She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him, but gave a sharp nod.
“You’re hungry.”
Another sharp nod.
“Let’s get you dressed and we’ll talk.”
She opened her eyes and looked down, realizing her state of nudity. A blush rose into her unusually pale face and she tried to tuck her head to hide from him. “Oh God. I’m so sorry.”
He wanted to hug her but didn’t dare release her shoulders. She might go for his neck again. It surprised him that he’d been able to reach her consciousness so easily, but then, she knew him. Other newly turned Vampires he’d come across hadn’t. They’d just been intent on tearing into his flesh to feed.
“I’m not hurt. I said I could handle you.”
She raised her chin and pinned him with glowing eyes. Tears swam in them and it tore at his guts. “I attacked you, didn’t I?”
“It’s not your fault.”
The tears slipped down her cheeks and he held back a groan. He wanted to kiss her but it would be a mistake. She was starving and needed to be fed. His dick didn’t seem to care though, as it throbbed against her where she sat.
She finally noticed and her mouth parted in surprise. It was his turn to feel embarrassed.
“Sorry but you’re naked and straddling me. I’m going to react to that.”
She tried to get off him. He hated to let her go but did, and she crawled away from him. He was a bastard for wanting to rise up and curl around her bent form. Her ass was firm and round, taunting him to fuck her from behind. She even got onto the bed, right where he wanted her. He watched her grab the sheet and pull it with her to the corner, where she huddled, hiding her body.
He rose to his feet and tried to ignore his stiff dick. It tented his boxers but there was nothing to be done about it. He grabbed the T-shirt he’d laid out for her and approached the bed.
“Kira? Here, baby. Put this on.”
She peeked up at him, those fangs denting her bottom lip. They looked hot on her and he fought back a growl. His animal side wanted her so bad, he was half tempted to rip the sheet away and pin her under him. He’d wanted her for too damn long and she was in his bed, smelling of him after sleeping there all day.
Her hand trembled when she accepted the shirt. He turned away to give her privacy, glanced at his jeans, but decided he wouldn’t put them on. It would be hell to get his pants closed over a raging hard-on. She’d already seen how she affected him so there was no use attempting to hide it.
“You can look at me now.”
He turned aback around. She stood when she was dressed. She looked sexy with his shirt covering her to mid-thigh. The fact that she had nothing on under it was a temptation to toss her back on the bed. Her gaze lifted and met his. Her eyes still glowed and it reminded him she needed sustenance.
“How are you doing? Do you think you can last a few minutes before you have to feed?”
She nodded.
“We need to talk.” He hated to get right to business but he could almost sense her father nearby. Davis wouldn’t wait an hour after she woke to arrive. He believed Lorn was a danger to his daughter. He couldn’t get inside the den but he could try to find it.
He knew that look currently on her face. She was trying to keep her emotions in check. He’d never had the heart to tell her that her eyes always gave her emotions away. Fear and dread showed in them at that moment.
“I understand. It’s too dangerous for me to be here. I’ll leave tonight.”
Lorn hadn’t expected that. “No.”
She blinked rapidly a few times. “What’s wrong then?”
“I didn’t say anything was.”
“I know that tone.”
“Your father came to visit today.”
“How is he holding up? I hope you told him that this wasn’t his fault. He always blames himself for everything that happens to me.”
“That didn’t come up. He wants to take you to another clan.”
Surprise widened her gaze.
“Velder offered you protection with his clan.” He tried to hide his anger. “He told your father that there’s a chance you don’t have to stay the way you are. I don’t want you to get your hopes up, but it might be possible to awaken your Lycan traits.”
“I don’t have any. Not really.”
“They had a young couple in the clan. The girl was more Vampire than Lycan but she was fed by a dominantly Lycan male. She can withstand the sun now, and she eats food. Velder believes the male’s blood helped strengthen her Lycan traits, like an infusion. It has to be done right away or it won’t even be possible.”
Kira bit her lower lip. “My dad wants me to start drinking his blood? Do you think it would work?”
“Your father isn’t an option. You’ve seen what’s happened in our clan, when someone turned more Vampire than Lycan. Their parents’ blood didn’t change anything. Your father has a lot of Lycan in him, but he’s also got many Vampire traits. You can see then when he shifts.”
“I never noticed anything off when my dad shifted.”
“He grows less hair than most and keeps a more humanoid form. Velder…he’s got an enforcer who’s lost his mate. He’s willing to allow you to feed off him.” He fought the urge to snarl even repeating that part. “Your father wants to take you to some stranger and hand you over. He’s willing to allow that bastard to mate you as a trade-off.”
Kira closed her eyes and dipped her head. The sagging of her shoulders showed her defeat. He just didn’t know what thoughts in particular caused that response. Was she accepting that she’d always be a bloodsucker to avoid such a fate, or was she considering mating to someone? It enraged him enough to snarl.
Her head came up and her eyes opened. She looked confused as she studied his face. “What?”
“I’ll feed you. Your father is against it; he still wants to take you away, regardless of my offer.”
“Why?”
A muscle in his jaw jumped when he clenched his teeth. He didn’t answer her right away, trying to figure out a way to word it well.
“Why, Lorn?”
“Feeding is very intimate,” he finally rasped.
Understanding dawned in her eyes. She swallowed hard enough for him to see her throat work. She looked up at him again. “I imagine so. But you’re offering to feed me so I won’t have to mate with some enforcer?”
“Yes.”
“That’s really nice of you.”
He wasn’t about to tell her it was out of jealousy to keep her away from another man. It reminded him that Davis would be sulking above. “Your father is waiting to talk to you. He’ll try to find my exact den location if we don’t go up there soon. Please, Kira…tell him that you’d rather stay with me.”
“I don’t understand why he’d have a problem with it.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “He thinks I’ll end up hurting you.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
Her faith in him soothed some of his anger. “Lavos might try to convince you to leave with your father, too.”
“I’m putting you in danger by stay—” She suddenly paled and bent, grabbing her stomach.
“Kira?”
“The hunger.” Pain sounded in her voice and her eyes glowed bright blue when she peeked up at him. “It’s back.”
Her knees would have given out if Lorn hadn’t lunged, grabbing her around her waist. He lifted her and sat in a chair, placing her on his lap so she faced away from him. He released her waist and his fingers speared into her hair at the back of her neck, fisting a handful. He lifted his other arm close to her mouth.
“Bite, Kira. Take from me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Bite,” he snarled. “Feed.”
She whimpered but refused to do as he demanded.
Lorn’s temper flared and he brought his arm to his own mouth. His fangs slid out and he used the tip of one to slice a small cut on the meat
y area of his inner arm between the wrist and elbow.
He shoved it in front of her nose, holding her head steady.
Kira moaned and struck when she saw the blood.
He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist, but still gasped at the sharp sting of her fangs sinking into his flesh. It only lasted for a few seconds, and then the pain dulled. Her lips were pressed tight against his skin, her tongue wet and hot as she sucked. Her jaw moved with each swallow of his blood.
It was erotic as hell, and made his dick instantly harder. He could imagine what her mouth on that part of his anatomy would feel like.
He leaned forward, pressing his chest flush against her back. The soft moans she made only worsened his reaction. He bet she’d make those pleasured sounds during sex, too. Each one tormented him but he kept control of his desire. She was in bloodlust, lost to the need to feed.
Kira wiggled on his lap, rubbing her pussy against his groin. The smell of her arousal rose, and he closed his eyes, tucking his head until his nose was buried against his own shoulder. It didn’t dilute her scent by much. His dick began to throb as more blood rushed south. He couldn’t ever remember his cock feeling so hard and achy.
She clutched at his arm, holding on to him as if he were a lifeline. He’d become one by feeding her. Don’t take it personal, he reminded himself. Don’t even think about fucking her. She’s helpless. It kept him still and helped him fight his instincts.
She ground her pussy against his trapped dick again and moaned louder. Lorn clenched his teeth in response, knowing pure hell. She was soaking the material of his boxers with her need to be fucked.
Bloodlust. Just bloodlust, he chanted inside his head. No way would he give in to the overriding desire to fuck her. She would never forgive him, and he wouldn’t either. Her first time with him wouldn’t be in a haze of Vampire bloodlust.
The sucking on his arm slowed and her hips stopped squirming. Kira quieted and suddenly jerked her mouth away.
He hadn’t expected her to throw herself onto the floor and wasn’t able to prevent her from landing hard. He stared at her as she rolled over, a look of horror on her face. She shoved at the shirt she wore to cover her exposed lower half, trying to crawl backward to put space between them.
“It’s okay.” He made sure he breathed through his mouth.
Something dripped on his leg and it was a reminder that she didn’t know how to close a bite wound. He lifted his still-bleeding arm and licked it.
Kira’s heart pounded and heat swept through her body, as if a fever had spiked. Sweat even broke out on her skin and her nipples hardened.
Lorn sniffed the air, a soft growl rumbling from him. His gaze narrowed as he continued to watch her.
“Easy, Kira,” he rasped, his tone not totally human.
“I, um…” She backed away, looking from him to the floor. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You have little to no control until you learn your new body.”
She frantically glanced at the door. The symptoms of being turned-on worsened. Her stomach muscles fluttered and a throbbing began at her clit. Escape was impossible, since it wouldn’t be safe to leave the den. The clan would kill her on sight. Kira climbed into the bed and jerked the covers over her lap to attempt to mask her scent. A VampLycan couldn’t miss it with their heightened sense of smell.
“It’s arousal,” he went on, his voice changing into more of a growl. “You’re going through a lot of changes and probably have a hair-trigger response to everything. Don’t be afraid of it. It’s normal to get turned-on when you feed and nothing is wrong with you.”
She looked at him then, his words confusing. “Afraid?” Mortified and embarrassed were definitions she’d have gone with, but his assumption of fear came as a surprise. She’d been humping him when she’d snapped out of her pain, her mouth clamped onto his arm. The taste of his blood in her mouth reminded her of what she’d done.
“You’ve never experienced bloodlust before.”
“I know but I didn’t expect that. Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine. You’re suffering from various side effects of being a Vampire. Lust is one of them. Just relax and it’ll pass. Your body is confused. It’s the first time you’ve ever grown that aroused. It’s a bit scary.”
She tried to slow her breathing. “I’m so sorry.” She glanced down his body for the first time and gasped. She couldn’t help it, seeing Lorn’s cock outlined so clearly, stretching the limits of his boxers. He was big and thick.
She would have continued to stare but he suddenly shifted in the chair and bent one leg up enough to hide his lap.
“I resisted. I’d never take your virginity when you’re lost to bloodlust, Kira.”
Kira gaped at him. “What?”
“I would never take advantage of you that way.”
She replayed his words, stunned. “Virginity?”
“Your father said he didn’t talk to you much about sex. I wouldn’t have taken advantage of you,” he repeated.
It sunk in that he thought she was a virgin. And that made her angry. “I might be dog shit to the clan but humans found me very attractive. I’m not some old maid!”
He stood so fast that the chair slammed to the floor. She lowered her gaze again, unable to look away from the front of his boxers. The vicious snarl that erupted from him snapped her focus to his face. His fangs were out and his eyes had darkened to near black. He seemed to be having some difficulty breathing, since he panted.
“Some human fucked you?”
Kira wasn’t stupid. He was in a rage. Her mouth parted but she didn’t speak, afraid to. His reaction was confusing at first as they stared at each other.
“Answer me!”
She could barely understand, the animal side of him nearly overtaking his ability to form decipherable words. She licked her lips and then took a deep breath. “What’s wrong?”
He moved lightning fast and her new Vampire instincts rose, shooting pure terror through every nerve ending. His hands shoved at her shoulders, knocking her flat as his weight pinned her to the bed. He thrust his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck and snarled.
“Tell me!”
Kira had to resist letting loose a scream. She wouldn’t have been able to draw enough breath to pull it off anyway, since Lorn’s weight crushed her into the soft bedding. His skin seemed cooler than her own. She stared wide-eyed into his glowing gaze.
“You allowed a human to fuck you?”
His reaction was way beyond rage. She’d seen him go off on others when he’d been protecting her. Being on the receiving end of that kind of violent outburst was another story. She’d never feared Lorn until this moment. She fought to regain some control since her instincts were clawing at her insides to fight to get away from him.
She reached up, her hands trembling badly, and curved her palms around his cheeks to make a physical connection. It had always worked when they were kids and he’d lost control of his emotions when he grew too angry over something. She’d grip his face and make him look at her to calm him down. It took a few tries before words would leave her mouth.
“Lorn?” Tears filled her eyes and she didn’t hide them. “Are you going to hurt me?”
He closed his eyes and his grip on her hair eased.
A few ragged breaths later, he braced his weight and eased most of it off her. Some of his rage seemed to have faded when his eyes opened. They glowed silver but she didn’t look away. VampLycans had enough Vampire traits to control minds but he’d never do that to her. They had trust—or at least she’d thought they had. Lorn was the last person, besides her father, who would ever take advantage of her with those abilities. She’d always had an immunity to mind control, but it hadn’t been tested against someone brutally attempting to tear into her mind.
“No,” he rasped. “I didn’t mean to react that way. My Lycan side took over. I’ve barely slept for days and…I’m just so damn sorry. I’d never hurt you.
Never.”
“What’s wrong? Is this some kind of instinctual response to me being a Vampire?” She wouldn’t be surprised. Decker had instilled deep hatred for the full-bloods. “Is it because my scent has changed? I know I probably don’t smell so good. Is your Lycan side telling you I’m the enemy? I’m not, Lorn.”
He turned his head, tucking his chin against his broad shoulder. “Just answer my question.” His tone softened but his words were clear. “Did you let a human touch you?”
“I know you don’t like or trust them, but I was mostly human. I wasn’t so bad, was I? Not all of them are.”
He kept very still. “Yes or no?”
“I dated in college.”
“How many?”
“Dates? I don’t know. I only got serious with one man. He was nice but we broke up.”
He softly growled. “You had sex with him?”
She was unsure why it upset him so much. “Yes.”
He rolled away from her and was across the small room in a heartbeat.
She lay there stunned for a few seconds before lifting her head, watching him. His fists were clenched at his sides and his shoulders were tense. She sat up and used the blanket to tuck around her chest again.
“Lorn?
He didn’t make a sound or turn around to face her.
“He didn’t hurt me. I know you’re overprotective. Is that it?”
He spun then, his fangs had retracted but his eyes still glowed. “How could you?”
“What?” She gaped at him.
“How could you allow a human to paw you?”
“Paw me?”
“You know what I mean,” he snapped, growling again.
“No, actually, I don’t. Was I supposed to die a virgin? Never date because this clan thinks I’m useless and not worthy of ever becoming someone’s mate?” Her temper flared. “I’m more than just someone to order around, doing whatever I’m told to earn the right to keep living!” It hurt that he thought so little of humans. “I’m a person with feelings and needs. I thought you of all people would understand that. I sure as hell couldn’t date anyone here. Don’t be so insulting toward humans, because I am one. Or I was until I was attacked, anyway.”