Page 32 of Taste of Death

“Perfectly.” I grinned. “And it doesn’t mean anything exactly. It’s… your name,” I lied.

“My name?”

“It’s how Amy would be pronounced as a Vampiric name.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I like that.” She stuck her hand out toward me. “Nice to meet you. I’m akra.”

You certainly are.

I fought to keep a straight face as I shook her hand, the gesture strange and extremely human. “Well met, akra.”

Amy giggled and turned away, throwing me a glance over her shoulder. “I’ll let you know what Tavia says about the ceremony.”

“Okay. Get home safe.” I watched her head for the front door, struck by a sudden sense of longing. She was leaving and I didn’t want her to go. “Text me when you’re home,” I called out.

“Okay!” she called back. “Sleep tight, sweet dreams!”

I already knew my dreams would be sweet if I went to bed thinking of her. But the reality was so much sweeter, and I’d be counting the hours until she was here again.

The three women chatted among themselves before the door closed and cut off all sound. As soon as they left, only the gentle hum of electricity could be heard throughout the house.

I was alone again, and perhaps for the first time, I really didn’t want to be.

Chapter 10

Amy

The Blood ‘til Dawn compound was quiet when I snuck back in, and the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. Not a single living thing stirred as I crossed the great room, descended into the underground corridor of rooms, and crept to my bedroom in Tavia and Cyan’s apartment.

I got into bed and took out my phone, the screen lighting up the windowless darkness of the room. Feeling like a teenager writing to a high school crush, I typed out a text.

I’m home. Thanks again for letting me hang out tonight.

His reply came moments later.

Glad to hear it. And let’s do it again sometime. :)

I grinned so hard that my cheeks hurt as I hit the power button and turned to put the phone on the nightstand. I was really, really happy that I met him, to the point of feeling giddy. He was so cute and wickedly funny. On top of that he was smart, kind, and encouraged me to work things out with Tavia, despite being part of an enemy clan.

“Oh God.” Even though I was alone and in the dark, I groaned and covered my face with the duvet.

I had a massive crush on Novak. I liked him, and I alsolikedhim.

What was I supposed to do about this? Even if Tavia and I repaired our friendship and she allowed me to bring him to her ceremony, she’d never support anything more between us.

And anyway, who was to say that he felt similarly? He was the last in a bloodline to an ancient clan and I was a nobody brusang. For all I knew, he was betrothed to some other vampire from a powerful clan.

We were friends. That much was clear. I was probably some kind of charity case to him. I’d nearly starved to death on his doorstep and still couldn’t bring myself to bite another person. Except…

Except I almost did tonight. I’d wanted to.

When he flexed his forearm and made his veins pop like that, it awakened a hunger I hadn’t yet felt at that point. I didn’t just want his blood—I wanted my mouth on his skin and to feel his on mine in return. I wanted to tastehim, not just drink the hot fluid in his veins.

The feeling came over me so quickly, and then I was noticing everything about him. His broad back, the round shape of his shoulders. His collarbones just barely visible at the unbuttoned top of his shirt. I noticed his lips, his eyelashes, his fingers, even the shape of his ears. And naturally, I noticed his neck.

I didn’t just notice, but wondered how sensitive it was. Would he react to a nip on his Adam’s apple? Would his head fall back with a moan if I trailed my lips from his jaw to his shoulder, searching for that perfect spot to pull from his vein? Would he touch me if I straddled his lap to drink from his neck?

All of those thoughts, and even more inappropriate ones, ran through my head while he cut his arm and bled into a glass to feed me. The guilt of that was what sobered me. I stood there, lusting after him, while he hurt himself so that I wouldn’t be hungry.

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