Page 129 of House of Crimson Kisses
“I really don’t like this,” Red says and fidgets with her hands.
“Leave,” I say suddenly, surprising myself too.
“But,” Amelia starts.
Xavier glances at me. My expression remains stoic. “She’s not joking, Amelia. Come on, I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”
The pair of them leave, and the man stays kneeling before Red, his hands trembling.
“We won’t hurt you,” I say. But he can’t bring himself to look at me. It frustrates me. I can’t console him, despite wanting this to be a painless experience for us all.
“I promise I’m going to make this as easy as I can for you. Honestly, I don’t really want to do it,” Red says.
“Then why are you? Who are you? You look human to me,” he says, staring at her.
“I am.”
“Then why—Oh.” His eyes widen.
“While you consent to donating, you will have your memory of this evening wiped. I’m sure you understand the significance of the information you’ve heard, and the severity of punishment should it leak.”
He opens his mouth but closes it again and nods. “I consent.”
“Good boy,” I say and despite the fact he’s a fully grown man, that phrase alone makes the trembling cease.
See? Why can’t all humans submit? They want it, really. Deep down, they covet the release of absolute vulnerability. The inevitability of their demise, their mortality. If they could learn to bend the knee a little earlier in life, there would be a lot less conflict.
I run my hand along the side of his head until I brush under his jawline.
“Red, come here.”
She does.
“You need to bite harder on human flesh than you do mine. It’s tougher and more rigid than vampire flesh. Because we heal, we don’t need to have as thick a layer of skin as humans.”
Her skin turns green. But I continue because time is running out, we’re already past midnight and I want her ready to fight by dusk.
“Lean yourself over his neck, like this.” I demonstrate everything twice and continue.
“Tilt your head to angle your teeth with the sharpest points over his carotid. You stand the best chance of penetrating if you do a sharp jerk of your head as you bite down. Okay?”
She nods. And steps into position. “I’m sorry,” she says to him and opens her mouth.
Her whole body quakes. But every inch she moves closer, I find my panties growing wetter.
“Good,” I say. “Now lean forward. That’s it.”
I guide her jaw. “And jerk.”
She takes the instruction like an eager student and sinks her teeth into his neck. He sucks in a sharp breath and stiffens. Blood spills out from between her lips as it flows into her mouth. Ah yes, I forgot to mention that it pumps out considerably faster than vampire blood—what with humans and their beating hearts.
She detaches, leans to the side and retches, throwing up everything she drank.
But she also nicked his carotid. If she doesn’t have vampire venom yet, then she won’t make his platelets rapidly heal. Blood gushes out in rhythmic spurts. It sprays her face and neck as she rights herself and wipes her mouth. He screams and grabs his neck.
“Red. Drink,” I say, and grab her by the scruff of the collar and push her head back onto his neck. At least this way we can salvage the blood he’s losing rather than go through multiple donors and have to spend half the day wiping their memories.
She slides her mouth over the wound, blood now coating her face and clothes. Her fingers find the back of his head and curl over his shoulder as she guzzles and this time swallows. The bob of her throat is rhythmic, and it makes my clit pulse.
