Page 93 of Cruelly Bitten
I’d bitten a few of them for sustenance, yet it hadn’t been enough. I’d longed for more but not from them.
And now that I’d more thoroughly experienced Ismerelda, I understood why.
She was my weakness. My ultimate craving. My everything. No one else compared.
Killing her will be the hardest task I’ve ever taken on,I decided.But I don’t have to do that yet.
Not until we figured out how to solve this immortal-blood problem.
I finished my coffee—the dark liquid flavored with a hint of my lioness’s essence. I hadn’t taken much from her, my desire to give her a day of healing superseding my own needs. She’d given me everything, just as I’d required.
Some part of me wished to please her in return, and I’d sensed her exhaustion even with the constant intake of food and blood I’d provided.
Ismerelda needed true rest.
“There are some bath salts under the sink,” I told her. “Use them for a bath.”
She blinked at me. “A bath, my liege? For your return?”
I shook my head. “No. For you. I want you rested and ready for me tonight. And baths are relaxing, yes?” I’d taken them a millennia ago before showers existed. However, that had been in a tin-like tub.
The large one in my bathroom suite was far more advanced with mechanisms that actually moved the water. I hadn’t indulged in the experience, but I suspected the jets wouldprovide massage-like sensations against myErosita’ssore muscles.
My hands itched to do the task themselves. Alas, I couldn’t trust the instinct. Mostly because it would end with Ismerelda on her back once more.
And I really needed to get to work.
“Yes,” she said quietly, agreeing with my statement regarding baths.
“Would you like me to have food delivered to you as well?” I asked.
She studied me for a long moment, almost as though she was trying to understand the question.
She really is exhausted,I realized. I’d been hard on her, my cravings dark and depraved. I hadn’t realized how starved I’d been for her, and now it seemed I would never be satisfied.
Replacing her right now was not an option.
No wonder those blood virgins didn’t appeal to me.
“Do you mean for dinner?” Ismerelda’s tone held a note of confusion to it, making me realize that the agenda for this evening might not be clear.
“Yes. I likely won’t return until close to dawn, so the night hours are yours today. Is there something I should order for you to eat?”
I learned my lesson the other day about how to properly care for myErosita. She’d waned considerably, even with my blood in her system. And it had taken a snarky remark from her to tell me why.
My human requires sustenance to thrive.
I’d taken the discernment seriously and had prioritized her meals ever since. It’d served a dual purpose to also reintroduce me to modern cuisine, which had allowed me to justify the amount of time I’d devoted to sharing food with her.
In truth, I’d just enjoyed her company.
But I’d never admit that aloud.
“Um.” She cleared her throat. “Maybe a pizza? I could keep it warm for whenever you come back…?” She trailed off, her light green gaze searching mine. It was bold. Alluring.Queenly.
Mira had warned me that myErositahadn’t conformed to this new world, that she’d essentially refused to bow to her superiors.
A human with a backbone of steel.
