Page 83 of Desired for Her Blood
Ryker nods as he shrugs. “It’s not like I have a tool to measure it— Oh wait!” He raises his finger. “Yes, I do.” He squeezes me into his side.
Zuben rolls his eyes. “This is serious. This could be an indication of whether or not her transition is progressing.”
“She’s not a vamp, if that’s what you’re saying.” Ryker cups my chin, turns me toward him and kisses me. “Good morning, by the way.”
His grin is infectious and spreads through my belly. Beaming back, I pull away from him slightly, putting a quarter inch of cool air between us. As if anything could cool our heat.
“I know she is not avampire,” Zuben says stiffly. “But we do not know how her transition could develop. Clearly she is different from other humans and therefore it holds that her transition might also be unique. Because she is so special, we cannot know what to expect. But if there have been changes, they could provide evidence that—“
“That what?” Ryker interrupts.
“That we should try again.”
Ryker’s fingers tighten on my waist.
“No way.” Axe approaches rubbing sleep from his eyes. “She almost died.”
Zuben blinks and his abs contract. “Nearing death is what it takes to become a vampire. We all know that. That is why some humans believe that vampires are actually dead.”
“You are one cold motherfucker.” Broadening his chest, Axe glares at Zuben. “I willnotlet you kill her.”
I reach out for Axe’s arm, and he steps back from Zuben.
“It is true that I did not expect Ember to remain unconscious after she drank my blood. Or that burning her would be involved…” Zuben closes his eyes and shakes his head, clearly starting to question his renewed confidence in the process.
I look into Axe’s worried eyes. “We don’t need to make any decisions about trying again this second. But it can’t hurt to see what’s different. I do feel stronger, more energetic. I can see better. Maybe my powers have changed.”
Axe’s eyes widen. “Yourmagicpowers?”
I slide my hand down to his, and he takes it, much to my relief. “That’s not what I meant, but…maybe?” I look toward Zuben, who shrugs.
“Very little is known,” Zuben says, “about the Illuminant and the possible connections between her powers to wield magic and her…utilitarianqualities for vampires.”
“Utilitarian?” Ryker repeats with scorn.
“What wouldyoucall it?” Zuben asks, and Ryker scoffs.
“As I was saying,” Zuben continues. “Little is known, because so much of the history was burned, and before the destruction, the information was hidden from the vampire world for at least a millennia.”
“So…” I look expectantly at Zuben as he pauses, looking off into the distance as he so often does when he’s thinking.
“I will devise some tests,” he says. “I wish we had established proper benchmarks before…” He glances off into the distance again.
Ryker’s fingers slide over my belly, and I cover his strong large hand with mine, feeling the stir of desire rising again.
“Before we start these tests.” I pat Ryker’s hand on my belly. “Maybe we should all put on some clothes?” I grin. “Wouldn’t want any distractions to distort my tests.”
“What? You mean this old thing?” Ryker grabs his dick and laughs, and the group of us head toward the slowly dying fire to find some clothes to put on.
Ryker and Axe both forego their t-shirts, putting on only jeans, and Zuben puts on his dress shirt. It’s wrinkled; he left it lying in a heap. Even stranger, it seems to be missing its buttons and I have no memory of how that happened. He winds his tie up into a roll and slips it into his pocket.
“What first?” I ask as I put on my t-shirt and Axe adds a couple of logs to the fire.
“I have been considering this question carefully,” Zuben smooths his hand down his shirt, as if it might iron out the wrinkles. “However, there is no correct answer.”
“That must bekillingyou,” Ryker says with a chuckle.
“I suggest we start with speed,” Zuben says undeterred. “How fast can you run across the cave and back?”
