my vampire life. I still can be, but not to her.

I lean back on the counter, sipping, staring at Daisy. I eat food, but it doesn’t provide the nutrients I get from blood. I enjoy eating out and trying new things, but there is nothing that satisfies me like blood. The world is running out of new dishes for me to try. I have done many, many things over my existence. Boredom for a vampire can be a dangerous thing. It leads to tempting actions.

Daisy’s scent is still on my fingers. Giving her relief is my greatest pleasure. She gave herself to me, trusting me to give her what she needed. I have known thousands of women. I do not lack experience, but the moment in the closet is the mostpowerful one I have ever had. I love women. I love their passion, their softness, and their loving hearts. I have slept with women of all ages, body types, and personalities. I have welcomed every one of them, but I do love women with hips I can hold that can withstand my thrusts. With breasts that can pillow my big body as I lay on top of her. Daisy’s body is made for me. My dream came to life. I can’t wait to explore her and test her willingness to follow my lead.

I am a dominant man. I like it how I like it. I enjoy it when my woman follows my orders, deferring to my lead. But that doesn’t mean I want her to be weak. Her submission to me is the definition of strength. The things I will do to her will be because she permits me and trusts me to give her what she needs.

I finish my drink and rinse it in the sink. Since my mate will be living with me, I should make this place more comfortable for her. I circle the bed and grab the only chair I have, dragging it to the end of the bed. I sit and take off my boots. I rest my elbows on my knees, my hands clasped together, and watch her sleep.

Vampires do sleep, but we don’t need a lot of it. We walk in the sun without burning to a crisp. Our eyes can be sensitive to the bright light, but that is the only effect. The morning is coming, and I should rest, but I fear taking my eyes off of her. It still hasn’t completely sunk in that my mate is in front of me after all the years I have spent alone. It doesn’t seem real. I don’t want to close my eyes yet. Plus, I won’t be able to control myself if I lie next to her.

I glare at the door when the scent of a dragon reaches my nose.

Bishop is on the other side. He is a rare gold dragon and someone I have known since he was a toddler. I was friends with his parents and continued to be in his life long after his parents were killed. His brother, Laken, is his twin. They trusted me with the life of their sister, Saphira, and as much as I pretend she annoys me sometimes, I love the shit.

I reluctantly rise and go out to meet him.

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