Page 13 of Grave Throbbing
"My neighbor across the alley, the tattoo artist."
"The henna." Key gave his shoulders a squeeze, and Harley wished he would never let go. "Thank you. Greed wanted me to get her name. She'll be dropping by to see her soon."
"Can I trust her not to bite?"
Key scoffed. "Greed hates feeding off humans. Why do you think we've become regulars at this place? It's a luxury to some, but a necessity for us."
Harley couldn't argue with that. He'd been buying the synthetic stuff so long he'd forgotten what real blood tasted like. Blood Drive's fare was delicious and supercharged his libido.
"You identified me from the ambergris?" Harley studied the way water trickled down the trunk of a tree beside the bench, doing his best not to look in Key's direction.
Key shifted beside him. "That, and the way your hands fluttered to your throat when Greed stole your drink."
"You were watching?" Harley asked. "I couldn't find you."
"The bar's security feed goes to the guard room just off the glory hole."
"I'll never have vampire stillness in a crowd." Harley remembered how nervous he'd been at the possibility of seeing Key again. Now that Key was sitting beside him, he felt calm.
"I'm glad," Key said. "Vampires who stand as still as the dead creep me out."
"I have a question." Harley turned his head, intent on asking, but his nose brushed the tip of Key's.
"God, sorry." Key pulled away, gripping Harley's neck instead of his shoulder and then sliding across the bench for the full reach of his arm. Still close, but not that close. "You were saying?"
"Your bite." Harley's gaze dropped to Key's lips. "I found little about it in your file. Why did you need to bite me, exactly?"
"One, I love how you taste."
Harley grunted. The admission turned him on even more.
"Two, I needed to prove to myself I could control it, if I want."
"Control what, exactly?"
"The first time I bit you, I was scared. I didn't want you to follow me, worried you'd find Greed and take her away from me. I pushed my fear into you, the same way I did Mar—Empress Marcella. It left you paralyzed."
"And last night?"
"Last night, I wanted you to feel good." Key was back in Harley's space again, the scent of werewolf blood pooling around him. Key cupped Harley's cheek and grinned. "Did you?"
"Why me?"
"It's not enough to say I've wanted you since the night we met?"
Harley shook his head. "Why now?"
Key's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "I'm in a spot of trouble with the vampire council, and I was hoping you could help."
Fuck. Harley knew it. Fairytales didn't swoop in and give hidden blowjobs for no reason. "Your file didn't mention any trouble."
Key nodded. "It's fairly recent. Greed had a nasty client, an older vampire with a pain fetish. He … you don't want to know what he did to her, what he's done to other vampires, all because we regenerate from most anything." Silver to the heart or through the brainstem were the only means to kill a vampire, besides leaving them in the sun or an open flame until they burned to ash.
"You killed him?"
"No! He's on the council! When I found her, I paralyzed him with a bite and liberated Greed and several others." Key cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "He's too afraid of my bite to come after us without a plan, but as soon as he has one, he'll do more than torture both of us."
"On the council …" Harley tried to drop his gaze, but Key held him fast with his knuckles under his chin. "Dobbins."
